Chapter 115: Crisis on the Deserted Island

"Linda! Ellie! Where are you!"

In the heart of the dense forest, a group of people shouted as they walked, disturbing flocks of birds and beasts and instantly shattering the tranquility of the woods. The forest was thick with countless tangled aerial roots that blocked the path ahead, making every step an arduous struggle. To make matters worse, the ground was riddled with uneven pits, some concealed by branches and fallen leaves, hiding swamps capable of swallowing living creatures whole.

However, this posed no obstacle to the group of Spirit Masters. The dozen or so individuals summoned their totem beasts, each utilizing their unique abilities to scour the forest. As for danger—there was truly nothing in the wilderness that could threaten so many Spirit Masters. Only a Spirit Master could defeat a Spirit Master.

Moonchild, summoned by Charles, transformed into a massive beast nearly five meters tall, effortlessly carving out a flat path. Tree roots and branches as thick as bowls were as fragile as straw beneath its claws; a single swipe could snap an entire row.

The Iron-Feathered Hawk took to the sky, while Charles sat on Moonchild's shoulder, activating the "Shared Eye" spirit art. This allowed him to share the hawk's vision, searching the forest from above. If one looked closely, the reflection of the entire forest could be seen on his retinas—the very image seen from the sky. Thanks to his powerful mental fortitude, Charles could easily multitask, keeping an eye on his immediate surroundings while simultaneously monitoring the aerial view without interference.

As the apex predator of the skies, the Iron-Feathered Hawk flew unimpeded. Birds fleeing the forest scattered upon seeing it, allowing the hawk to soar through the canopy with ease. Possessing vision far superior to ordinary hawks, it could easily distinguish a small mouse from a thousand meters away. Yet, after circling the forest, it had found no trace of the two missing women. The trees were simply too dense, obscuring vast areas from view.

Still, his efforts were not in vain. After circling several times, he locked onto a few suspicious spots, including one small clearing. He urged Moonchild toward that direction. Reptilian monsters fled in terror from Moonchild’s formidable aura, but some giant insects, devoid of fear, charged forward instead. Lyle was right; there were many strange insect species here, some of which seemed entirely unnatural. For instance, there was a scorpion over a meter long, its body covered in an amethyst-like shell, radiating both power and mystery.

There was also a strange, eyeless bug capable of launching sneak attacks from beneath the earth. Unfortunately, their strength was negligible compared to Moonchild. The monster that tried to attack from underground was crushed to bits the moment it poked its head out. The others were swatted away like flies, unable to withstand even a casual strike, let alone cause any harm.

Charles held Irene by the waist as they sat together on Moonchild's shoulder, while the scrawny young boy sat on the other side. The boy gripped a protrusion on Moonchild’s shoulder tightly, terrified of falling, and asked curiously, "Charles, is that vision sharing?"

"Yes, a spirit art I just learned," Charles nodded, continuing to divide his focus.

"Vision sharing requires immense mental strength. I didn't expect you to learn it so quickly. It took me a long time to barely master it, and I still can't use it as freely as you do," Lan said with a hint of envy.

Charles glanced at him. Seeing the boy tuck a long strand of hair behind his ear, paired with his delicate features, Charles felt a strange sense of beauty. *To think someone this cute is actually a boy...*

Charles twitched his lips and looked away, suddenly catching sight of movement through the Iron-Feathered Hawk's vision. A powerful monster had appeared. In his view, a tree was snapped in two, and a cyan shadow flickered past. A giant wolf totem beast had its neck savagely bitten, instantly torn apart, and dissipated into fragments. The nearby Spirit Masters rushed over, but the creature had already vanished, leaving the scene of the crime as if it were invisible.

"It seems to be a purple monster, looking somewhat like that large scorpion earlier. Could it be a radiation-mutated creature?" Charles frowned in thought. The trees were too thick, and even with two downed, there was little space to see. The hawk’s powerful vision had only caught a glimpse of part of its body.

Just then, he suddenly saw a pair of cold, red eyes appear at the treetop, ferociously leaping toward the Iron-Feathered Hawk! While perched on the trunk, its body had blended perfectly with the leaves, only revealing itself once it was airborne.

"You arrogant fool. Do you really think a top-tier talent like the Iron-Feathered Hawk is just for show? Die."

Watching the creature leap over ten meters and close in on the hawk, Charles waited until they were less than five meters apart. The Iron-Feathered Hawk suddenly folded its wings to protect its front, and its lead-gray feathers erupted like arrows, completely engulfing the attacker. To his surprise, the creature forcibly changed direction in mid-air; wide membranes appeared on its feet, and with a powerful kick against the air, it shifted two meters to the side. Twisting its body, it opened its blood-stained maw to bite at the hawk's wing.

Under Charles's control, the hawk didn't dodge. It wrapped its massive wings around its body and began to spin rapidly, slamming into the monster like a drill. The immense force smashed the creature from the sky, snapping a massive tree trunk before it plummeted to the ground less than a hundred meters from Charles.

The Iron-Feathered Hawk did not follow. As an aerial predator, it was like a toothless tiger in the forest, its combat effectiveness reduced by ninety percent. A white shadow darted through the trees, weaving through narrow gaps, and arrived at the spot where the monster had fallen in the blink of an eye.

Yet, the creature was gone.

Firefly crawled along a thick branch, her small head turning as she tried to track the beast. How could a three-meter-long monster disappear so quickly?

Then, danger struck silently. The monster had crawled up the back of the very branch she was on, its body perfectly camouflaged with the bark.

*Whoosh!*

The three-meter-long beast lunged, closing the ten-meter gap with barely a sound. In this critical moment, a transparent barrier shimmered over Firefly's body. Like a falling leaf, she stepped onto the creature's nose, used the momentum to leap onto a higher branch, and spun around to release a brilliant crescent-shaped light blade.

*Slash!*

The moonlight blade carved a long wound into the creature's leg, forcing a muffled grunt. Just as it tried to flee, a burst of purple light erupted!