Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1039 - 154: Easy Battle

Chapter 1039: Chapter 154: Easy Battle

"Whiz," an arrow, with a piercing whistle, shot from the bowstring, tracing a bizarrely curved trajectory in the air as it narrowly avoided several large trees and disappeared deep into the dense forest. Three arrows were fired at the same time, but upon leaving the bowstring, they split off in three distinct directions, each following a different path to ultimately find three unique targets. The only commonality was the sound of death throes and panicked running that echoed from within the underbrush as each arrow found its mark.

Flare released the bowstring and tossed her green hair, revealing a dazzling smile. Her slender, graceful fingers danced across the bowstring, playing it like a harp to produce a few beautiful notes. Even in the midst of a sudden skirmish, her every move remained elegant and noble, each action akin to the most gracious dance, mesmerizing anyone who wasn’t careful enough to resist her charm.

"You still haven’t mastered the entire skill set of a Phantom Archer, Kyle," Flare teased with a dignified grace. "The strongest Phantom Archer can fire up to seven arrows at once. I can only manage five at my best, still a long way off. And you? Have you managed to shoot a second arrow yet?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot," Pannis replied as he shot an arrow with the same technique and slung his hunting bow over his shoulder. Drawing his one-handed sword with a fluid motion, he spoke calmly before rushing into battle, "But I’ll get there soon enough. Within three years, if all goes as planned, I should be able to do it. That is, of course, assuming no unforeseen events occur."

"Then I’m looking forward to it," Flare said with a pursed smile. "You wouldn’t be the first human to learn the bow techniques of a Phantom Archer, but you could potentially be the first to shoot a second arrow at once."

"Hahaha, I really envy Kyle’s talent," laughed the Dwarf Shieldbearer, who stood at the front of the team, wielding two massive shields. One shield blocked an attacking magical beast that leapt out suddenly, while the other crashed down from above, squashing it into a pulp. Conaida seemed as if he had just dealt with a Legendary Rank magical beast without any effort, not even altering the pace of his speech, and boasted, "I couldn’t do it. Not just the Elves’ Phantom Arrow technique, but even if you asked me to put down my shield or axe and take up a one-handed sword, I would find it unbearable."

"You guys are so boring. Just focus on the fight when we’re in battle, don’t get distracted chatting," said someone who sounded like they were also in the thick of combat. In reality, he just lounged at the back of the group, carrying the Light and Dark Twins who seemed just as amused, and flicking his barbed tail in ridicule, he taunted, "Let’s finish up the fight quickly, we still have to travel afterwards."

"Exactly, exactly." "It’s already such a long journey." "And they won’t let us fly." "Walking is so exhausting." "And no one’s here to play with us." "Brother Kyle, come back." "Come and join us for a chat."

"Ugh, you two idiots—no, make that three including Dillie," Pannis grumbled as his longsword hooked a magical beast, making it feel as if its weight had suddenly lightened. A flick of his one-handed sword sent it floating up thirty meters into the air, whereupon, at the apex of its ascent, its weight abruptly increased several-fold, causing it to plummet heavily to the ground. At least a third of its bones were broken on impact, completely robbing it of any ability to resist as it lay on the ground wailing. Pannis didn’t spare it a glance, instead turning to scold the three teammates who were looking on as if it was all a form of entertainment, "I told you to rest in the back to conserve your strength and mana, not to mock us. Keep it up, and I’ll put you all to work."

The group’s current location was already at the edge of the Okain Mountain Range— in other words, they had left the Lost Forest and entered the genuine Forest of Death. Not long before, they had bid farewell to the ever-complaintless King’s Court guards. The adventure team, along with a few demigods, had plunged into the dense jungle at the foot of Mountain of Misdirection. Whether it was due to the decreased number of their party or the change in surroundings, once they began to climb up the mountain, the girls keenly noticed that the various creatures lurking around started to harbor malice toward the team. Powerful magical beasts would pass by near the group, eyeing each member with greedy and hungry looks.

However, the team was extremely powerful in its own right. The inadvertent release of pressure by the demigods was enough to deter most onlookers. The hungry magical beasts smartly dispersed after trailing and spying on the team for a while. Lust for food did not cause them to lose their minds—in the Forest of Death, the magical beasts that let hunger cloud their judgment rarely lived long. Failing to recognize the gap in strength usually meant hunters become the hunted, survival turned to death, just like these jungle martens now.

The gentle slope at the foot of Mountain of Misdirection was not difficult to climb. Although there were no paths and countless obstacles made up of roots, shrubs, and vines, such obstructions could hardly pose a threat to the experienced adventure team. Even Lina, who was still feeling seasick, found moving on the slopes within the thick forest no more difficult than walking on a flat road. However, just as they had gone a little over a kilometer, a group of magical beasts that seemed to think their prey had walked into a trap burst out from up ahead in a fan-like assault.

Even though the dense forest obstructed the view, every member of the team had already detected the ambushers through their sense of hearing and smell. When the assailants sprang out, the girls immediately recognized them as a pack of jungle martens. Compared to other martens, these were far bigger and more ferocious, and they also lived in groups, hunting collectively. They would often lie in wait in trees or behind them, setting traps, and launch surprise attacks when prey stepped into their territory.

This time, however, they had chosen the wrong targets. As they charged, the prey didn’t panic as their previous victims had; instead, they met the attack head-on without hesitation, swinging their weapons. Within moments of the initial clash, of the pack’s fifty-plus martens, nearly ten were down.

If they had been in another part of the Yarran Continent, this group of jungle martens—most of them at Legendary Rank with only a few at Gold Rank—could definitely have dominated the region. Unfortunately, they lived in the Forest of Death, and even more unfortunate for them, their opponents were this team composed of demigods. The demigods hardly considered them adversaries, maintaining their banter and with the ease of a casual hand wave, left more than thirty marten corpses before the rest fled in disarray.

During the skirmish, several girls from the adventure team tried to join the battle but were stopped by Pannis. He just pointed to his eyes, then turned to join the fight himself. The girls understood his gesture and stayed back in safety, keenly observing the combat methods of the demigods.