Lin Mo was the second to last on night watch.

Cody, who was handing over the watch, gave a quick greeting before hurrying off to catch up on sleep. Lin Mo stretched, feeling the day’s fatigue melt away and the ache in his muscles subside.

The surrounding traps had not been triggered, and the sky was still dark.

Lin Mo leaned against a tree, the reflection of the campfire flickering in his eyes.

The Wolf Bone Sword was close at hand, the Short Knife was tucked at his waist, and he hadn’t taken off his Leather Armor, which was now damp with sweat.

The forest nights were actually quite cool, but sleeping by a campfire while wearing Leather Armor inside a sleeping bag made it hard not to sweat.

The air was a bit stuffy, and combined with the surrounding darkness, it created an oppressive atmosphere.

Lin Mo got up again and looked around. Within the area illuminated by the campfire, there was nothing suspicious.

The slow crackle of the firewood, the occasional sigh of the wind, the chirp of insects on a summer night—all these faint sounds eventually faded into a peaceful silence.

This night, it seemed, would pass as peacefully as the previous ones.

Time slipped through his fingers like fine sand, and Lin Mo’s vigilance quietly faded with it...

Until a discordant sound broke the silence of the dark night.

It was an extremely faint sound, like a dragonfly bending a blade of grass, or a dewdrop seeping into the soil. The slightest lapse in attention would have caused him to miss the fleeting noise.

Lin Mo’s eyes shot open, and the drowsiness that had been building from the long watch was instantly swept away.

His hand gripped his sword hilt. He held his breath, clearly hearing his own heartbeat.

"CRACK—"

It sounded like a twig snapping, exceptionally jarring in the silent night.

’It wasn’t my imagination after all!’

Lin Mo shot to his feet and hurried over to Bain.

Without a word, he just lightly touched Bain’s arm, and the Knight’s eyes immediately snapped open.

Their eyes met. Bain sprang up and woke the other members of the team.

Cody was the first to react, instantly leaping onto a high branch to survey the area in the limited firelight.

Evan rubbed his eyes, clutching his Sword as he tried his best to wake himself up.

Millian yawned, then immediately pulled a Feathered Arrow from her Quiver, nocking it to her bowstring.

Just as everyone readied themselves, the sharp jangle of an alarm suddenly rang out.

The trap had been triggered!

Cody quickly jumped down from the tree. The area the campfire could illuminate was too limited, making scouting pointless.

With a tacit understanding, the group formed a circle, protecting Millian, the Ranger, in the center as they scanned their surroundings.

Millian drew her bowstring taut, the sharp arrowhead aimed in the direction where the alarm had sounded.

"CRACKLE—"

The air grew quiet again, with only the soft crackling of the fire remaining. It seemed as if it had all been their imagination, and the triggered trap had merely caught an unlucky rabbit or mouse.

’No, that’s not it!’

Lin Mo’s grip on his sword tightened. His dark eyes stared into the deep night, his breathing slow and careful, afraid that even the sound of his own inhales might cause him to miss some tiny clue.

He could feel it...

A pair of eyes was watching them from behind the curtain of night.

A light breeze blew past, causing the surrounding grass to sway gently. The shadows of the plants danced in the firelight, and the flickering campfire made the forest before them blink between light and dark.

A sound like compressed air was hidden within that gust of wind.

The instant a piercing hiss of air reached his ears, Evan’s vision blurred. In that same moment, a figure leaped in front of him, a blade glinting in the firelight, parrying claws as sharp as five daggers.

A chill instantly shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Evan’s entire back was soaked in a cold sweat. He gasped for air, and the hand holding his Sword trembled uncontrollably.

Just a moment ago, he had been a hair’s breadth away from having his head pierced by those claws!

Lin Mo gritted his teeth, feeling the powerful force transmitted from the other side of his blade, a look of shock on his face.

’This isn’t a Cat Demon!’

The familiar shape, the sharp claws—the moment he saw its form, Lin Mo thought he was certain of the attacker’s identity.

But that wasn’t the case. Fortunately, he hadn’t been careless and had unleashed [Slashing], channeling his 7 points of Strength through the Wolf Bone Sword.

Otherwise, he might not have been able to block it so solidly.

Its Strength was at least 6 points, maybe even more!

This was definitely not the kind of strength an Ordinary Cat Demon could possess. And more importantly...

"So fast!"

Cody’s exclamation snapped the others out of their daze, making them realize the enemy was already upon them.

That’s right. Just as Cody said, it was too fast!

Even with his Agility of 8, Lin Mo had barely been able to react, almost letting the creature succeed in taking Evan’s head on the spot.

The monster’s speed was actually greater than his!

"It’s a Cursed Cat Demon!"

Having come to his senses, Bain immediately identified their opponent. At the same time, the Cursed Cat Demon, having failed its attack, retreated before Lin Mo could counter, disappearing back into the dark forest.

’The Cursed Cat Demon... the target of their other mission on this trip?’

Lin Mo, of course, remembered the name. He also remembered the description of this Demon in the Monster Atlas.

Cursed Cat Demons are a rare variant species born from the Cat Demon population, much like Mutated Goblins. They are stronger than their ordinary kin, an Elite Level Demon.

After reaching adulthood, these Elite Level Demons possess strength comparable to an Official Professional!

Of course, that was contingent on them being adults.

For example, the Mutated Goblin Lin Mo had encountered before was clearly a Sub-Adult that had not fully matured. This one was probably the same...

If it were daytime, Lin Mo was confident he could fight it alone and at least not lose.

But it was nighttime. His vision was limited, while the Cursed Cat Demon was hiding in the shadows, holding all the initiative.

Even if he could barely protect himself, the others in the team couldn’t.

Even Cody might not survive a surprise attack from the Cursed Cat Demon. Bain, as a Knight, would be fine, but Evan and Millian... they were practically defenseless against such an opponent.

If Lin Mo hadn’t intervened, Evan would already be dead.

"This is trouble."

Bain pulled Evan behind him, his brows furrowed. He certainly knew how bad it was to encounter a Cursed Cat Demon at night. Luckily, it wasn’t too long until dawn. If they could just stall for a while...

"It’s coming!"

Lin Mo suddenly cried out. Bain reflexively raised his Shield.

The next moment, a massive force slammed into his Shield.

Bain gritted his teeth, his arm aching and numb, and suddenly pushed back with all his might.

"Shield Strike!"

The Cursed Cat Demon in front of him was sent flying. Cody reacted instantly, pressing the advantage. He threw his short sword, aiming straight for its throat!

Millian also loosed the Arrow she had held ready for so long, prudently choosing the larger target of its torso.

However, at that very moment, she suddenly heard Lin Mo shout.

"Look out!"

Millian looked ahead at the Cursed Cat Demon, which had just barely dodged Cody’s short sword and gotten its neck grazed, and felt a moment of confusion.

’Look out? Look out for what?’

The next moment, claws as sharp as blades pierced her throat from behind!