Ever since the third-ranked team on the points leaderboard entered Paradise Temple, Lord 91 and Miss 13 had vanished.
Their livestream channels were always offline.
No one knew what had become of them.
Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in Leopard’s livestream, and viewers quickly flocked over.
Some had been following the female from the Turtle Clan, while others were purely there for the drama.
Still others were fans of the Bear Team.
As the captain of the fourth-ranked team on the points leaderboard, the male from the Bear Clan was also very popular.
He was decisive and possessed immense Strength. His team had four members, one of whom was his much younger brother.
"Please, get up first," Yu Zhizhi said. "Where is he?"
"Just a moment, they’re almost here."
The Bear Clan Beastman stood up, tightly securing the axe on his back with a cloth strip. His voice softened considerably when he looked at the delicate little female from the Turtle Clan standing before him. "Are you here for the hidden points? If so, we can team up."
There were hidden points available on the outskirts of the Holy Temple, but you had to kill an SSS-level Fallen Species to get them.
"We’re looking for someone." Leopard immediately activated his wristband and pulled up a photo of the young mantis boy. "Have you seen him around here?"
The Bear Clan Beastman took two steps forward and looked carefully for a few seconds. "I think I have. Yesterday, not far from here, he was attacked by a Fallen Species. If I’m not mistaken, he fell into the Red Pond!"
As he spoke, the Bear Clan Beastman’s teammates arrived.
It was two males, one of whom was cradling an unconscious little brown bear.
"Bear Team, can she really do it?"
They already understood the situation from watching the livestream.
The Bear Team had been far too deferential just now. No one would have expected the fearless warrior to kneel before a young female from the Turtle Clan whom he’d never met. Both teammates sized up Yu Zhizhi with suspicion.
"Don’t question it. Regardless of whether he can be saved, my word still stands!"
The male from the Bear Clan looked at Yu Zhizhi. "Please, Miss Healer."
They gently laid the severely injured little brown bear on the ground.
Yu Zhizhi didn’t hesitate.
Kneeling on the ground, she saw the bloody wound on the little brown bear’s abdomen. Her fingers trembled slightly. "I... I’ll try."
The two teammates exchanged a look. This little female from the Turtle clan looked incredibly frail.
Besides, the little brown bear’s injury was no ordinary wound.
The wound was tainted with an extremely foul, malevolent energy; ordinary Healing Skills were completely ineffective against it.
Yu Zhizhi brought her fingertips together before her chest. A faint cyan light gathered in front of her as the power of the Healing System began to cover the grotesque gash on the little brown bear.
She focused all her attention on the healing.
No one disturbed her.
’The light from the Healing Skill is so warm,’ Leopard thought, watching nervously from the side. ’I haven’t seen her in a few days, but it feels like Ms. Zhi Zhi’s spiritual power has gotten a little stronger.’
The wounds on the little brown bear began to heal. Beads of sweat dotted Yu Zhizhi’s forehead as she slowly withdrew her hands and sank to the ground.
The two teammates’ eyes widened—
’Her Healing Skill actually works on a wound inflicted by an Extremely Dark Fallen Species?!’
’This is unbelievable!’
Just then, Yu Zhizhi heard a system notification—
[System: Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully treating a Beastman severely injured by an Extremely Dark Fallen Species. You have been awarded 100 bonus Experience Points!]
[System: There are three opportunities in total to receive bonus Experience Points. After the Host has claimed them all, you will receive a mysterious gift.]
’Huh?’ Yu Zhizhi blinked. ’Healing this kind of Rare injury gives bonus Experience Points?’
’Is this a passive effect of the Disguise Talent Card?’
The Bear Team knelt to check the little brown bear’s injuries. He looked back at Yu Zhizhi, his eyes resolute. "Miss Healer, whatever you need, just give the word!"
She pursed her lips, but before she could reply, Leopard yelled from behind her, "Fall back! Fall back! The Fiery Flame Giant Worm is here!"
"It’s too late! I’ll hold it off! The rest of you, go, now!"
The Bear Clan Beastman immediately drew his axe.
The Fiery Flame Giant Worm was an SSS-level Fallen Species from the Flame Cave Domain. It was enormous, like a small mountain spewing flames.
The very ground of the Flame Cave Domain trembled at its appearance.
This was its hunting ground.
Leopard was scared shitless. He didn’t forget to grab Yu Zhizhi’s wrist, only to discover that she had exhausted all her spiritual power using the Healing Skill and now didn’t even have the strength to walk.
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, please forgive me."
Leopard said, just as he was about to lift the young woman into his arms.
Suddenly, he felt an invisible force seize him, binding his hands and feet firmly in place.
「Behind the ruins.」
A black Crow was perched on a dead tree. It glanced at its leader.
’For a moment, it couldn’t tell: did its leader want Miss Turtle and Rabbit to suffer a little, or did he simply not want any other male to touch her?’
’The Spider Leader could have controlled everything from the grand hall, yet he’d followed them here. And still, he refused to reveal himself...’
’Was he waiting for Leader Louis?’
Leopard panicked. "I-I-I... I can’t move!!"
The Bear Clan warrior had already charged forward, axe in hand. The scene was utter chaos. Yu Zhizhi managed to get to her feet with Stag’s help.
The Fiery Flame Giant Worm’s approach made the Flame Cave even hotter. She felt as if she had a raging fever; the heat was so intense her consciousness began to blur.
「Meanwhile.」
When Lou "came to," he found himself leaning against a wall behind the ruins.
He glanced at the giant worm in the distance and instantly knew where this place was.
He couldn’t quite remember what had happened earlier.
He only remembered drinking a lot.
And then...
Lou’s emerald eyes were chillingly cold as he gazed at the pure white figure among the other contestants. Her spiritual power was being affected by the Flame Cave, and she was already trembling uncontrollably.
Her white Holy Temple Robe made her look like a small snow lotus on the verge of wilting.
Scorched and seared by the heat, she looked as if she were about to melt.
’Her true form is a little rabbit,’ he thought. ’The same rabbit he had once disdained more than any other.’ A flash of anger crossed his eyes. For a split second, Lou wanted to turn and walk away.
—’Forget her.’
’Let her die...!’
The thought that she had braved the dangers of Paradise for Louis—that every time they were together, the one in her eyes and in her heart was always Louis—made Lou feel as though his own heart were being sliced apart. Every breath he took was a stab of bone-chilling pain.
’Let her die!’
’Let her die!’
’Let her die!’
The single thought flashed relentlessly through Lou’s mind. His fists clenched, and a twisted smile spread across his pale face.
Suddenly, he heard the little rabbit cry out in alarm.
His body, almost beyond his control, shot forward—
Yu Zhizhi was blasted into the air by a fiery gust from the giant worm. Her first instinct was to use Beastification. ’If I had my hard turtle shell, I could block this!’
But before she could even form the thought, a dark green figure appeared before her, cleaving the fiery whirlwind in two with a single slash.
Lou yanked Yu Zhizhi into his arms, landing steadily on the ground with her held tight.
She stared in a daze at the young man who had suddenly appeared. "Lou...?"
There was no trace of a smile in Lou’s green eyes, none of the fond teasing she was used to. He stared coldly into the depths of her dark eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"I’m the one who saved you."
"—Not him."
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