The ten silver orbs streaked through the air with incredible speed, their movents appearing almost blurred as they pierced the targets. Each orb found its mark, delving directly into the heads of the towering creatures, instantly snuffing out the life in their eyes.
Kevin, his eyes wide with astonishnt, turned to Viana, his voice tinged with incredulity. "What was that?"
Viana, her face marked with sweat and her breaths coming in rapid succession, t their gazes with pride. "While you all have your strong bodies, I have this," she explained cryptically, withholding the details of how she effortlessly dispatched the ten monsters in one swift move, a feat that had eluded them in the minutes they had struggled to rely injure the creatures.
Kevin's gaze fixated on the bodies of the fallen monsters, noticing sizable smoking holes in their heads—reminiscent of his hallucinations where Viana had obliterated one with a fireball. The vividness of his hallucinations seed less exaggerated now that he had witnessed her formidable power in reality.
Observing the massive creatures lying before them, most towering over 6 feet in height, with only a couple reaching the stature of single-story buildings, Kevin realized why the battle had been such a formidable struggle. Their sheer size and strength had prolonged the fight, making it a challenging endeavor for the team to vanquish them swiftly.
Had it been morning, they might not have engaged in such an arduous battle, given that these monsters weren't inherently overpowering. They had fought vigorously to conclude the battle swiftly, aiming to eliminate the threat before other creatures were drawn to the commotion. That's why even after the victory, the team remained vigilant, attending to their injuries and keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings to avoid further potential threats.
Kevin appeared to have sustained the most severe injury among the group; the others only bore minor bruises and cuts. Stuart wore a remorseful expression as Arya tended to Kevin's wounds. "They nearly sliced through to your bones," Arya remarked, applying a green substance to his injuries, prompting Kevin to grimace due to the warmth it generated.
"Bear with it; it's a healing potion... works best directly on the wounds," Arya explained calmly as the torn skin began the unsettling process of self-healing, a sight that appeared both unsettling and ghastly.
Kevin winced at the sensation but tried to endure it as Arya continued the healing process. Stuart, feeling remorseful, spoke up, "I should've been quicker, mate. Sorry about that."
"yeah no, fuck..., you should've..." Kevin managed through gritted teeth, the healing process proving more discomforting than the initial wound. "Now, instead of apologies, could soone pass so water?"
Keith near him pass the water while ken who was looking around the dark forest with her silver eyes said. "we are safe for now but let's not sleep tonight...." he said with a sigh and took a seat.
"Are you sure?" Robert inquired, maintaining his readiness for battle, mirroring the posture of the others.
"Yeah, he's right. But let's take a breather until another trouble cos our way..." Keyara suggested before her expression shifted with anger. "Those fuckers killed our rides..."
All eyes turned towards where their steeds were tethered together, only to find their lifeless bodies covered in bite and slash marks.
"They killed my Whisky..." Kevin lanted, a hint of sadness evident in his voice. Despite having had the three-eyed creature for just a couple of days, he had developed a fondness for the peculiar mount. Its comfortable back had provided him with undisturbed rest during travels, but now, that comfort was lost forever.
Keyara sighed, a mix of frustration and anger evident in her voice. "We'll have to make do without them for now. They were reliable partners."
Zaria nodded in agreent, her expression mirroring the shared sentint. "It's a sha. They were strong and swift."
"Team, stay vigilant from here on out. Today's opponent might have been weak, but the next one might not be as easy to handle. We need to be more alert," Keyara instructed the group, wiping her sword clean from the blood of the head monster. She continued, addressing Ken and Zaria directly, "Tomorrow morning, your priority is to track where this monster pack ca from and locate their hideouts. The strength of the pack leader indicates they likely possess so rare herbs at their den."
Ken hesitated, reluctant to comply with Keyara's directive. He scratched the back of his head, clearly displaying his reluctance to engage in the task. "Ah, do we really have to? It's a lot of work, you know..."
On the contrary, Zaria swiftly nodded in agreent. "We need to locate their hideout. It might hold not only more noxlight herbs but also other rare treasures."
Keyara recognized that Ken wasn't driven by greed as much as he was by laziness. He'd trade wealth worth trillions for the world's most comfortable bed to lounge around in. With a serious expression, she addressed him directly. "Just assist in gathering those 20 noxlight flowers, and after that, you can do as you please... Please, don't be lazy just until then..."
Ken rubbed the back of his neck, clearly torn between his aversion to work and Keyara's request. "Fine, fine. I'll do it, but I'm not promising I'll enjoy it."
As everyone remained vigilant around the fire, they engaged in conversation to stay alert. Arya took the lead, sharing details about the Kinnan Kingdom, known as one of the weakest realms among their neighboring nations. "Have you heard about the civil war going on in Kinnan Kingdom?"
"Yeah, the prince of that kingdom apparently killed the duke's daughter," Yelena chid in.
"Ugh, classic story—dumb prince causing chaos in his own family," Keith scoffed, looking pretty disgusted out.
Benny, who overheard, pitched in. "Nah, it was the Asthya kingdom's king behind that ss."
"Those power-hungry Asthya folks would do anything to beef up their influence... even at the cost of countless lives," Robert added, a mix of disgust and anger in his voice.
"Sad truth is, most folks in power play that ga. We're lucky we can avoid them, if not fight back... But the regular folks? They're stuck," Stuart lanted, wearing a saddened expression.
Ken scoffed and retorted, "Whoever thinks we're safe from their sches... We're out here battling these monsters just for a bit of profit, And for who for that type of peoples..."
His words struck a chord, reminding everyone of their situation. They were in the jungle, fighting monsters, all because they had sent one of their own to seek a better life. Even though cultivators often lived like this, the feeling of helplessness lingered among them.
"Enough politics for now. What's the plan for tomorrow? Are we scouting out the hideout of these monsters who paid us a visit tonight?" Kevin tried to steer the conversation.
"Indeed we are," Keyara affird before diving into sothing else. "Considering everyone's planning to depart from the Demitia family, how about leaving with a bit more strength than you ca with?"
Her words left the group puzzled, so she clarified, "What I an is, most of you want to leave to beco stronger, sothing the Demitia family can't provide. But what if I could help make you stronger before you depart?"
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Ken inquired, his expression laced with skepticism. "No offense, Keyara, but we all know the Demitia family doesn't even have cultivation grounds anymore. Your uncle sold those off to the Benvar family before vanishing into who-knows-where."
Kevin wasn't well-versed in the history of Keith's family. There hadn't been much shared about it, and their acquaintance was relatively brief. However, he was unaware that the Demitia family once possessed personal cultivation grounds. These were akin to natural mines, yielding rare herbs—the kind that granted power. In Lucima City, the Benvar family held four such well-known cultivation grounds, contributing significantly to their influence.
Keyara glanced around at the group, her expression determined. "True, we might not have our own grounds anymore, but there's a way. I propose we find out why the rchants are so eager to gather these noxlight flowers. If it's about gaining strength or power, then perhaps we can use those flowers to bolster our own."
"Keyara, honey, I've attempted to dig into that myself, and trust , many others with more power and resources than have tried too. None of us have succeeded," Yelena sighed, her tone tinged with a sense of disappointnt.
Keith's deanor grew increasingly somber as she observed her sister's persistent desire to keep the group united, knowing that not everyone shared the sa sentint. It weighed heavily on her, feeling a mix of sadness and humiliation.
Before Keith could speak up, Kevin squeezed her hand, signaling her to chill. He stepped in, "Let's save that chat for later, once we've wrapped up why we're actually here, alright?" His tone was all business, refocusing everyone on the task at hand.
Keyara was also about to speak up, but Viana intervened, laying a gentle hand on her arm. "He's right, Keyara. Let's save the discussions for after we've completed our mission here."
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