“Ellie, they’ve caught up, and they’ve chosen the exact same path as us.”
"What should we do then?" Ellie's response was much calmer.
"This means they can also detect our movements; they must have a way to track us. We can't stop now, or we might be caught in a pincer movement." Luo Fan continued his analysis, noticing that the people behind him were speeding up.
“This place can’t really stop us, but it’s a problem for the others. There are two options. First, we can stay behind and catch up with them at any time by jumping through the shadows. But if they don’t change their route, we will still be caught up.”
"The second option is to move forward together and lure them towards the wolf pack. But if they are strong, we still won't be able to escape, although we can find out their strength."
"Can't the clone notify someone else to come in?"
"That's too slow, we won't make it in time. Those people are right behind us, and by the time we call for backup, we'll probably all be done for."
"Of course, we're good at escaping, so getting out shouldn't be a problem," Luo Fan added.
"I will not abandon them," Ellie said firmly.
Soon, the senior female martial artist who was following at the back noticed what was happening behind her.
"Other adventurers are following us."
“I suspect they are enemies, not friends. Luo Fan has noticed that they have been following us for some time,” Ellie continued to explain, taking the opportunity to reveal the situation. Xiaoxue nodded in agreement.
"Oh no, what should we do?" Daisy asked nervously.
"Charge! There's a pack of ice wolves ahead. With our strength, escaping shouldn't be a problem. Once we can assess their strength, we can definitely counterattack." With Luo Fan's analysis, Ai Li quickly devised a plan.
"Isn't this too risky?" Emil asked.
"We have no choice but to give it a try. There are more than twenty adventurers behind us, and they are well-equipped. If we fight them head-on, we will be at a great disadvantage."
"They're very close!" the female warrior reminded her again, while throwing a newly activated magic ball behind her.
The bright lights instantly illuminated the cave behind, revealing the two people at the front, who were even carrying bows and arrows.
"Get out of here!" Ellie shouted, grabbing Daisy and running forward.
Emil pulled Angela along and made her retrieve her pet. The other two guards retreated to the back, guarding against any possible sneak attacks.
"Damn it, bro, they found out!"
"Chase them! Once you see a figure, shoot them all. Leave no one alive this time, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."
"Great!" someone nearby chimed in.
At the same time, a magic arrow was shot out, heading straight for the last guard.
"They really are the enemy! Run!" Arthur shouted. Any lingering doubts he had about Ellie vanished instantly.
Ellie and her companions quickly closed in on the pack of ice wolves ahead, attracting their attention. Luo Fan transformed into a shield, protecting the girls on either side and guiding the group forward.
As expected, the lead ice wolf sensed Luo Fan's oppressive aura and dared not pounce directly, but instead cautiously summoned ice spikes.
The cave occupied by the ice wolves was located on higher ground and did not obstruct the path forward. Luo Fan's plan was to charge through the ice spikes and then use the ice walls to block their retreat.
The dense icicles struck Luo Fan, but caused no harm.
"As expected, that inscription increases the defensive effect." Luo Fan analyzed to himself, noting that Xiao Xue's attacks hadn't been this frequent before.
At Luo Fan's request, no one fought back; instead, they accelerated their movement deeper into the cave.
Angela, who had been incredibly excited just moments before, now clung tightly to her sister's arm, her face deathly pale. Daisy, in contrast, was much better off; she believed in Luo Fan's abilities.
Soon, having passed the closest section, the ice wolves roared but still didn't pounce. In their vision, there was only a crumpled, black shield, moving rapidly.
There was a certain aura emanating from the black shield, an aura that only high-quality magical beasts possess.
Slowly, Luo Fan and his group passed through the dangerous area. Just as they caught their breath, a magical beast rushed out from the shadows.
"Aili, the dark-elemental magical beast is here. Once I've restrained it, you should act immediately," Luo Fan reminded her.
Before Ellie could answer, Lovan, who had turned back into a sphere, jumped over and crashed head-on into the Shadow Crocodile that was hunting.
Then, taking advantage of the impact, it transformed into bubblegum, stuck itself in the Shadow Crocodile's big mouth, and wrapped its extended tentacles around it several times.
Ellie followed suit, drawing the dagger from her leg and stabbing it in with concentrated magic.
At such close range, her reaction was much faster than the guards behind her. Moreover, when a mage learns martial arts, their strength increases by more than one level.
After all, martial arts also require the support of magic.
Daisy paused for a moment, then took out a small knife and condensed ice spikes to support Ellie.
Emil was stunned. Weren't they all mages? Why were they starting to use weapons? Even Angela was caught off guard, holding her staff and unsure whether to use magic to help.
"Quickly finish this! Everyone come and help!" Ellie shouted.
The guards behind also reacted and stepped forward to help Ellie pierce the Shadow Crocodile's body. Then, Luo Fan took over its body through the wound and had another hearty meal.
He noticed that the dark-elemental magical beast in front of him had discovered the battle and had decisively chosen to flee, which allowed him to safely consume his prey.
Leaving several ice walls behind them, Ellie and her companions cautiously advanced, having already collected the Shadow Crocodile's corpse.
Feeling safe for the time being, Emil breathed a sigh of relief and curiously asked Ellie why she had thought of practicing martial arts.
“Mages are too weak in close combat. Without protection, they are easily ambushed, just like in the situation just now.”
"But do you have enough energy?"
“Princess, that Lady Toria is proficient in both, and her strength is quite formidable. I'd like to try it too.” Ai Li explained earnestly, sheathing her dagger.
"Alright." Emil suddenly realized that Ellie's progress as a mage was actually quite fast, and she was about to advance to the next level. Being stuck at this level, meditation wasn't very effective.
More importantly, she's a wealthy woman, so this kind of waste is understandable. Angela, on the other hand, seems quite interested; this is much more fun than remotely burning people.
Some time ago, after receiving the martial arts techniques from the Duke, Luo Fan started training with Ellie, and later even Daisy and Carey were forced to join in.
As for George, after two days of training, he joined the princess's caravan and left Sacred Heart. However, his love life remained stagnant.
The people chasing after them immediately became somewhat deflated.
Continuing the pursuit, a pack of wolves is right beside them. But if they stay here and wait, there's more than one entrance to the fifth level.
"Boss, what do we do? There are ice wolves above level 30 in front of us!" If they had had that kind of strength back then, they wouldn't be in such a sorry state.
Seeing his prize slip away, the leader's face turned quite grim, though it wasn't clearly visible in the shadows. He simply didn't have the strength to rush over; he could only wait for them to come out.
"Build defenses, and send a few brothers to check the other exit in case they escape. I don't believe they'll stay hidden forever."
"Once discovered, immediately shoot arrows to stop them, regardless of whether they are dead or alive."
"Okay!"
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