Chapter 50: Chapter 46: Secret Realm
Lin Mo gently parted the bushes and, just as he expected, saw the injured Cursed Cat Demon in the distance, resting under a tree.
It didn’t look to be in good shape, sprawled out on the ground. Beside it, another Cursed Cat Demon was licking its wounds.
If they were better-looking, the scene might have even been heartwarming.
Unfortunately, although the "Demon" in Cat Demon was just one extra word compared to a regular cat, their looks were worlds apart.
Their fur was too short, their skin coarse, and their gaunt faces were covered in wrinkles. With their sharp claws and fangs, they were even harder on the eyes than a Goblin.
After a quick glance, Lin Mo quickly looked away.
A Cat Demon’s Perception was sharp; staring at them for too long would likely get him noticed.
His party wasn’t as fast as these two Cursed Cat Demons. If they startled them, they’d never be able to catch up.
The group exchanged glances. They were still two or three hundred meters away from the Cursed Cat Demons, which was about the limit. Any closer and it would be hard to avoid being discovered.
And so, everyone’s eyes—including those of Cody, the Assassin—all focused on Lin Mo.
Although Cody was an Assassin, his Back Attack Skill only boosted his damage. As for concealing his presence and approaching enemies, he relied on his own experience and technique.
That was enough when facing humans or Demons like Goblins, but a Cat Demon’s Perception was far too keen. He hadn’t even succeeded in ambushing an Ordinary Cat Demon before, let alone the Cursed Cat Demons in front of them now.
But Lin Mo was different. Though they had never asked about the specifics, they all knew Lin Mo had a Skill that could reduce his presence. Combined with his speed, which was nearly on par with a Cursed Cat Demon’s, he was their only hope for taking down both of them.
Lin Mo understood immediately. He nodded, his figure disappearing into the tall grass as he entered a state of Stealth, approaching the Cursed Cat Demons from the side.
One hundred meters, fifty meters...
Lin Mo’s Stealth Skill Level had reached Level 3, and its effect was much stronger than when it was at Level 1. Even the Cursed Cat Demons failed to notice anything amiss.
Twenty meters.
This distance was close enough for a surprise attack. But Lin Mo didn’t rush in. Instead, he carefully gestured back in the direction he had come from.
The next moment, Cody began to move, approaching from the other side.
Unlike Lin Mo with his Stealth Skill, even though Cody’s fundamentals as an Assassin weren’t bad and his sneaking form was perfect, he would be discovered at a distance of about a hundred meters from the Cursed Cat Demons at best.
Lin Mo estimated Cody’s position and counted down in his head.
’Five, four, three, two...’
’One!’
Just as the two Cursed Cat Demons sensed something wrong and looked toward Cody’s hiding place, Lin Mo shot out of the bushes at top speed. With a single Slashing, he precisely lopped off the head of the injured Cursed Cat Demon.
"HYAH—!"
The other Cursed Cat Demon reacted instantly, spinning around and swiping a claw at Lin Mo.
But Lin Mo was prepared. The Short Knife in his right hand moved at almost the same time, swinging upward to firmly block the counterattack.
At the same time, Cody rushed in from the other side, unleashing a Back Attack aimed straight at the Cat Demon’s neck.
The Cursed Cat Demon sensed the danger from behind. It gave up its pursuit of Lin Mo and tried to flee to the right.
But Lin Mo wasn’t about to let it escape so easily. He released the hilt of his blade with his left hand and, just in the nick of time, grabbed its wrist.
The next second, Cody’s Short Knife pierced straight through its body.
Although it did its best to dodge at the last moment, avoiding a fatal blow to the neck, the strike still pierced its shoulder blade.
’That’s enough!’
The moment Cody made his move, Bain and Evan charged forward. Millian drew her bow and put an arrow into the Cursed Cat Demon’s thigh. Bain followed up with a Shield Strike, which, combined with Lin Mo’s Slashing, finished the Cursed Cat Demon off for good.
[Slashing] Proficiency +5!
Seeing the notification appear before him, a smile spread across Lin Mo’s face.
’Excellent, I got the last hit!’
In addition to this one, the one he killed in the initial ambush had also granted him 5 Proficiency points for Slashing. The two Elite Level Demons had brought his Slashing Skill Proficiency directly to Level 4 (80/100). He only needed 20 more points to completely master the Skill.
"Nice work!"
Bain clapped Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Your strength is getting more and more surprising. Who knows, in a few more days, you might even become a Professional."
If it weren’t for Lin Mo, the rest of them would have never been able to get close enough. They wouldn’t have been able to kill even one Cursed Cat Demon, let alone two.
Cody glanced over but said nothing.
He was already thoroughly convinced of Lin Mo’s strength, but becoming a Professional in just a few days? ’Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?’
Evan and Millian set about harvesting the Cursed Cat Demons’ claws and teeth. Unlike Ordinary Cat Demons, Cursed Cat Demons had more valuable parts. In addition to their claws and fangs, their hearts were also a basic Alchemy Material.
Evan removed the two Cursed Cat Demon hearts, washed them clean, and stored them in special sealed bags.
The quest only required the claws; the remaining materials could be sold for a good price.
"This means we only need the claws from 16 more Ordinary Cat Demons, and the quest will be complete."
Even the composed Bain couldn’t help but break into a joyful smile. After all, their progress was far beyond his expectations.
If everything went smoothly, they could be heading home before the day was out!
Lin Mo nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a strange crack on a tree a short distance to his right.
"What’s that?"
Lin Mo asked curiously.
Bain followed his gaze. When he saw the crack, which looked so natural it seemed to have grown as part of the tree, he froze for a moment.
A moment later, he dredged up a story from the corners of his memory, one he had heard from a Minstrel begging for drinks in a tavern back in Lania City.
He cautiously approached and carefully examined the crack, which was about the height of a person. "Is this... a Secret Realm entrance?" he asked, his voice uncertain.
"A Secret Realm? What’s that?"
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he had ever heard the term.
"Entrances to Secret Realms can randomly appear in any area where Magic Power gathers. According to the latest research from the Empire’s head Mage Corps, a Secret Realm is likely another world existing on the same plane as the Continent. They are temporary or long-term territorial entanglements caused by the resonance of Magic Power between the two realms..."
To be honest, Bain didn’t fully understand these profound words himself; he had simply memorized them by rote.
"For example, the famous holy land for adventurers—the Nasadok Dungeon—is said to be an extremely stable, super-massive Secret Realm."
Lin Mo more or less understood him. Simply put, it was a localized overlap between this world and another, caused by the influence of Magic Power.
’Interesting...’
"So, what’s inside these Secret Realms?"
