Chapter Thirty-One: Second-Tier Elite Monster (Bonus Chapter for 500 Recommendation Votes)

"Eve is from the Lalafel tribe. As long as she touches a monster, she can communicate with it," the little girl Eve said, mentioning something that surprised Chu Yun.

The Lalafel tribe’s ears are somewhat similar to those of elves, but they are short in stature—every last one of them appears as a loli or shota, making their ages exceedingly hard to guess. On a large island off the eastern coast of the Kingdom of Elno, a great many Lalafel reside. Several centuries ago, when the Kingdom of Elno first landed on Lalafel Island and established trade relations, members of the tribe began to come to the mainland.

Over hundreds of years, traces of them could be found all around the world. They cherish peace and maintain good relations with other races, and are naturally close to monsters. Not a few of the continent’s most powerful monster tamers are Lalafel.

The Lalafel need no magic to communicate with monsters; mere physical contact suffices, and for reasons unknown, monsters rarely perceive them as enemies.

On hearing Eve’s words, Chu Yun couldn’t help but frown. He quickly activated the Monster Communication Spell to warn Paimon to hold his tongue. Though Chu Yun had already instructed Paimon to keep certain things secret from outsiders, he worried that Paimon might regard Eve as one of their own. In retrospect, he realized the tiefling butler’s charm spell had been a dangerous thing as well.

“When we reach Blackstone City, I should form a pet contract with Paimon. That way I won’t need to worry about secrets leaking out—even if a charm spell is used, the contract would still impose restrictions.”

“Eve! Stop right now!”

A voice called out from not far away. A girl about ten centimeters taller than Eve hurried over and pulled her away from Paimon.

“I told you not to go around touching other people’s pets without permission! People won’t like it!” The taller girl scolded angrily.

Eve began to cry in protest, “Mommy, you’re so mean! I asked big brother, and he agreed, QAQ!”

“Even if he agreed, it’s still not okay!” her mother insisted. “Have you forgotten how your father died?”

Eve’s father had been killed after inadvertently touching another adventurer’s horse and learning something he shouldn’t have known.

After scolding Eve, her mother turned to Chu Yun with a hint of apology. “Sorry, Eve is still young. I hope she hasn’t troubled you.”

Chu Yun waved it off. “It’s nothing. She did ask for my permission, so there’s no need to be too harsh on her.”

Eve’s mother heaved a sigh of relief; it seemed Eve hadn’t caused any real trouble this time.

“Are the two of you traveling alone?” Chu Yun asked, curious.

Eve’s mother grew tense again. Could it be that this seemingly unconcerned man actually knew something he shouldn’t, and was probing for an opportunity to silence them?

“N-no, I joined up with a merchant caravan,” she replied. In truth, living in this isolated corner meant she hadn’t found any travel companions.

Chu Yun noticed her anxiety, but he also realized that she was no ordinary woman. Both her clothing and accessories exuded an aura of arcane power—these two were both mages.

Judging by appearances is a dangerous thing; for all he knew, their strength might surpass his own.

No one else came to bother Chu Yun after that. He fed Paimon a few berries, set up his tent, and settled in for the night.

As for keeping watch, that was the responsibility of the caravan’s guards, who took turns on patrol. A lone wanderer like Chu Yun need not worry.

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Night had fallen deep and heavy. Dark clouds blotted out both moonlight and stars.

The air currents above the camp began to shift. Rain fell in torrents, the downpour rousing sleeping travelers with its roar.

The weather had been clear during the day, and such sudden storms were rare for this region and season. Such an unnatural event boded ill. Paimon, too, began to emit a series of low, warning coos.

Chu Yun hurried outside his tent. Others in the camp emerged as well, faces worried, seeking answers.

A thunderclap exploded in the sky. Lightning crashed down, striking the stone stele at the camp’s entrance. The bolt’s power was immense; the stele shattered in an instant.

"Look! What is that?" an adventurer cried out, mouth agape, pointing at a shadow moving in the clouds.

The lightning’s glare had faded, and no one could make out what manner of monster was hidden up there.

A flying, rain-bringing thunder beast—such a foe was never easy to handle.

Rain poured from the sky, but the camp, situated on high ground, was in no danger of flooding. Still, if one were drenched and then struck by lightning, the current would leap and spread rapidly, delivering a paralyzing shock.

The monster in the sky was using elemental reactions to attack the camp. It wouldn’t be long before it unleashed a large-scale barrage of thunder magic.

A ball of crackling lightning was gathering power. Those who had thought themselves safest in the camp’s center now regretted it bitterly. The enemy attacked from the sky, and its target seemed to be the very heart of the camp.

As the lightning ball glowed ever brighter, the monster’s form was revealed. This time, the crowd finally saw what they faced.

“Is—is that a Tier Two Elite Monster, a Thunderwater Ray?!”

Monsters of the same tier were classified as Common, Elite, Lord, or Legendary, each level a significant leap in power.

At this exclamation, the camp erupted in shock.

The Thunderwater Ray was a flying monster that dwelled in the clouds, wielding both water and thunder attributes. It typically preyed on other flying monsters and rarely descended to attack humans.

Its abnormal behavior was likely linked to the events of Starfall Night—the monster riots were growing ever more widespread.

The lightning ball began to fall toward the center of the camp, where the strongest warriors had gathered. If it struck, most of the camp’s fighting force would be wiped out.

“Run! Run for your lives!” Panic erupted. But the lightning ball was too fast—they had no chance to escape.

Just as the ball was about to hit, five meters above the ground, a brilliant arcane beam shot out from the surface of the water.

BOOM!

A blast of magicka struck the lightning ball first, detonating it in midair. The rain dispersed much of the lightning—though some still arced toward the ground, most was harmlessly conducted away by the storm.

“A mage? Is there a mage in camp? Thank the gods!” Relief washed over the crowd as everyone turned toward the source of the spell.

Yet there was no one there—nothing at all.

Chu Yun had already slipped into the Mirror World. In the real world, defeating this monster would have been both difficult and dangerous. But from the Mirror World, he could attack safely.

The mysterious mage’s intervention steadied the nerves of those in camp. Now, adventurers and guards with ranged attacks launched their own counterstrikes.

“Don’t be afraid, everyone. Though it’s a Tier Two Elite, these monsters can only cast a limited number of spells each day. If you try to run alone, you’ll be picked off first,” an older adventurer urged.

But his words had barely fallen when a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking him where he stood and leaving behind nothing but a scorched corpse.

The lightning balls could be intercepted, but these thunderbolts could not.