98: Not Too Late
"The number of monsters is still increasing, as if deliberately preventing me from reaching a certain place." Frowning as she watched countless monsters fearlessly charge at her, only to be crushed into mist by the stars around her, Bai Ling pondered.
The monsters she had 'killed' were countless, but they emerged from the fog like an endless stream.
This made even the mentally resilient Bai Ling feel somewhat irritated.
The fog was strange—Bai Ling's perception couldn't penetrate it, which was very odd.
"I have a bad feeling." Raising her head, Bai Ling looked toward the distant massive shadow—a clock tower.
She had been wandering in this 'vibrant' city. The thick fog made her lose direction; she didn't know where to search for Leticia.
Perhaps she should check the clock tower?
This place was so conspicuous, even seeming to guide those who saw it to go there.
It was the only thing that could provide a sense of direction in the fog. Bai Ling thought this couldn't be meaningless.
Let's go take a look, she thought.
So she turned and struck with her sword.
Brilliant sword light briefly tore through the fog, destroying the wall behind it, giving Bai Ling a momentary chance to observe the clock tower.
"Magical fluctuations, and so intense... something's happened."
Bai Ling had only felt such terrifying magical fluctuations when fighting Leticia, meaning Leticia was now using her full strength.
She was battling a powerful opponent at least on their level.
She needed to hurry over.
It wasn't that Bai Ling didn't trust Leticia; she just wanted the battle to end faster.
Besides, two against one was much easier than a duel.
With this thought, Bai Ling stomped hard on the ground, transforming into a meteor shooting toward the clock tower.
This terrified the old man observing in secret. That lord was currently fighting, and having this menace interfere at this time could lead to unpredictable results.
The old man had just observed the battle between that lord and Leticia for a while. Although that lord had a slight advantage, defeating Leticia in a short time was clearly impossible.
In this intense battle, adding another same-level powerhouse truly worried the old man.
"Quick, stop her, at any cost." He immediately shouted to his subordinates.
"We can't stop her! She's too fast—our fog beasts can't block her at all!" His sweating subordinates were helpless against Bai Ling's breakthrough, only able to watch as she charged to the clock tower's entrance with thunderous momentum.
Upon reaching the clock tower vicinity, Bai Ling immediately sensed the magical fluctuations from within.
Indeed, Leticia was fighting someone.
The magical fluctuations were somewhat unstable—Leticia was likely being suppressed.
To suppress Leticia in battle—this was quite a frightening opponent.
Reaching the main entrance, Bai Ling pushed hard on the door, but no matter how much force she applied, it wouldn't budge.
At this moment, ordinary people would think about whether this door had some mystery, requiring some mechanism to open.
But Bai Ling was peculiar.
Faced with something blocking her path, she had only one response.
Slash!
...
"Mmph." The petite girl rolled awkwardly on the ground twice, dodging fog arrows falling from above.
Her clothes were tattered, exposing quite a bit of fair skin, appearing quite pitiable.
Blood trickled from the corner of the girl's mouth, and her cheeks showed an unnatural flush.
"As a mortal, you're quite strong." The girl clothed in mist floated in the air, looking down at Leticia with haughty eyes. "But I am a god. Humans cannot defeat deities."
"Cough cough, if every god is as weak as you, I understand why you don't exist in history." Though at a disadvantage, Leticia's mouth remained sharp.
Being suppressed was nothing new—she'd experienced this feeling before.
Honestly, this deity gave her far less pressure than Bai Ling once had.
Facing Bai Ling, she used every trick yet couldn't achieve any results. All her spells were severed by Bai Ling's sword.
But this deity would dodge and fear Leticia's magic.
Rather than a deity, she seemed more like a slightly stronger human.
"I can still buy time. I believe my sister can lock you away before I fail."
"Hmph, just those little girls?" The God of Fog sneered, though worry flashed in her eyes—they were indeed a concern.
Nearly an hour had passed since the battle began. Though she held the advantage, Leticia stubbornly persisted. Even now, the God of Fog wasn't completely confident she could possess Leticia.
Her will was too strong—she needed to be knocked unconscious at minimum.
How easy could that be?
"You're afraid, so I feel relieved." Leticia showed a somewhat infuriating smile. "Speaking of which, I should have another ally who should arrive soon."
After all this time, that idiot Bai Ling should have thought to come to this obvious clock tower, right?
So conspicuous, easily recognizable even in thick fog—if she didn't come this way, Leticia would truly curse her.
"You mean the white-haired one? She can't possibly come." The God of Fog said with certainty, wanting to crush Leticia's last hope. "I deliberately trapped her in a maze, and the clock tower's entrance is completely sealed. Unless she finds the solution, she absolutely cannot come help you."
And the solution would be quite difficult to find.
By the God of Fog's estimate, the lone Bai Ling would need at least a day to reach here.
"I feel you've miscalculated." Leticia suddenly showed a strange smile. "I smell that annoying scent—she's already here."
"What..."
Before the God of Fog could finish, the sealed stone door was shattered by incredibly fierce sword energy.
Amid the devastation, the white-haired girl gripped her sword, stepping into the clock tower one step at a time.
"Looks like I'm not too late."
Indeed, Bai Ling disliked puzzles. She preferred using absolute strength to crush everything.
Like this door—there were two ways to open it: solve the puzzle based on hints, or simply smash the door.
Most people would choose the first option, but Bai Ling was never ordinary.
"Still a bit late. I thought you'd be earlier." Leticia wiped the blood from her mouth. "Though reluctant, we'll have to be allies now."
"My pleasure." Bai Ling's lips curved upward, and she looked at the God of Fog with gratitude.
Thanks to this deity for letting her fight alongside Leticia.