Huohuo's eyes remained closed.
But at some point, Tail had already crept out, curiously observing Bella's form.
"Hiss—that's strange. Why do I smell a Heliobus on this creature too?"
Sylvia shot Tail a glance but made no effort to explain.
As for Huohuo, she only realized she had snuggled entirely into Sylvia's embrace when she was startled awake, her eyes flying open.
"Feeling better now? Don't be scared. Bella's very well-behaved. We'll reach our destination soon."
Sylvia kept her arm around Huohuo's waist.
Mostly because there were no handrails on Bella's claws, and Sylvia could still feel Huohuo trembling slightly—she didn't want her to fall off.
--+--
Meanwhile.
Tingyun, trapped within Cloudford, was busy directing others to tend to the wounded.
Aside from two Cloud Knights, the rest around her were employees of the merchant guild.
Although Tingyun hadn't been traveling on business lately, the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild's operations had continued as usual.
This time, because the cargo was particularly important, Tingyun had decided to personally inspect it—who could have imagined that before the crates were even opened, this mess would happen.
Thankfully, the goods this time were sturdy. Though the crates were dented and warped from the impact, the contents remained mostly intact.
With nothing urgent to handle for the moment and no way out, Tingyun waited until the injured were settled before heading over to the cargo area to take stock.
In Tingyun's estimation, with an incident of this scale striking the Luofu, the starport would likely be sealed off for a while.
And judging by the damage to the Cloudford, clearing the area and taking a full inventory would be no small task.
If she didn't seize this chance to check the goods now, who knew how long it would be before the next opportunity.
Just as Tingyun was bent over reviewing the manifest, a sudden commotion and cries of alarm erupted not far away.
Before Tingyun could even draw near, she heard the Cloud Knights' sharp warning:
"Everyone, fall back! They're turning into mara-struck!"
What?!
Tingyun's heart dropped. She immediately abandoned the cargo and hurried toward the crowd.
By now, the still-mobile members of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild were frantically helping the wounded put distance between themselves and the two figures succumbing to mara.
"Graaah—!!"
A roar of madness tore through the air, and panic instantly seized the scene.
Someone with sharp eyes spotted Tingyun and called out:
"Miss Tingyun! It's Awang and A'ping—they're—!"
"Miss Tingyun, get back—stay away!"
A weight settled in Tingyun's chest, but her expression remained cool and composed as ever:
"Everyone, stay calm. Don't panic. Wounded to the rear. Those who are able, take up arms and prepare to support the Cloud Knights!"
The two Cloud Knights exchanged a glance, blades in hand, then briefly looked back at the guild members behind them.
Of the dozen or so people, barely half had picked up weapons, and none seemed eager to fight—after all, the enemy before them had been their colleagues just moments ago…
"The Xianzhou soars, the Cloud Knights ever-victorious!"
"For the Luofu!"
Shouting their battle cry to steel themselves, the two Cloud Knights charged straight toward the mara-struck.
A Xianzhou native transformed by mara gains enhanced physical abilities—strength, agility, and regenerative power all increase dramatically.
Especially under these conditions, their healing would be even more accelerated.
Two against two, facing them head-on was nearly a guaranteed disadvantage.
But as Cloud Knights, with civilians behind them in need of protection, who else would step forward?
Besides, they couldn't expect the guild members to decisively strike down their former comrades.
Tingyun's grip tightened unconsciously around her ever-present folding fan. She was nervous too.
Not just because of the enemy, but because any of the wounded—or even the Cloud Knights themselves—could succumb to mara at any moment and turn against them.
That kind of fear could shatter morale completely.
The Sky-Faring Commission was busy maintaining order around the central area of Starskiff Haven. There was no telling how long it would take for reinforcements to arrive.
The only hope might lie with Sylvia's group…
Tingyun took a deep breath, watching the two Cloud Knights holding the line, and could only pray her benefactor would arrive soon.
More than a dozen clashes later.
Clang—!
"Damn it, they've healed again!"
One Cloud Knight's slash had carved a terrible wound from shoulder to abdomen across a mara-struck foe.
Yet an injury that would have incapacitated any ordinary person was visibly closing up before their eyes.
Meanwhile, his comrade's claw-wounded left arm, while not severe, showed no sign of healing on its own.
Trading blows like this wasn't sustainable. The Cloud Knight raised his voice:
"Be careful! Stop pressing the attack—just hold them back!"
"What good is holding back?! If we drag this out, we're all dead!"
The wounded knight didn't see defense as a viable option. Trapped in here with no way out, stalling was pointless.
Hearing the exchange, Tingyun quickly called out: "Hold steady, both of you! This humble one has already called for reinforcements. Once they arrive, we'll be safe!"
"Is that true, Miss Tingyun?"
"It is!"
"Good! You hear that? Hold the line!"
"Heard and understood!"
The promise of reinforcements lifted the Cloud Knights' spirits.
And the other guild members, having witnessed the regenerative power of the mara-struck,
Finally steeled themselves, raising their weapons and joining the fray.
Though no match for the Cloud Knights, their numbers helped. Working together, they eased some of the pressure on the knights.
Tingyun and a few clerical staff focused on tending the wounded.
For a moment, the situation seemed to stabilize.
But as time wore on, human endurance has its limits.
"Aah—!"
One of the guild members, weakened and off-guard, gave the mara-struck an opening. A claw tore across his chest, gouging a deep wound, and with a burst of brutal force, sent him flying back with a scream to crash into the rubble.
"Changming!"
"Damn it—!"
With the first casualty, the tide began to turn against them.
And right then, a nearby cargo crate suddenly burst apart—
"Roar—!!!"
A Fragmentum creature—an Imaginary Weaver—a towering humanoid monster floating mid-air, along with several Frostspawns, tore through the steel container and lunged toward the crowd.
What was already a precarious situation now tipped toward outright crisis.
"I'll handle it!"
The unwounded Cloud Knight acted decisively. With a fierce slash to force back the mara-struck, he turned and charged alone toward the sudden wave of monsters.
But facing multiple enemies, a single Cloud Knight couldn't hold the line alone. Soon, more from the merchant group broke away from the mara-struck fight to join this new battle.
Yet splitting their strength was only a temporary fix—like drinking poison to quench thirst. Both fronts grew increasingly dire.
Tingyun could hold back no longer. She pulled out her phone, trying to reach Sylvia for help.
And the moment she sent the message, a terrifying shriek tore across the sky, accompanied by a shadow that blotted out the sun!
"ROOOOAR—!!!!"
The overwhelming aura even stunned the Fragmentum creatures and the mara-struck for an instant.
Everyone looked up to see a monstrous, colossal beast diving straight toward them.
At last, despair washed over Tingyun's face.
She closed her eyes instinctively, awaiting the end.
Benefactor, it seems this humble one won't be able to keep our dinner appointment after all.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.