Chương 49: Countermeasures

"Danger!" Just as the hidden beast lunged at Liuli, Xingshuang shouted, her voice urgent and sharp, filled with undisguised worry.

There was no time to build even the most basic magic barrier. Her body's instinct made her rush towards Liuli at top speed, shoving her away and simultaneously using her back to meet the almost elusive black shadow.

A tearing pain erupted from her back, as if she were being cut by countless sharp blades at the same time. Although the pink combat suit provided some protection, the Void Beast's scythe-like forelimbs still broke through the defense and embedded themselves deep into her flesh.

Xing Shuang let out a muffled groan, her body trembled violently in the air, her vision blurred with intense pain, and her eyes went black in waves.

But this was not the end. The Hidden Beast's attack speed was extremely fast. After the first strike landed, it almost did not pause. The next strike followed immediately, aiming straight for her neck!

Xing Shuang gritted her teeth, letting out a low, hoarse roar, and used all her strength to force herself to twist her body, blocking the fatal blow.

The immense force shoved her heavily toward the shelf beside her. Before they crashed, she used her magic to hold onto the slightly out-of-control Liuli, and with her last breath, she pulled her upwards, returning her to the relatively safe air.

The pain in her back surged like a tide, making it almost impossible for her to maintain flight. She could only hover there with difficulty, her forehead covered in fine cold sweat, and her face turned pale from blood loss.

"Senior Xingshuang!" Yin Xue exclaimed in shock when she saw the bright red blood seeping from under Xingshuang's torn combat suit and her pale face. She never expected Xingshuang to do something so reckless.

And Liuli witnessed all of this, from Xingshuang shouting "Be careful!" to her rushing forward, to her taking the fatal blow for her, to the moment blood splattered, to her barely managing to pull herself back into the air...

She was completely stunned, hovering blankly in the air, her icy blue eyes wide open, filled with shock, disbelief, and self-reproach.

She was reckless, she knew she was reckless, but she never imagined that the consequences of her recklessness would be like this—that someone else would suffer such a terrible attack for her.

Without saying a word, Yin Xue immediately went to Xing Shuang's side, her wand emitting a dazzling emerald green light, and concentrated all her magic power on the wound on Xing Shuang's back, quickly beginning to heal her.

Her face was filled with anxiety and worry. She didn't have time to talk to Liuli or even look at her. Instead, she focused all her attention on healing Xingshuang's injuries.

In Liuli's eyes, her silence and focus at this moment were more terrifying than any accusation. Yinxue did not scold her or ask her why she was so impulsive; she was just desperately trying to save the person who was injured because of her.

This silence instilled in her a deeper fear—she was afraid that she had hurt Xing Shuang because of her recklessness, that Yin Xue would be disappointed in her, and that she would lose her only good friend.

The guilt and fear overwhelmed her like a cold tide; she felt dizzy and her body trembled slightly.

"Liuli!" Just as she was caught in a vortex of self-blame and fear, Xingshuang's cry rang in her ears.

Although her face was slightly contorted with pain and her forehead was covered in cold sweat, her eyes were unusually clear and firm, without a trace of blame, only a reassuring calmness.

"I'm fine..." she managed to squeeze out the words, raising her hand to gently stroke her arm, feeling the other's body trembling.

"Now is not the time to be daydreaming, we have more important things to do."

She didn't mention the other person's reckless rush down earlier, nor did she utter a single word of accusation, as if none of it had happened. This tolerance made Liuli even more at a loss, and even felt somewhat... unacceptable.

"You... why..." Liuli finally found her voice, her tone trembling with confusion, not understanding why the other person would do this.

Why are you so kind to yourself? Why don't you blame yourself after making such a stupid mistake?

Xing Shuang forced a slightly twisted smile, her voice soft yet tinged with helplessness: "Fool, it's because I'm your senior."

This response stunned Liuli. It was a simple sentence, yet it seemed to contain an indescribable weight and responsibility.

Is that all? Is there no other reason? No conditions? No calculations? She couldn't quite understand this pure, selfless protection.

But Xing Shuang's tone carried an undeniable power, pulling Liu Li out of her self-blame and fear, causing her to slowly clench her fists.

She needs to stay clear-headed, she needs to fight, she needs to... make amends for her mistakes, and prove that she is not worthless.

"That virtual beast... has the ability to distort light and block perception." Xing Shuang took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing, and made her voice sound more steady.

"To deal with this ethereal beast with special abilities, we can't attack head-on, nor can we wait passively." Xing Shuang turned to Liu Li, her eyes full of trust. She believed in Liu Li's potential and that she was not only capable of acting recklessly.

"I need your power," she continued, her tone earnest and sincere.

"Your frost abilities can disrupt its stealth or limit its speed."

Liuli bit her lower lip. She truly felt that Xingshuang had not abandoned her because of her recklessness just now. On the contrary, she still believed in her and needed her. This trust touched the softest part of her heart more than any accusation.

"What should I do?" She took a deep breath, her eyes shifting from confusion to determination.

"I will follow your instructions completely in the upcoming battle."

"My strategy is..." Xing Shuang organized her thoughts and began to share her plan. Her voice was low due to weakness, but her thoughts were exceptionally clear.

"Liuli is responsible for creating and maintaining a large area of ice mist, using the ice mist to interfere with its vision and light distortion abilities. Although it cannot completely block it, it can at least reduce its stealth effect, making its movement trajectory easier to detect in the mist."

"Yinxue," Xingshuang looked at the girl who was still healing her, "After the treatment is over, you will be responsible for remote support and defense, protecting me and Liuli from being disturbed by other possible grunts, and being ready to provide cover and treatment at any time."

Yin Xue nodded, indicating that she understood.

"And I," Xing Shuang looked at Liu Li with a determined gaze, "in the ice mist, once I capture its movement trajectory after it has been disturbed, or the flaw it exposes when it launches an attack, I will use my magic to lock onto it, and then concentrate my magic to launch a finishing blow."

She paused, "Although it can disperse the power of magic beams, it still cannot resist attacks that are powerful enough."

"But remember," her tone turned unusually serious, "absolutely no recklessness. Prioritize your own safety. If anything seems amiss, retreat immediately. I will provide support, understand?"

Liuli did not answer immediately. She stared at Xingshuang's pale face and then glanced at the ice blade in her hand.

Her heart was still filled with complex emotions: confusion about the selfless kindness, self-reproach for her own recklessness, and fear of losing her friend.

But that feeling of being trusted and needed spread like a warm current through her cold heart, awakening a deep longing within her.

"... I understand." She finally nodded, her voice low but unusually firm.

"Very good." Starfrost gave a tired but powerful smile.

"Then... let's begin."

The treatment was nearing its end, and the wound on her back was almost healed. Although this did not mean a complete recovery, it was at least no longer life-threatening. Xing Shuang straightened up and stood side by side with Liu Li and Yin Xue.

The night was deep, and the warehouse area was still shrouded in distorted bubbles. A hunt was about to begin, and this time, they would not be the prey, but the hunters.