As a supreme god, Laura had infinite power but chose to conceal her true strength in front of Alexander.
Just now, she had used her divine power to suppress the demon blood within the demon rabbit lord, significantly weakening it. As a result, the rabbit lord appeared dazed and motionless, neither fighting back nor fleeing.
"It was so fierce just a moment ago, why has it become like this now?" Alexander was somewhat disappointed, having hoped for a real challenge, but the situation had turned abnormal.
Laura didn't argue, only smiling gently at Alexander, her eyes filled with deep affection.
Alexander, shrugged off Laura's hand and drew his iron sword, charging towards the rabbit lord.
"Clang!" The impact felt like hitting a solid iron board, numbing Alexander's hand.
Simultaneously, a long health bar appeared above the rabbit lord's head.
Target Information: Demon Rabbit Lord
Level: 20
Health: 19,999/40,000 (Target is in a state of extreme fear, health halved)
Defense: 200/400 (Target is in a state of extreme fear, defense halved)
Attributes: ??? (Unable to view)
Skills: ??? (Unable to view)
Alexander was astonished at the rabbit's formidable attributes. No wonder Laura had warned him not to engage with demon creatures—her concern was justified.
Yet, what puzzled him was why such a powerful creature was currently in a "state of extreme fear." Could it be afraid of Laura? That seemed to be the only plausible explanation.
Alexander knew he must be decisive and take advantage of the enemy's vulnerability.
Under his command, all soldiers surrounded the demon rabbit lord, relentlessly attacking.
Though their attacks couldn't penetrate its skin, the rules of their world ensured that each successful hit deducted a point of health.
The scene unfolded: a bull-sized rabbit curled up, surrounded by soldiers from the City of Hope, continuously launching attacks. Numbers "-1" "-1" "-1" kept popping above the rabbit lord's head.
Laura gently grasped Alexander's arm again, softly saying, "Alexander, can you promise me not to recklessly provoke demonic creatures? You see, even a mere rabbit can possess such astonishing power. Imagine the strength of true demons—it's beyond your imagination."
"I know demons are strong, but why say 'beyond your imagination'?" Alexander appeared relaxed. "Take this rabbit lord, for example. Despite its demonic lineage, it's quite cowardly, to be scared like this."
Laura looked at Alexander with wide eyes, shaking her head and sighing.
She knew Alexander was just a mortal, how could he understand the worries of a god?
With great power comes great responsibility.
Laura wanted to be with Alexander, but she also feared that her divine identity would bring him endless pain and danger.
Torn inside, Laura grappled with her feelings. On one hand, she yearned to spend her life with Alexander; on the other, she feared her divine identity would burden him with dangers and hardships.
The temple was destined to stand against demons, and the current situation in the divine realm was increasingly passive, with no one able to contain the power of the Devil King.
Laura often woke up in the middle of the night, lamenting the unpredictability and cruelty of fate. Why did destiny allow her to experience such precious love, only to force her into such a dilemma?
In the secret chamber, she didn't want to part with Alexander, but she cared more for his safety than her own feelings.
Thus, she even told Alexander that they had no relationship anymore, uttering those heartlessly cold words.
Laura knew that if she revealed her true feelings, Alexander might bravely stand by her side for love, even sacrificing everything for her.
But such love was too burdensome. She couldn't bear to see Alexander suffer endless pressure and pain because of her. So, she decided to bury her love deep in her heart, secretly using her power to protect him and ensure his safety in this world.
After some contemplation, Laura made a decision.
She resolved to silently protect Alexander, stepping in whenever he faced danger to eliminate the threats.
Yet, Laura knew from that moment, she had to suppress her love for Alexander. This was the price she had to pay to keep him safe.
Despite this, her heart still ached with longing.
She yearned to feel his warmth in his embrace, to have her love passionately reciprocated.
However, she also understood that reality was much crueler than dreams. Between love and duty, she had to make a hard choice.
For Alexander's safety, she would rather endure this emotional pain in silence.
With these thoughts, Laura quietly stepped back.
Alexander merely glanced back at her gesture, but didn't think much of it.
Under the relentless onslaught, the demon rabbit lord's health was finally drained. Accompanied by a pained howl, it collapsed to the ground.
Alexander received a notification:
"Ding! Congratulations on defeating the Demon Rabbit Lord. You've earned 1000 experience points and +1 Arsen Continent reputation!"
Approaching the fallen beast, Alexander noticed a shimmering scroll on the ground. Picking it up, a pleasant voice echoed in his ears.
"Ding! Congratulations, you've obtained a loot item: 1 Basic Magic Scroll."
Basic Magic Scroll: Upon reading, randomly break through a magic skill, effective only for low-level magic.
Unfurling the scroll, various magical runes sparkled before him. Alexander's eyes lit up, and the next moment, the runes entered his body.
"Ding! Your Soul Summoning skill has unlocked its level cap."
Alexander checked his skill tab and saw a small "+" next to Soul Summoning. He clicked it, revealing an option.
"This skill is ready for advancement. Would you like to upgrade it?
Without hesitation, Alexander chose "Yes."
"Ding! Upgrading the skill requires 28,000 experience points. Do you wish to continue?"
"Yes!"
Alexander hadn't expected the upgrade to consume so much experience. He and his troops had slain numerous demonic rabbits recently, accumulating 30,000 experience points. After upgrading Soul Summoning, he was left with only 2,000 experience points.
"If only there was a faster way to gain experience!" Alexander mused, glancing at the beautiful Laura behind him.
Unlike before, Laura avoided his gaze, quickly lowering her head and looking into the distance.
With the orc invasion looming, Alexander had no time or energy to deal with trivial matters. Therefore, he did not ask Laura why she seemed a bit odd and different from before.
"Everyone, bring back the rabbit lord's carcass. We're having a feast tonight!"
"Yay, we get to eat meat again!" James exclaimed with excitement.
"Haha, so much meat! Let's eat well tonight and fight orcs tomorrow!"
"Right, we not only have to defend the monument but also kill the orc general!"
Seeing his spirited troops, Alexander felt more confident. With everyone united, defending the monument for an hour shouldn't be too hard.
However, achieving a higher accomplishment was still challenging, unless they could find powerful reinforcements.