**Chapter 289: Post-Battle Reflection**
When I opened my Eyes, what I saw was a pitch-black Sky, with a few stars listlessly dotted upon it, emitting a hazy, dim Glow.
The dark red Flame flickering beside me, the residual Warmth it emitted transferred to my Body, warm and cozy, giving a feeling of Home. In a trance, I seemed to return to the first night after Transmigration, when Lars and the others rescued me in the cold Blood Moor. Four people gathered around the Campfire, and that lingering Warmth was just as reassuring as it is now.
Without a doubt, it was night now, and I was lying beside the Campfire. The Question is, why was I here? Shouldn't I have been killed by Kalot? I slowly turned my Head and unexpectedly found a graceful figure slightly emitting White Light within the firelight, squatting beside me, half-resting, her knees supporting her Chin. Her lightly closed long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her pure white face, enhanced by the hazy firelight, added a touch of Holy and exquisite Temperament. Only then did I realize that my right hand was being tightly held by two cold, soft hands, so tightly as if I would fly away if she let go even slightly.
"Alice..." I opened my cracked lips and softly called out. My Throat was dry as if on Fire, making my Voice somewhat hoarse and trembling.
Hearing the sound, she suddenly opened her Eyes. Those star-like beautiful silver Eyes met my Gaze, then tears welled up, revealing an expression of ecstasy.
"Where's Kalot?" I squeezed her hand back and sat up with difficulty. My Body was a little Weak.
"He left." Little Ghost wiped the Corner of her Eye, leaned closer, and carefully helped me steady myself.
"And then? Where are we?" I was still a little confused. I lightly shifted my Gaze, only to find that we seemed to be in a Small Oasis.
"You fainted, so I brought you here to Rest."
"You carried me?" I looked at Little Ghost in surprise, only to find that her Face was a little pale and haggard.
"Mm." She just nodded lightly, as if it were a trivial Matter. She took the Boiled Water from the fire, poured it into a Cup, and then gently brought it In Front of me. Every Action was like a Wife meticulously caring for her Husband.
"You worked hard, my little dear."
My heart felt as if it was blocked by something, filled with gratitude and heartache. Little Ghost's Strength wasn't great to begin with; carrying a big Man like me so far must have been very difficult. Most importantly, her true form is a Ghost. Although she has Solidified into an Entity and is not afraid of the Sunlight, not being afraid doesn't mean she likes it or that it causes no Damage. A scene seemed to appear in my Brain: a small Figure, with the scorching Sun overhead, enduring the Pain of the blazing Sun burning her Body, carrying a Man twice her weight, gritting her teeth and stumbling forward in the vast Desert, leaving a long trail of footprints behind...
"..."
Little Ghost didn't make a Sound, lightly biting her lips, burying her small Head forcefully into my embrace, as if only this way could she find a place of peace.
Regarding the stark difference from her usual noisiness, Little Ghost, who had suddenly fallen silent, I was a little surprised and didn't think much about it. I took a big gulp of Boiled Water, and my dry Throat immediately felt refreshed.
The next moment, I found it wasn't just my Throat that was moist; the front of my shirt also seemed to feel a wave of coolness. Only then did I notice Little Ghost's abnormality. I quickly put down the Cup and lifted Little Ghost's Face from my embrace.
"Waaah~~" Appearing In Front of my Eyes was a face like a pear blossom in the rain. Her red Eyes hung with tears, and two little streams of snot trailed from her small, cute nose. Her whole Face looked a mess, accompanied by choked sobs. It was like a four or five-year-old child crying, making one want to laugh and feel heartache at the same time.
"What's wrong, my darling? Who bullied you? Why are you suddenly crying?" I immediately panicked, quickly cupping her smooth Face with both hands, gently wiping the snot and tears from her Face with my thumbs.
"Waaah~~, Xiao Fan, I... I'm so scared."
Little Ghost sobbed uncontrollably, then threw herself into my embrace again, her two small hands wrapped tightly around my back, wiping snot and tears all over me. In my Helplessness, I could only hug her, gently murmuring comforting words into her ear. After a long while, she finally calmed down, only her two Eyes were still red like a Rabbit's, a cute little white Rabbit.
"At that time, you bled a lot." When asked the reason, Little Ghost's Face turned pale, her small nose twitched, and there was a sign of throwing herself into my embrace again, but she held back. She said with an exaggerated gesture using both hands, her Eyes filled with Fear and worry.
Blood? It was indeed quite exaggerated at the time. I vaguely remembered before fainting, the Blood I lost had even soaked the cracked Sand. If it were an Ordinary Person, they probably wouldn't have enough Lives to die ten times over.
"I was in Blood Bear Form then, my Body was big. That little bit of Blood wouldn't make me lose my Life." I explained word by word, hoping to dispel the unease in Little Ghost's heart.
"You don't know, you don't know. At that time, there was really so much Blood, it flowed all over the ground, just like Dad back then. I, I..." Little Ghost shook her Head, as if recalling some painful Memory, shaking her Head in Fear and desperately clutching my shirt collar. Crystal tears kept sliding down her cheeks.
"Did you remember things from the Past?" I tenderly pulled her into my embrace and held her gently. Feeling the dear one in my arms nod, my arms couldn't help but hold her tighter, only hoping my Body temperature could Warm her cold Body.
Just like Dad back then?
I silently recalled Little Ghost's Past. A thrilling scene suddenly materialized in my mind: Alexander, covered in Blood, protecting his Daughter, cutting down the invading Demons one by one at his feet, the ground covered in Blood and severed limbs...
It probably triggered her Memory. It was originally something from thousands of years ago and should have been mostly forgotten, but the scene of being covered in Blood, with Blood flowing everywhere, stirred up the Memory buried deep in her Soul.
"Don't be afraid, my little dear, I'm fine. Everything is in the Past." All I could do was constantly kiss that moon-colored Long Hair, constantly mending that newly broken Soul.
"Xiao Fan, don't leave me behind. You can't die, absolutely can't die. I can't be without you. Even if I die, I won't let you go..." she murmured softly. The delicate Body in my arms gradually grew heavy, finally emitting even breaths, but her two hands were still holding me tightly.
You must be exhausted, Little Squirt. I held her tenderly. The Desert night began to get windy. I pulled out a blanket from my Inventory, wrapping myself and Little Ghost tightly together. To recover her constantly consumed Mental Power, Little Ghost sleeps at least half the Time each day. Today really wore her out.
After Little Ghost fell asleep, I gently shifted my Body, changing my posture. Then I stared blankly at the Campfire. The Flame seemed to have Life, dancing, burning the red Charcoal Fire underneath with crackling sounds. It was a Warmth in the cold night, making one feel intoxicated.
In the Battle with Kalot, I lost, and I was completely convinced of my defeat. Even transforming into Blood Bear was almost an Instant Kill. The difference in Strength was simply too great. I was surprised to find that I wasn't surprised by this Result at all. Perhaps, at the moment I saw Kalot kill Bashak with that stunning Sword Move, I had already lost.
Compared to a true Expert, is the Gap really that big? Thinking of this, I couldn't help but recall the words Kalot said to me before I fainted: an Attack that cannot cause Damage to the Enemy, and Defense that cannot resist Enemy Damage, no matter how Powerful, are useless.
What exactly did Kalot want to express? Since he didn't plan to kill me, then this Statement, what exactly did he want to tell me? Not enough Strength/Power? Probably not. At my current Level 25, being able to display this kind of Strength/Power, I don't think anyone else could do it.
It seems it's necessary to organize my own Strength/Power. Maybe I can find something. I only realize now that regarding the Strength/Power I currently possess, I don't have a clear concept. If other Adventurers knew, they'd probably laugh their heads off.
First, in terms of Stats, I don't have an Advantage. Like other Adventurers, I get five Attribute Points per Level. But my Equipment is good, plus the Horadric Cube I recently acquired with All Stats +13, it will definitely make my Stats significantly higher than Adventurers of the same Level, probably equivalent to a Level 30+ Adventurer.
Second, in terms of Equipment, frankly speaking, I can almost put together a backup set of Golden Equipment now. In this regard, I'm confident that Level 30+ Adventurers can't compare to me. My full set of Top-tier Equipment makes me, in terms of Resistance, Defense, Attack Power, Life, and other Stats, not inferior to High-Level Adventurers.
Third, Skills. I probably don't need to say more about this. My biggest Capital, the Small Bug Amulet, raised all my Druid Skills by seven Levels. Without it, I might still be a Level 10+, Third-Rate Transferee struggling in a certain Zone of the Rogue Encampment.
Finally, there is this Mysterious Redeemer Identity. Besides allowing me to use Other Class Skills, according to the Holy Sword called Evelina, it can also allow me to break the Rules created by God.
The former brings me the greatest benefit, and not just this. Fara said that deepening my understanding of Magic and Moves through the Ability to use Other Class Skills is its greatest function, and I deeply agree with this. But unfortunately, my Magic Fundamentals are too weak. Even with such an unprecedented Advantage, I currently have no Clue. Tier 1 Druid Magic and Tier 2 Polar Storm, I can now cast instantly. Tier 2 Molten Boulder was originally stuck at a one-second Bottleneck. After getting the Horadric Cube, I can also cast it almost instantly. As for Tier 3 Volcano and Hurricane Armor, Volcano, through the Cube's bonus, the casting Time has been reduced to 2 to 3 seconds, and in time, it can be shortened by about another second. As for Hurricane Armor, it was already close to instant cast. With Cain's Book and the Cube, I'll be fine even if I don't specifically practice it.
As for the latter, there's even less to say. Breaking the Rules, the Pet Mutation Ability doubled my overall Strength/Power. I can also further Transform into Blood Bear, and my Strength/Power increased by more than one Tier. I even almost ate the Angelic Beast that made Andariel Fearful. If this isn't called Powerful, then I really have nothing to say.
But is this enough? After clarifying my own Strength/Power, a Question Mark popped up in my Brain. Without a doubt, this Strength/Power wasn't obtained through my own efforts. If any other Druid possessed all the Abilities I mentioned above, they could do better than me. And I, possessing so many Advantages, seem to have already been satisfied with these Abilities, always liking to compare myself with Ordinary Class-Changed Ones and then feeling smug. Thinking about it now, this behavior is like showing off Parents' Money and comparing oneself to Ordinary People.
While reflecting on myself, I also found the Weaknesses hidden beneath these Powerful forces. First, Combat Skill/Technique. Even with Kashya's Hell-style Cramming, compared to those Adventurers who have trained hard for decades, I still have a huge Gap. But this is unavoidable. Who told me I Transmigrated with my Body instead of possessing a Soul?
Second point. As mentioned before, Magic Knowledge is too weak. As an Adventurer, even a Barbarian, some basic Magic Knowledge is essential. But I am completely ignorant, possessing so many Advantages in vain without knowing how to use them. It's simply an extreme waste.
Third point, Blood Bear Transformation. Although it can multiply my Strength/Power several times, for a true Expert, its Weaknesses are still significant. The first Weakness is Vitality Overdraw. If it's an Enemy who knows me well, they just need to delay Time as much as possible after I Transform into Blood Bear to consume my Strength, and they can easily win. And besides the huge side effect, it has another Weakness - Strength and Dexterity mismatch! It's not that Blood Bear Form isn't agile enough, but compared to Strength, the Gap in Dexterity is simply too large, so large that it hinders the exertion of Strength. What Kalot meant by "an Attack that cannot cause Damage to the Enemy" probably refers to this Weakness.
After figuring these things out, I actually felt relieved. Weaknesses are not scary; the scariest thing is having Weaknesses and not knowing it. Kalot's words actually had another meaning. Besides pointing out my Weaknesses, he also made me realize that my Combat Style was too chaotic. To put it simply, I haven't formed a Style. Every Adventurer has their own Fighting Style and then follows this Style, choosing suitable Skills and Combat Methods to master all the way. But me, because I possess too many Abilities, I still haven't found my own Fighting Style. If this State continues, I will only end up being a "jack of all trades, master of none".
Most Weaknesses require Time to change. For example, the issue of Combat Skill/Technique can be slowly accumulated through a large amount of Battle. And Magic Knowledge, I can only take more Time to read Fara's Magic Foundation Book that she gave me. Although it's difficult, it can't be harder than math, physics, and chemistry, right?
What gives me a bit of a HeadAche is the Blood Bear Form problem. For no other reason, the ratio of Strength to Dexterity is too disparate. If possible, I would like to distribute some Strength to Dexterity, willing to sacrifice Attack Power to bring the Body's flexibility up. The Idea is good, but it's impossible to achieve.
How exactly should I improve this Weakness? My Head started to ache. The Speed lag caused by the overly large Body, how can it be solved?
Wait, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck my Brain. Isn't it because the Body is too large? Then can I try to shrink it a bit? Hmm hmm, it seems the Size of the Blood Bear Form is related to Strength. If I can shrink the Body and don't want to suppress too much Strength, I can only compress the Energy within the Body and change its density. This task is not as easy as saying it. It should be said, it's practically no different from the difficulty of creating Magic from scratch. And if I'm not careful, it's even possible to play with Fire and get burned. It seems this is another long-term Goal. I need to be cautious and plan carefully.
Although most problems cannot be solved immediately, this self-reflection still brought clarity to my heart, giving a sense of spaciousness like pushing aside clouds to see the bright moon and clear sky. Especially finding a Method to improve the Blood Bear Form, although I don't know if it can be achieved, but at least there is Hope, and the direction for the near future has also become clear. At this moment, much of the confusion lingering in my heart was swept away. Although my Body was Weak, my Mood was incredibly cheerful.
Suppressing the urge to let out a long howl towards the Sky, I lowered my Head and kissed Little Ghost's sleeping pretty Face again and again, until it was covered in saliva. Little Ghost also frowned, murmuring, as if having a Nightmare because of my Action. Only then, still not having had enough, did I hold her delicate Body and deeply entered dreamland.
Waking up the next morning, my Body no longer felt any discomfort. Although I had Transformed into Blood Bear, because my Energy wasn't significantly consumed before Kalot knocked me down, it was replenished just by sleeping. Huh? Should I thank him?
Recovering along with me was our Saintess Highness. The melancholic Alice from last night also revealed her true form after just one sleep. The spirited, sharp-tongued Little Ghost appeared In Front of me again.
"A Level 25 Druid defeated by a mere Level 60+ Paladin. Shameful, truly too shameful. Don't say you are my Servant when you go out in the future. This Saintess cannot afford to lose face like this."
"Please rest assured, I wouldn't say such a thing even if you killed me. You can afford to lose face like this, but I can't." I replied fiercely. Speaking of which, what do you mean a Level 25 defeated by a mere Level 60+? Do you think this is a ranking system?
"Heh heh, just give me five more years, no, three years will be enough. By then, I will definitely be able to defeat him and avenge my past humiliation." Thanks to the thinking from last night, I am now full of Confidence, filled with Confidence about the future.
"..."
"You don't believe me? How about we make a bet?" Seeing Little Ghost fall silent, I immediately became like a cat whose Tail was caught, almost opening my heart and saying: Amen, those who believe in me shall have eternal Life.
"If you give me ten Chipped Diamonds, I'll believe you." Little Ghost's Face showed a business Smile.
"You're really a mercenary fellow." I glared at her. I really want to see what kind of Face the guy who taught her to be like this has.
"Wrong. This is just Equivalent Exchange. For someone as noble and pure as This Saintess, speaking against one's conscience is quite painful. Of course, there must be some Price/Cost."
After all that talk, she's still going in circles to Sarcasm me. I felt a surge of anger, and evil intentions arose. I let out a strange cry, "Dragon Claw Hand Grabbing Tits", and my left hand skillfully went under the hem of her Priest Robe, sliding past her smooth Thighs, her slender, willow-like small waist, and then grabbed that pair of fullness.
"Uwaah~~, Bad Guy, pervert." Little Ghost, caught off guard, immediately screamed. After I had taken full Advantage, she only then thought of drilling back into the Necklace.
Heh heh, this little flirtatious girl, maybe she did it on purpose. Smelling the lingering fragrance in my hand, I thought smugly.
After Kalot's interference, I now didn't know my location. After walking for a few hours, looking at the Sun gradually rising overhead, I sighed with Helplessness. I took out a Town Portal Scroll from my Inventory, just about to open it, but the Lazy Crow in Mid-air sent a message: There were people ahead.
My heart rejoiced. I quickly put away the Town Portal Scroll and ran over. From a distance, over a dozen Figures appeared on the other side of the Desert.
"Brothers, I'd like to ask you something. Is Death's Sanctuary far from here?" This was a Mercenary Team. I had already judged this from a distance, because Class-Changed Ones parties couldn't be this large. Only weaker Mercenary Teams would form parties of over a dozen people to survive.
The leader was a Desert Warrior. He looked with surprised Gaze at the White Giant Wolf In Front of him and the person riding on the Giant Wolf, wondering when such an Expert had appeared in the Western Kingdoms again. And judging by his Appearance, he was even undergoing Trial alone. This World is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Compared to Lady Sharna, which one is a bit more Powerful? he thought with emotion, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
"Lord Druid, it's not far. It's less than a hundred kilometers In Front." he replied respectfully.
"Oh?" I didn't expect that Little Ghost's random wandering yesterday actually accidentally brought us close.