Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 219: Battle against the Abyssal Crocodile (Part-1)
Guinvere cast an indifferent glance at Fiona, a chill flickering briefly in her eyes. "Whether I find her pleasing to the eye or not," she said coolly, "what does that have to do with you?"
Fiona felt the coldness in her tone, but didn’t take it to heart. She simply sat down beside Guinvere, crossing her arms. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"I just feel it’s unfair to you," Fiona said with a snort. "That Zora has no strength, no background, no powerful family. She’s just an ordinary commoner. And yet Prince Kael abandoned you for her. I really don’t understand what he’s thinking."
These words were less sympathetic and more the bitterness she couldn’t hide.
Guinvere’s expression remained unchanged, as though Fiona were talking about someone else entirely.
"Do you really intend to let Zora stay with Prince Kael just like that?" Fiona pressed on, frowning when she saw no reaction.
Guinvere finally turned her gaze toward her. There was a faint, mocking curve to her lips, and her eyes were as cold as still water. "I don’t need you to feel indignant on my behalf. And I’m sorry, but I don’t have the habit of being used as someone else’s blade."
Fiona’s expression shifted slightly.
This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Weren’t women supposed to lose their composure when it came to feelings? Why was Guinvere so calm at a time like this?
"You misunderstand me," Fiona said quickly, forcing a smile. "I don’t mean it that way."
She knew Guinvere’s status was far from low. Offending her would bring no benefit at all.
"I just can’t stand Zora," Fiona continued. "If you feel the same, we could deal with her once we enter the ruins."
Guinvere let out a soft laugh, light and dismissive. "You finding her unpleasant is your business. I have no interest in that. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to cultivate."
Her tone left no room for discussion.
Fiona’s face darkened. She simply couldn’t understand why Guinvere’s reaction was so different from what she had expected.
Could it be... that Guinvere didn’t actually like Prince Kael?
The thought barely surfaced before Fiona rejected it outright.
Impossible.
As a woman, her instincts told her clearly that Guinvere’s feelings for Prince Kael were anything but shallow. Otherwise, with Guinvere’s pride, she would never have stayed by his side all those years.
Unable to make sense of it, Fiona rose and returned to her place, fury barely concealed beneath her stiff expression.
First Zora, now Guinvere. She had been snubbed twice in one night.
It was infuriating.
Not far away, Elowen, Sigmund, and Zephrin watched the scene with thinly veiled amusement.
"Fiona really asked for that," Sigmund said with a chuckle. "With her temper, it was only a matter of time before she hit a wall."
"She thought Guinvere would be like her," Zephrin added lightly, a smile playing at his lips. "But Guinvere isn’t an ordinary woman."
Elowen nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "Fiona sees things too simply. In my opinion, Guinvere doesn’t like Zora either, but with her pride, she would never admit it."
She paused, then smiled faintly. "Besides, if Guinvere really wanted to act... would she ever need someone else to do it for her?"
A hint of surprise flashed through Sigmund’s eyes. After thinking it over carefully, he realized Elowen’s words made perfect sense, and admiration rose in his heart.
"Elowen, I didn’t expect you to see things so clearly," he said sincerely.
Elowen merely curved her lips slightly, showing no trace of pride.
"It’s not about seeing clearly or not," she replied softly. "When you’re not involved, it’s easier to see the whole picture. The person inside the situation is often the one most confused."
Sigmund looked at her more deeply this time. Only now did he realize that Elowen was far from ordinary.
In the past, Elowen had always been quiet and low-key, rarely speaking. Fiona, on the other hand, was flamboyant and sharp, constantly drawing attention. As a result, Elowen had been easily overlooked.
But after hearing her analysis, Sigmund finally understood. As a favored child of a great family, how could she possibly be simple?
Time slipped by quietly.
As the night faded into dawn, most of the ancient ruins had emerged from the ground, and the roars of the guardian beast grew increasingly violent.
Zora gazed at the ruins ahead, a trace of fascination surfacing in her clear eyes.
The ancient structure sprawled like a palace complex, vast and imposing. Against the pale sunlight and lingering white suffocating mist, the snow-white buildings radiated a solemn, sacred aura. Their towering presence inspired an instinctive sense of awe.
Above the ruins, faint streams of restrictive light shimmered under the sun, reflecting dazzling colors that were strangely beautiful.
Yet none of the spirit warriors present were in the mood to admire the scenery. Their attention was fixed solely on the terrifying power contained within that restriction.
"This ruin has been buried underground for so many years, yet the restriction is still this strong," Tutor Sebastian said, unable to hide his admiration. "The strength of the one who built it is beyond question."
Any spirit warrior capable of leaving behind ancient ruins was a legendary figure. Simply witnessing such a place was already a rare fortune.
"As time passes, the energy of the restriction is gradually weakening," Tutor Miel observed, his gaze sharp. "By evening, it should completely dissipate."
However, Sebastian didn’t look relieved. Instead, his expression grew heavier.
"Once the restriction disappears, the guardian beast will emerge," he said gravely. "Its counterattack will be fierce. We must be extremely cautious."
Miel nodded, then turned to Zora and the others. "When the restriction starts breaking, all of you retreat immediately. That beast is far beyond your current level. If you get too close, even stray shockwaves could be fatal."
"What kind of guardian beast could be this strong after so many years?" someone murmured.
"It should be an Abyssal Crocodile," Prince Kael said calmly.
The moment his words fell, the expressions of everyone present changed.
The Abyssal Crocodile was a monster so powerful that even seasoned spirit warriors would choose to flee rather than fight.
Neither Sebastian nor Miel doubted him. With Prince Kael’s background and insight, his judgment would not be wrong.
If it truly was an Abyssal Crocodile, then the danger awaiting them was far greater than they had imagined.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zora’s refined face. She hadn’t expected Kael to identify the guardian beast solely from its roars.
If not for Shihtzu’s reminder, she herself wouldn’t have known that the creature lurking within the ruins was an Abyssal Crocodile.
It seemed Prince Kael’s understanding of demonic beasts ran far deeper than she had imagined.
"This Abyssal Crocodile has been sealed inside the ruins for many years," Prince Kael said calmly, wisdom glinting in his eyes. "It has absorbed enormous amounts of suffocating spiritual energy underground. Its strength is far beyond that of ordinary demonic beasts."
In the past, when he traveled with his master, he had encountered many such creatures. Some beasts were originally unremarkable, but after unique encounters or prolonged exposure to special environments, they underwent terrifying mutations. Those mutated beasts were always the most dangerous.
Zora nodded slowly. "A guardian beast trapped in a ruin for so long would have exhausted all food sources. If it’s still alive, then it must be starving. Once it breaks free, it will go berserk."
She understood ancient ruins well. Once buried, no one knew when they would resurface. Many guardian beasts starved to death over time, but those that survived became far more terrifying than before.
A starving guardian beast emerging from confinement would treat every living thing it saw as prey.
Hearing her explanation, the others nodded grimly.
"We should retreat further," Zora said decisively after sensing the increasingly violent fluctuations from the ruins. "Some guardian beasts can force their way out before the restriction fully dissipates. Better safe than sorry."
Everyone was taken aback. By common understanding, the guardian beast shouldn’t be able to escape before the restriction completely vanished.
Still, no one argued.
"Better cautious than dead," Reesa quickly agreed. "Let’s move back."
The group immediately began retreating, putting distance between themselves and the ruins.
At that moment, Fiona’s mocking voice rang out.
"So it’s fear after all," she sneered. "No strength or backbone. The guardian beast isn’t even out yet, and you’re already running?"
Zora didn’t stop walking. She glanced back coolly. "If you’re so brave, then stay right there. Don’t follow us."
Fiona lifted her chin arrogantly. "Civilians really lack common sense. Before the restriction disappears, the guardian beast cannot come out. That’s basic knowledge."
But just as her words fell, Reesa and the others suddenly froze, eyes wide with terror as they stared past her.
"You idiot!" Reesa shouted. "Turn around and look!"
Zora gave a cold laugh and no longer spared Fiona a glance, retreating another hundred meters in one swift movement.
Fiona scoffed, lips curling with disdain. "Trying to scare me with such childish tricks? Do you think I’m—"
"Miss, retreat! Now!" a spirit warrior beside her screamed.
Her face changed instantly.
Fiona turned around—and her scream tore through the air.
A massive emerald-green body had already emerged from the ruins. The Abyssal Crocodile’s colossal form blotted out the light, its scales glistening with a sinister sheen, eyes blazing with hunger.
"Aaah—!"
Fiona’s scream rang out, shrill and panicked, as terror seized her completely at the sight of the monstrous beast that should not have appeared yet.
"Roar!"
The Abyssal Crocodile let out a thunderous bellow, its gaping maw snapping open as it fixed its gaze on Fiona, already treating her as nothing more than prey.
