SCREEE!
Outside the thatched hut, the gyrfalcon flew high and then swooped low, letting out warning cries. It was clearly warning these invaders not to touch its eggs.
BANG!
The roof of the thatched hut was torn off, exposing them to the gyrfalcon’s view.
In truth, the gyrfalcon had discovered its nest had been invaded long ago. If not for the eggs it had laid inside and its fear that the humans might harm its offspring in desperation, it would have attacked much sooner.
This gyrfalcon wasn’t large, but judging by the dense Wind Element energy emanating from it, it was another evolved creature. And a very rare one at that—an evolved creature with a superpower, just like Whitey.
Flora Bloom had also guessed the reason the gyrfalcon hadn’t attacked them yet: it was afraid of accidentally harming its two eggs.
’But if we retreat without touching the two eggs, will it attack us as we leave?’
Flying creatures were just like that—fast, agile, and terrifyingly mobile. A situation like this made her feel completely insecure.
"What should we do? Retreat, or grab the eggs and run?"
Cynthia Grant’s words had barely left her lips when the mother gyrfalcon, flying low, seemed to understand. It let out a piercing shriek that threatened to rupture their eardrums.
The cry had a touch of the Golden Cicada’s sonic attack, capable of causing auditory damage. Just that one shriek made Flora Bloom’s ears ring, and she couldn’t hear what Lex Cross was saying.
Seeing Flora Bloom staring at him blankly, Lex Cross didn’t rush. He slowly mouthed the words, "You guys leave first."
Flora Bloom finally understood what Lex Cross meant, just as Five, The Crown Prince, and the racoon dog began escorting her and Cynthia Grant back onto the crab’s back.
But as Flora Bloom turned her head, she saw Lex Cross swiftly approach the nest, scooping up one egg in each hand. He looked up, his gaze meeting the gyrfalcon’s. His eyes, as sharp as a hawk’s, showed an intensity that was in no way inferior to the magnificent gyrfalcon.
"Lex, be careful!" Flora Bloom cried, starting to go to him, but Nolan Jennings blocked her path.
"Sister-in-law, don’t go! You’ll only distract the boss if you do!"
Flora Bloom stopped in her tracks. The dozen or so people on the crab’s back didn’t leave. Every single person was fixated on the scene unfolding with Lex Cross.
Seeing the human take its eggs right under its nose, the gyrfalcon suddenly spread its wings, flapped violently, and dove straight for Lex Cross. The sight made Flora Bloom and the others break out in a cold sweat. Especially Flora Bloom, who silently repeated to herself, ’I have to trust him. Trust him,’ forcing herself not to become a distraction.
The thatched hut was actually built on a thin wooden platform, light enough to float on the water. For a tall, sturdy man like Lex Cross—who looked to be well over six feet tall—standing on this wooden plank already put him at a disadvantage. Beside it was open water; falling in would put him at an even greater one.
The gyrfalcon was intelligent and had been aiming for this all along. Its dive toward Lex Cross was nimbly dodged. But instead of turning, it used its immense momentum and powerful talons to instantly shatter the wooden platform of the hut.
The platform shattered into three pieces from the blow. Lex Cross remained steady, crouched on the largest piece, tracking the gyrfalcon’s trajectory as it took off for a second time.
Lex Cross’s gaze was like that of a true falcon, locked in a contest of wills. From the gyrfalcon’s perspective, the human male’s eyes stared right through it, as if they could see into its very mind and discern its flight strategy.
Sure enough, the gyrfalcon launched its second attack.
This time, it was another dive, straight at Lex Cross.
Flora Bloom and the others watched the fierce attack. If it hit, the impact would be no less powerful than a bullet fired from a hundred meters away.
However, just as it was about to reach Lex Cross, the gyrfalcon’s attack suddenly shifted. It wheeled sharply above his head, changing its target to his back.
A person’s back is a blind spot for anyone, but Lex Cross seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Just as the gyrfalcon was about to touch his back, he launched himself into a backflip, soaring upwards close to its head. While dodging the attack, he reached out to grab its wing.
But the gyrfalcon’s reaction was incredibly fast. At the exact moment Lex Cross reached for its wing, a Wind Blade sharp enough to slice open his skull shot toward him.
This Wind Blade was a killing blow it had been preparing all along, waiting for the moment Lex Cross was mid-flip, airborne and unable to dodge, to strike at his most vulnerable point.
Suspended in midair, Lex Cross naturally sensed the Wind Blade coming from the side.