NOVEL NEXT Chapter 176: Help
Because of Van's Aura Technique, both badgers rolled in flames… Despite being able to fire themselves, it seemed that they did not have a strong resistance against it!
Julia struck next. Her hand glowed with condensed mana as she released a Zero-Circle Spell.
"Mana Chains!"
Just like that, a chain formed around locking the third and last badger's limbs in place!
It struggled and roared—but Van was already there.
He struck once, right under its jaw, with a quick Aura-infused blow.
Thud!
With this move, it slumped, unconscious.
The remaining two tried to rise, but Van had already stepped between them… Then, he swiftly stomped at their bodies…
Thud! Thud!
His heel struck into one's gut and did the same to the next one...
Crack! Crack!
The fight was over in under thirty seconds. The Ember Badgers were completely helpless and soon died…
'That's easy…'
Van mused before crouching beside them, observing their bodies quickly… Then, he also turned to their nest…
"There's no traces of them eating those beetles... Their nest doesn't have traces of beetles as well…"
"Then the beetles might still be nearby," Julia said.
"Maybe underground," Van replied, already checking the disturbed rocks.
Sure enough, after a few minutes of careful searching, Van's Ocularis Lens spotted a faint shimmer beneath a loose slab of stone…
He peeled it back—and there they were.
Three Mana-Rolling Beetles, each about the size of a thumb, curled into armored balls with faint mana threads clinging to their bodies.
'This… So I need to be about one meter near them to detect them…' Van mused. It seemed that collecting 100 Points for each beetle was a lot more difficult than he thought.
Soon, he collected them carefully with a padded vial, before sealing them with a mana-conductive cap.
[ +300 Academic Points Registered: Mana-Rolling Beetles x3 ]
"Well done," Julia said with excitement… Just like that, they gained three hundred more points!
Van nodded as he stored the vial in his satchel.
They then both turned to the bodies of the Ember Badgers…
Julia's nose wrinkled as the acrid scent of burnt fur and blood wafted through the air.
"We should bury them," she said. "The scent will draw scavengers… maybe worse."
Van nodded. "We don't have the time to dismantle them anyway."
Van then quickly worked. Van used a compact Aura pulse to soften the rocky earth while Julia cleared away moss and loose stones with her Magic Hands…
Soon, the makeshift graves were made. They weren't deep, but they were enough to hide the remains. The surrounding rocks were then repositioned to make the ground appear undisturbed.
Once the final mound was packed, Julia let out a breath. "That should buy us time. Let's keep moving."
Van glanced back once before heading east, following the faint pulse of mana his Ocularis Lens detected earlier.
They made their way along a barely noticeable trail where sunlight could barely pass through…
After about thirty minutes of cautious hiking and quiet scanning, Van's Lens buzzed again.
[ Mana Signature Detected – Minor Fluctuation Consistent with Rolling Beetle Movement. Proximity: 1 meter. Depth: ~0.5 meters. ]
"More beetles," Van said, crouching and brushing aside a patch of moss.
"They're deeper this time."
Julia knelt beside him and scanned the area... "They like warm, stone-heavy places, right? This spot fits."
Together, they lifted a slab of earth-covered stone, revealing a small burrow. Three more Mana-Rolling Beetles were nestled in a shallow trench…
[ +300 Academic Points Registered: Mana-Rolling Beetles x3 ]
"Van… You're really amazing… I wonder if the other teams were also doing well." She mused as she took one of them as well…
"Six total. That's six hundred points just for the beetles." Julia said, visibly satisfied.
Van sealed them away carefully. "We should go uphill. The mana's denser there, and it might increase our chances."
"Alright, but let's keep our guard up."
As they continued to climb through the narrow path, the atmosphere subtly changed.
Suddenly, there was a dense amount of lingering Mana and it may be a good place to search for Mana-Rolling Beetles but other Magic Beasts could also be here...
Because of that, Van had to be careful… Even Julia was using her Mana Detection skills to ensure that they wouldn't get ambushed again.
In the meantime, Van's Ocularis Lens also reported its findings.
[ Environmental Warning: Unnatural Mana Saturation Detected ]
[ Lifeform Approaching – Classification: Magical Beast ]
[ Classification Confirmed – One-Horned Brambleback ]
[ Threat Level: Medium-High – Poisonous Thorns Confirmed ]
"Wait." Van held out a hand to Julia "Something's coming."
"Right… I can feel it." Julia replied but she couldn't pinpoint the location.
Julia then reached for her staff as she gathered her mana…
"Where?"
Before Van could answer, something exploded out of the bushes to their left…
It was a creature that was armored in thorn-covered moss and bark.
Its green hide was filled with thick brambles, and from its forehead, they could see a single curved horn that seemed to be made of wood…
A One-Horned Brambleback.
"Dodge!" Van shouted.
Fsssh!
The beast then launched a volley of sharp, poisonous thorns from its back.
Van dodged to the left, Julia to the right—one thorn skimmed her sleeve… It sliced the fabric but missing skin.
"Don't let them hit you! There's poison…" Van warned as he coated himself with a layer of Aura. This may not be the most efficient method but he didn't want to take his chances.
The Brambleback stomped forward and soon, its quills trembled as it recharged for another burst. Julia's spell circle flickered into existence.
"Hold it still for ten seconds!" she shouted.
Van didn't hesitate. He dashed forward to get the beast's attention… However, he swiftly moved to the beast's blind side.
He then unleashed Dawn's Crescent Reversal on a swipe that aimed at him!
Thud!
This move redirected the claw into a nearby tree trunk!
Bang!
Because of that move, it left the beast's leg exposed.
He crouched low and punched. It was an Aura-infused blow to the joint, sending the creature off balance.
At the same time, Julia finally released her spell. It was still the Mana Chains but this time, it was with the help of his Staff, allowing her to cast a stronger version of it.
"Mana Chains – Dual Anchor!"
Two sets of chains burst from the air and clamped onto the Brambleback's limbs, pinning it for a moment.
But the beast roared—its horn then started to glow as it surged, snapping one chain!
Soon, Thorns erupted from its back, two of them slicing across Van's shoulder! They actually pierced through his Aura Defense!
[ Critical Alert: Foreign Mana Detected – Antidote Protocols Suggested ]
His Ocularis Lens then suggested hitting a few of his Acupuncture Points and Van swiftly followed it…
[ Administering Minor Purge Pulse… Success. Poison Neutralized. ]
Van exhaled sharply, then rushed in while the creature was still off-balance. With a burst of speed, he leaped and drove both palms into its horned skull.
He wasn't confident in the sharpness of his sword, so he decided to rely purely on his strength and his Mind Sword!
Boom!
There was a crack that echoed as the beast was driven backward and crashed into the underbrush!
It then staggered before it collapsed.
Van and Julia watched as its body twitched for a few seconds… then went still.
"Is it… dead?" Julia asked as she looked at the One-Horned Magic Beast.
It was too easy! This was not supposed to be that swift battle that she was expecting when fighting against one-horned Magic Beasts!
Van didn't reply, and instead, he approached the creature slowly…
[ Vital Signs: Ceased. Target Confirmed Neutralized. ]
"It's done…"
"Should we stick around to harvest its materials? It's One-Horned still…"
Julia then shook her head. "It's just a common One-Horned Magic Beast. It's also a Bramblethorn… Aside from the Core and Poison Quills, I don't think we can bring its body parts… Besides, if the others heard that, they'll be coming to check."
Van agreed to this. Anyway, a one-horned Magic Beast wasn't that precious to Julia or the Farrell Family.
Still, Van noted the location as they decided not to come here again since there might be other Magic Beasts that would try to eat this Brambleback Beast.
***
The hours passed quickly as Van and Julia worked efficiently…
Van's Ocularis Lens, despite having a short-range scan to detect the beetles, worked really well when he used it in areas with moss-covered rocks and crumbling cliffs. On the other hand, Julia's Magic Hand and Detection Spells kept their path secure…
They had just secured another six Mana-Rolling Beetles, and even if they had slowed down, Julia was extremely happy!
"There are twelve now…" Julia whispered. "That should put us to the top... unless someone else found a bigger cache."
Van didn't reply right away.
He stood up and scanned the forest... The humidity was rising, and the shadows were beginning to expand—early evening wasn't far off.
'We should start going back...' He mused...
However, before he could make this suggestion, the two of them heard a familiar voice screaming for help!
'That's Gian's voice...' Van thought as he looked at Julia.