Chapter 38: Lunar Spirit Leopard

By the time Li Si and Lumbus arrived at the location where the signal had been sent, Ya’er and Yasen had already arrived.

It was Elena who had sent the signal, and she nodded in acknowledgment as the others joined her.

"I discovered the magical beast here—or rather, I was almost attacked by it," Elena said, pointing to the top of a large boulder in front of her. "It was right there. It must have noticed me a long time ago and was likely planning to ambush me as I passed by. My hunter's instinct warned me the moment I started searching this area, and it was only after I observed it carefully that I pinpointed its position. Once it realized it had been spotted, it immediately turned and fled. I sent the signal and tried to give chase, but I couldn't catch up, so I had to come back and wait for you."

"That monster is so wicked, trying to ambush Sister Elena!" Ya’er grumbled, waving her small fists as if she would immediately rush to beat the creature if it appeared before her.

Yasen was not as impulsive; after all, Elena was standing right there unharmed, clearly having not engaged in direct combat with the beast.

"Elena, did you see it clearly? What kind of magical beast was it?"

Elena hesitated for a moment, but then gritted her teeth and said, "I saw it clearly. It was a... Moon Spirit Leopard."

A Moon Spirit Leopard. So that was why Elena’s expression was so complicated. Li Si realized why she had been so hesitant to name the creature. Yasen also caught on quickly, though Ya’er and Lumbus remained puzzled and innocent. It was clear that neither of them was particularly gifted when it came to book learning.

Having had rich experience in his previous life, Li Si knew exactly what a Moon Spirit Leopard was. After all, the main storyline of the game's 3.0 version had taken place in the Navia Forest, the home of the elves, and it was during that time that Li Si had encountered many secrets regarding their kind.

Among those secrets were details about the Moon Spirit Leopard. It is an extremely rare species of leopard-like magical beast, active primarily at night. Its body is pitch black, yet its sleek fur emits a faint, lunar-like glow, which is how it earned its name. Most importantly, the Moon Spirit Leopard is said to be the messenger of the Elven Pantheon’s Goddess of the Moon and Protection, Fenriya, and is considered the best companion and helper for elven hunters. Virtually all Moon Spirit Leopards on the continent live within the Navia Forest, and every elven hunter considers it an honor to be recognized by and accompanied by one.

One can easily see the status the Moon Spirit Leopard holds in the hearts of elves and elven hunters. As an elite silver-rank elven hunter, Elena was well aware of this. Discovering that the creature terrorizing the territory was one of these beasts—and realizing that her team was tasked with hunting it down—left her struggling to accept the reality.

"Is there any chance you were mistaken?" Li Si asked. It did seem highly improbable for a Moon Spirit Leopard to appear deep within a human kingdom’s territory and slaughter numerous residents.

"No," Elena said, taking a deep breath to steady her turbulent emotions. "My mother’s companion was a Moon Spirit Leopard. It watched me grow up from childhood. I could not be mistaken."

Yasen felt a sense of helplessness. He could see that Elena did not want to harm the creature. If they had encountered it during a routine adventure, he naturally wouldn't have initiated an attack and might even have helped her tame it. He didn't care much about the mission or the reward, as the team wasn't exactly desperate for coin. However, the problem was that this specific Moon Spirit Leopard, currently lurking in Baron Tony’s territory, had already killed over a dozen residents and had begun feeding on humans, turning into a man-eating beast. If left unchecked, the consequences would only grow more severe.

Elena thought for a moment, her expression finally hardening. She gritted her teeth and declared, "Since it has tasted human flesh, it can no longer be a messenger of the Goddess Fenriya. We must send this Moon Spirit Leopard to the Goddess's divine realm."

For the elves, feeding on any humanoid creature is unforgivable. Furthermore, Elena had sensed the intense malice the beast radiated when it tried to ambush her; it was no longer fit to be an elven companion, and she abandoned the idea of taming it. Yasen breathed a sigh of relief. It was for the best that Elena had reached this conclusion, as it meant they wouldn't have to worry about her reservations during the hunt.

Seeing that Elena had made up her mind, Li Si asked, "What is the strength of that Moon Spirit Leopard?"

Elena frowned in thought. "An adult Moon Spirit Leopard typically possesses gold-rank strength, and a rare few can even ascend to the legendary rank. However, the one I encountered only felt like a high-tier silver rank. It likely never received the blessing of Goddess Fenriya in the Navia Forest, so it could not break through its bottleneck."

"That’s manageable; it doesn't exceed our expectations," Yasen said, feeling relieved. Knowing the beast's type and strength meant half the mission was already complete; the rest was simply finding it and successfully executing the hunt.

"Elena, you are the most familiar with their habits. Do you have a good plan to take it down?" Yasen asked.

"Generally, Moon Spirit Leopards are nocturnal and excel at hiding and ambushing. During the day, their strength diminishes significantly," Elena explained. "If a Moon Spirit Leopard has received the Goddess's blessing, it gains the 'Moonlight Protection,' which prevents its strength from being affected during the day. But it is clear this one has not."

"So, the best time to hunt it is during the day?" Yasen asked.

"Yes," Elena nodded. "Even at high-tier silver rank, its speed and stealth are formidable at night, and its perception is sharp. It would be very difficult for us to corner it. But according to the people in the barony, it doesn't appear during the day. Can you find it in the daylight?"

"I can try. Usually, Moon Spirit Leopards don't have fixed territories and tend to roam, but since this one has stayed in this barony for so long, it should have a lair. I can attempt to track its trail tomorrow morning," Elena analyzed clearly.

"Very well. Let’s head back and rest for today, and we’ll come back tomorrow morning to find and eliminate this beast!" Yasen concluded.

Ya’er and Lumbus had no objections and were happy to follow the plan. Li Si was even more agreeable. The most important rule of being a "passenger" on a mission is to follow orders. If you don't stay in line and instead run off alone, drag the team into unnecessary danger, or play recklessly, no one will want to bring you along next time.