It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Bai Lin still didn't change her answer. "Although I do have a certain degree of tolerance, I will never assume that every elf is the same. Even after having friction with some elves, I can still say with a clear conscience that I can do it."

Chris clenched her teeth and nodded.

"I completely agree with your idea."

"Hmm?" Bai Lin found that the other party was unexpectedly easy to talk to, but Chris's next sentence broke her idea.

"But do you know how many humans have challenged my limits time and again over the past few hundred years? The number of people I've killed, or indirectly caused to die, can be counted on one hand. Even with someone like me, you still want me to tolerate you?"

As if anger welled up in her heart, Chris's voice gradually turned into a roar. Bai Lin did not answer immediately. She was silent.

Bai Lin, with his short life, was not qualified to empathize, and he even hated the act of "persuading people to be kind." If you don't understand the other person, blindly dissuading them may only have the opposite effect.

However, facing the somewhat angry Elf Queen, she remained very calm.

"Is this the reason why I rejected you and you killed me with a bolt of lightning?"

She stated the truth in a calm tone, but it was like a thunderous explosion, stopping Chris's anger. The reason Bai Lin could remain calm was simple: when it came to life and death, she was right.

"Well... well, you can even be resurrected..."

"Oh? If you can be resurrected, you deserve to be killed?" Bai Lin interrupted Claire's hesitation and pressed on. Only by disrupting the opponent's thinking could you gain a greater advantage in the conversation.

But Cress, as the queen, had more than enough leeway to accept this. She snorted, "As the ruler of the forest, I'm doing this simply because I'm powerful. Is that not okay?"

Bai Lin smiled inwardly with satisfaction, "Look, you're in the wrong now, admitting you were fooling around."

Chris wiggled her finger, looking understanding.

"You don't understand this, don't you? Women in love are supposed to act wildly. If it weren't for the limitations of strength and the laws, there would be many more cases of women killing men when they break up."

Bai Lin shook his head. "I might not understand it very well. I only know that after Klein died, Katie never said the words 'it's your fault'."

The meaning of her words was very clear. She couldn't even bear to say it, let alone do it, or even kill someone?

In this comparison, Chrissy was definitely defeated. But she still refused to admit defeat. "You are you, and others are others. They are different."

He sighed, the long, white mist that came out of his breath telling of Bai Lin's helplessness, but also a bit of relief mixed in. Clearly, the queen had already stepped into her rhythm.

"You're wrong, Chris. Even though my physical abilities are seriously inconsistent with my appearance, and I can even be resurrected from the dead, I'm still human. I think like a human, have human joys and sorrows, and live my life the way a human should."

"What right do you have to deny my existence as a human being?"

Bai Lin's words hit Chris's heart like a hammer, breaking her last line of defense of believing she was right.

Yes, Bai Lin is still human. She denied this to herself, but she would not do that.

In this regard, I seem to be really wrong.

Even so, Chrissy refused to give in. But when she looked up to speak, she saw Bai Lin waving his hand and walking away. The sunlight filtering through the ice crystals shone on her, dazzling and brilliant, yet also like gloomy rain, casting a haze over Chrissy's eyes.

That back view seemed to be saying, "I am disappointed."

Chapter 63 Preparation/Departure

The words I had just prepared to refute were swallowed back. A silent farewell was also the most tacit farewell.

When Bai Lin passed by a familiar place in the forest, Katie was practicing her magic as usual. Because she noticed Bai Lin's arrival, she stopped the magic around her and looked at Bai Lin calmly.

"Just keep doing what you should do." Bai Lin smiled and pointed to the pool of water that was still glowing under Katie's feet.

Katie shook her head, took a step forward and whispered in Bai Lin's ear, saying in a voice as gentle and soft as the spring breeze,

"No, you are more important."

People often say that sweet words eventually dry up, but Bai Lin always fell for it in front of Katie. Her face couldn't help but turn slightly red, but this time she didn't retreat. Instead, she whispered, "You little brat, here you go again."

How could Katie not hear it at such a close distance? But she didn't say much, just tapped Katie's breastplate and said, "Is being big enough a big deal? Let's go home."

Bai Lin was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught up with Katie who had already taken two steps, seemingly unaware of the ambiguity of these words.

It's like I've gotten used to it.

-

Back in the tent, the natural thing to do is to make a plan for exploring the snowfield.

Katie immediately proposed not changing the previous exploration mode and sticking to the lurking mode, and also emphasized that they could not act alone. The implication was that Bai Lin was not allowed to risk his life to accumulate intelligence. After all, she had always seen how painful Bai Lin's resurrection was.

Bai Lin naturally agreed with both hands. After all, who wants to die for no reason? If there really is such a person, he must be crazy.

However, despite Katie's immense strength, she still worried about her opponent's safety. Magicians faced with emergencies were relatively vulnerable, so Bai Lin suggested that he would serve as a vanguard in certain situations. After some hesitation, Katie finally agreed. After all, even without her immortal constitution, a warrior should lead the charge.

Their knowledge of the snowfields was limited. The only thing they knew clearly was the minotaurs they had seen before. Everything else was from manuals and rumors, and couldn't be used as a practical reference. Therefore, their plan was simple.

If I had to summarize it, it would be a series of rules and regulations centered around "safe exploration." This time, the two didn't even have a map; they were completely "exploring the wilderness without any information." But in reality, both were brimming with confidence.

It wasn't just because Bai Lin had updated her equipment, but also because their rapport had greatly improved during the battle against the Ice Witch. As darkness fell, the two decided to set off tomorrow. They had the same dinner, the same night, and the same bed.

Lying on the bed, Bai Lin looked at the moonlight that filtered through the crack in the door, and the stars that were revealed by the gentle breeze. Unbeknownst to her, she had gradually adapted to life with Katie.

When people are bored, they tend to overthink. She couldn't help but wonder how she would say goodbye to her when she left this world. Katie was a lovely young girl, innocent and yet full of rationality. But when it came to her own problems, she seemed to lose her rationality...

At this moment, Katie put her hand on Bai Lin's belly, "What are you thinking about?" Katie asked softly.

Hearing her voice, Bai Lin felt inexplicably relieved. She glanced at the person beside her and replied softly,

"It's nothing, go to sleep."

What's the point of thinking so much now? There's no result. Bai Lin should cherish the present, accompany her well, and find a home for her.

The sweet person closed her eyes contentedly with a sweet smile. Bai Lin also cooperated by closing her own tired eyes.

Sure enough, after getting used to a normal schedule, I won’t stay up late because of insomnia.

The next day, the two set off for the snowfields. Bai Lin half-jokingly mentioned that they wouldn't be able to hunt in the forest anymore, and that they'd have to work harder if they wanted meat. Katie smiled and agreed. The atmosphere was so harmonious that it didn't feel like an adventure at all, but more like a family outing for a spring picnic.

They passed by the central lake where the monsters gathered, after all, this was the shortest route. It was a pity that a certain Elf Queen seemed to be still dreaming in her own lake, otherwise, maybe Bai Lin's eloquence could have tricked her into giving her a farewell buff or something.

The relaxed atmosphere lasted until they reached the snowy field. Katie took a deep breath, and the icy pendant hanging from her chest slowly dispersed the falling snow. It was like an eraser erasing handwriting, the gradual wiping away felt a bit unrealistic and comical, but Katie had no idea what an eraser was.

"The snowfield is quite spectacular," Katie commented in a low voice.

"Yes." Bai Lin flipped open her helmet. As soon as she reached the snowy plains, her helmet and armor had returned to a near-silver-white color, thanks to Claire's thoughtfulness. The dark brown, almost black, was quite conspicuous against the white snow.

Katie glanced at Bai Lin and asked, "Are you ready?"

"completely fine."

As Bai Lin spoke, she saw three or two, or perhaps two, minotaurs appear in her sight. Hiding in this flat area was much more difficult than in the forest. Katie quickly pulled her behind a rock and began observing them using her abilities.

"There are three of them... They seem to be patrolling a fixed point, walking around aimlessly," said Katie.

Bai Lin nodded. Knowing their intelligence from the battles, it wasn't surprising that they'd be patrolling. After all, their most powerful leader could speak, so commanding them to do this was understandable.

"…Although there's little cover, there's a cave not far from us." Katie said, her brow furrowing as if trying to see more clearly. Suddenly, her brain felt like it had been pierced by an arrow, and her entire consciousness vanished in an instant. Her eyes blurred, and her body slumped limply.

Bai Lin, who was beside her, immediately noticed something was wrong and hugged Katie to help her up, "Hey, what's wrong with you? Are you okay, Katie?"

Katie recovered quickly and rubbed her head.

"…I'm fine. I just encountered a counterattack while exploring the interior of the cave."

Chapter 64 The Beast in the Dark

"The main reason is that we didn't expect to be counterattacked during our reconnaissance in a place like this, so we weren't prepared. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in such a mess."

Katie rubbed her head and said, "It seems that she has recovered her health." Bai Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, the other party is an unexpected opponent?"

Bai Lin asked.

Katie nodded. "Indeed, and... he seems quite strong. I don't know why he's staying in a place like this."

"If it's defending this area, it should have come out of its hole and fought back. But when I touched it, it didn't seem to react at all."

"Maybe they think we are too weak?" Bai Lin gave his opinion.

“It’s a possibility.”

As Katie was thinking, Bai Lin looked at the black cave not far away. Although she didn't go deep into it, the eerie blackness made her feel very depressed. Bai Lin clenched the sword in her hand, but Katie held it down.

"Never mind that for now. The minotaurs on the other side are already heading our way. They're not moving very fast, though. They probably haven't noticed us."

Bai Lin was stunned for a moment, and she looked around, "But this stone is the only shelter we have."

She was absolutely right. Finding a suitable shelter on this plain, where the mountains hadn't yet been reached, was incredibly difficult. The only place Katie had explored was the cave she'd just explored. But according to her, that place was very dangerous...

"Let's go." Katie said.

"Ah? Where are we going?" Bai Lin was confused. Why did he feel like he could no longer understand Katie's thoughts?

Katie glanced at the dazed Bai Lin and walked out first. "Of course it's that cave. Stop playing dumb and let's go."

Although Bai Lin couldn't understand Katie's unusual behavior, he was still extremely worried about her safety. Although she was wearing white, Katie's blonde hair was still too conspicuous. Bai Lin hurried forward two steps, picked up Katie and continued forward.

"Do you really want to go?" Bai Lin asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Katie responded casually while being held in his arms.

After this was said, Bai Lin didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he lowered himself and moved quickly, making as little noise as possible. The distance between the rock and the cave wasn't far, but the opponent had a full three bodies that could see him. If they engaged head-on, who knew how many minotaurs he would have to fight.

The worse outcome would be alerting the enemy, who would then be patrolled by minotaurs, or even invade the village. Although she and Katie were both very strong, they couldn't take care of every single person in the village.

Bai Lin believed in the girl in her arms, in this young mage who always remained calm. But this time, she might have been wrong.

After all, the person being held in his arms was also a little nervous.

The reason for making the seemingly reckless decision to head for the cave was actually because of her battle with Cress and her incredibly bad divination results. Katie had long understood that this snowy plain was far more than just a place populated by minotaurs, but she hadn't expected to encounter such a problem right from the start.

However, she had already made up her mind to no longer hide her "powerful strength," so she dared to make such a bold choice. She had to use it when she needed it, otherwise, once she was dead, it would be too late.

The interior of the cave looked just as eerie and terrifying as it did from the outside. The oppressive darkness was like the bloody mouth of a monster, ready to devour the two of them. Katie fell from Bai Lin's arms, a small flame lighting up her fingertips for illumination.

The only difference from the outside was that the cave was much wider than they had expected. The fact that the entrance was noticeably smaller than the interior made her suspicious. Katie paused and touched the cave wall, a strange roundness emanating from her hand.

Is it the special stone here? She began to ponder. To confirm this, Katie controlled the flame and probed deeper into the cave. The cuts on the inner wall were so uniform that if they were natural, they could definitely be called a wonder.

Bai Lin, on the other hand, recalled the scenes he had seen in his original world. The fragmented memories brought the tour guide's explanation.

…It seems that the cave next to the waterfall would be like this?

She shook her head. There didn't seem to be any waterfall nearby, but she still held Katie's hand and gave her the information. Katie tilted her head, and Bai Lin immediately realized that she didn't know what a waterfall was, so she quickly explained. Only then did she nod.

Just as Bai Lin had thought, Katie hadn't found any trace of the so-called waterfall within her current range. She didn't dare delve deeper into the area, fearing a counterattack and a physical attack would be disastrous.

As they explored deeper, the cave became wider and wider. An ominous premonition came over Bai Lin, and she subconsciously walked further ahead of Katie.

Finally, rougher stone surface emerged, confirming that this was man-made. At the same moment, flames illuminated an iron gate. Inside, a thin, green-skinned dwarf lay sleeping. Its ears were longer than a human's, and its limbs were even more oddly proportioned.

"It's a goblin." Katie's words dispelled Bai Lin's doubts. Looking at the lock hanging outside the iron gate, she realized that the green dwarf in front of her was locked here.

At that moment, a tremendous roar erupted from in front of them. Between them and the iron gate, a strange, gigantic creature materialized. It had a massive tiger's head, with a crane's head on its shoulders. On one side were feathered wings, while on the other were discordant beast wings. Its body resembled a giant turtle, but its tail strangely twisted forward, revealing a sinister snake's head.

Bai Lin covered Katie and took two steps back. The roar had a great impact on her brain, but the continuous release of the Burning Iron Forging Technique enabled her to remain calm and confront this special monster.

Wise, cold, yet wild and bold. Bai Lin's mixed emotions made it impossible for her to judge the other party's intentions towards her, but her first reaction was to tighten her grip on the weapon in her hand and use her body to protect Katie behind her.

When facing wild beasts like lions and tigers, there is a theorem: you cannot expose your back. Most cats have a special liking for backstabs, and Bai Lin did not want to be caught by a sudden claw from one.

Chapter 65 Chimera

Moreover, the giant before them looked extremely ferocious. Judging from its size alone, Bai Lin had no desire to fight it. Hesitantly, she pulled Katie and began to retreat.

At that moment, the giant creature exploded with speed belying its size, instantly reaching Bai Lin and striking with a claw. Bai Lin didn't hesitate, quickly raising her shield to protect herself. The immense force made it difficult for her to move, even her foot armor sank into the ground.

The beast's head, naturally, didn't slow down either. It swooped down from Bai Lin's blind spot and charged straight for her waist. At that moment, she was still struggling with the lion, on the verge of being struck. Katie's icicle arrived just in time, firmly piercing the snake's eye. Blood splattered, and it looked like it had sustained considerable damage.

It felt a surge of pain, and its grip relaxed slightly. Bai Lin quickly exerted force to shake off its claws and retreated to Katie's side.

"Do you have any ideas?" Bai Lin asked.

Katie was still covering her ears in pain, obviously still not fully recovered from the roar. Although she couldn't hear Bai Lin's words, Katie could probably guess what he was saying.

"It's a Chimera, and there's something a little weird about it. Retreat first."

After receiving the order, Bai Lin picked up Katie without hesitation and ran away quickly. The Chimera naturally couldn't just watch them escape. In this not-so-small space, it pounced on the two of them. Because of its small size and more agile body, Bai Lin dodged the pounce with a twist, and then dodged the opponent's claw with a side jump.

The snake's head, twisted with pain and fury, opened its maw, sending streams of purple-black smoke swiftly hurtling towards Bai Lin. Without hesitation, she slashed with her shield, splitting the smoke with flames. Bai Lin also kept her footwork sharp, stabilizing herself with another backward leap to create distance.

Katie waved her hand, and the surrounding rock formations began to rumble. Chains of mud and rock bound the Chimera. It roared, breaking free from its bonds, and pursued it even more frantically than before.

Bai Lin took another step. Seeing Katie's mudstone transformation taking effect on the rock wall, she threw her shield overhead. Instantly, boulders rolled down like an indoor landslide, muddy water mixed with rocks of various shapes and sizes, crashing down and hitting the Chimera.

The ferocity on the Chimera's face remained undiminished, its expression as if to say, "You think you can stop me with just this?" With such momentum, the giant creature continued its charge, and then...

Not only was the head hit hard by the rock, but sand also got into the eyes. Tiger Head rubbed his eyes, but was hit by the next rock. Even the flying shield bounced off his head before falling to the ground.