After two days of travel, Arabella and her group arrived at the narrow passage between two peaks.
And it was, of course, extremely dangerous.
Looking from a distance, a narrow crack appeared in midair, so tight that only half a foot could pass if one tiptoed.
The twin peaks rose high into the clouds, towering like majestic guardians of the mountains, awe-inspiring and formidable, evoking a sense of reverence in those who gazed upon them.
"Wow, are we supposed to fly to the sky?" Taras knocked his legs, trying to steady himself, fearing that shaking too much would be embarrassing.
Arabella glanced at him and, with a mischievous grin, put her arm around his shoulder, "How about I take you flying?"
Taras quickly waved his hand, lowered his head, and teased Arabella, "How about we fly on the bed instead?"
"Alright, I'll take you flying now, but later on the bed, you can take me flying," Arabella agreed readily, making Taras shudder all over.
He definitely didn't dare to let Arabella take him flying—he feared that with her, he'd be soaring to the heavens.
Arabella instructed Raven to fasten a rope around his waist, the other end looped around the massive rock.
Although there were ropes to offer some protection, a single misstep would send one plummeting into the abyss below, where the sheer height alone could crush one's life. Even if one were to be pulled out with great effort, it would likely be nothing but a lifeless corpse.
"Raven, go first. Watch carefully—"
Through the narrow gap between the peaks, one could behold the mist swirling and enveloping the mountains, while the vapor in the air shifted in a dance of changing hues. The scene was a breathtaking display of nature's beauty, yet the abyss below lay in a void of ink-blackness, grinning with the grotesque smile of an endless hell.
Raven expertly hooked his feet into the narrow, long passageway and crawled through, each step firm and sure. His wrist strength was astonishing, and his waist's flexibility and power were top-notch.
Raven had studied the Mountain with Arabella, so his skills were more than sufficient to handle it.
After Raven passed through quickly, Arabella turned her gaze to the others—
Bramwell actually had the ability to get through, and after taking a quick glance, he knew it wouldn't be an issue for the top ten on the leader board.
However, he couldn't reveal his true strength. With his current skills, it would be difficult for him to pass smoothly.
Seeing Arabella's gaze turn to him, he gave an awkward but determined look and said, "Master Unknown! Let me try."
Arabella gave him a long, penetrating look, then shook her head slightly and turned to Taras.
Taras quickly waved his hand and took a step back, "I don't want to fly here, thanks."
Neither of them were any good, let alone the others.
After a brief pause, Arabella gave the order: "Wait here."
She climbed directly towards the distant peak, her figure swiftly disappearing from sight.
Raven watched Arabella's retreating figure, his eyes hardening with a cold glint.
After escaping from Scalien years ago, Arabella had been intent on cultivating capable subordinates.
In the slave markets, children of all ages were everywhere. She came and went, picking through batch after batch, selecting around twenty children.
Of course, she didn't intend to raise them all. She wasn't in the habit of nurturing useless people.
The twenty-plus children first underwent systematic training, the same kind used by the base leader. He used to be a special forces soldier and had trained many recruits in the past.
After a year of training, the children were handed over to Arabella.
Arabella, however, was not so humane. Her method of selection was simple—survival of the fittest.
Out of the twenty or so, only five spots were available. Failure meant death.
After a fierce competition of life and death, only five remained, and Arabella had given them all names.
Her naming method was very casual. She would often choose a few random name of creature from whatever book she was holding while relaxing.
Arabella needed only to carry a weapon symbolically, signifying that among the five, another fierce battle to the death awaited—until only one remained alive.
Luckily, Arabella quickly accepted the leader's suggestion and left one person behind to take care of her daily needs, adding one more who could survive.
He and Albatross both recognized each other's desire. During the final duel, Albatross deliberately lost to him and was eliminated.
Albatross, who had been eliminated, competed against another named Shark. In the end, Albatross killed Shark and earned the chance to take care of Arabella's needs.
After several rounds of competition with the other winner, Griffin, he finally strangled Griffin during the final fight and earned the opportunity to follow Arabella.
Among the five, Caracal died of an unexpected illness before the fighting began and was thrown into the wilderness.
It seemed clear—everything that happened back then had been meticulously planned. Arabella's gaze was cold and calculating as she had set everything into motion without a hint of emotion.
*
In the dense forest on one side of the mountain peak, a figure stood waiting for Arabella.
That person had a graceful figure, with a slender waist and a tall, statuesque frame. Yet amidst the dense foliage, only scattered beams of light broke through, faintly revealing a sharply defined jawline.
When Arabella arrived, the figure let out a light laugh, calling out in a pleased tone: "Master Unknown, I, Caracal, have missed you so much."
Arabella's gaze was cold and indifferent, yet her expression was full of warmth. "Miss me? How did you miss me?"
The person took a step forward, stepping out of the shadow, and revealed their full appearance.
A heart-shaped beautiful face, with slightly elongated eyes that carried a sharpness when raising an eyebrow.
Arabella didn't often see Caracal. Over the past few years, when they exchanged information, they kept their meetings brief to avoid detection. They hadn't even had a proper face-to-face conversation more than a few times.
Today, when she saw Caracal, she realized he had completely grown up.
His face as delicate as peach blossoms, yet cloaked in an aura of icy restraint and asceticism, where beauty concealed an underlying air of aggression.
The handsome Caracal completely clung to Arabella, despite being tall and strong, acting like a child who refused to let go once he wrapped his arms around her.
Arabella wrapped her arms around him, her gaze distant and unfocused, not on him, but instead fixated entirely on the people in the narrow mountain.
"Master Unknown, this time Caracal won't leave you, right?"
"No need. I still need you to go to someone first."
Caracal fell silent. Arabella's response felt like a bucket of cold water poured over him, suddenly chilling him to the bone.
He even had a strange intuition—if he didn't seize the opportunity this time, Arabella would need him less and less in the future.
He was naturally clever, having existed like a ghost for so many years, moving between the two powerful figures—Arabella and AE. Of course, he was quick to react and possessed a sharp sense of awareness.
"Master Unknown, I have a way to get them all safely through the mountain. Let Caracal stay with you."
Arabella glanced at him without speaking, simply staring at Caracal, making him feel uneasy, as if he wanted to spill everything he knew all at once.
"Truly, Master Unknown. I can really get them through without a scratch. Though it's extremely narrow here, one can still make it across by walking sideways on one foot. The main issue is fear—just the sight of the bottomless abyss makes one's legs shake, and naturally, they can't pass through."
Arabella didn't respond, but her smile deepened. Encouraged, Caracal excitedly continued, "I just need to use a small trick to make them feel like they're walking on flat ground, and they'll pass through. But just to be safe, we'll need you to suspend them from above and guide them across, Master Unknown."
After Caracal finished speaking, Arabella's smile was radiant. She praised him kindly, "Caracal, your abilities have improved. Not bad. Then stay with me for now, and use Norman's face for the time being."
Caracal was overjoyed, quickly nodding and following Arabella, starting to change his face as he walked.
The moment Arabella turned around, her gaze turned cold, filled with a sense of success.
The reason she came to find Caracal was, of course, because she knew he had some tricks up his sleeve.
But she was far too astute to ever ask for something directly, for that would only expose her true intentions.
Arabella brought back Norman, and everyone was stunned. Only Raven stood silently on the other side of the cliff, like a tall, straight pine tree standing firm in the cold wind, just as expected.
He gazed at Caracal behind Arabella, and their eyes met from afar, causing a sharp pang of pain in his chest.
Arabella, this woman, truly made one hate her to the core, yet love her to the point of helplessness.
