Carter's words sent a jolt of tension through everyone present, including Fars, who was eavesdropping from a distance. For the other adventurers, the last encounter with the pair of high-level magical beasts had nearly cost them their lives. If it hadn't been for Carter's desperate efforts to severely injure the powerful male beast, they might have lost some of their own that day. Now, Carter's proposal was indeed tempting; magical beasts typically had no special means of healing after sustaining injuries. If they were poisoned, they might instinctively seek out some herbs, but for fatal injuries, they had to rely on their own recovery abilities.
Their team had suffered significant losses in the last encounter. Moza, Frosa, Hiu, and even Allen and Jessy, who had been providing support from the back, were all injured. Carter believed that the last debacle was primarily due to his misjudgment; he hadn't anticipated facing two magical beasts. If any of his teammates had fallen in that battle, he would have felt even more guilty. Fortunately, after severely wounding one of the beasts, they hadn't pursued the group relentlessly, allowing them to catch their breath and recover over the next few days.
However, the supplies and potions he had brought were running low, and they couldn't afford to stay here much longer. The rewards from this expedition were far from satisfactory—just two magical cores and some less valuable materials. This forced Carter, as the leader, to think of alternative strategies. If the injured beast truly couldn't recover, it would be unable to unleash its full power, meaning they would effectively be facing a half-strength high-level magical beast. If they all put in their efforts, they might be able to take it down.
Hiu still vividly remembered the last encounter. After Carter made his suggestion, he spoke up, "I recall that you severely injured one of the beasts last time, with wounds to its right eye and hind leg. The eye injury is definitely permanent, but the leg injury is uncertain. If it's limping, that would be advantageous for our plan. We should have a good chance against two high-level magical beasts, but what if we end up exhausted like last night? Could we fend off other opportunistic beasts?"
As soon as Hiu finished speaking, his concerns plunged the group into deeper silence. They understood that Carter's decision was aimed at maximizing their gains. Although it was risky, if they played their cards right, they could secure two magical cores and gather some rare materials from the beasts. However, if things went awry and they were ambushed or overwhelmed by other beasts, the outcome could be dire. Not every encounter would be as manageable as the one with the light-fearing mole from last night.
"How about this? To be safe, I have a high-level Mist spell scroll that my teacher left me for protection. We can use it towards the end of the battle to buy us some time to clean up. But I want one of those magical cores," Allen, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
The others exchanged glances, silently weighing their options. They were aware of the value of high-level scrolls, which typically cost several thousand gold coins and were not as readily available as magical cores. Allen's decision to use a high-level scroll seemed to provide more security, but it meant they would only have one magical core to share, reducing their overall gains. It might be more prudent to hunt another high-level magical beast instead.
Allen was a temporary mage they had recruited for their expedition to the Qihar Mountain Range; they couldn't usually afford such expensive mages. This made them deliberate even more carefully. The rest of the team had fought together for years, trusting each other with their safety, but if they crossed Allen now, there was no telling what he might do in retaliation. Perhaps that "life-saving" scroll would end up being used against them.
After pondering for a moment, Carter decided it was time to make a choice. He trusted his teammates, and they would support his decision. Since he had initially proposed this plan, it would be inappropriate to reject Allen's "good intentions."
"High-level scrolls are precious; we should save them unless absolutely necessary. However, if this mission turns out to be particularly dangerous, we'll go with Allen's suggestion. I've decided that tomorrow morning, after resting, we'll head to the small valley where we encountered the beasts last time. Hiu, you'll go ahead to scout the area and set a few traps. Also, bring out some of that wormwood poison you've been saving; we'll need to be ruthless against them. Moza and I will take the night watch. The rest of you should return to your tents and rest," Carter concluded, and upon seeing Allen nod, he waved for them to return to their tents.
At this point, Fars had achieved his goal for the day, and the outcome was very satisfying. He had been provoking those two magical beasts frequently, always making a point to "check on" them during his baths in the cold pool. The male beast had indeed lost sight in one eye, but its leg had healed enough for it to run normally. However, as they had anticipated, it would still be unable to unleash its full strength. This was ideal; with both sides evenly matched, Fars would have an easier time reaping the benefits.
They planned to set out the next morning, but Fars could start preparing tonight. He would choose advantageous positions to lay ambushes. However, since their thief would also be setting traps, he needed to be discreet to avoid detection and ensure he didn't end up losing more than he gained.
Fars was also a bit worried that they might be too efficient and could take down the two magical beasts in a single day. If that happened before he returned from the ruins, he would miss out on the spoils. Thus, he needed to keep some contingency plans in place, just in case the beasts were defeated.
The best course of action would be to find a way to notify the two magical beasts in advance, giving them some preparation. Fars wasn't a druid, so he couldn't communicate with magical beasts. However, mages were often seen as mysterious and powerful because they had many ways to solve problems.
Having observed the adventurers, Fars had a clear image of them in his mind. He only needed to use a few simple tricks to convey his intentions to the magical beasts. He was confident they wouldn't be foolish enough to ignore him.
Lingering for a moment on Jessy's alluring figure, Fars thought to himself, "Tomorrow night, I'll finally get to taste your sweetness."
Quietly distancing himself from the group, he spread his wings and headed toward the small valley. It was a good thirty to forty miles away, but at their speed, they should reach it by noon tomorrow, avoiding various magical beasts along the way. Fars was determined to see if they could truly defeat two prepared high-level magical beasts in just one afternoon.
Things progressed smoothly. High-level magical beasts possessed a certain level of intelligence. Fars boldly lured them out, and this time, instead of fleeing, he used a simple trick to project the image of the adventurers in the air. As soon as the image appeared, the blind male beast began to roar in anger, glaring fiercely at the illusion. Fars then expressed that they would return the next day and indicated that he would help them deal with these humans. In the end, he showed them the outcome, depicting that the adventurers would belong to him, leaving the magical beasts with nothing.
To his surprise, communication went far more smoothly than he had anticipated. The beasts agreed to his plan, and Fars would handle the adventurers. He intended to drain them completely. However, he planned to keep that enchanting girl around for a while longer. A sinister laugh escaped Fars, sending shivers through the surrounding creatures.
Fars took a moment to survey the area. This time, he was brazenly exploring. Due to their newfound alliance, the two magical beasts showed no signs of hostility. They understood that whether or not Fars had ulterior motives, without his support and prior warning, they could very well perish at the hands of those detestable humans. Although they saw Fars as similar to humans, his aura was far darker and more terrifying. Thus, they viewed him as a humanoid entity with whom they could cooperate. If Fars happened to be caught alone or unable to escape tomorrow, they wouldn't hesitate to deal with this persistent provocateur.
After this reconnaissance, Fars felt there was little left to set up. He had initially planned to lay some traps, but since the adventurers' thief was already scouting, Fars knew his skills wouldn't hold up against a professional thief.
After some thought, he realized that doing nothing wasn't his style. He decided to take a risk; if they were planning to use high-level scrolls, he had one too. He found a suitable battlefield in the heart of the small valley. Digging a pit, he buried the Meteor Swarm scroll and drew a triggering array around it, along with a concealment array to mask the magical fluctuations. He had all the materials for these small arrays in his ring, remnants from his "good teammate" from years past. It was finally time for Fars to play some tricks.
This scroll had little value to him aside from its use; he couldn't cast transformation spells himself. The Meteor Swarm scroll was of no reference value to him. As for the Lost Blade scroll, if he could study its array well, it might be more useful for his advancement to a high-level mage.
It's worth noting that vampires like Fars typically wouldn't find themselves in a situation where their post-transformation level was lower than their previous profession. Fars was supposed to be the same; with his former strength as a mid-level mage, he had actually lost some power after becoming a vampire, with his mental strength dropping to that of a low-level mage.
However, he never expected that the mysterious phoenix egg would have such an effect, allowing him to construct high-level mage arrays in his sea of consciousness ahead of time. This had accelerated the growth of his magical and mental powers significantly. In just a few months, he was already on the brink of becoming a high-level mage. As for Fars's vampire level, the advancement process for vampires was typically lengthy. For their lifespan, it took years to progress from a vampire baron to a vampire viscount, even for those with noble bloodlines. Yet, Fars had touched the edge of viscount status in just a few months, a remarkable miracle.
After some contemplation, Fars decided that if he returned to the ruins tonight and arrived tomorrow night, he might be too late. He chose to take a risk and stay at the cold pool tonight. It was dark there even during the day, and hiding in the water would help conceal his presence. The cold pool was only about ten miles from the small valley, allowing him to sense any disturbances. He could reach the battlefield quickly if needed.
After setting everything up, Fars flew toward the cold pool, sneaking back once to check if the magical beasts had disturbed his arrays. After a couple of rounds, he settled down, quietly soaking in the cold pool. He had long since stowed the phoenix egg in his ring, fearing it might not be safe left in the ruins.
Thus, cradling the phoenix egg, he hid in the cold pool and began his usual meditation. The moonlight spilled over the water, creating a dreamy shimmer with the ripples. Through the water's surface, the light still reached Fars, and with the moon's assistance, the arrays in his sea of consciousness began to operate more swiftly, a faint blue light flickering on his chest. The cold air in the water started to gather, and as more of it accumulated, ice began to form around Fars. The mysterious phoenix egg seemed to respond with joy. Lost in his meditation, Fars could feel the egg's delight.