The Cornflower Witch Chapter 101

Chapter 101: A Hard-Won Victory

Hylial and Iona worked together. When the Ogre chased one, the other would seize the opportunity to attack and interfere. After several such alternations, the Ogre’s unintelligent mind quickly caught on.

Its two heads faced different directions, and its two arms each held a weapon, sweeping to confront both of them.

The thick iron club swung down, directly breaking trees in its path and even shattering some rocks. The flying fragments struck both of them, causing a stinging pain.

Fortunately, the hallucinogenic poison Hylial had administered began to take effect. The two-headed Ogre felt dizzy, seeing everything with a slight double vision, its vision darkening, and even its walking became unstable.

Its once ferocious and whistling attacks became sluggish and often missed, completely unable to catch the agile duo.

Facing this situation, Hylial and Iona seized the opportunity to attack, further widening the existing wounds and even attempting to strike at the vulnerable eyes and throat.

In its rage and weakening state, the dark-red two-headed Ogre could only swing its iron club wildly to block. Although it lacked accuracy, if either of them were hit by a single blow, they would be half-crippled.

Reluctantly, Hylial retreated again and took out the lantern from her waist.

Several drops of Emerald Dew Water fell onto the Fire Cloud Orchid Flower in the glass bottle. The flickering sparks became intense, and then she opened the lid, manipulating the remaining Fire Cloud Orchid Flower蕊 to float out, scattering towards the two-headed Ogre not far away.

Iona, who had already witnessed the power of these flower pistils, quickly dodged.

When those faint, flickering sparks touched the Ogre, they instantly blazed brightly, and an eruptive heat wave burst forth, blinding it and causing it to roar in pain. After several dodges, it finally lost its balance and fell to the ground.

Under the combined negative effects of poisoning, blindness, bleeding, and injury, the two-headed Ogre’s ferocity finally weakened. Taking advantage of its inability to dodge, Iona leaped again, her rapier shining like a bright streak of light falling from the sky, plunging into the Ogre’s chest, piercing its heart.

Black and red flesh flew, and just as Iona prepared to breathe a sigh of relief, the dark-red Ogre, with a twisted expression, grabbed Iona by the waist with its massive hand, clamping her tightly.

Under the immense force, Iona felt her internal organs being squeezed, and an indescribable pain spread throughout her body.

Why, even with its heart destroyed, could this Ogre still exert such immense power? Iona couldn’t understand, but it was too late to struggle free.

Facing the immediate crisis, Hylial made a decisive move, charging forward, holding her black steel short sword with both hands, and stabbing it into the Ogre’s other side of the chest.

The sharp black steel barely pierced through the tough outer skin, stabbing into the other pulsating heart.

“Roar—”

The Ogre let out a violent roar, and the intense sound waves, a shockwave from the Blood Discipline affinity, practically shattered both of them. Not only did their activated Breathing Method stall, but their hearts also ached as if clutched by iron tongs.

Fortunately, this was the two-headed Ogre’s final cry. After the roar, it became incredibly weak, and the hand gripping Iona slowly loosened its grip.

Minutes later, Iona slowly struggled free from the Ogre’s hand, propping herself up.

By this time, the Ogre was completely dead, its dark-red skin gradually turning a pale gray.

Walking to a nearby tree, Iona leaned against the trunk, took out the potion from her waist, and poured it into her mouth. Her pale and weak face regained a little color.

On the other side, Hylial pulled out the black steel short sword, bringing with it a little thick black blood, and found that the tip of the short sword had broken off a small piece, remaining inside the Ogre’s body.

With such tough skin and flesh, trying to cut it open and search for the piece would not be an easy task. Hylial was aching all over and utterly exhausted, with no energy left to rummage.

She glanced at Iona in the distance, then found a large tree and rested under it.

Taking a deep breath, and adjusting her state with the Breathing Method, the girl remembered something and took out a golden petal bracelet from her bosom. Putting it on, her body warmed up a bit.

Defeating the enemy should have been a happy occasion, but the two soon faced their next problem.

There was only one Blood Odd Flower, and only one spot. How would the two of them divide it?

About twenty minutes later, Iona, possessing the Blazing Sun affinity, was the first to stand up, looking at the blood-colored fresh flower on the distant cliff.

She glanced at Hylial, who was still sitting under the tree, and then, sword in hand, walked step by step towards the cliff.

Because the flowers bloomed in a steep location that was difficult for ordinary people to reach, even Iona had to carefully climb, gradually getting closer.

At this moment, her clothes were stained with blood, her once magnificent hunting attire was torn and tattered, and her golden hair was covered with dried blood and grass clippings. However, her red eyes remained firm, entirely unlike a delicate noble young lady.

Hylial came to the foot of the cliff. She looked at Iona climbing above and raised her hand, but after a moment, she lowered it.

If she attacked Iona now, she could easily knock the unsuspecting person down, but would she really do that?

Indeed, the Hidden Grove was her best choice at the moment. Going there could easily grant her many inherited secret arts, resources for growth, and opportunities, but should she really attack Iona because of this? She found it difficult to do so.

Perhaps she didn’t face the same kind of desperate struggle that Iona did, and thus lacked Iona’s decisive will.

Never mind. She would wait for her to come down, and then they would discuss the ownership of the Blood Odd Flower. They would probably have to compete again.

…

However, fate is never that smooth. A sharp eagle cry broke the silence.

An orange-brown eagle swooped down from the high firmament, leaving a long trail of airflow behind it, its entire body enveloped in high-temperature currents. It directly knocked Iona away, its sharp claws tearing open Iona’s leather hunting attire, leaving several fresh red wounds.

[Gale Eagle] (First-Order Blazing Sun): A fierce raptor appearing during the Aurora Wind Season, often active in groups, attacking and preying on various animals, especially fond of things with the Blazing Sun affinity.

On flat ground, this Gale Eagle would definitely not be able to defeat Iona, but it attacked from the air, not only knocking Iona away but also grabbing Iona’s shoulders with its two claws and carrying her off the cliff, throwing her towards the hard rocky ground.

Seeing Iona being carried away, Hylial rushed to catch up. When the other party fell, she leaped with all her might, caught her in mid-air, and then rushed towards the ground, frantically pushing off several times on the way to cushion the immense impact of the fall.

Seeing that Iona wasn’t fatally injured, the Gale Eagle let out another sharp cry. It turned around and swooped down again, its outstretched wings gathering high-temperature airflow, striking Hylial like a cannonball.

Leaving Iona aside, Hylial, gripping her broken sword, focused her gaze on the diving Gale Eagle, constantly calculating its angle and direction. When the Gale Eagle was only a few meters away from her, she wielded her raised broken sword with all her might.

Scorching flames and feathers flew, and hot blood splashed onto Hylial. The short sword, already overburdened and full of nicks, broke completely this time. The Gale Eagle, its chest slashed open by the broken sword, still struggled on the ground, its five-meter-wide wings constantly flapping, kicking up dirt and heat waves. Dark red blood mixed with dust, and the air filled with a burnt, bloody smell.

Stung by the Gale Eagle’s wing, Hylial had to drop the broken sword and recoil, then found the previously bent Jade Tree Spirit Sword and gripped it again.

Under the infusion of the Emerald Honey affinity, the previously bent luminous green long sword straightened again, and its chipped blade was once more sharp and flawless.

Accelerating forward a few steps, Hylial held the sword with both hands, her feet and waist rotating with the blade. She swung with all her might, carving out a striking emerald arc that directly severed the struggling Gale Eagle’s neck.

In the evening, steaming blood slowly flowed across the grass. The golden-haired girl lay unconscious under a tree, and the Ogre’s corpse in the distance lay still like a stone. The only remaining conscious figure, panting, slowly stood up in the afterglow.

(End of Chapter)