Chương 177: The Death of Xia En

In the mixed-gender hot spring.

The air was thick with moisture.

Xia En felt like she was dreaming.

In his dream, he was soaking in a hot spring.

The rushing hot spring water washed over his body, bringing a touch as soft as a woman's hand, gently caressing every inch of his skin.

The soft, warm touch enveloped him, gliding over every fold.

Xia En smiled.

Enjoying this rare and pleasant time.

"ah"

"~~~"

"Comfortable" ~" Several mixed female voices rang out.

Xia En exclaimed that the dream was incredibly realistic, even complete with ambient sound.

Ok?

and many more.

Where did that ambient sound come from?!

Xia En shuddered.

I suddenly woke up.

The towel on my eyes slipped down.

His newly awakened vision, already sensitive to light, appeared even more blurry through the misty steam. But even so, he could still make out four heads emerging from the water, no more than seven or eight meters away on the other side of the hot spring— Yubel, El, Philon, and — Frilian.

It's over.

This was the first thought that flashed through Xia En's mind.

How did they get here?!

He held his breath instantly, his body instinctively sinking into the water, leaving only his nose and above above the surface, using the rising steam to conceal his form. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, blood rushing to his eardrums, making a buzzing sound.

What to do!

Xia En panicked.

He deeply regretted his recent act of letting loose.

At this moment, he was completely naked.

Naked bubble.

If he showed himself, he would be seen as a pervert; if he was exposed, he would be seen as an even bigger pervert—at this moment, Xia En was trapped in a dead end!

calm.

Xia En remained calm.

Life is only a few decades long, it doesn't matter, it's just death, just bear with it, and the decades will pass quickly.

and many more!

What are you thinking about!

I'd rather fight monsters hand-to-hand than die! Think of something, think of something!

Xia En forced herself to clear her mind and concentrate.

【The Goddess's Barrier】 Almost instinctively, he deployed the barrier centered on himself.

Splash!

The hot spring water surrounding his body was blocked by the barrier.

Xia En had tried his best to reduce the area of the barrier, making it almost touching his body, but the oval-shaped barrier still pushed away a lot of water.

The sound that followed made his heart leap into his throat.

Ailu looked over in the direction of the sound.

Fortunately, she couldn't see the strange "transparent bubbles" under the water's surface in the distance because of the wisps of steam.

at this time.

Frillie is enjoying the hot spring with her eyes closed.

Yubel is flirting with Philon.

None of them noticed Xia En, who was hiding.

Xia En slowly relaxed her breathing.

He composed himself.

They began moving at an extremely slow pace, clinging to the pool wall and following the route furthest from the group, towards the entrance.

Every movement was made with utmost care, for fear of disturbing the surface of the water.

The hot spring water was warm, but cold sweat seeped out from his back.

In the distance, a few people were chatting idly.

"Philan, you always wear a towel when you go to the hot springs, doesn't it make you uncomfortable? Let me take it off for you—" Yubel's voice had its usual playful tone at the end.

She squeezed next to Philon, her gaze unrestrained.

Philen held onto her towel tightly, giving Yubel no chance whatsoever.

"No need, I like soaking like this."

Yubel persisted, "Soaking in a hot spring is only comfortable when you're naked!"

Philon hugged the bath towel tightly, puffing out his cheeks.

"Being with you means I have to be wrapped up in a bubble."

Yubel's gaze swept somewhere, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"You're really cute~"

"...

—" Philen remained silent, turned away, and refused to acknowledge Yubel.

The entire conversation between the two people was overheard by Xia En.

He was on edge.

They kept their eyes fixed on the front, moving slowly, not daring to look away for even a moment.

But at this moment, I'm already internally ranting and raving.

According to Yubel, is this guy now naked like him?

This girl is so unrestrained!

Hopefully, Ellu and Frilian won't end up like her.

One step, two steps, one meter, two meters — He struggled through the water, getting closer and closer to the exit of the hot spring.

Xia En could already see the outline of the lattice wooden door. If he could just hold on a little longer, he could slip out unnoticed.

Whoosh— A sound of water was heard.

I heard new conversations.

"worn out."

It was Ailu's voice, tinged with obvious weariness.

"This is my first time taking a physical training class. I can't imagine how tough the soldiers' training is—"

"I've seen soldiers' training, and it's far more extreme than this," Philon said.

The little girl recalled the training that Shutark had undergone, which was unimaginably arduous, and the training that Grandpa For had given Shutark and Mr. Shane together.

She only glanced at it and thought it was outrageous.

"Luckily we're not soldiers, so we don't have to do this all the time," Yubel joked.

"But Lady Frillian is right," Philon's voice was gentle but earnest.

"If a situation arises where magic cannot be used, the mage must have the ability to escape—"

"But it's too difficult to actually do," Ailu chimed in.

"I almost couldn't breathe today, and I'm really worried about whether I can complete the course objectives."

Philon comforted her, "There are still four months until the exam. If you keep at it every day, you'll definitely improve."

The other two sighed in agreement.

The conversation naturally turned to the [Level 1 Mage] exam — As Xia En listened, he nodded silently to himself.

He had seen all the girls' hard work; they had really worked hard these past few months.

only---- Shaun was a little curious: Where was Frilian?

Why can't I hear her voice? Is she asleep?

I was just thinking about it.

There was a knock on the wooden lattice door.

"Dear guests, dinner has arrived!"

The landlady's warm voice came from outside the door.

Xia En froze.

The sudden sound caught him off guard. Before his brain could react, his body had already made a stress response. He sank into the water, trying to hide himself completely.

Whoosh— The distinct sound of water echoed in the quiet bathroom, creating a slight echo between the stone walls.

Oops!

Xia En's heart skipped a beat, and she cursed herself for being stupid.

Why hide when you're hiding because you've clearly activated the "Goddess's Barrier" and no one will notice?

really.

The four people in the pool were all attracted by the sound of the water and turned their heads to look over.

What was that sound?

Yubel sank into the water, looking warily in the direction from which the sound came.

Philon also tensed up, unconsciously clutching the towel around his neck, his eyes searching for suspicious signs in the steam.

This is a mixed-gender bath.

Could it be that someone came in before them?

Ailu blinked, listened intently for a moment, and then said uncertainly, "I just heard a strange water sound near the leak. Could there be something wrong with the water pipe?"

Yubel frowned.

"I hope the hot spring water doesn't stop flowing halfway through your soak."

Frillie didn't say anything.

She simply stared quietly in the direction the sound came from, her pale green eyes piercing through the mist, looking directly at where Xia En was.

The two looked at each other.

Xia En held his breath, not daring to move.

He could feel the barrier operating steadily, and his figure should still be hidden, but Frilian's gaze still made his heart race.

A few seconds later, Frillie looked away.

"It should be the sound of bubbles," she said softly, closing her eyes.

"The hot spring water is hot, so there will be occasional bubbling sounds."

The three little ones nodded.

Well, Frilian soaks in hot springs every day, so she's very experienced. If she says so, then it must be true.

The crisis is over.

Xia En secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not make any more rash moves.

The proprietress had already set out dinner by the hot spring pool: chilled salad, fruit platter, steak with sauce, and four small cups of strawberry ice cream.

Philon emerged from the hot spring, knelt on the shore, and began serving the food to everyone.

The other three grabbed their own towels, wrapped them around themselves like Philon, and sat down by the pool to enjoy dinner together.

Xia En was completely submerged in the water.

From his perspective, all he could see were three small feet swaying in the water.

Xia En forced herself to look away.

The conversation on shore gradually shifted from exams to daily life.

"Speaking of which, it seems that Shane went to see Falshu this afternoon." Elu picked up a piece of salad with her fork.

"I wonder if there has been any progress in the research on [Black Asphalt]."

"Mr. Shane has been busy with this matter lately, and the clues about the Sage seem to have gone cold. Hopefully, Mr. Falshu will have some good news—"

"That guy is always so secretive," Yubel mumbled, taking a spoonful of ice cream and putting it in his mouth.

Ailu smiled and said, "I think Xia En is a very nice person. Grandpa's health has improved because of his [health preservation] advice. And—his [space handbag] is really useful."

Yubel glanced at Elu when he heard her words.

"Are you two very close?"

"Um... sort of, Xia En saved me."

"A hero saves the damsel in distress."

For some reason, Yubel's words sounded sour.

Philen interrupted them at the right moment, "Speaking of which, Mr. Shane's birthday is coming up soon."

As soon as those words were spoken...

Even Freya, who had been busy eating ice cream, looked up.

"It seems so."

The four of them immediately shifted their conversation to how to celebrate Xia En's birthday.

Philen suggested they go to a dessert shop for cake.

Ailu suggested going for barbecue.

Yubel didn't suggest it; instead, she complained that in Shane's current situation, did she even need to celebrate her birthday?

"I feel like he's almost a baby now, so birthdays probably don't matter anymore."

Frillie was inexplicably dragged into the fray.

The elven girl, clutching her ice cream, pouted and replied, "What's important is still—" Philon immediately reassured her, "Don't worry, I remember your birthday too."

Frilian then happily patted Philon's head.

The focus then shifted to gift preparation. The group recalled Xia En's preferences and began discussing what gifts to prepare.

Xia En felt a warm feeling in her heart underwater.

These guys, they always complain about him or tease him, but it turns out they all remember him.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Xia En squatted in the water for so long that his legs went numb.

The dinner for the four of them finally came to an end.

The girls prepared to continue soaking in the hot springs.

Xia En knew his chance had come.

While they were eating, Xia En had slowly moved to the edge of the pool, closer to the door. Now, he was only one [Shadow Kill] skill point away from the door; all he had to do was teleport there, open the door, and escape.

But the premise is that the sound of him emerging from the water cannot be detected.

There is only one chance.

Just as the girls stepped into the hot spring.

At that moment, everyone's attention was focused on their feet, and the splashing water perfectly masked his movements.

"Alright, let's soak a little longer before heading back to sleep."

As she spoke, Frilian stood up first.

The other three children were behind her, tidying up the empty plates.

A soft tinkling sound came from the air.

To Xia En, it sounded like the bugle call for the final charge— It's now!

He meditated in his heart.

At the same time, he immediately activated the [Deal] entry, giving himself a [Lucky Card].

With the combination of "Strong Luck" and "Good Luck," his actions will be 100% successful for the foreseeable future.

Evacuation successful.

Countdown begins in three!

Frillie stood up.

Shane clenched his fists nervously, his gaze passing over Frilian and looking at the wooden lattice door behind the girl, ready to teleport at any moment.

two!

Frillie's hand rested on the towel covering her chest.

Xia En tensed up, braced his calves, and assumed a sprinting stance.

No!

and many more!

Frillie's hand touched the towel covering her chest?!

What the hell?!

Xia En felt like he was being cooked alive.

He was now less than two meters away from Frillie, practically face to face.

Unlike just now, when he was surrounded by thick fog seven or eight meters away and couldn't see anything clearly, his vision was now exceptionally clear.

Even which of Frillie's fingers was covered by the bath towel could be seen clearly.

opposite.

The elven girl seemed to feel Xia En's burning gaze.

The hand that was about to untie the towel froze in mid-air.

The white-haired elf tilted its head, looking in the direction where Shane was, puzzled.

"I think I just felt a magical fluctuation."

Behind the girl, several people who were clearing away dishes and wiping the floor stopped what they were doing.

"Magic fluctuations?"

where?"

Frilian stared at Shane without answering.

Xia En could hear her own heartbeat.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment; he even forgot to breathe.

"Never mind, it's probably just my imagination."

A few seconds later, just as Shane was about to suffocate, Frillie smiled. Instead of trying to untie her towel, she followed Philon's example and stepped directly into the hot spring.

The sound of water woke Xia En.

It's now!

Accompanied by Frilian's movements.

Xia En stepped onto the edge of the pool, then smoothly emerged from the water and darted towards the door like an arrow, her wet body kicking up a spray of water.

The brief splash of water was completely drowned out by the sound of Frillie entering the hot spring.

Xia En was smug.

A narrow escape from death!

But just as his mood soared to heaven, a change occurred! He had already tried to shrink the barrier to its minimum, almost touching his body, and now he reached out to pull the door open.

The entire arm was exposed to the air.

!!!

Xia En's eyes were bloodshot!

He had already rushed to the door, which was already a crack in the door.

Simply slide to the side and say "Hmm?"

Frillie suddenly turned her head and looked towards the door.

Her movement was very subtle, but Philon immediately noticed.

"What's wrong?"

Xia En quickly withdrew his hand.

Frillie frowned slightly, paused for a moment, and shook her head.

"It's nothing. Maybe the hot spring was too comfortable, and I just felt a little sleepy."

She did look a little sleepy, her eyes half-closed, as she leaned back against the pool.

The three little ones were all looking at Frilian; no one was looking in his direction!

Seizing this critical opportunity, Xia En quickly opened the door a crack, slid out of the bathroom sideways, and gently closed the door behind her.

Keng.

The soft sound of the wooden door closing echoed in the corridor.

Almost at the same moment—

"who!"

Yubel's exclamation rang out, her voice filled with disbelief, shock, and anger. She had clearly caught a glimpse of Shane's figure as he disappeared through the doorway.

Outside.

Before Xia En could catch his breath, he heard a sharp whooshing sound behind him.

It's Yubel's [magic that can cut through almost everything]!

With a crisp cracking sound, the wooden door of the mixed-gender bathhouse was cleaved open with a clean split, the upper part of it tilting outwards.

Warm steam billowed out from the broken opening, condensing into white mist in the cold air of the corridor.

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