In Chris's eyes, perhaps to her Papa and Mama, being able to think of searching for clues from the water source and persevering until reaching the trap was already a manifestation of "intelligence" and "patience."
If one could also defeat the enemy leader amidst an ambush surrounded by foes and seize the "Beast King Treasure" to prove their combat strength, then this stage would be considered cleared!
"Actually, confirming if that guy is the target is quite simple!"
"Just knock it down, then snatch the stone plaque from its neck, and we'll know for sure!"
It really was simple enough!
"In that case, let's give it our all!"
Leaving behind these words, Morgan was the first to charge forward.
"Meow Meow Holy Light: White Whip!!"
Accompanied by a loud shout, a dazzling white light suddenly condensed in Morgan's hand.
In the next instant, the white light shot out, transforming into a whip several meters long, sweeping horizontally from right to left.
Snap, snap, snap...
The surrounding trees that blotted out the sky were swept and snapped one after another, crashing down to the sides.
Without the forest's obstruction, the sunlight from the sky met no further resistance; it suddenly felt like lightning tearing through the darkness, shining directly in and falling upon Chris and the others.
Seeing this, Morgan retracted the white whip and re-condensed his magic into his fist. He then lunged forward, slamming a punch toward the beast swarm ahead!!
"Meow Meow Holy Light: White Impact!!"
Boom—!!
The white holy light erupted instantly.
Wherever the light passed, the beasts wailed and shrieked, dissipating one by one.
Chris was completely stunned in place: "Ehhh?? Morgan knows magic too?"
"Of course!"
Sura watched her brother fighting at the front, a trace of pride flashing across her face. "He learned this magic from Mr. Licht!"
"Mr. Licht...??"
Chris was greatly surprised: "You mean that mysterious uncle who is said to be ranked in the top three of the guild in terms of strength, but rarely appears?"
"Isn't it said that that uncle has a peculiar temperament and rarely interacts with people? I didn't think he would be willing to teach Morgan magic..."
"How on earth did he manage it?"
Sura chuckled and explained, "Actually, it was quite simple! Brother just took advantage of his job and gave Mr. Licht a 'Cat Enterprise' Annual Pass!"
"A Cat Enterprise Annual Pass?"
"You mean that annual pass where you get discounts at all shops under the Cat Enterprise name, free delivery, and perks only available to Super VIP users?!"
Then it's not surprising!
Chris knew that Uncle Licht was also called "The Otaku Uncle" by others in the guild. He was the epitome of a shut-in in town, ordering delivery an average of more than 1,500 times a month.
For such an existence, a free annual pass would surely be a huge help to his life.
Despite being of the Exceed, the strength Morgan displayed was stronger than more than half the people in the guild!
Relying on his own flexible and swift movements combined with powerful Holy Light Magic, he wove in and out of the beast swarm seven times over, moving through them as if no one were there. None of the beasts, who were like dark assassins, were his match; they all retreated like a violent tide.
However, the small beast with the stone plaque around its neck—the suspected "Beast King"—was also mixed in with the retreating swarm. Using the other small beasts as cover, it hid in the deeper, darker parts of the forest.
"Not good!"
"That guy is escaping!"
"Leave it to me!!"
Just as Chris was about to take action, Sura had already flown out first. Simultaneously, her body underwent a transformation.
Light began to emanate from her body, and then the ball of light began to elongate, gradually taking on a human silhouette. Once the white light dissipated, a beautiful, youthful, and gentle-looking cat-girl "Onee-san" with long white hair and wearing fashionable clothes appeared before their eyes!
"Wow—so pretty!!"
Chris's eyes shone with light, and she couldn't help but shout.
"You... you're Sura?!"
"You can actually transform into a human form too?"
"Does that mean you've studied magic as well?"
Sura nodded and said, "While I'm happy you're praising me like that, now isn't the time for talk!"
"Watch closely; my magic will give you a big surprise!"
Magic that will give me a big surprise?
What is it?
Under Chris's expectant gaze, Sura reached into the small bag at her waist and pulled out a golden key!
"Open! Gate of the Archer!!"
Ding-dong—!!
The sound of a door opening echoed out of thin air.
With a Poof, a cloud of smoke erupted on the ground. A man wearing a horse-head mask, holding a bow in one hand and saluting with the other while carrying a quiver on his back, appeared on the scene!
The Celestial Spirit of Sagittarius: Sagittarius!
"Moshi moshi!!"
Chris was dumbfounded once again: "This... this is... Celestial Spirit Magic?!"
Chris had some understanding of Celestial Spirit Magic.
She knew from a very young age that her Papa, Weston, had collected many keys of the Zodiac. However, those keys had always been tucked away on a high shelf and never used; thus, as time passed, she forgot about their existence.
She didn't expect to see those keys in Sura's hands today.
"Sura, this... this... the key is..."
"You guessed right, the Guild Master gave it to me!"
Sura said, "A few years ago, when I told the Guild Master that I also wanted to learn magic, he gave me two keys of the Zodiac. He even said I had a lot of talent for Celestial Spirit Magic and hoped I would use them well."
"However, my magic power grows slowly, so I haven't been able to achieve 'Double Summoning' yet."
"I'm counting on you, Sagittarius!"
"Leave it to me, Miss Sura!"
The moment Sagittarius made his entrance, he had already identified the enemies and the target.
Relying on the combat experience accumulated over countless years, he skillfully pulled an arrow condensed from magic power from the quiver on his back, quickly drew his bow, and adjusted the angle.
Swish—!!!
The arrow shot out, creating a gust of tail-wind in its wake.
Mid-air, the arrow underwent a bizarre change—one became ten, ten became a hundred, and a hundred became a thousand, like ten thousand points of golden stars!
In the blink of an eye, a single arrow had become a rain of arrows.
Dadada...
The rain of arrows was dense, like a swarm of locusts sweeping through the land, mercilessly devouring the dark forest ahead and kicking up a large amount of dust and smoke.
Following their survival instincts, the beasts hurriedly looked for cover, hiding behind trees.
But the flying arrows were not just numerous and dense; they were powerful. Each one could blast a large hole in a tree, and it took only four or five arrows to snap a tree in half.
As the first few massive trees collapsed, blocking the path and forming an enclosure, the beasts finally had nowhere to flee. One by one, they were hit in their vitals by the subsequent arrows, turning into trails of magic and dissipating.
After quite a while, the rain of arrows ceased, and the dust cleared.
Chris and the others looked over and saw that the beast swarm had long vanished without a trace. Ahead, only a scene of devastation remained.
In the middle of the ruins, a stone plaque lay quietly on the ground, shining brightly under the sunlight.