In the depths of the Black Forest, the Abyssal Beasts continued to pour out.
They merged into the beast tide, swarming forward like the walking dead, inching their way toward Aspiration City.
Wherever they passed, the snow was flattened, piled up into small mounds, only to be trampled down again by the beasts that followed.
Suddenly, a massive Skuntank halted mid-stride. The gray mist around its body surged, causing it to turn sharply to the left.
Though it lacked all reason or awareness, the gray mist had detected a trace of living presence, prompting the creature to instinctively head in that direction—drawn by the urge to absorb the life energy contained within that living being.
The Skuntank charged forward, followed by a wave of surrounding beasts, all stampeding toward the source of the scent.
In the snowy field, a Mightyena stood silently.
Seeing the Abyssal Beasts closing in, it swiftly turned and ran back toward the knights.
"They're coming! The beasts are coming!"
Standing on a low slope, Kevin shouted as he spotted the distant charging beasts.
The knights quickly assembled into formation. Their Rhyhorns took the front line while the knights readied their bows and arrows.
Once prepared, they did not attack immediately. Instead, their gazes turned to the white-robed figure standing at the front—Aven.
"Petilil, use Aromatherapy!"
Upon Aven's command, Petilil nodded. Its leafy head twitched slightly, and a faint, pleasant aroma wafted into the air.
The Rhyhorns in the field twitched their noses and instantly felt the calming scent wash over them, soothing their spirits.
They were positioned in a valley-like area where mountain winds blew down from above, creating a unique airflow.
The aroma generated by Petilil rode the wind, drifting downward toward the incoming beasts.
As soon as the Abyssal Beasts broke from their horde, their speed surged as they chased after the Mightyena.
They soon rushed into the area blanketed by the aroma. At first, there was no visible effect—their bodies continued forward as before.
But after charging a short distance, their movements suddenly slowed.
Step by step, their pace faltered until they came to a complete stop.
"Froslass, I'll leave it to you," Aven said calmly.
Froslass, cradling her face with her hands, gracefully floated forward.
Though she basked briefly in Aven's praise, her expression quickly grew serious as she gathered speed in midair.
Her ghostly figure drifted through one beast after another, phasing directly through them—first one, then a second, then a third...
Each time Froslass passed through a beast, a wisp of gray mist was drawn from its body, trailing behind her and merging into her own form.
The scene resembled a living watercolor painting—Froslass the paintbrush, gliding across the canvas, drawing mist from her strokes.
Once she had passed, the affected beasts stood frozen. Then, slowly, clarity began to return to their eyes. They looked around, dazed and confused.
The knights held their breath as they observed the beasts.
When the beasts did not resume their assault and their eyes began to show awareness, the field erupted in cheers.
Shouts of astonishment and joy echoed as the knights celebrated—
It worked! It actually worked!
"Excellent!"
Even Kevin couldn't help but clench his fists and pump them in excitement.
One particular Skuntank stood stunned.
It looked around, unable to comprehend why it was here or why its body felt so weak.
"You're alright now.
This place is dangerous. Please, leave as soon as you can."
The Skuntank heard a voice—human.
It turned its head and saw a human holding a Petilil in his arms.
A gentle fragrance drifted from the Petilil, bringing with it a familiar feeling.
It remembered... Somewhere in its vague, foggy memory, it had smelled that scent—right before it regained consciousness.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Before it could think further, the ground began to tremble.
The Skuntank froze and turned toward the source of the tremors—
There, another group cloaked in gray mist surged forward, led by a smaller Skuntank.
It was confused. Why did its kin look like that?
But then, fragments of memory surfaced—images of itself just like them.
There was no time to dwell on it. The corrupted beasts had arrived and immediately leapt toward a nearby Raticate.
These beasts no longer recognized kin.
Now free from the gray mist's corruption, the other beasts were targets once more.
The Raticate was frozen in place.
As the Skuntank pounced, it had no time to dodge.
Suddenly, vines burst from the ground and wrapped tightly around the attacking Skuntank, slamming it to the ground.
"Get out of here—those beasts are dangerous!" Aven warned again.
Even as he spoke, Mightyena sprinted out. Petilil stood atop its head, casting Aromatherapy once more.
Just like before, the second wave of beasts was cured of their confusion.
The knights looked at one another in surprise. They hadn't expected it to be this easy.
Beside Aven, Rhyhorn stomped the ground in frustration.
Watching Mightyena carry Petilil into battle stirred a deep jealousy—it too wanted to charge in and prove itself.
Meanwhile, the first Skuntank had finally come to terms with what was happening.
It looked at its recovered kin and saw its own reflection.
Yes, it had once been the same. And it was that human... who had saved it.
"Go now. More beasts will be here soon."
This time, the beasts responded.
They ran off in the direction Aven had pointed—away from the tide of the Abyssal Beasts.
After retreating a good distance, they turned to look back.
The third wave had already arrived.
The knights rotated their Mightyenas, each taking turns luring in more beasts.
Thanks to the lingering effects of Petilil's aroma, the purification continued smoothly.
Before long, every Mightyena had completed a round of attraction and now gathered back at camp, panting heavily.
Petilil, too, looked visibly exhausted.
The Aromatherapy move consumed a great deal of her Grass-type energy and stamina—sustaining it for long periods wasn't easy.
Seeing this, Aven quickly handed over a healing potion.
At the same time, Petilil used Absorb to draw in energy and recover her strength.
(End of Chapter)