"Lady Mariela, let's both step back. I only want two; I'll leave you three."

Alavin had just sought to ease the tension, but what he got in return was an icy retort, "Not a chance."

Alavin was riled up. "You unreasonable wench!"

Mariela's brows furrowed slightly. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"You..."

Mariela, like an arrow loosed from a bow, charged at him. Her ancient sword sang from its scabbard, its metallic ring stirring the old woods, and a chilling sword's energy burst forth from within the blade. She swung her sword at Alavin, and the temperature in the forest seemed to drop several degrees.

Alavin dodged in alarm. "Madwoman! Have you a death wish? Are you hoping the Violet Lion won't catch up?"

As expected, a deafening roar echoed from the dense woods behind them, and the Violet Lion charged towards them.

"Foolish woman!" Alavin, furious, turned and fled. "Don't follow me."

"Dream on! Hand over the Violet Thistle." Mariela sheathed her ancient sword and continued the pursuit. Her sword's energy was too fierce, easily detectable by the Violet Lion. "Don't follow me. Split up!"

Mariela was relentless and determined to obtain the Violet Thistle. These five Super Elixir Fruits, when taken together, their effect was second only to the Legendary Elixir Fruit-a rare treasure surpassing any other Super Elixir Fruits.

For anything else, she might have let Alavin have it, but these five Elixir Fruits had to be taken together for her to break through her barriers and ascend to an Advanced Mage!

Advanced Mage! She had longed for it for far too long.

"Your perfume is too strong; don't follow me," Alavin called out in desperation from ahead.

Mariela's face was frosty. Perfume? This was her natural, refreshing scent!

"You've doomed us both." Seeing her still in hot pursuit, Alavin suddenly plucked a Violet Thistle and hurled it into the nearby woods.

A wild boar, already in a panic, roared instinctively at the thrown object. When the Elixir Fruit fell to the ground, its strong medicinal aroma drew the boar's attention, causing it to open its mouth to eat. What a treasure!

"Whoosh!"

A blast of icy air struck, freezing the unfortunate boar solid. Its treasure was snatched away before its eyes.

Mariela secured the Elixir Fruit and caught up with Alavin again. "That was a Super Elixir Fruit, and you tossed it away so carelessly."

Alavin turned to see. "What!! Did you get it back? Foolish woman, I was using it to lure the Violet Lion."

"If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll not spare you."

"Lady Mariela, do you have to do this? I'm but a poor lad; finding an Elixir Herb or Elixir Fruit is no easy feat for me. You guard an entire mystical mountain, you have nothing to worry about, yet you insist on challenging me?" Alavin couldn't understand. They had a bit of rapport, so why the sudden coldness?

Before Alavin could finish, a violent gust surged from the woods behind them. The wind roared like raging waves, the stout old trees shaking violently as if on the brink of snapping.

Alavin and Mariela were engulfed by the surge, which was more ferocious than before. They were utterly overpowered, flung into the air, coughing blood. Their life forces were in turmoil and they felt like on the verge of losing consciousness.

"It's caught up!" Alavin struggled to his feet, his expression grave. In the dim light ahead, a lion bathed in violet radiance approached slowly, its presence locking onto them, and its deep purple eyes filled with malice.

Mariela struggled to rise, blood dripping from her mouth, and her complexion pale. She could no longer run, nor was there any point in trying. At such close quarters, the Violet Lion could kill them at any moment.

The air seemed to freeze as the majestic lion appeared to them, like the grim reaper drawing near.

Alavin scanned their surroundings and listened intently before a plan formed in his mind. If he remembered correctly, wasn't there a cliff nearby? And beneath it, a mighty river?

A plan began to take shape in Alavin's mind as he kept a wary eye on the Violet Lion, whispering, "Mariela, give me that Violet Thistle you have."

Mariela shot him a glacial look. Even now, he wanted to claim it for himself.

"You idiot, hurry up!"

"Say that once more!" Mariela fumed. No one had dared to speak to her like that before.

"Our lives are at stake! Do you want to die, or shall we both perish?"

"Do you have a plan?"

"The Violet Lion wants the Elixir Fruit. Whoever holds the Elixir Fruit will be its first target. Give them all to me, and I'll lead it away. You run in the opposite direction as far as you can and don't look back."

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