However, Max didn't let it come close to him and quickly brought his hand down.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All the arrows shot toward the spider and pierced its body with ease, and nailed it to the ground. Its head was also pierced; after squirming in pain for a while, it died. The fire from the arrows slowly burned its body.
Whoosh!
Leticia came running toward him with a worried expression. Seeing that the spider was on the ground, burning and Max, apart from his pale face, didn't seem injured, she sighed in relief.
She then went to support him. After putting his arm around her neck and holding his waist, she asked, "Are you alright? You didn't get injured, right?"
Max looking at the burning corpse of the spider smiled "No, I'm completely fine apart from exhausting all my mana."
He then glanced at her. She had worn her clothes again and was supporting him and chuckled "I see that you can walk around just fine now. Your recovery speed is quite good."
Leticia face turned red due to embarrassment and she didn't say anything. The truth was that she hadn't recovered after their 'intense workout' and her lower body still felt sore.
However, she had used her wind elemental mana to make it easier to walk around because she was worried about his safety and the spider was intent on killing him.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Max didn't tease her anymore and slowly let go. "I'm fine. Let's take out its beast core and get out of here before some other beast arrives."
Leticia nodded and quickly retrieved her wind dagger before slicing the spider's head and taking out its beast core. It was slightly smaller than the one they got after killing the ape.
"This spider seemed to have just broken through to the two-star realm." Leticia said after seeing the beast core worriedly.
Max was also taken aback. He didn't expect this spider that seemed like it was equally if not more powerful than the Ape, had actually became a two-star beast not long ago.
He sucked in a cold breath and thought 'Anna was right. The beasts here are many times more powerful than the beast in the magical beast forest. I'll have to be more cautious and raise my strength quickly.'
...
After that, Max and Leticia found a quiet place far from the battle site and recovered their mana before returning to the cave.
Step! Step! Step!
Haory was sitting in the sand chair at the entrance of the cave. Hearing the footsteps, she glanced ahead and saw Max and Leticia walking toward her.
Both of them looked haggard. Seeing this Haory frowned and walked towards them, "What happened to you guys? How come you are in this condition?" She then added while looking at Leticia and asked " How come you take such a long time just to gather some firewood?"
Leticia blushed hearing her question and kept quiet. Max looked at Haory and calmly said, "While searching for some dry wood, we encountered a two-star beast. That's why we are in this condition and it took us this much time."
"Oh?" She exclaimed hearing that they encountered a two-star beast.
"You didn't get injured, right?" Haory scanned them to see if they were injured.
She wasn't too worried because she knew that with their speed, if they encountered a beast they couldn't fight, they could easily escape, of course this wasn't the case if the said beast happened to be agility type or bird type beast.
Seeing that there wasn't any visible injury, she nodded "So you were able to escape safely. It's good."
Max shook his head and chuckled "No, we didn't escape."
"What do–" Haory was confused; however, before she could ask anything, Max took out the spider's beast core.
"We killed it." Saying this, he looked at her with a slight smile, waiting to see her reaction.
Haory stared at the crystalline orb on his palm for a few second before looking at him. Noticing that slight arrogant smile, she calmly nodded. "Good. We only need eight more to complete our minimum target."
"..."
Max was speechless. He expected her to be amazed by this. However, he didn't say anything because he knew this was her personality and said "That's right. Okay We'll go inside and rest." He quickly excused himself.
While walking through the corridor, Leticia discontentedly said, "What was that reaction? Why does she always feign indifference? Such a hypocrite, hmph."
Max smiled wryly. He also felt that she being too reserved not letting anyone know what she really felt.
However, seeing them walk inside, Haory looked at his back and thought 'It seems I still underestimated him.'
...
Rima and Belén we're still talking when they saw Max and Leticia entering the hall.
They also noticed that they looked haggard and wanted to ask what happens when they noticed Leticia walk weirdly. Although she tried to cover it, they still noticed the stiffness in her movements.
Both of them looked at each other before Belén mumbled in a low voice, "I didn't expect this girl to be the first among us to get him. It seems we also have to put some efforts."
After that she asked Max about what happened and after Max told them that they encountered a two-star beast while gathering firewood and how they killed it. Both Rima and Belén we're shocked.
After talking for a few minutes, Max took out the dry wood they had picked while coming back and asked who will grill the meat this time.
Leticia, Rima and Belén looked at each other before shaking their heads. They didn't know how to do it. Three of them hailed from noble families like Max, they never bothered to learn how to cook food because they servants to do it.
Sigh!
Max sighed "It seems we'll have to call Haory to do it then." To this three of them nodded.
"So which of you will go and guard the entrance in her place while she make our dinner?" Three of them looked at each other and Belén stood up "I'll guard in her stead but you guys make it quick."
After that Haory came and grilled ape's meat. Following this they had dinner. Belén also came back to ate while Rima went out to guard the cave for four hours.
They sat on their flower bed in meditation for a while before going to sleep. Leticia was first to fall asleep since she was too exhausted.
Max also lay on his flower bed when he noticed that the arrangement of flower beds has been changed a little.
Belén's bed was now very close too him while Leticia and Haory's bed were moved in the other corner but they didn't noticed because everything was done silently.
Max smirked and acted as if he was sleeping while focusing on Belén, whose bed was coming near him by the second.
A few seconds later their beds merged under her control and now both were on the same bed.
She glanced at Max who seemed to be sleeping and continued expanding her mana. Green vines and pink petals started to cover the bed.
