Faced with the strange girl who suddenly transformed and pounced on him, Conan reacted quickly and shouted, "Everyone be careful, this is no ordinary girl!"

Nightshade was the first to rush forward, his short knife flashing coldly as he slashed at the girl's outstretched arm. The girl moved with incredible agility, her body flashing like a ghost as she easily dodged Nightshade's attack. At the same time, her sharp nails clawed at Nightshade's face. Nightshade quickly dodged to the side; the nails grazed his cheek, sending a gust of cold wind through him.

Ran Mouri followed closely behind, delivering a powerful side kick to the girl's waist. The girl was sent flying backward a short distance, but quickly regained her footing, letting out a sharp scream. The scream echoed through the forest, as if attracting something even more terrifying.

Lin Yu quickly took out a specially made stun gun from his backpack and fired an electric current at the girl. The current struck the girl, and her body convulsed, but strangely, she didn't seem to be seriously injured; instead, the red light in her eyes intensified.

Ai Haibara calmly observed from the side. She noticed a faint energy fluctuation around the girl's body, which was the energy protecting her from attacks. "Conan, she has a strange energy protecting her; ordinary attacks won't be very effective!"

Conan dodged the girl's attacks while simultaneously devising a strategy. He noticed that although the girl was agile, she would pause briefly before each attack, seemingly gathering her strength. "Everyone, pay attention to her movements before each attack, and seize the opportunity to counterattack!"

Just as the girl was about to pounce on Conan again, Conan seized the moment she paused, quickly picked up a rock from the ground, and smashed it forcefully against the girl's head. The girl was hit by the rock and froze, giving Nightshade and Ran the opportunity to launch another attack. Nightshade's short sword pierced the girl's shoulder, while Ran used a karate chop to strike her neck.

The girl let out a painful scream, and her body began to flicker with an unstable light. Suddenly, she vanished in a wisp of black smoke, leaving only a sinister laugh echoing through the forest.

"Phew, we've at least temporarily repelled her," Lin Yu said with a sigh of relief.

“But this is just the beginning; there are definitely more dangers in this forest,” Conan said, his eyes revealing vigilance.

They continued along the path, the fog thickening and visibility extremely low. Suddenly, a huge tree hollow appeared ahead, surrounded by a ring of strange runes that shimmered with a faint light.

“This tree hollow looks unusual; these runes seem to be conveying some kind of information,” Ai Haibara said, squatting down to examine the runes closely.

Conan shone his flashlight into the tree hole, only to find it pitch black inside, with a faint, deep roar coming from within, as if some enormous creature were sleeping there.

"There might be danger lurking here, we need to be careful," Conan said.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the forest, like countless leaves moving rapidly. The group immediately became alert, forming a circle back-to-back. A pack of creatures, resembling wolves but covered in sharp spikes, rushed out from all directions, surrounding them completely.

"What kind of monsters are these?" Ran Mouri asked in surprise, while getting into a fighting stance.

Conan quickly observed the monsters' characteristics, noting their swift movements and the apparent toxicity of their spikes. "Everyone, be careful of their spikes, don't get pricked. Try to attack their eyes and abdomens."

Nightshade struck first, charging towards a monster, his dagger aimed straight for its eye. The monster sensed the attack, tilting its head, and the dagger struck its cheek. In pain, the monster opened its gaping maw to bite Nightshade. Nightshade quickly retreated, simultaneously delivering a flying kick to the monster's chin.

Ran Mouri was not to be outdone. She charged into the monster horde, unleashing her karate techniques with fluid grace. Every punch and kick struck a vital spot, forcing the monsters back several steps in an instant by her fierce attacks.

Lin Yu then used high-tech equipment to fire laser beams that weaved through the monster horde, striking several of them. The hit monsters cried out in pain, but the others continued their frenzied charge.

During the battle, Ai Haibara discovered that these monsters seemed to be quite sensitive to bright light. "Lin Yu, increase the intensity and brightness of the laser; perhaps that can disperse them!"

Lin Yu immediately adjusted his equipment, and the intensity and brightness of the laser instantly increased. The intense light caused the monsters to close their eyes and slow down their movements.

Conan seized the opportunity to command everyone: "Now! Concentrate your attack!"

Under the cover of the bright light, the group launched a fierce attack on the monsters. After a fierce battle, they finally drove the monsters back. The monsters fled and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

"These monsters are really troublesome," Ran Mouri said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“But we can’t stop. We need to find clues to break the temple curse as soon as possible,” Conan said.

By this time, Ai Haibara had deciphered the meaning of some of the runes. "These runes seem to be hinting at an important clue hidden in the tree hollow, but at the same time warning us that the creature inside is extremely dangerous."

"Let's go in and take a look anyway," Conan said.

The group cautiously entered the tree hollow, where a putrid stench filled the air. Conan shone his flashlight ahead and saw a gigantic python coiled deep within the hollow. Its body was as thick as an adult's waist, and its scales shimmered with an eerie light.

Sensing someone intruding, the python slowly raised its head, its huge eyes staring at Conan and the others, its long tongue flicking out.

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