Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1078 - 193: The Attacker’s Method of Fraud

Chapter 1078: Chapter 193: The Attacker’s Method of Fraud

"Our situation back then was similar to what it is now," Flare explained on behalf of Pannis, "It is said that deceivers rarely appear in front of their prey. They tend to use the method we’re seeing now, first scaring away competitors with the roar of powerful magical beasts, then stunning their prey with sonic attacks. The prey gets eaten while unconscious, never seeing who the attacker is."

"So you’re saying they’re not actually as strong as the roar suggests?" Catherine’s eyebrows creased slightly, and after pondering for a moment she said, "No, if it, or they, are truly that fragile, they couldn’t dominate a territory. I don’t think they could firmly hold onto this land just through deceptive means. This is the Forest of Death, where strength decides survival. Maybe reliance on deception could work once or twice, but doing it too often would quickly expose them."

"Heh, that’s why they’re called deceivers," Flare said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, glancing at Pannis with approval. She had to admit that Pannis’s approach of letting the girls face the pressure on their own and transform under its weight was indeed effective. Although the process was extremely dangerous—Catherine had narrowly escaped death—the result was significant. The girls had clearly grown a lot, at least in their understanding of the Forest of Death and their mentality when facing enemies. If it were five days ago, they likely wouldn’t have thought of this so quickly. Flare nodded her head and said, "If anyone thinks they’re just deceivers, and tries to track them down through the sound to kill their physical form, whether for hunting or territory, they’d become the true deceived. The name ’deceiver’ isn’t just for show."

"How far do you think it is from us right now, based solely on the sound?" Pannis asked in return.

"Judging by the sound, it’s about two kilometers away, and it’s still getting closer," Catherine said after a few seconds of silence, "But since you’re asking this, it suggests that relying on the sound for judgment is likely deceptive too."

"Yes, their sounds have been deceiving from the very beginning," Pannis nodded and said, "They are masters of manipulating sound. Even though it sounds like it’s coming from afar, in reality, they could be anywhere within a hundred meters of us. It’s impossible to pinpoint them based on sound. Any creature that has tried has been deceived."

"Within a hundred meters?" Catherine asked with confusion, "Is that their attack range?"

"No, it’s just that I can confirm there aren’t any larger magical beasts within a hundred meters," Pannis shrugged and said, "As for their precise location, no one can tell."

"You all seem to keep talking about distance; it seems distance is key to their attack. How far can they attack? It’s not measured in kilometers, is it?" Vivian kept up her Magic Shield, asking without regarding the exhaustion of energy, not just her, but all four girls had their own Shields deployed. In fact, as soon as they had begun preparing for battle, the girls had already done so.

Professionals of Legendary Rank have far greater energy reserves in their bodies than those of Gold Rank, and if they disregard exhaustion to deploy their Shields for a long time without being attacked, they can sustain it for two to three hours, unlike Gold Rank, which could deplete their energy reserves in a matter of minutes. However, most Legendary Rank professionals still retain the habit of being economy-minded, to ensure that they have enough energy reserves for any combat that may follow, they would only deploy their Shields when attacked. This habit, formed starting from Silver Rank, often becomes their instinctive reaction.

Such a habit isn’t wrong, after all, even the energy reserves of mana or aggression for Legendary Rank are limited and must be used sparingly. Unlike Demigods, who can freely absorb ambient free-state energy and quickly convert it into their own mana or aggression, which is akin to having an unlimited energy reserve. For professionals of Legendary Rank, economical use of their own energy is the right choice, and is not considered a flaw.

However, this is only true for normal environments. Through their five-day experience in the Forest of Death, the girls have realized that if they are as stingy as before with using their Shields, they would put themselves in endless danger. It’s likely to lead to an outcome similar to Catherine’s three days prior, where she was successfully attacked by a predator without any defenses ready, not even having time to activate her Shield.

Therefore, the girls have started to forcibly change their habits, deploying their Shields immediately upon entering an alert state to guard against enemy attacks, only closing them when the alert is lifted. Even if it means spending a little more time resting to recover energy and vigor after a battle, they prioritize their own safety first. After all, a dead person, no matter how much energy they save, has no meaning. Only those who survive have the opportunity to continue using energy.

Nobody told the girls these things; the Demigods had all gone through this phase, so they were well aware. Speaking about it would be useless, as the instinctive habits wouldn’t change just by a few words. Only when they subconsciously acknowledge the danger of such habits would there be a potential for change. The evidence indeed pointed to this, as the girls’ habits had naturally shifted during their intense five-day journey without even realizing it themselves.

"It’s not that exaggerated," Pannis said with a gaze filled with gratification, but his expression remained calm, "Their sound can indeed travel two to three kilometers, but based on the last encounter with them, the closer you are, the greater the impact. It’s likely that ordinary beasts are affected within about a kilometer. But for the physical condition of Legendary Rank professionals, to cause actual harm, you’d have to be within at least three hundred meters. Against a Demigod, that range has to be even shorter; probably one hundred fifty meters away would be unable to affect a Demigod."

"Even you would be affected?" Lina asked in surprise, "Your Shields can’t defend effectively?"

"Demigods aren’t invincible, and Demigod magical beasts that can penetrate a Demigod’s Shield aren’t rare, which is why the Forest of Death is also known as the graveyard of Demigods," Pannis shook his head, "Moreover, the key issue is what Flare mentioned before. Their attacks directly affect the inside of the body. Although Shields aren’t ineffective, their effect is quite limited. We discussed this in private afterwards for quite some time, but no one really understands how their attacks manage to breach the Shield’s defenses and explode within the body."