Adventure: My Skills Evolve Infinitely

SHREEE—!

A sound like tearing fabric made Bain whip his head around. In the glow of the campfire, he clearly saw the monster behind the claws that had just pierced Millian’s throat.

"Watch out, there’s another one!"

’Two of them?!’

Cody’s face was a mask of horror as he drew a second short sword from his waist. In the dead of night, one Cursed Cat Demon had already put them under immense pressure—and there was another one?

With no time to check on Millian, Bain swung his Sword forward, forcing the Cursed Cat Demon in the rear to retreat for the moment.

Meanwhile, the first Cursed Cat Demon to attack had just barely dodged an arrow from Millian. It let out a piercing shriek and charged at Cody, the one who had just slashed its neck with a short sword.

The Spellbound Cat Demon’s speed was incredible. Even Cody, an Assassin, had trouble keeping up. He could only swing his short sword instinctively, attempting to Block.

Fortunately, his luck held. Drawing on years of experience fighting Demons, he brought his short sword up to his chest and, in a close call, managed to receive the blow.

CLANG—!

With a sound like striking metal, the force of the Cursed Cat Demon’s blow numbed Cody’s arm. He skidded several meters across the ground, nearly losing his grip on his sword’s hilt.

The Cursed Cat Demon’s attack had failed, but as it prepared to press its advantage, Lin Mo suddenly struck from the flank. He had anticipated its path, and now a precise Sword strike came cleaving down at its head.

Already committed, the Cursed Cat Demon had no choice but to raise its claws and forcibly block Lin Mo’s strike.

In the next instant, Cody fought through the aching numbness in his arm and hurled his last short sword. Seizing the opportunity while it was locked in a stalemate with Lin Mo, his throw struck the Cursed Cat Demon squarely in its left eye.

Swift reflexes, decisive action, a perfect angle!

In that moment, Cody perfectly demonstrated the qualities of a veteran Assassin, seizing the fleeting opportunity.

"Nice!"

Lin Mo couldn’t help but exclaim his admiration. A moment later, he put more force into his strike, driving the Cat Demon back. He was about to draw the Short Knife from his waist to give chase, but with a flash of movement, the Cat Demon vanished into the darkness.

Lin Mo couldn’t see what lay ahead and didn’t dare give chase rashly, so he fell back.

"Millian!"

Evan trembled as he cradled the girl in his arms. "No... please no, Millian..."

"Get a grip, you brat!"

Bain’s furious shout snapped him out of his spiraling emotions.

"Use the Life Potion!"

"Right, we have a Life Potion!"

As if clutching at a final straw, Evan frantically fumbled through Millian’s bag and pulled out a bottle of red Potion.

After earning a hefty sum on their last mission, they had purchased emergency items in addition to upgrading their gear. This expensive Life Potion was one of them.

Evan opened the vial. A fresh, floral scent immediately wafted from the opening. He carefully poured the red liquid onto Millian’s wound, using a full half of the bottle.

As the red Potion slowly soaked in, something astonishing happened.

The gash, which had been steadily oozing blood, staunched within seconds. The puncture wound began to close at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Some color returned to Millian’s deathly pale face, and her pupils, which had been losing focus, sharpened once more...

But that was as far as it went. The effects of a Basic Life Potion were, after all, limited. It wasn’t enough to instantly heal a piercing wound of that severity.

Regardless, it seemed Millian’s life had been saved, if only by a thread.

’Such an amazing Potion.’

This was the first time Lin Mo had witnessed the effects of a Life Potion firsthand. The instantaneous results, like something out of an anime, truly exceeded his expectations.

"Millian, are you okay?"

Tears welled in Evan’s eyes as he held her tightly.

Millian returned from her daze. With some difficulty, she shook her head. Seeing Evan’s frantic expression, the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."

"Have her drink a bit more of the Life Potion. It’ll reinforce the effect and keep the wound from reopening."

Bain added this quick instruction before his eyes darted back to their surroundings.

They had only momentarily driven back the two Cursed Cat Demons. The crisis was far from over.

The night was far from over, and it was highly unlikely the two Cursed Cat Demons would give up so easily. They would probably be back.

"Kid, protect Millian."

Bain’s voice was low, his expression more grave than ever.

Compared to a still-green rookie, a veteran Adventurer’s most valuable assets—beyond their formidable strength—were a strong mind and rock-steady composure.

Even in this perilous situation, Bain remained as calm as possible.

Cody quickly retrieved his short sword from the ground and fell back to the others. With a shared understanding, the three of them formed a protective circle around Evan and the wounded Millian.

The Cursed Cat Demons were already fast, and their Lightness of movement made them born Assassins. The night only amplified these advantages. Under these conditions, a defensive counter-attack was clearly a better choice than a rash offense.

It was because they hadn’t known about the second Cursed Cat Demon and had tried to press their advantage that they had left an opening for Millian to be attacked.

They couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

No words were needed. A simple exchange of glances was enough for the three of them to reach a silent agreement.

Time ticked by. Far on the horizon, the sky began to show a sliver of pale dawn.

In another half hour or so, day would break. The two Cursed Cat Demons were running out of time.

The surrounding thickets remained shrouded in darkness, rendering sight of little use. Lin Mo simply closed his eyes, focusing all of his senses on his hearing.

The crackle of the fire, the sound of breathing, the whisper of the wind...

Every subtle noise could be used as cover for the Cat Demons’ attack.

One minute, two minutes...

A full five minutes passed with no suspicious sounds. It seemed the two Cat Demons had retreated from their injuries, abandoning the attack.

Yet, just as they were beginning to think that, an incredibly faint SNAP suddenly sounded by Lin Mo’s ear.

Lin Mo’s eyes flew open. He looked forward and to his side, and without a second thought, his right hand, already gripping his Long Sword, executed a "Slashing" attack.

TING—!

The instant his blade made contact, Lin Mo executed a move he had already rehearsed in his mind. He twisted his wrist, letting the body of his sword slide down along the creature’s claws, nearly cleaving the Cursed Cat Demon’s paw in two!

The Cat Demon recoiled in pain, but Lin Mo just gave a cold smirk. He thrust his Long Sword forward, and before the creature could fully retreat, its tip had already gouged a deep, bloody hole in its body.

Meanwhile, the other Cursed Cat Demon had set its sights on Cody, who seemed to be the easiest target.

But Cody was no rookie. With his full concentration, he managed to anticipate the attack just as Lin Mo had, precisely blocking the Cursed Cat Demon’s strike.

Though he couldn’t match its Strength and was knocked back several steps, Bain was right there to provide timely support. A "Shield Strike" immediately followed, interrupting the Cursed Cat Demon’s pursuit. The shield slammed solidly into the creature, sending it flying.