Holding Xia Lu, who couldn't move due to a sprained ankle, Lin Chen ran into the forest. He suffered damage from his three bottles of high-concentration gas potions, which resulted in dozens of bandits being burned to death in the blazing flames. Continuous experience prompts echoed in Lin Chen's mind.
"Sigh, almost level 12 now..." After ensuring that the bandits wouldn't easily follow into the forest, Lin Chen checked his status and found himself at level 11, with 4185/6000 experience points. Of course, his goal wasn't just level 12; he aimed for level 16. Although level 13 would grant him an internal energy protective skill, it didn't offer much defense. Only the "Instant Step" evasion skill at level 16 was a life-saving technique.
Having temporarily escaped danger, Lin Chen finally set Xia Lu down. Seeing her lying on the ground, he took out a healing potion from his bag and handed it to her, "Here, use this to heal your foot. We're not completely safe yet."
"Such a perfect healing potion..." The healing potion, a deep crimson color and amber-like in the bottle, was stunning. Xia Lu, initially shy and embarrassed by Lin Chen's embrace, was immediately captivated by the potion in his hand.
After inspecting it closely and with a shocked expression, she said, "I've seen a perfect-grade healing potion at my grandfather's birthday celebration, but it wasn't as beautiful as this one. Is this an epic-grade potion?"
"Don't talk so much! Drink it quickly! They'll catch up if they follow us into the woods..." Although they were in the forest, they had only ventured a few hundred meters deep. Lin Chen was alert, frequently glancing back at the bandits while urging Xia Lu, who was still concerned about the potion, to hurry.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Drink it? What a waste..." Xia Lu looked at Lin Chen with a disapproving gaze and shook her head. She carefully opened the potion bottle, took off her leather boots and white silk socks, revealing her pale, delicate feet. Her usually perfect feet were now bruised and swollen, marring their beauty.
Lin Chen, despite his self-proclaimed strong will, couldn't help but steal glances at her feet, internally admiring the pampered daughter of a feudal society. She poured a bit of the potion, about a fifth, on the bruised area and gently massaged it. The epic-grade potion quickly reduced the swelling.
"Amazing! It healed so quickly!" In just half a minute, her injury had fully recovered. Xia Lu looked up with a face full of surprise and joy.
Caught by Xia Lu's gaze, Lin Chen, who had been sneakily watching, turned his face away in a panic, trying to hide his embarrassment. "If you use all of this potion, it would take just a moment to heal completely. We've wasted so much time already."
Xia Lu, realizing that Lin Chen had been looking at her feet, blushed and felt embarrassed for exposing herself in front of a stranger.
"Everyone, hurry! The girl is injured! They can't run far!" Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, a loud shout from afar woke Lin Chen and Xia Lu.
"No good! They're coming!" Hearing the shout, Xia Lu quickly put on her socks and boots and stood up, following Lin Chen as they ran deeper into the forest.
However, as a physically weak mage, Xia Lu couldn't run fast, and soon she was gasping for breath.
"Should I carry you? We can't escape like this..." Lin Chen suggested, noticing her struggle.
Xia Lu, still thinking about Lin Chen peeking at her feet, blushed deeply but nodded slightly.
Lin Chen felt a secret thrill as she agreed. As she climbed onto his back, he felt her softness and quickly started running.
"There! They are over here!" shouted a Lv38 archer, spotting them. The archer, adept at moving through the forest, was closing in.
"This mission is tougher than I thought," Lin Chen muttered, throwing a Sight Disruption Potion (Epic Grade) behind him. The potion created a black smog, obscuring vision.
Lin Chen used the smog to change direction and escape. The archer, though trying to follow, lost track of them in the smog.
"Phew, we've escaped for now..." Lin Chen sighed in relief after running several hundred meters. He knew they weren't safe yet and needed to use the smog to gain distance.
With Xia Lu on his back, Lin Chen continued running deeper into the forest...