Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 292: “But it ends here...”

After a brief rest, Astrid and Lyra set off again, heading east towards the mountains away from the core area, and only found a suitable resting spot when the sun went down.

There was only one day and night left before the end of the assessment. If everything went smoothly, they would have a whole day tomorrow for hunting.

While collecting magic cores, they could head back and reach the mountain entrance before nightfall.

"Are you sure you want to rest here?" Astrid set up a barrier and touched the dark bushes around, casually asking Lyra.

"Our scores are enough to pass the assessment. If you think your arm injury is too severe to continue fighting, retreating now is also an option."

Hearing Astrid say this for the second time, Lyra threw two pieces of firewood into the campfire and gently touched the wound on her arm.

"I’m actually almost healed... It shouldn’t affect my combat ability..."

"What do you think, Astrid? Should we call for help?"

She could feel that Astrid wasn’t as enthusiastic about the assessment scores as she was.

As soon as the girl finished speaking, Astrid sat down next to Lyra, not facing her across the campfire like last night.

They were very close, their hands almost touching each other’s thighs, and the swaying of their skirts brought a faint, sweet, and bright fragrance.

"If you think you can hold on until the end, then there’s no need. But don’t push yourself too hard."

"This is just an ordinary assessment."

The bright light fell on the woman’s deep black leather boots, and above them were thin, smooth black stockings with a warm sheen.

Astrid crossed her long legs and gently placed her hands on her knees.

"But speaking of which, we’re far from the core area, and there shouldn’t be any magical beasts around here that could threaten us."

According to the map, their resting spot was on the edge of the territory of a third-tier magical beast, the Ghost Wolf. Further out was the habitat of the Flame-tailed Fox, only a two-hour walk from the mountain entrance.

Astrid’s words were like a reassurance, dispelling Lyra’s concerns. The girl moved her legs a few times and was about to adjust the firewood when Astrid spoke first.

"If you’re injured, rest well. I’ll take care of these things."

With that, the woman carefully arranged the firewood, leaving a passage for oxygen to flow, making the fire burn brighter.

Seeing Astrid taking care of her like a child, Lyra felt a warmth in her heart. She looked at Astrid’s ear, which was slightly pink from the firelight, and gently swung her legs, her delicate toes curling inward, gripping the tips of her white stockings.

"Astrid, I just have a few scratches, it’s nothing."

Although she was happy to be taken care of by Astrid, Lyra felt it necessary to tell her that she wasn’t that fragile.

Hearing this, Astrid looked at Lyra’s arm, which had stopped bleeding, and after a moment, nodded.

"Alright, then stay here alone for a while."

With that, Astrid got up and left the campfire. Seeing her leave so decisively, Lyra was momentarily stunned, suddenly feeling a bit lost.

Princess Astrid... just left like that?

In her daze, Astrid disappeared from Lyra’s sight, leaving her alone by the fire. Her slender shadow fell to the ground, elongated by the light like a tree’s shadow.

After a quarter of an hour, Astrid’s footsteps reached Lyra’s ears again. The woman appeared from the shadows, carrying a prepared Fire Feather Chicken, and slowly approached.

Was she out hunting...

Seeing Astrid squat down and quietly stack stones, Lyra instinctively leaned forward, wanting to help skewer the Fire Feather Chicken on a stick. But as soon as she bent down, she was stopped by the look Astrid gave her.

Those cold red eyes reflect her face, the flowing water seems to remind her not to move.

Understanding Astrid’s meaning, Lyra obediently withdrew her hands, clasping her knees, silently watching the woman’s movements.

....

After a decent dinner, Astrid looked at Lyra, whose lips were stained with oil, and took a silk handkerchief to gently wipe them. She then spoke.

"Do you need my help later?"

After all, the wound was in the flesh, and washing might be inconvenient. If Lyra needed, Astrid didn’t mind helping her with the wound.

Lyra thought for a couple of seconds before realizing Astrid was talking about bathing. Her face turned slightly red, and she answered in a low voice.

"No, it’s okay..."

"...I can do it myself."

With a relatively clear understanding of her own feelings, appearing naked in front of Princess Astrid was still too much for Lyra.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded slightly and didn’t say much, softly chanting a spell to pull dark elemental particles from the air.

Since there was no sun at the moment, the activity of light elements had weakened, and dark elements were densely distributed. Astrid didn’t need to expend much mental energy to create a large area of black mist.

Looking at the blurry mist in front of her, Lyra suddenly thought of that incident during her bath yesterday, and her cheeks turned even redder.

Peeking at someone while they’re bathing... Princess Astrid probably isn’t that bored...

Entering the black mist, removing her dress and stockings, Lyra softly released a water attribute spell, her ethereal voice blending into the mist, quickly gathering enough water to form a waterfall for washing.

On the other side, Astrid certainly wasn’t bored enough to spy on Lyra’s every move with her mental energy.

She sat on a tree stump, holding a bone spike she had collected earlier, her red eyes slightly narrowed.

Under the silver moonlight, the rib from the body of an undead dog was smooth and flat, with an abnormally sharp end, visibly sharp.

If this rib had been broken, the jagged surface wouldn’t be strange, but judging from its overall shape, it seemed more like it had naturally grown this way.

Was it a mutation caused by some force during its life, or had it gradually formed similar characteristics after death?

Before entering the mountains, the professors had analyzed most of the hunting targets in the outer regions and a few high-tier magical beasts from the core area. Without exception, none of them were related to the undead.

What exactly was happening inside the Monster Mountains?

Rubbing the bone spike with her fingers, Astrid suddenly noticed a flash of blue light at the bottom of her vision. Looking down, the deep blue brooch was glowing faintly in the silver light, as if signaling something.

Just as she reached out to touch it, the brooch returned to normal, the metal’s smooth lines quietly flowing with a delicate light.

For some reason, Astrid felt a chill in her heart. Although the air was fresh and the surroundings were clear, she felt a sense of being restrained by something.

Placing her hand on her chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart, Astrid entered her elemental vision, looking at the area mostly occupied by dark elements, and gently tightened her grip on her staff.

Time passed minute by minute. Lyra cleaned herself, changed into casual clothes, and stepped out of the black mist. Seeing Astrid sitting by the campfire, she spoke up.

"Astrid, I’m done. It’s your turn now."

Astrid glanced at Lyra, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said.

"No rush, I want to warm myself by the fire a bit longer."

This feeling of being watched was very unsettling.

Lyra loudly acknowledged and took her sword, gently sitting down next to Astrid.

The scent of soap on the girl slightly diluted Astrid’s discomfort, but she didn’t fully relax, her body still tense, also keeping Lyra on guard.

"Lyra, pay attention to the surroundings..." Astrid whispered, her fingers quietly gripping a crystal stone engraved with a defensive barrier.

"Do you feel anything unusual?"

A knight’s perception of the environment was far more acute than a mage’s. Astrid couldn’t guarantee her feelings were accurate, so she wanted to hear Lyra’s opinion.

Hearing this, the pink-haired girl also realized something was wrong. The light elemental particles stored in the blade of the Sword of Light during the day quietly, floating around like fireflies.

"It’s so quiet," Lyra said.

Yesterday, there were faint insect sounds, but tonight it was so quiet that even the wind couldn’t be heard.

The next second, a surge of magical energy rippled through the air. Lyra instantly tensed, her sword pointing towards the source of the magic.

The one causing the magic wasn’t someone else, but Astrid, who silently activated the defensive barrier within the crystal stone.

"Are we ending early?"

Looking at the transparent force field surrounding them, Lyra sobbed in relief but quickly noticed Astrid’s frown deepening.

"Lyra, prepare for battle," the woman said.

"Stay fully alert."

The defensive barrier had indeed triggered, but Astrid didn’t see the light magic indicating their location rising into the air. Their distress signal was clearly being blocked inside, unable to reach the outside.

At this point, with such methods and daring to directly attack the imperial princess, it could only be something hidden deep within the mountains.

Before Lyra could think further, the trailing attackers noticed the defensive barrier. Since both sides were aware of each other’s presence, there was no need to hide.

Thick black mist clung to the surface of the barrier, like corrosive sulfuric acid touching metal.

The transparent protective shield gradually dissolved a fist-sized hole under its influence, rapidly expanding at a visible rate.

Seeing the black mist seeping in, Lyra immediately reacted, channeling her mental energy into her palm. The Sword of Light in her hand emitted a radiant glow.

The fact that the enemy could break the defensive barrier meant it could launch attacks at the level of a grand mage.

Facing such a formidable foe, surviving would be a stroke of luck, let alone defeating it. Without Astrid’s reminder, Lyra will have been fully focused on the battle.

"Be careful, there might be more than one enemy," Astrid repeatedly reminded as the black mist was discussed by the strong light.

The next moment, the moonlight above them was blocked by the black mist. A gust of wind from nowhere extinguished the campfire, and the brightness of the entire environment plummeted.

However, a sword emitting intense light soon cut through the black mist surrounding them. Astrid saw the light quickly approaching Lyra.

The latter, using the light, saw a familiar face and was about to chant the Holy Light Protection spell when a dark arrow suddenly appeared before her.

Seeing this, Lyra’s chant stopped suddenly, nearly biting her tongue. She twisted her wrist, using the opaque side of the light sword to block the arrow.

As the arrowhead touched the Sword of Light, the arrow, which could pierce through strong winds, suddenly lost its hardness and turned into a puddle of liquid. In less than half a second, it was evaporated by the sword’s light, turning into a thick indistinguishable mist from the surroundings.

"It should be the one we’re looking for..."

Astrid pushed aside the silver hair that had fallen over her face, revealing her smooth forehead and crimson eyes.

"Or rather, it’s also looking for us."

Before she finished speaking, a dense, almost solid aura of death spread within the barrier.

Both Astrid, with her strong affinity for dark elements, and Lyra, holding the "pure and flawless Sword of Light," can sense the malice within.

This aura can not only harm the body but also affect the mind. Astrid had just tried to use her mental energy to drive the surrounding dark elemental particles when she immediately felt a wave of despairing negative emotions spreading in her heart.

"Astrid."

Noticing Astrid’s expression was off, Lyra reached out and held Astrid’s hand hanging by her side gently. The warmth from her palm slightly dispelled the chill in Astrid’s heart, and the latter quickly calmed down, softly reminded.

"Find a chance to retreat. A head-on clash isn’t the way."

Death, darkness, negative emotions... The attacker was acknowledged as the leader who organized the undead creatures’ hunt by the stream at noon...

With that in mind, it was unclear how many enemies were around. The only thing Astrid knew was that the opponent had far more tricks up their sleeve.

Meanwhile, enveloped in thick black mist, a pale-skinned, black-haired girl stood on the grass.

She looked at the defensive barrier just a step away, her figure wrapped in a dress darker than the night, her lead-black eyes harboring a faint anger.

These two humans were quite alert, moving away from the burial ground’s influence before sunset.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed to act herself; the undead creatures would have been enough to deal with them.

Through the black mist emanating from her body, the girl carefully observed the battle within the barrier, her expression unreadable.

Although she had just awakened, had her strength weakened to this extent?

Personally taking action, yet unable to crush two tiny ants.

Through the deathly aura, she saw the silver-haired, red-eyed imperial princess and the pink-haired girl wielding the holy sword, radiating light and heat.

"Moserria... I never thought I’d cross swords with this blade again..."

"But it ends here..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the darkness in her eyes flowed out, running down her neck and dripping onto the grass.

Like ripples on a calm lake, the black liquid spread in arcs, erasing the life of every blade of grass and every insect.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com