The Doorstep Arrival
1731 Words
Valentina now had two storage rings. One was engraved with the Stellarium family crest, while the other, given to her upon enrollment at Star Academy, was smaller and plainer in design but much safer for daily use.
Just as she was about to head to the tailor’s shop to buy a couple of men’s outfits, she felt a faint presence watching her from behind.
Had they arrived already?
A trace of worry crossed her mind. She wasn’t sure if the threat was aimed solely at her or if her friends would be caught up in it as well. Although she’d known Amanda for just over a month, they were already close friends. If it was only her being targeted, she wasn’t afraid—she would fight back. But if Amanda got involved, Valentina would carry that guilt with her forever.
Determined, she excused herself for a while and led Amanda and Aria to a location near the Griffin Knights, who were patrolling within the city. This way, if anyone dared to act inside the city, they would be stopped immediately.
Fortunately, after walking a short distance, she confirmed that the presence was still following her, meaning it was indeed focused on her.
A cold smile appeared on Valentina’s lips as her right hand subtly gripped the soft sword at her waist. Even though she wasn’t in perfect shape, she wasn’t going down without a fight.
She turned into a quieter alley and activated her spiritual technique, Fragrance Drunk, to hide her presence.
The pursuer clearly hadn’t expected a living person to disappear so suddenly. He immediately gave himself away, poking his head out and looking around in confusion.
Once his face appeared, Valentina finally relaxed.
It made sense. If it had been the real culprits, they wouldn’t have been so careless. In fact, the only person in Fengze City who might have a grudge against her was Cain, that useless fool!
Cain had no idea that Valentina could pull off such a trick. He lifted his chin arrogantly and sneered at his subordinate, “Toris, where are your men? How could that little wench just vanish like that?”
The man, a bodyguard from the Nightshade Family, rolled his eyes in disdain at Cain’s attitude but explained patiently, “Third Young Master, she might have something on her that can conceal her aura. It’s possible that—”
Cain interrupted him sharply, “You’re a fifth-tier mage, and you lost track of a fourth-tier mage? Don’t make excuses! When we get back, I’ll report this to Elder Malcolm. He’ll deal with you!”
Valentina couldn’t help but grin in the shadows. This fool had saved her the trouble of investigating by revealing everything.
A fifth-tier mage could easily kill her if they wished, but if Draven’s powers were restored, maybe she could stall for a moment.
Valentina’s eyes flicked to Cain’s signature golden attire, and an idea sparked in her mind.
While Cain and Toris were still unaware, she quickly headed to the tailor and bought several slightly extravagant sets of men’s clothing for future use. She also purchased an outfit that closely resembled Cain’s, which she tucked into her storage ring.
A few moments later, she returned to the same spot. Cain was still muttering angrily, obviously frustrated. “In a few days, I’ll have to go back to Star Academy. Today, that little wench has taken a mission out of the city. This is the perfect opportunity!”
He gritted his teeth and continued, “Find her for me! If you don’t do this right, I’ll have you kicked out of the Nightshade Family! She humiliated me in public, and I swear I’ll take her life!”
Upon hearing this, Valentina’s eyes gleamed with mockery. She wondered how unlucky Toris must have been to join the Nightshade Family, only to be humiliated by a fifth-tier mage.
After hearing Cain’s last words, Valentina sneered coldly. Since he had delivered himself right to her doorstep, it was time to take care of things. With Cain’s temperament, he was bound to be like an unkillable fly—trouble would follow sooner or later.
She deactivated Fragrance Drunk and made a slight noise. Toris immediately turned his gaze toward her.
Valentina acted oblivious, casually picking up some candy from the nearby pastry shop and walking straight to Amanda and Aria.
Cain, watching her leave, his face twisted with malice, hissed, “Chase her!”
Amanda thoroughly enjoyed both the task and the little snacks along the way. As they traveled, Valentina shared her tips for flower picking. They worked in perfect harmony—one using water currents to break through spider webs, and the other summoning misty vines to sneak in and gather ten flowers.
Amanda jumped up and down, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she clung to Valentina’s arm, “Valentina, you’re amazing! I’ve never seen any other water mage control water like you! I admire you so much!”
Valentina smiled gently and ruffled Amanda’s hair. “Alright, now take these flowers back to the Mercenary Guild to complete the task.”
Water mages have long been looked down upon because of their control over water. Water, being one of the softest elements, requires a mage with considerable talent to gather and manipulate it. Those without sufficient ability often struggle even to consolidate summoned water, let alone direct it in battle. As a result, most water mages tend to specialize in healing, though the healing powers of water magic are limited, only effective for treating minor injuries.
Behind them, Cain had already grown impatient, but Toris had stopped him from acting rashly. "We're on the outskirts of the mountain range, not far from the city gates. If she wants to run, she might be able to escape. But if she makes it back and the Academy hears about it, you'll be expelled."
As Amanda stood up and began to leave, Valentina did not follow. The two exchanged a glance, and it was then that Valentina saw her opportunity.
She had already placed Draven in the Beast Space and, with a push of her mana, began walking further into the mountains, looping around. Every few steps, she scattered some odorless, tasteless powder behind her to slowly agitate the nearby beasts.
Beasts usually have a mix of instinct and intelligence, which makes them capable of being captured and contracted. While there are occasional beast rampages in the Fengze Mountains, they don't usually result in massive waves of beasts. The powder Valentina scattered would cause the beasts to chase anyone who carried it, but once they wore themselves out, they would stop. It wouldn't make them indiscriminately attack people, so Valentina was confident as she kept spreading the powder.
Toris and Cain kept a fixed distance behind her. Of every ten steps they took, six or seven of them stepped in the powder Valentina had scattered. Seeing the person ahead bouncing around so smugly, Cain's face turned pale with anger. "Toris, did you skip a meal? Catch up to her already!"
Toris rolled his eyes in response. His frustration was close to boiling over. He wasn’t allowed to fly, and now he was being told to hurry—why couldn’t this useless fool just do something himself?
As they walked, the beasts began to stir. At first, they hopped around erratically, but soon their bloodlust grew stronger, and their minds began to deteriorate.
The Eagle Kiss Fruit, shaped like the beak of an eagle, grew only around the nests of the Ninth-Level Beast, the Azure Flame Falcon. It absorbed the essence of the heavens and earth, ripening every three hundred years. Consuming it allowed a mage to progress without side effects. For many who lacked innate talent, the Eagle Kiss Fruit was a perfect way to break through to becoming a mage.
Valentina estimated the timing and led the two men toward the mountain peak of the Azure Flame Falcon. When she sensed the area, she was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few people already waiting there.
Her mood brightened. If these two died quietly and were not linked back to her, it would be hard to explain. But for now…
Valentina’s eyes shifted, and she wiped her face, her expression a mix of fear and relief as if she had narrowly escaped death.
The cultivators stationed there had initially ignored the approach of a low-level mage. However, when they saw her approach, her eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement. She quickened her pace and shouted as she ran towards the group.
"It’s bad! Run! The beasts are going wild behind us!"
"Help! Help! Someone save me!" she cried.
The cultivators, all at least Ninth-Level mages, quickly expanded their spiritual senses. Sure enough, distant sounds of movement reached them—light footsteps, heavy ones, and even strange howling.
"…I’ll leave first. You stay here, brother!" Some of the weaker, more timid individuals scrambled away as fast as they could.
The remaining group screamed in terror, wanting to tie Valentina up and throw her into the horde of beasts. "Don't come closer! Don't bring them here!!"
They were joking—three or five beasts were manageable, but the noise was growing louder. By rough estimate, it seemed like half of the beasts in the outer Fengze Mountains were charging this way!
Toris finally realized what was happening, but it was too late. The beasts behind them howled angrily and charged at full speed, as if ready to trample them into the ground. He found a dead-end corner, set Cain down, and positioned stones around him to block the passage, making it impossible for the beasts to get through. He repeatedly warned Cain not to move while he went to distract the pursuing beasts.
Cain, usually arrogant because of his family background, was suddenly paralyzed with fear. His strength was average, and the thundering sound of the beasts charging closer made his legs tremble.
"Everyone! It’s not me! I’m also running for my life! It’s this big guy behind me!" he yelled.
Valentina pointed at Toris, who was rushing toward them.
The group turned to follow her gesture, and to their horror, they saw the horde of beasts right behind him! The ground trembled beneath them as trees and plants were crushed in the wake of the beasts' stampede, clearly chasing after Toris and Cain!
- Writer
