Ankora

Xia Lun looked toward the person who had suddenly barged in.

It was a golden-haired, short-haired girl brimming with youthful energy. She wore a leather jacket adorned with numerous small pockets, all stuffed to the brim—hardly stylish, but undoubtedly practical. Her lower half was clad in tight-fitting jeans that accentuated her long, straight legs.

"Oh, Ankula, my dear daughter, what brings you here?" Angelie's gaze gradually softened. "What did you just say? I can't pretend I didn't hear it."

Was she the witch the soldiers had mentioned earlier?

Her appearance was far from what Xia Lun had imagined. With her outfit, Ankula looked more like an adventurer than a witch.

Still, her beauty was undeniable. Even in that somewhat awkward attire, she carried herself with an air of elegance, exuding a heroic charm.

"Father, I want to go with them to the Dragonblood Mountains," Ankula pleaded with Angelie. "We can't afford to delay any longer. The journey alone will take nearly a day, and preparing the potion will take even more time. Who knows how many civilians will suffer in the meantime... Once we retrieve the Dragonblood Flowers, I must start brewing the antidote immediately."

"No, Ankula. It's far too dangerous," Angelie refused his daughter's request.

"Father, you know how strong I am! And I trust in the abilities of these adventurers."

Ankula glanced at Xia Lun and the others before pointing at Musen. "Look, this warrior is even more formidable than you!"

Musen opened his mouth to explain, but Liyana subtly jabbed him in the back to stop him.

Angelie took a deep breath and finally relented to his daughter's persuasion.

"Xia Lun... would it be possible for Ankula to accompany you? Rest assured, she’s quite capable and won’t hold you back."

Angelie knew all too well that the city's situation was dire—any further delay could lead to irreversible consequences.

"No problem, Lord Angelie... We’ll protect Miss Ankula... Right, Xia Lun?" Liyana chimed in with a smile.

With Liyana already speaking up, Xia Lun had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

Xia Lun knew exactly what Liyana was scheming. Ankula seemed to be just her type, and the elven woman was already anticipating the possibility of kindling a new romance.

"Are you all ready? Let’s hurry and set off," Ankula urged, clearly impatient.

Xia Lun could understand her urgency—after all, the lives of the city’s civilians still hung in the balance against the plague.

Liyana sighed. Her backside hadn’t even warmed the soft couch before they were rushing off again.

"So, you’re called Dawn’s Wings, huh?"

Once the carriage left the city, Ankula’s obedient demeanor in front of her father abruptly shifted.

"A mere first-tier adventurer team, yet you dared to take on such a mission. I don’t know what you were thinking... But lucky for you, you’ve met me. I’ll make sure you all return safely," Ankula scoffed, flipping a strand of hair behind her ear. "As long as you follow my lead from now on."

What was this about?

Liyana blinked and shot Xia Lun a meaningful look.

"You must realize this is a dangerous mission... And since we’ve only just met, I can’t entrust my comrades’ lives to you, Miss Ankula," Xia Lun replied seriously.

"I have potions that repel monsters. With my concoctions, no creature—not even the dragons—will dare approach us," Ankula declared confidently. "The credit for the mission is yours. All I need is for you to bring back every last Dragonblood Flower to save the people of Olie City..."

"If there’s a way to avoid combat and still achieve our goal, then all the better," Xia Lun conceded with a nod. "We’ll proceed as you suggest... but if the potions fail, we’ll step in."

"They won’t fail!" Ankula bristled at Xia Lun’s doubt. "I’ve tested this formula multiple times."

Angelie wouldn’t have let Ankula accompany a group of strangers unless he truly believed in her abilities.

"Still, Miss Ankula, if you had such a potion, why wait until now to use it?" Musen asked curiously. "Other adventurer teams took on this mission before, didn’t they?"

Ankula’s expression stiffened. "They didn’t trust me. They feared my identity as a witch, claiming my potions would disrupt their teamwork."

Xia Lun nodded. That was the expected reaction from any normal adventurer group—letting an outsider suddenly join would only complicate things and invite disaster. If anything happened to Ankula, they’d have to answer to Angelie.

But Xia Lun’s team... was anything but ordinary.

After nearly a day’s journey, they finally arrived at the Dragonblood Mountains.

The carriage was left behind—it couldn’t venture any further.

Before them stretched towering peaks. Beneath her cloak, Aina made a subtle gesture, and a blood bat silently slipped out from the shadows.

Soon, Aina’s expression turned dismissive.

Pureblood dragons? That’s it? No real threat.

"Hurry up and follow me!"

Ankula was remarkably agile, swiftly darting ahead.

"What a handful of a young lady," Liyana sighed before the group gave chase.

The Dragonblood Mountains teemed with monsters infused with draconic blood.

Every time they encountered a beast blocking their path, Ankula would toss out a cloud of white powder. Upon contact, the creatures would recoil and flee.

"This girl really knows her stuff," Liyana whistled, lowering her bow multiple times.

"Hey... Moke, let me ask you something..." Liyana suddenly started teasing again.

"Hm?"

"If you sang while sprinkling Miss Ankula’s potion, do you think the monsters would come closer or run away?" Liyana mused, narrowing her eyes.

After frequent use, the team had grown familiar with Moke’s peculiar abilities.

When Moke sang... his allure to monsters was at its strongest.

"How should I know?!" Moke snapped, glaring at Liyana.

Liyana blinked. "Want to test it out?"

"Go to hell!" Moke cursed, while Liyana dodged with a giggle.

"Liyana, stay alert. This isn’t the time for jokes," Xia Lun said coldly, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. At any moment, another monster could emerge.

Once in combat mode, he became an entirely different person.

Liyana stopped laughing.