The Axestone

Chapter 1: Escape

The moonless night was dark and windy, and the desolate land was filled with the howling of the wind. The grass swayed in the breeze, adding a terrifying atmosphere to the eerie silence, like the calm before a storm.

The hurried, frantic footsteps sounded like they confirmed the storm's prophecy. Two women were running recklessly across the grass, as though they were running for their lives.

Perhaps due to exhaustion, the woman trailing behind gradually slowed down, her steps unsteady, gasping for breath as she managed to say, "I... ha... I... I can't... keep going..."

The faint words were drowned out by the wind, and the two women had already put some distance between them, so the woman in front didn't notice.

Fortunately, the woman in front occasionally turned to check on her companion and realized that the woman behind had fallen behind, finally stumbling and falling to the ground.

When the woman in front turned and started running toward her, Mo Chu mustered the little strength she had left to shout, "Ha... Wu You, don't... don't worry about me, don't run back for me, just... just go on!"

Wu You ignored her, running straight toward Mo Chu, looking around as she slowed her pace.

She leisurely walked up to Mo Chu, stopped, and looked down at Mo Chu, who was lying on the grass.

"Alright, what's with all this dramatic act? I'll buy you a little gold trophy when we get back."

"This is called tacit understanding."

When Wu You turned to run toward Mo Chu, Mo Chu knew they had escaped danger.

Because, from what she knew of Wu You, although Wu You was brave, she wasn't foolish enough to come unarmed to her death. So, she decided to tease Wu You, who hated melodrama, to lighten the mood and relieve the tension.

Mo Chu grabbed Wu You's outstretched hand and climbed to her feet, brushing the grass and dirt off her clothes.

After a quick adjustment, the playful mood vanished, and Mo Chu asked seriously, "Do you have any ideas?"

Wu You stopped looking around and raised her hand, pointing toward a small cabin that was faintly visible in the distance. "Let's head to that cabin first. Maybe we can find something useful there."

Mo Chu nodded in agreement. In their hasty escape, they had left their backpacks behind, with almost nothing on them—not even a weapon for self-defense. They were practically defenseless.

...

Under the moonlight, the two walked slowly, their steps in sync, yet they seemed to come from two different worlds.

One wore an adventure outfit, while the other dressed in casual long pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Wu You looked like someone ready for an adventure, while Mo Chu appeared more like a tourist out for a casual stroll.

As they walked, Wu You suddenly remembered something and casually asked, "By the way, the papers you ripped up... you didn't lose them, right?"

"Of course not. I got it covered. Don't worry," Mo Chu replied, stopping in her tracks. She then reached into her pants pocket and began rummaging.

After a moment, she pulled out two irregularly folded papers, unfolded them, and handed them to Wu You, who was waiting.

Wu You took the papers. The edges were torn, and the creases made it obvious they had been hastily ripped from a book.

Both papers had writing on them, in the same neat and clear handwriting.

The title of both papers was "Axestone Spells," and the content contained several incantations written in Romanized pinyin. Each spell was explained in detail, including its purpose, how to use it, the process, and the precautions, all in simple terms.

"I wonder if these spells are real. How about we give them a try?" Wu You suggested.

"Which one should we try?" Mo Chu asked.

Wu You studied the two papers carefully. Her gaze eventually settled on a particular incantation from the first sheet. "How about this one? Axestone Transfer."