How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 14 Turning Beasts into Friends

Inside the cave

Shar leaned against the rock wall, his knuckles white from gripping the crossbow in his hand.

The sounds of fighting outside the cave were still coming; her head was still spinning and her forehead was burning.

She bit her lip hard, the stinging pain bringing her a moment of clarity.

"Want to go out and have a look?"

The thought flashed through her mind, but she suppressed it again.

I am just a burden now.

If it were before... she shook her head, dismissing the useless assumptions.

If she went out now and was captured and used to blackmail Kane, she would rather die here.

Time passed slowly.

She felt her consciousness starting to blur again.

The sounds of grass rubbing, shouting, and metal clashing... all disappeared.

"Is it over?"

Shar's heart clenched suddenly.

The pursuers sent by the mentor must be "silent killers".

She knew all too well how difficult those guys were to deal with.

But she could only curl up there, powerless to do anything.

Never before had she hated her weakness so much.

"rustle……"

A soft stomping sound approached from afar.

Shar held her breath instantly and abruptly raised her light crossbow.

"it's me."

Kane's voice came from outside, carrying a familiar weariness.

Was it him? Or was it coercion?

Shar's mind was racing.

She remembered that Kane had saved her life, and if it was a trap, she would return it to him.

She lowered her crossbow bolt.

As the light dimmed at the cave entrance, Kane's figure appeared there.

He was shirtless, covered in dust and scratches, but with a relieved smile on his face.

"I was lucky," he said.

"Only one-eyed man and two ordinary cultists came; I dealt with them."

He observed Shar's expression, concealing part of the truth.

The final battle was boring.

After killing the two and learning of his immortality, One-Eye attacked like a madman, brandishing a dagger with terrifying movements.

But Kane couldn't let this enemy, who knew his secret, leave.

So he used the remaining two Mind Wedges on his opponent, then used Mage Hand to control the dagger to finish them off, quickly ending the battle.

However, in order not to let Shar notice anything amiss, he changed his pants and simply washed away the bloodstains with water from the kettle.

Listening to his simple narration, Shar's tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed.

The accumulated pain, exhaustion, and high fever over the past few days overwhelmed her will.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.

Suddenly everything went black, and he collapsed forward.

……

When I regained consciousness, all I felt was turbulence and a warm, tactile sensation.

Shar, still half asleep, wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her cheek against him.

...Sturdy yet flexible.

She opened her eyes sluggishly.

A tanned skin came into view.

She was being carried on someone's back, her arms tightly wrapped around the person's chest.

Their intimate posture made her ears burn.

"woke up?"

Kane didn't turn around, his voice remained steady, and his steps didn't falter.

"Don't move, or I won't be responsible if you fall."

Shar recoiled as if electrocuted, her face burning.

"I...I can walk by myself."

"Save your energy."

He weighed her in his hand and continued forward.

"Early morning is the safest time in the dark forest, so we must hurry on our way."

Sit still; your strength won't recover that quickly.

Shar was speechless.

As dawn broke, a thin mist swirled through the forest.

Her whole body ached and she was indeed unable to exert any strength.

After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice:

"...How long was I unconscious?"

"A little over a day."

The dialogue was terminated.

Only the sound of footsteps remained in the woods, occasionally punctuated by the chirping of birds.

Carrying Shar on his back naturally slowed him down, but Kane didn't seem to have any intention of putting her down.

Shar leaned on his shoulder and could smell the mixed scents on him.

Soil, grass, and a faint smell of blood.

It smelled bad, but it gave her a strange sense of peace.

By the afternoon of the third day, she was feeling a little better and insisted on getting out of bed.

But their dry food and water were almost gone.

Kane stopped and looked around at the almost identical dense forest, his brow furrowing.

"Are we... lost?"

Shar followed her gaze, but the dark, ancient trees blocked out the sun, making it impossible to discern directions.

She paused for a moment, then squatted down.

Pour the last bit of dry food crumbs into your palm.

Close your eyes and hum softly.

The melody is melodious and ancient, with unique syllables, as if resonating with the forest.

Before long, a small emerald bird fluttered down, tilted its head to look at the debris, and then looked at her.

Finally, it lightly jumped onto her fingertip and affectionately rubbed against it.

"Are there any halfling settlements ahead?" Shar asked softly.

The little bird blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite.

She put it another way:

"Is there any place ahead that isn't a forest?"

Are there many short people living there who walk on two legs but are much shorter than us?

The little bird understood, chirped happily a few times, and nodded.

It quickly pecked at the debris before reluctantly flying into the depths of the forest.

Almost simultaneously, Kane received another system notification:

[Check: You observed the entire casting of the first-circle spell "Beast to Friend"]

[Note: Insufficient job level to learn]

His gaze paused for a moment, then he understood.

Given his current rank, he is not yet qualified to master this level of magic, and this limitation was to be expected.

But Shar's ability to cast spells indicates that her condition is improving.

"Found it."

She stood up and pointed in the direction the bird had flown away:

"It's not far ahead."

The two parted the vines and leaves, carefully avoiding several makeshift rope traps, and suddenly the view opened up before them.

The gentle slopes and hills stretch endlessly, with streams meandering through them.

Low, longhouses are scattered across the hillside, with thick, rounded thatched roofs and wooden fences surrounding the settlement, the tops of which are sharply shaved.

There were two sentries at the gate.

The half-human, who only reached the waist of an average person, was curiously observing them.

Round face, big eyes, and nimble hands and feet.

The one on the left nudged the one on the right with their elbow:

"Aldo, look! It's a human!"

The person on the right, wearing a green short-sleeved shirt, stood on tiptoe and stared wide-eyed:

"It really is! A living human being!"

"Should we let them in?"

"No, no, Karl! The elders said that many of the humans who wander into the Dark Forest are bad guys!"

"Bad guy! A bad guy who looks like a kobold!"

Aldo, dressed in green, instantly raised his small bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the two men.

The halfling named Karl also gripped his dagger tightly, looking wary.

Kane took just half a step forward.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow struck right in front of his toes, its tail feathers trembling slightly.

"Evil humans! Leave our beautiful home!"

Aldo strained his eyes, but his voice was still childish.

Kane took two steps back and looked at Shar.

It was her idea to come here.

Shar took a breath and stepped forward, speaking clearly:

"We come from the Northern Kingdom of Nords. We were attacked in the forest by drow elves and demon cultists, and we barely escaped after a fierce battle."

We've run out of food and water and desperately need help. I swear, we're not bad people.

Kane wanted to laugh.

Who would directly say, "We are not bad people"?

The two halflings looked at each other, and the one named Karl actually scratched his head:

"He's a good person? Then there's nothing we can do."

Kane was speechless for a moment.

Aldo patted Karl on the head:

"You're so stupid! Bad people lie too!"

Shar took a deep breath and said sincerely:

"I know Pippen from the settlement; he can vouch for me."

"He went to Nord."

Aldo responded directly, looking at Shar who was somewhat speechless.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Karl:

"Go and fetch the elder! I'll keep an eye on things!"

Karl said "Oh," turned and ran into the settlement.

Soon.

An elderly halfling with a white beard and a wooden cane walked briskly with several adult halflings.

His gaze was gentle yet sharp. After observing the two of them for a moment, he slowly spoke:

"Traveler from afar, I am the elder here."

The dark forest is fraught with danger, and we must be cautious.

You said you need help, could you please provide more details?

Shar looked at Kane and saw him nod.

He then briefly explained his encounter with Zhuo Er and being hunted by the "Silent Killers," concluding sincerely:

"We just need a little more supplies to continue our journey."

The elder stroked his beard and pondered.

Just when Kane thought he would be rejected, he nodded:

"Survival in the forest is not easy, and mutual help is a virtue, but..."

He changed the subject:

"Strangers are not allowed to enter the gathering area at this time. We will provide you with assistance."

He gave a few instructions, and the halflings quickly sprang into action.

Soon, the water bag, dry food, black bread, and clean strips of cloth were taken out.

Seeing the busy yet enthusiastic figures, Kane stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and said:

"Thank you for your kindness. I'm Kane, and this is Shar. Is there anything I can help you with?"

He planned to do what he could in return, without jeopardizing his escape.

Shar smiled and agreed.

The elder responded gently:

"This lady looks like she's just recovered from an illness; please get some rest tonight."

Kane looked at Shar, whose face was still somewhat pale.

He knew that her illness had already slowed down their journey.

If you force yourself to continue your journey at this time, it could very likely cause a relapse of your condition.

After a moment's thought, he no longer declined and nodded to the elder.

"Thank you for your help."

The elder smiled with relief.

Soon, several halflings arrived at the open space outside the fence.

They quickly set up a simple yet sturdy little tent.

……

at the same time.

Outside the cave where the two had left several days earlier.

A group of drow descendants riding giant spiders slowly emerged from the dense forest.

And not far in front of them stood quietly.

It was the solemn-looking mentor, and the even more aloof Anjie.

Before them.

It was the three Silent Killer corpses, their faces ravaged by wild beasts.