Chapter Twelve: Moved

At a glance, these rampaging bulls were all crimson from head to toe, each crowned with a pair of massive, pitch-black horns that were split at the tips. Their hooves struck the ground with such force that even the earth trembled beneath them. As they drew nearer, the atmosphere grew increasingly intimidating, dust billowing in their wake.

"Level 5 monsters!" Xu Yang stuck out his tongue, his face a picture of terror. "There's no way we can get through!"

At that moment, Zhao Nan suddenly leapt from the safe zone and hurled a small fireball at the nearest rampaging bull.

-24!

Instantly, the bull, enraged by the attack, snorted a cloud of white steam from its nostrils and charged directly at Zhao Nan with thunderous speed.

"Watch out!" Xu Yang cried out.

Zhao Nan simply shook his head, unruffled, and stepped back into the safe zone. The rampaging bull halted abruptly just before crossing into safety, its eyes filled with barely suppressed fury. After circling for a moment, it finally turned away with a huff.

"We can't make it through!" Xu Yang declared. "We should just go back. It's only a quest—there's no point in risking our lives. Why not gather a group and come back later?"

"Even if you ignore the time it would take to go back and forth—enough to fail the quest outright—how do you plan to convince anyone to help you?" Zhao Nan replied coolly.

"By helping each other, of course!"

Zhao Nan was momentarily taken aback. This naïve woman still hadn’t grasped the harsh realities of this world. Yet, recalling that most players in the early days still held hope for human kindness, he let it go. Perhaps it would take a few cruel lessons before Xu Yang could grow into a competent player.

"Enough. I've come up with a plan," Zhao Nan said, pointing. "Stand right there—that's still within the safe zone. As long as you can control your fear, you'll be perfectly safe."

Unable to resist Zhao Nan’s certainty, Xu Yang hesitantly moved to the edge of the safe zone, asking nervously, "What are you planning?"

"Just wait," Zhao Nan said.

With that, he took a deep breath, gripped his staff tightly, and once more dashed out of safety. The provoked bull hadn’t gone far, but its health bar had already replenished as it was out of battle.

Fireball!

-25!

With a furious bellow, the rampaging bull wheeled around and charged Zhao Nan again. This time, a wild glint sparked in Zhao Nan's eyes. Instead of fleeing, he ran straight toward the oncoming beast.

Xu Yang screamed in fright, certain she was about to witness Zhao Nan’s body being smashed to the ground, blood spurting from his lips.

"No!"

At that moment, she disregarded Zhao Nan's command to stay put and rushed forward, desperate to pull him back. But the gap between them was several meters, and Zhao Nan had already taken the initiative—her efforts were little more than a reflex.

Zhao Nan noticed Xu Yang’s reaction, cursing inwardly, yet feeling a surge of affection for this woman. But now was not the time for sentiment. With a mental focus sharpened by a spirit stat of sixteen, Zhao Nan kept his nerve—his past life had prepared him for moments like this.

Just as the bull’s horns were about to gore him, Zhao Nan planted his staff on the ground and vaulted into the air. The bull thundered beneath him, and Zhao Nan seized its horns, swung himself onto its back, and clamped his legs tightly around its neck.

Missing its target, the bull lost its sense of direction and wheeled toward Xu Yang.

"Ah!"

Xu Yang’s limbs went weak with terror—just days ago, she’d only been an ordinary teacher. How could she be expected to react?

She shut her eyes, convinced her death was certain, trembling with fear.

Yet, instead of pain, she felt herself suddenly lifted, weightless. When Xu Yang opened her eyes, the sky was still blue, the clouds still white—and Zhao Nan’s jawline was right in front of her. He was cradling her in his arms atop the bull’s back.

"Hold on tight!"

Before Xu Yang could gather her wits, Zhao Nan swiftly shifted her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist and gripping the bull’s horns.

Her heart raced, her mind struggling to catch up as she watched Zhao Nan forcefully steer the creature’s head.

He was controlling the bull’s direction.

Xu Yang instantly grasped his plan—he intended to ride this beast straight to the entrance.

The bull’s speed was tremendous, and to control it more effectively, they had to move closer to its neck, their bodies pressed tightly together.

The overwhelming maleness of his presence left Xu Yang acutely uneasy.

"Get ready!"

She felt Zhao Nan’s arms tighten around her waist, her body suddenly weightless, and then they tumbled to the ground, rolling rapidly. After a dizzying blur, they finally came to a stop.

When she gathered her senses, they were inside the narrow passage. Xu Yang could hear a powerful heartbeat—not her own, but Zhao Nan’s. Her face rested against his chest.

"You madman!"

Xu Yang scrambled upright, her face pale with lingering fear. "It’s only a quest—why risk your life for it?"

"Move back a little…"

"You…"

Zhao Nan’s brow was furrowed in pain as if he were enduring agony, but he uttered no complaint. Only now did Xu Yang notice his upper body was covered in wounds.

Since Zhao Nan had given her his only shirt, he was now bare-chested.

He pushed himself up, his brow creasing even more. His left shoulder hung limp—his arm was broken.

Without hesitation, Zhao Nan slammed his shoulder against the wall.

Crack!

A muffled groan, then Zhao Nan gasped for breath, his face ashen, but his arm back in place. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Let’s go. We don’t have much time."

Xu Yang was speechless. She saw his back—torn and bloodied from scraping against the ground and rocks, stained crimson.

By contrast, apart from being dirty, she was almost unscathed.

He did all this to protect me…

Watching Zhao Nan’s receding figure, a tremor ran through Xu Yang’s heart.

…

PS: Two more chapters tonight, expected around 7 and 10.

PS: Still begging for all kinds of support…