... 

Who would have thought that the Flaming Gorilla possessed wind-based concealment magic and would cunningly wait in ambush atop the tree, ready to strike from behind?

If Alden hadn't spotted the Flaming Gorilla's traces earlier, Freya and those at the back of the group might have been in grave danger.

"How can this Flaming Gorilla have wind-attribute concealment magic?"

Recovering from her shock, Lily, the female hunter from the Purple Lilac Adventure Team, looked both astonished and confused.

According to the Adventurers Association's demonic beast compendium, Flaming Gorillas were not known to possess wind attributes.

They used fire attribute magic! 

In theory, it should have been impossible for it to use concealment magic.

"This Flaming Gorilla must have consumed a wind-element transcendent herb, mutating into a Flaming Storm Gorilla," Alden explained casually, his eyes scanning their surroundings for signs of danger.

As a highly rare and mutated subspecies, the Flaming Storm Gorilla possessed both wind and fire attributes. Its strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Flaming Gorilla.

Alden's words made it clear: the battle ahead would be no simple fight.

"Flaming Storm Gorilla?"

Hearing this revelation heightened the group's sense of danger.

They immediately shifted into a defensive formation, standing back-to-back to guard against the Flaming Storm Gorilla's concealed sneak attacks.

"Thank you for saving me."

Freya, the half-elf captain, blushed and timidly expressed her gratitude.

She had initially assumed Alden would be a burden on the team.

Yet, against all odds, this so-called "burden" had just saved her life.

As an archer, she could only imagine the horrific outcome of being caught off-guard by the Flaming Storm Gorilla.

The thought alone made her shiver.

"It's nothing," Alden replied nonchalantly.

"Um… um, can you… let go of me?"

Freya's pointed ears flushed crimson as she stammered out the words.

She was still held securely in Alden's arms, and due to their height difference, his arm pressed awkwardly against a sensitive area.

The unexpected contact sent a strange heat coursing through her.

"Oh! My apologies."

Alden quickly pulled back, clearly embarrassed. He had been so focused on keeping an eye out for the Flaming Storm Gorilla that he hadn't realized the position of his hand.

"It's… fine!"

Freya stepped out of his protective embrace, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief.

But deep within, she couldn't help but feel a faint twinge of disappointment.

This small incident created an unusual tension between the two of them.

Fortunately—

The atmosphere was broken when one of the other team members spoke.

"Lord Alden, how were you able to detect the concealed Flaming Storm Gorilla earlier? Was it some special skill? Can you do it again?"

It was Bonny, the team's healer, her voice tinged with urgency.

Since the Flaming Storm Gorilla had vanished into its concealed state once more, no one could find any trace of it.

This situation couldn't continue.

"There's no special technique," Alden replied with a slight shrug. "I just have a sharper sense of perception than most."

He hesitated briefly before continuing. "Now that the Flaming Storm Gorilla is keeping its distance, I can't pinpoint its exact location anymore."

The truth was, Alden's mastery of the Gale Sword Technique allowed him to feel subtle changes in the air currents around him. However, his current strength limited this ability to a range of about ten meters—too small a radius to be of use now.

The earlier attack had clearly hurt the Flaming Storm Gorilla. Having experienced such a significant setback, it was unlikely to come near him again.

Given this situation, he couldn't repeat the same trick to detect its concealment through airflow disruptions.

"What are we supposed to do, then?"

The uneasy question left everyone in silence. Their expressions grew grim.

It's easy to act as a thief for a thousand days, but far harder to guard against one for even a single day.

The group was on edge, every nerve stretched taut.

But time would wear down their vigilance, draining their stamina and resolve. If the Flaming Storm Gorilla chose that moment to strike again, the consequences could be disastrous.

"We'll draw the snake out of its hole," Alden said calmly.

He elaborated, "Advanced demonic beasts like this one are incredibly vengeful. After taking such a heavy blow from me, it won't let things slide so easily. Its pride won't allow it."

He then outlined his plan: "We'll create a deliberate weakness, baiting it into launching another attack."

Hearing this, the team's eyes lit up. They nodded in agreement.

Immediately, Alden began issuing instructions.

After the earlier incident, the Purple Lilac Adventure Team no longer saw Alden as a burden.

The young noble, once dismissed as a hindrance, now commanded their full respect and trust.

Still, to lure out this cunning and dangerous Flaming Storm Gorilla, someone needed to act as bait.

This was an extremely perilous task.

If it were possible, Alden would have volunteered himself without hesitation.

He was not too eager to sacrifice his life but he had confidence in his defence. 

He could feel it that holding back this demon beast won't be too hard for him. 

If he went all out then he would probably even have an upper hand. 

But the gorilla had already suffered at his hands. It was intelligent enough not to make him its target again.

Although advanced demon beasts were vengeful, they were not stupid enough to walk to their deaths. 

Being experienced adventurers, the rest of the team understood this as well.

In the end, Ada, the team's deputy captain, stepped forward to take on the risky role.

As a shield warrior, she trusted her ability to withstand an attack. Even if the Flaming Storm Gorilla managed to strike her, she was confident she wouldn't sustain serious injuries in the initial encounter.

With their roles assigned, the group swiftly moved into position.

To make the bait convincing, everyone lowered their weapons and feigned a relaxed posture.

Ada went further, setting her shield aside before striding confidently ahead of the team.

Ten meters.

Twenty meters.

Thirty meters.

...