"What do we do now?" Lin Chun asked, sounding a bit lost.
I sat down and thought hard. Our current condition wasn't great, and it was predictable that this place would be teeming with monsters. If we were surrounded, there would be no escape for either of us. Even with the Life Water, we couldn't possibly win, and we had nothing else to use. Running away wouldn't work either, as they could track us by scent. Returning to the city might endanger others. Just fleeing endlessly served no purpose. We couldn't fight, we couldn't run, and it seemed like a situation where death was inevitable.
I slowly held my breath and expanded my senses to their maximum range. Within my perception, there were no signs of movement.
"Set it on fire!" I said in a deep voice. During our previous fight, I had realized these monsters seemed to have a primal fear of flames.
"But if the fire gets too big, we might be in danger too…" Lin Chun worried.
"Trust me!" I insisted. The makeshift bombs we'd made with clay pots could now be useful. Without a second word, I detonated all of them, then spread the flames outward. Soon, a massive fire erupted around us, spreading outwards. We had no intention of putting it out. Once we confirmed the fire was raging, Lin Chun and I retreated to the beach. From our vantage point, we could see the coconut trees and dry grass catching fire.
"Lu Ge, can this fire kill them?" Lin Chun asked.
"No… but it can buy us some time!" I shook my head.
"Buy time? What are you planning?" Lin Chun glanced at me.
Just as I was about to answer, my expression changed. I grabbed Lin Chun by his collar, flung him into the distance, and leaped away myself. Before we even landed, the ground where we'd been standing erupted. A monster burst from the earth and charged at me!
This sudden turn of events shocked me, but I knew fear was useless in this situation. Without hesitation, I gripped my short sword and slashed at the monster's head. At that moment, Lin Chun reacted. He channeled lightning into his long sword and charged forward. I knew how precious time was; if this thing managed to pin me down, we would be in even more danger.
"Let's finish this quickly!" I roared, my short sword flashing. Lin Chun rushed forward, understanding the urgency. He couldn't afford to hold back. I saw him channel all his Shepherd's Might into his broadsword, then with a mighty shout, he swung it down. At that moment, the lightning from Lin Chun's sword detached, striking the monster with terrifying force. The creature let out a piercing shriek, its body paralyzed by the powerful current, unable to move. I seized the opportunity, my short sword slashing out, piercing the monster's skull.
Lin Chun stumbled back several steps, his face pale, and collapsed onto the ground. Yet, a relieved smile spread across his face. "Lu Ge… wasn't that cool just now?" he asked.
"Do you still know how to do that? Can you do it again?" I inquired.
Hearing this, Lin Chun's face stiffened. "Lu Ge, that… cough cough… you know…"
I knew he had just fluked that move in a moment of desperation, and asking him to replicate it was impossible. I took out the Life Water and gave him a large drink, taking a small sip myself. Our conditions rapidly improved. It was then I realized we had completely underestimated the monsters. They might fear fire, but they could attack from underground, bypassing the flames.
"Lu Ge, what now?" Lin Chun asked.
"We leave here!" I said.
"But… our scent…" Lin Chun hesitated.
"By water!" I declared. Lin Chun understood immediately. With our conditions excellent, we both leaped into the sea without a second thought. We swam about fifty meters into the deep ocean before turning towards the city.
"Lu Ge, you really are something…" Lin Chun said with a smile, paddling hard. "This way our scent will be washed away, and they won't be able to find us…"