After digging around here and there in the name of practicing his new skill, Kyle finally arrived in front of a large crystal-clear lake. At first, his destination was indeed the nearest mountain but he did not even realize when his path changed, because he was too engrossed in smelling the air around him.
Still, even after practicing for so long, he could only activate the skill for fifteen seconds straight, or else it would completely overwhelm his senses.
Kyle wiped the sweat trickling down his head and sighed. There were a lot of bad scents around him but detecting them made it possible for him to avoid all kinds of dangers. Moreover, if he hastily grasped the appealing scents, he could track a lot of good things. The reason he found the lake nestled inside so many boulders was also due to the scent perception skill.
"Okay, I take back my words. This skill is not half bad."
Kyle grabbed the hem of his tattered hoodie and threw it away. He bent down to check the water temperature with the tip of his finger. It was extremely cold but for Kyle, it was normal because his body was resilient against cold.
The injury behind his back was still not completely healed, but it wasn't painful enough to stop him from moving. After checking the surroundings and making sure there were no other people around, he cautiously jumped into the lake.
As the water cascaded down his handsome, muscular body, the droplets glistened in the sunlight, accentuating his toned and lean physique. His skin contrasted beautifully with his silver-bright hair, which shone brilliantly under the sunlight.
After cleaning himself, Kyle made his way out of the lake, feeling refreshed. He ran his fingers through his damp hair, ridding it of any excess water, and then proceeded to put on a pair of black-colored trousers and a cream-colored shirt.
Finding a quiet spot among the boulders that surrounded the lake, Kyle settled down and reached out to the person who had been worrying about him for the past few hours.
'Ahem.. Bia? Can you hear me?'
In an instant, a loud, angry roar echoed in his mind and Bia bombarded his head with questions, one after another.
-'How dare you cut off my voice!? Where the hell are you? Also, what happened a while ago? I sensed a lot of repulsive emotions from you...'
Kyle let out a sigh and massaged his temples, but he allowed her to speak to her heart's content. He knew that this time, he was the one in the wrong because he had blocked her voice when his emotions went out of control. So, he patiently listened to Bia. After hearing her out, he reassured her that he was fine.
'Where are you?'
-'Well...'
He frowned when Bia dragged her words.
'Did you encounter anything dangerous? I can sense you are quite far away from my location.'
Kyle stood up, almost ready to leave, but then Bia replied with a hint of speechlessness in her voice.
-'I am alright, don't worry. It's just after I left, I happened to see Jian. I have no idea how he managed it, but when I saw him, a big horde of monsters was following behind him.'
-'Moreover, the horde of monsters was not the only thing chasing behind him. So, I decided to help him a little out of concern but that little help cost me a lot.'
Bia grumbled at the end, feeling a strong desire to just strangle the red-haired boy fighting alongside her. Just how the hell can someone attract so many monsters at once? Not to mention the fact that the enemies were increasing with each passing second!
She wanted to rest so badly but due to the swarm of monsters attacking her from all directions, she could not even take a proper breath.
-'Damn it! Why do I need to suffer so much when I am not even paid for it? Ugh... the most infuriating part is that after I saved his life this brat is not even thankful! He is calling the majestic me little birdie? Can you believe it? Little Birdie?'
Kyle's eyebrow twitched at her continuous rumbling. He jumped up to stand above a boulder. With narrowed eyes, he looked in the distance.
'Can you handle it? Or should I come to find you?'
-'Who do you think I am? These (C)-Rank bugs are no match for me! Just wait at your current location. I will make my way to you in a while.'
Bia declared resolutely. However, inwardly she knew Kyle would come find her in no time. After all, how can he let her suffer alone? Yet, a far contrast to her expectations, Kyle agreed almost instantly.
'Okay. Come find me when you are done.'
Kyle did not hear it, but he had a nagging feeling at the back of his head that Bia was cursing him. However, he couldn't understand why.
After checking the surroundings one last time, he comfortably sat down behind a large boulder. He wanted to organize his thoughts and also recover his mana completely before moving out again.
Across from the lake where Kyle was taking a break, a set of amber eyes cautiously peeked out from a narrow underground tunnel. It felt as if those eyes were trying to detect someone's presence but all they could see was the vast expanse of a lush, green grassy field.
Yue let out a weary sigh and clutched a bundle of grass to cover the entrance of the underground tunnel. Her breathing came out irregular and her heart was pounding in her chest. Moreover, her appearance mirrored her inner struggle, as the brown tunic she wore was torn from various places.
The reason, from the moment she arrived in this realm she had to run. Not from the monsters but from the strange bat-like creatures. She witnessed a lot of things, so cruel that it tore her heart. However, she was weak, so weak to even protect herself. So, how could she help others?
She slowly gazed at the girl standing opposite her. Unlike her, the girl was a demi-human with a beautiful pair of fox ears on her head and a large fluffy tail.
"We are safe for the time being. That winged man, I think he left."
