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Chapter 57: Perilous Woods

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

"Nothing," Anfey said, smiling. "I'm just telling a story. Christian, tell me, what is a perfect woman?" Even now, Anfey still had not given up. Men would naturally lower their guard when they began talking about women. This way it would be much easier to find out what Christian was hiding.

"Um… beautiful, stately, caring, kind. Every man dreams of having a woman like this. Anfey, what about your ideal woman?"

Anfey hesitated, thoughts flowing into his mind. Back when he was an assassin, he had encountered many women. Some had left a huge impact on him, but in the end none of the relationships lasted. He had always prepared extensively for his missions, but his job was, in the end, high-risk. One wrong step and he would be nothing more than a dead body. There was no use wasting someone else's life. On the other hand, Anfey was fearful. He was scared that another person would become close to him. Assassins were lonely. Anyone who found out about his real identity meant potential danger for him. Whenever a relationship developed, he would always end it before it became too serious.

Had he really loved anyone? What was the girl like? Does he still have any right to love? Anfey's thoughts turned into a jumbled mess.

"Anfey? You alright?" Christian called. He noticed that Anfey's eyes seemed lost, which came as a surprise to him.

"Nothing, nothing. Just some bad memories," Anfey said, instantly returning to normal. For him, negative thoughts were temporary, and nothing could affect his coolness for long.

"Did I hit a sore spot? Hurt by a girl before?"

"They are right when they say mages have active imaginations, but sadly, you're wrong," Anfey said, smiling. "Let's change the topic. How long did Zubin stay at Master Saul's?"

"About two years after I arrived," Christian said. "Zubin has some… interesting stories."

The two sat there and laughed about the stupid things Zubin did when he was younger, while Zubin sat there vigilantly, unaware of what his friends were talking about.

When the first ray of sunlight fell onto the treetops, Zubin yawned and opened his eyes. He was rubbing his eyes when he noticed a dark cloud around the trees. He squinted, and when he realized what it was, he gasped, "What the…"

He kept his voice low, but it was enough to wake Anfey up from his light slumber. He followed Zubin's gaze, and saw that outside their ward was a large swarm of dark insects. It was attacking the ward relentlessly, but causing no visible damage.

"Those are night mosquitoes," Christian said. "For normal animals, they are very dangerous. They can suck a grown mammal dry in seconds. They only come out during the night, though. Since their wings are mostly water, they will dry out under the sun and break off."

"Will they leave soon?" Feller asked.

"It's easy to make them disappear," Christian said, extending his hands. Water gathered in his hands, and a few seconds later the insects began raining from the sky. Half the swarm was on the ground in the blink of an eye. Christian dispersed the magic and smiled, "Master has always said that there is no bad magic, only bad mages. A proper mage must incorporate magic into his daily life. Otherwise, he will not be a successful mage."

"Well said," Anfey agreed. There were similar beliefs in the art of Wu. That Saul could figure this out by himself meant that he was certainly very skillful.

"Anfey, are we leaving now?" Zubin asked.

"You and Sante should rest first," Anfey said, peering down from a tree branch.

There was a story about four blind men trying to understand what an elephant looks like, and they ended up coming to completely different conclusions. This story showed that people who had not seen things with their own eyes should not have the right to express their opinions in contradiction to others. None of the students had been in a magic beast forest before, and unconsciously they considered magic beasts and orcs to be their worst enemies. However, Anfey had experienced forests like these before, so had insisted on sleeping in the trees, since there were fewer deadly animals living up in the trees. He had also told Christian to set up a ward to further guard against attacks from wild animals.

He peered down from the tree and instantly noticed a disturbing picture on the forest floor. A spider the size of a pot crawled out from beneath the forest floor, grabbed a nearby snake, and disappeared again beneath the ground. Just the small sequence of movements showed Anfey that the floor of the forest was not solid, but muddy. A wide wasp landed on a nearby flower and was immediately captured by the flower. The petals closed in on the wasp, and when it opened up again the wasp had completely disappeared. Not only the flower itself, but its stem was moving as well. It moved towards another bug, but the latter shot out a light blue mist from its body, and the flower dried out quickly. The bug walked through the flowers, which all made way for the little creature as if it were a king. A white leopard approached quietly, the spider-like creature appeared again, hoping to capture another meal. The white leopard, however, sensing approaching danger, roared sharply. The spider was thrown back by an invisible force against a tree trunk, its body smashed. Dark green fluid dripped down from the trunk of the tree, and from where Anfey stood, he could see the undigested body of the small snake.

"That's a spark leopard," Christian said. "It's a dangerous magic beast. Very powerful. It's also very cautious, and rarely attacks anything that would not bring it harm."

"Spark leopard," Anfey said, nodding. "I know them." Yagor had lost his lover because he was trying to find a magic crystal of a spark leopard.

"Spark leopards are strange," Christian responded. "Sometimes they prefer to be alone, sometimes they live in packs. Packs tend to be more dangerous. They are among the more intelligent of the magic beasts, and know how to cooperate. It is fascinating."

"It's normal," Anfey said. "Spark leopards must have mating and birthing seasons too. They need to gather together if they want to protect themselves." This was common knowledge. Anyone could understand it after watching a few episodes of National Geographic.

"Mating, mating," Christian stumbled, blushing. "Anfey, that is an… interesting choice of words."

The spark leopard noticed the two men above. It lifted its head and glanced their way, making eye contact with Anfey. It turned around and disappeared into the trees.

"Christian, is this what the entire forest is like?" Anfey asked. He was disappointed. He thought maybe he could find a safe place in the forest and settle down, then slowly begin figuring out how to contact Saul. Under these conditions, however, there was no place to settle down. They could not hide in the tree forever. Not just the others, but even Anfey could not be certain whether he could live in the trees for long.

"Not the entire place," Christian said. "There are some scenic places here. We are in the swamps, though, where it's the worst."

"Is it…" Anfey said. "Christian, can you go with Riska, Blavi, and Feller to find a place where we can settle for a while. Don't go too far though. Stay within a five-mile radius. Come back whether you find a good place or not. If you hear something on the way, don't go down and check it. We will go together. Understand?"

"Of course," Christian nodded.

"Alright. You should head out immediately. Everyone else should get up and eat something," Anfey called.

The four given the order did not hesitate. They discussed their plan, and immediately used levitation and headed out. They dispersed in the air while the rest scrambled to get up and began organizing their belongings.

Zubin and Sante were both laying where the others had lied. They were exhausted, and although it was not much, it was better than not resting at all.

Sanchez began distributing food among the group. This time Niya did not reject the meal. She accepted the food and began eating heartily. After a night of rest, she was looking better, and the red mark on her face had begun to fade as well. Luckily, Niya did not have time to look in a mirror. She had forgotten to bring a mirror when she fled the city; otherwise she would have stirred up a storm if she found out that Anfey had injured her face.

After a while, Christian returned with his exploration team. It was easy to tell the difference between their magical abilities. Christian was the first one back, then Riska and Blavi. Feller was the last one back.

The exploration had yielded results. Christian and Riska had explored deeper into the swamps and found no proper camping ground. Blavi and Feller both found good spots to camp. Christian had the four eat a quick meal before deciding with the group that they would head towards the southeast.

Chapter 58: The group was excited!

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

The terrain of the Magic Beast Forest was extremely gloomy and horrifying. The group flew ten miles southeast before stopping for a short break, then moved forward to the east where they found a beautiful valley.

The valley was huge, covering about 20 square miles. Anfey walked through most of the area with Zubin. The valley was in a T-shape. A small pasture lay in the junction where three creeks met. Green grass and wildflowers were all over the pasture. Dozens of butterflies as big as a human hand were flying around the flowers. A few herbivores were looking for food. As soon as they saw Anfey and the group, they quickly jumped up and disappeared in the grass.

The slope of the surrounding hills was quite gentle, covered with tall deciduous trees and evergreen trees. It seemed odd that both trees grew in the same place, because they required very different climates. Anfey saw two ginkgo trees with unique leaves. He even stepped up and observed them for a long while. To the west of the pasture was a swamp about two hundred square meters. The water was clear, but in the center, the water appeared to be darker. Anfey guessed the swamp was over ten meters deep.

"Anfey, we should stay here. It's so pretty." Zubin had already fallen in love with this pasture.

"Hang on," Anfey said while he was looking at the water. "It is getting dark. Let's spend the night and make a decision after looking around tomorrow."

"Look! There are fish in the water!" Zubin chuckled.

A small fish only as thick as a finger came up and spit out a bunch of bubbles. It then swung its tail and turned back in the water.

"This fish is too small to eat."

"Anfey…I meant the fish was pretty. I never said I would eat it…" Zubin shook his head.

Anfey smiled without saying anything. He was a very practical person. When he saw something new or familiar, the first thought that came to his mind was whether it would bring benefit or danger. Obviously Zubin and Anfey had very different mentalities.

When Zubin saw the fish, he enjoyed watching it. When Anfey saw the fish, he thought about putting it on the table and the nutrition it could bring. If Christian saw the fish, he might reach for some bread and feed the fish with a big smile.

People with different personalities have distinctive perceptions and reactions to the same thing; hence, a person's characteristics form habits, and the habits determine that person's fate.

"Anfey, we should go. Otherwise, the team will worry about us," Zubin said softly.

Anfey stared at the peaceful water. It rippled intensely where his eyes landed. Zubin knew that thousands of thoughts were going through Anfey's mind. After a while, Anfey finally nodded, "Okay. Let's go."

In their temperate camp, a cave about seven or eight meters deep, Christian was distributing food. As usual, a magic shield covered the cave. A bonfire was burning inside the cave. Because the group hadn't eaten hot food in several days, everyone was sitting by the fire to warm up the sausage, although they were very hungry.

"Come on, Anfey. You came at the right time. Let's have dinner together," Christian smiled.

"Okay," Anfey nodded while observing the ground and walls.

"Anfey, relax! I have already scorched the ground and walls using fire magic, just like you told me." Christian knew what Anfey was looking for.

Anfey wasn't being overly vigilant. It was difficult to judge the harmfulness of an animal by its size. For instance, a black widow spider was only the size of half a human fist. But once it bit, it could kill a person within minutes. That was the reason Anfey had Christian scorch the whole cave before he left. He had to eliminate any potential threats.

"Anfey, here you go. I just grilled it. Yummy!" Sanchez handed over a sausage.

"Thank you," Anfey politely thanked Sanchez and sat down next to him.

"Oh…Anfey…You are welcome." Sanchez seemed a bit nervous.

Anfey smiled. As he stared at the bonfire, a thought came to him. "Sante, after everyone goes to bed tonight, please open up the magic shield and make the air in the cave…Well, I hope you understand what I am talking about: refresh the air in the cave."

"Understood," Sante nodded.

"Anfey, when are we sending someone to the Master?" Blavi asked.

All of a sudden, Anfey got everyone's attention. No matter how beautiful it was here, no one wanted to stay here longer than they needed to. They just wanted to get back to Saul.

Anfey paused for a second and said, "Don't rush. Let's settle down, send someone to get some information, and then decide. As you all know, we are in serious trouble. Phillip is not an easy enemy…If we return to Master Saul, that might put him in danger."

He continued, "You have followed Master Saul and learned magic from him for a while now. Master has taken care of you along the way. We can't only think about ourselves, but also must look out for the Master. We don't want to see the Master fight against Phillip. We are of course confident in Master Saul, but Phillip has two students who are master swordsmen. What if something happened to the Master?!"

"If we all stay here, it might be difficult for us, but Master Saul is safe. Phillip is tracking us. As long as we don't show up, he won't bother the Master!" Anfey said slowly, "So I think we should stay here for a while and then decide what to do. What do you think?"

The group was still young. As fugitives, they all wanted to seek Saul's protection. After hearing Anfey's analysis, everyone understood the importance of protecting Master Saul and became extremely excited.

"I agree with Anfey!" Christian said firmly. Christian was always polite and gentle. It was not like him to say something like this.

"Me too," Zubin laughed, "Phillip is old anyways. Maybe he will get angry and die if we stay here long enough."

"I agree as well. We have gotten into trouble, and we shouldn't put the Master in danger!" Blavi said.

"Yes. We are not kids. We cannot rely on the Master for everything!" Feller said, swinging his fist.

"Yes. We are not kids. We have to count on ourselves!"

"Right. We have to stay here!"

Niya looked at the group filled with excitement. A feeling arose in her heart. She had been dreaming of laying in her father's arms and telling him all about what she had been through. Now that she heard Anfey's and everyone else's words, her heart was suddenly filled with warmth. She wanted to cry, not from sorrow but passion. She felt a warmth and love that was different than her father's love.

"Anfey, what do you think we should do? We all listen to you," Zubin said.

"Right, Anfey. What should we do?" Christian turned to Anfey as well.

"That's simple. We have to live happily, and that will be a heavy blow on Phillip!" Anfey laughed. "Zubin just said that Phillip is old. He is eager to kill us because he knows he won't live long. The better we hide, the more anxious he will get. The more anxious he gets, the harder he will hunt for us. He might be exhausted to death before he finds us."

The whole group was amused. The heavy pressure of Phillip chasing after them was half gone. Yes. Why would they worry about an old man who wouldn't live much longer? Being young was their biggest advantage. They could keep hiding until Phillip died.

"Very well. Let's all get to sleep early and look around tomorrow. We will settle down here if everything looks fine." Anfey paused, and then continued, "Does anyone have a long, strong rope? It has to be tough."

"I do," Feller said. He took out a pouch from his chest. "I have a leather rope from the three-eyed magic cow. It is very tough."

"Feller, you are not an Archer. Why do you keep that rope for a bowstring?" Zubin asked curiously.

"At the time, the guy was eager to sell it, so I got a great bargain. I will sell it sooner or later anyways. I can make quite a bit of money from this deal."

"All you worry about is money. You are such a profiteer," Riska giggled.

"Money is great," Feller murmured.

"Yeah, right. Is that why you didn't bring anything but money with you when we left the Sacred City?" Blavi made fun of Feller.

"Anfey said I did a great job!" Feller defended himself.

Anfey chuckled and took the pouch. He saw a few green leather ropes that might add up to about 8 or 9 meters long. That was good enough!

Chapter 59: A Difficult Fight

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

The night was silent. The moonlight poured down like a silvery river. Anfey was hiding quietly in the depths of the small pond, waiting.

If he was a normal man, being submerged in water for so long would cause his skin to puff and wrinkle, because the semipermeability of the cell membranes caused large amounts of water to flow into the cells. This would cause a normal body to swell up.

Anfey, however, had practiced letting his body breathe while underwater. In the beginning, he would swell up as well. After a few months of practice, he could manage to control his body and let it breathe. Now it didn't matter how much time he spent in the water, his body would rarely swell up.

He had a grass straw in his mouth as well. Whenever his air began to thin, he would discreetly approach the surface to get some fresh air. When everything returned to normal, he would go back to his previous hiding place.

The first time they were intercepted by the Sacred Flame Legion, three strangers had intervened to help them. Anfey had found a piece of cloth there that smelled faintly of perfume. He deduced that since it was black, it could not have belonged to the Sacred Flame Legion, and that it had belonged to a woman.

Women tend to do a better job keeping themselves clean. If those people had followed his group, they should be camping somewhere around here as well. This was the only pond he found. He wanted to bathe here, and he imagined whoever was following him would want to bathe here too. Of course, they didn't have to come here that day, or at all, for that matter. Even though he had set a few alarms along the way, the people following them could have discovered his track.

Even though the possibility of seeing their pursuers was slim, Anfey wanted to wait there and see. Plus, he wanted to practice his skill holding his breath.

After forty-nine cycles, Anfey felt he was approaching his limit. He was disappointed that he did not see who he was expecting. When he surfaced to take his last breath, however, he felt the pond ripple, and spotted a shadow at the shore.

Anfey allowed his body to enter a more alert state. He took the straw and hid it at the bottom of the pond. Then he sank down to the bottom.

The reflection of the moon was disturbed, the broken pieces danced happily across the water. In situations like this, it was very hard to see what was happening at the bottom of the pond. Anfey let himself float through the water, pushing himself forward with a finger, and moved slowly towards the place where he spotted the ripples.

When he was closer, he spotted something whitish in color that appeared to be a person's legs. Anfey stopped carefully. He sank to the bottom and waited for a chance.

Time ticked by slowly. Anfey estimated it had already been around three minutes. The person had moved deeper into the water, meaning that whoever it was, they hadn't discovered him yet. He had only ten minutes, and after that he would be powerless.

After two more minutes, Anfey was merely feet away from the legs. He lifted a piece of rope from the bottom of the pond and slowly approached the person. The glow from the moon was still shattered, indicating that the person was still bathing.

Anfey slowly retreated, and when he was about ten feet away, he yanked the rope. However, the person had lifted a foot just then, and he had only caught the left foot.

Anfey needed to think quickly. He jerked the rope back with all his might and yanked the person underwater.

He swam towards the bottom of the pond while he drew the rope in. The person's blurry form was approaching fast. They were surrounded by a ball of white light, and even underwater, Anfey could tell this person was at least an intermediate swordsman.

However, she was dragged into the deep water, and even though she was struggling hard, she couldn't really find a solid place to use her power. Anfey had kept his feet solidly on the bottom of the pond to keep himself steady.

The woman stopped struggling and starting sinking towards him. Anfey was yanking on the rope, and the distance between them was suddenly shortened. Suddenly the woman swept towards him with her leg. Her leg slashed through the water with a dull thud, and Anfey could see it making a foamy arc.

Anfey ducked his head at the very last moment, and her leg missed. As her leg passed his ear, he heard a strange ringing and felt a sharp pain. Anfey knew the water must have ripped out some of his hair.

He could tell how powerful the person was just from that one single kick. He swam backwards to put some distance between himself and the person. Then with a few twists, he wrapped the rope around his right arm.

Clearly his opponent now understood that she needed to defeat him in order to get out of the pond, because she came right at him, swinging her fist. Again, Anfey heard the dull thud in the water.

Fighting in water had given Anfey some great advantages. It was a familiar environment for him, where he had practiced many of his skills. He cocked his head to avoid the punch, and did not try to fight back. He twisted his body and used her momentum to grab her. He pushed his opponent to the bottom of the pond and pressed her head against the muddy bottom. His other hand kept hitting her head.

Moving around like this in water was very difficult because of the resistance, but Anfey had experience. All of his punches were linear at first, and had only become a fist when he was about to come into contact with his target.

Where he was hitting his opponent was significant as well. For a swordsman protected by combat power, attacking any other place would leave no more than a scratch. Attacking the head, however, could potentially affect the person's brain. If his opponent accidentally choked on water, it would be all over.

His opponent suddenly pushed herself off of the bottom of the pond with her hands. She was stronger than Anfey had expected and he felt he couldn't restrain her any longer. So he changed his strategy and began restraining her instead of hitting. His left arm wrapped around her neck and his right around her chest. This way he restrained the usage of her arms. Whenever he was attacking from behind, the worst thing to deal with was elbow attacks. His legs wrapped around hers, and effectively prevented her from using her legs. Now, unless she could wave her legs like ropes, she could not attack Anfey.

However, Anfey was shocked to discover how stubborn she was. Even in a disadvantageous state, she was struggling hard. She tried to hit him with her head, but it was ineffective because Anfey had laid his head against her shoulders. Then she tried to use her hands, and Anfey felt sharp pains in his arms, but didn't dared to loosen his grip. The situation would turn against him if she managed to bite him.

Slowly, Anfey found himself at a disadvantage. She was slowly prying his arms apart. Anfey lowered his head and bit her in the shoulders.

"Argh…" Even under water, Anfey could hear a grunt from his opponent. Then he felt the struggling stop for a bit. He took advantage of this and wrapped a hand around her neck.

Soon, the struggling stopped and the tension in her body softened. Anfey waited for a few moments before releasing her. Just then, he saw her face and her lips, pressed together so tight they were almost like a line, and felt something was off. He swam backwards, then saw a punch straight to his face. He avoided the punch, but the water made his eyes too painful to keep open. He couldn't afford to close his eyes, though. He saw her leg sweeping towards him again, and raised his arms to his chest to defend himself.

Anfey's arms slammed against his chest. He felt a strong pain in his right arm, and knew that it was probably broken.

His opponent did not try any further attacks. She struggled towards the surface of the pond. Clearly she was about to lose all of her air supply.

Anfey couldn't let her go that easily, of course. He jerked on the rope and easily dragged her back down.

This time he didn't try and approach her. He kept at a distance and watched her paddle through the water. It achieved nothing, however, and finally she sank to the bottom and became still.

Anfey waited for a few moments before approaching her. He kicked her a few times to make sure that she had really passed out, then grabbed her and began swimming towards the surface. Even he was at his limit, let alone someone he dragged into the pond with no warning. His kicks were to prove that she was really unconscious.

He walked to the shallow part of the pond and left her on the ground. Anfey sat down on the bank and took a deep breath. It was a difficult fight, and the pain from his right arm told him that if she had really kicked him in the chest, he might be dead or dying now.

Anfey had fought many difficult opponents, but a woman as difficult as this was a first. When they were underwater, he had felt the strange softness of her chest and was certain that it was a woman.

Remembering that, he turned around and froze in his place.

Chapter 60: Speechless

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

After Anfey had entered his combat mode, his eyes hardly focused. It was as if he was lost and could not see anything. In fact, he was observing his opponent's every move, and every time he suspected danger, his eyes would focus in an instant. Anfey tended to focus on his opponent's moves instead of their looks, but this woman was too strange an opponent. Normally, women who were skillful fighters tended to be very tall and muscular, or at least bear some form of male characteristics. However, this woman's appearance slightly shocked Anfey.

The moon does not care what happens on the ground beneath it. No matter what kind of bloodbath or murderous act was taking place, the moon would always shine the same way. The woman lay on the ground, her eyes shut. There was blood on both her cheeks and lips, was the result of Anfei pressing her face against the bottom of the pond.

She had a small frame; her shoulders were relaxed. His eyes glided passed her chest down to her legs. Her legs were long and gentle, and did not look very muscular. Her feet were small and delicate. It was hard to imagine these very legs had almost killed him.

All in all, the woman looked very gentle. However, she only appeared soft and gentle when she was unconscious. What she would do when she woke up was another story.

Anfey stood and walked over. He grabbed the woman's elbows, and with two crisp movements he dislocated both of her arms. The woman was beautiful. For Anfey, however, even if the most beautiful woman were before him, his first priority would still be ensuring his own safety.

Anfey only cared how much of a threat his enemy was. He tended to disregard gender and appearance. An enemy was an enemy, no matter how beautiful. A friend was a friend, even if the friend was ugly. When facing his enemies or people he was unsure about, Anfey did not have any sympathy for them.

Anfey found a pea sized pill in his ring, pinched the woman's cheeks, and forced the pill into her mouth.

Afterwards, Anfey rested for a moment before walking over to the woman's clothes. He picked up a longsword from the ground. The sheath was well made and from some kind of animal hide; it was black and had a blue gleam under the moonlight. The sword itself was also well made, with strange symbols Anfey could not understand carved into it. He gripped the sword, and felt it was very comfortable in his hands. He pulled the sword out halfway.

A bright, blinding light came from the sword. Anfey was startled and pushed it back into the sheath. He turned to the woman and found her still unconscious, only her slightly raising and falling chest showed that she was alive.

Anfey walked over to the woman, grabbed her, and swung her over his shoulder. His other hand grabbed her legs and the clothes, and he began walking towards a nearby tree. Anfey looked more like a bandit that had just robbed a family of their wealth and their daughter, and now he was going to enjoy his prizes. Of course, Anfey would never stoop as low as a bandit, but his actions now were unpleasant, to say the least.

Anfey tied the woman's arms and legs behind her and hung her from the tree upside down. Now, even if she were a master swordsman, she still would not be able to escape. Plus, Anfey was not a dead man, and if she tried anything, Anfey would no show mercy just because she was a woman.

After he had done everything he wanted to do, Anfey circled the tree a few times and made sure he did not leave any loopholes. Then he picked up the clothes from the ground and draped them on her. Of course, this was unnecessary. He had tied her to the tree and had circled around her several times. He had seen everything already. He had his own concerns too. He needed the woman to stay as calm as possible when she woke up. If she was frantic, there was not much room for talk and negotiation. When he wasn't sure whether she had ill will towards him, he didn't want to have another fight.

Afterwards, Anfey lifted the woman's legs and began hitting her on her back. After spending so much time with Ernest, he knew well what the body of a swordsman was like. She was a strong swordsman, and his actions wouldn't kill her. Just as he expected, after he had hit her back a few times, she began coughing violently and spitting out water. Anfey pinched her under her nose, and after a few whimpers she went silent.

"Now that you're awake, let's talk," Anfey said coldly. "Stop playing dead. I'm not an idiot."

The woman lifted her head and glared at Anfey. Then she lowered her gaze. Once she did, she realized that she was naked, and let out a sharp scream.

"This sounds cliche, but you can scream your heart out and no one will come for you," Anfey said. "If you want to live, your only way out is to convince me."

After realizing she was naked, the woman calmed down, and her threatening aura disappeared. She turned her head away, biting her lips and preventing herself from making any sound. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the ground.

"Don't want to talk?" Anfey asked, smiling. "Alright, I'll wait. But I have to warn you. You have poison in your system. The longer you wait, the smaller your chance of survival."

Anfey had not actually fed the woman poison, but he could always explain the effects as poison. So even if she did get away, she would still have concerns. He liked security, and unless it was necessary, he would never put himself in direct danger.

For a few moments, the woman remained quiet, so Anfey just sat down on the ground. The woman began struggling, and from where he sat, Anfey could clearly see some of the more private parts of her body. She began crying and struggling harder. Anfey did not want her arms to have any last damage, so he tied some rope around her neck as well, so her neck would share some of her weight. However, this put her in excruciating pain, and the harder she struggled, the more pain she felt. After only a few minutes, she was sweating and panting.

Finally she stopped struggling and relaxed her body. Her eyes, however, were still focused on Anfey and filled with hatred.

"Still don't want to talk?" Anfey said. His eyes flickered, and he realized someone was approaching discreetly. Even though the person approaching was very quiet, Anfey could still detect them. However this person's magic surge was weak and no better than Anfey's.

The woman hanging from the tree appeared terrified as Anfey did a backflip and dashed away fast as lightning. A teenage girl in a pale green dress was standing there, stunned. Her spell wasn't even finished, and Anfey's sword was already against her neck.

"This is dangerous business, kid," Anfey said. He looked cold and distant, but he had a seed of doubt in his mind. Something was wrong here, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"Let her go!" the woman suddenly screamed. "I'll give you everything, please, let her go! I'll give you what you want!"

"What I want?"

"The map is in my sheath, take it! You can kill me, but she's just a child. Please don't hurt her. She doesn't know anything. I started this all, she has nothing to do with it." Tears streamed down the woman's face. She fought to straighten her body, not caring if the clothes slipped off. The hatred and anger had disappeared, and now all she wanted to do was to plead for the young girl's life.

"Map?"

"Shally, no," the women cried.

The young girl, despite the threat of the sword, lunged at Anfey. She kicked and bit and scratched at Anfey, fighting as if her life depended on it. If she were a few years older and had combat power, she would be tough opponent. Now, though, she was no threat to him. All he needed to do was push her lightly and the girl was lying on the ground. The girl pushed herself off of the ground and dashed at Anfey again.

"Please! Don't hurt her! I'll give you everything, just don't!" the woman cried. She knew what kind of opponent Anfey was. All he needed to do was a simple thrust of the sword and the girl would die.

"I don't need your map," Anfey said. He pushed the girl away and smiled. He realized when he saw the girl. Following him was a tough job, and it was unlikely that the woman would bring a child with her.

"What do you want, then?"

"Nothing," Anfey said. He turned to the girl, "be quiet. If you don't I'll kill her."

It was an effective threat. The young girl sat on the ground and watched Anfey through tearful eyes.

Anfey walked over to the woman. He had appeared calm, but on the inside he felt ashamed of himself. Ever since he started being an assassin, he would find an excuse every time before he went on a mission. He would only kill if the excuse was enough to motivate him. Today, though, even the worst kind of bandit could not find an excuse.

Under the woman's terrified gaze, he put her joints back into place. Then, without saying a word, he turned around and hurriedly disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter 61: Thoughts

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

In the early morning, the group woke up from their dreams. Many mages liked to meditate at night, so they usually woke up late. However, now that they were fugitives, some of their habits had changed. Everyone had gotten used to going to bed early and getting up early. After waking up, they would start meditation and get ready for the new day's trip.

"Anfey, what did you do last night?" Christian laughed.

"Nothing. Just walked around." Anfey rubbed his arm while he answered. That woman was quite powerful! It was a good thing that Anfey was strong. If it had been another person from the group, he or she might have been seriously injured.

"Come on! Let's eat," Feller said and started getting the food ready.

"Feller, how much food do we have?" Anfey asked.

"The way we have been consuming food…We have about seven to ten days' worth of food," Feller said.

"Um…Sounds good," Anfey nodded. "Listen! I don't think this valley is the place for us. How about we go somewhere else? Thoughts?"

Everyone looked at each other. The group liked this valley, so they wanted to stay here for a while. Although Anfey didn't tell them the reason, they had learned to trust each other after all these recent experiences. They knew they had to trust Anfey, even though his idea came as a surprise. No one questioned him. Instead, everyone nodded and agreed.

Anfey was embarrassed. He had prepared a few excuses to deal with questions. He couldn't use them now. He thought carefully about what had happened. His gut told him that those two girls were in the same situation. They were also being chased! Under such circumstance, he would rather not stay near them. Anfey had no way to find out how those girls ended up here. However, if they left any clues for their enemy, they would be found shortly. That could put Anfey's group in big trouble. Another important reason was Anfey's mistake… If possible, Anfey hoped that he would never see them again.

Anfey nodded, "Okay. Let's eat, take a break and meditate. I will stay outside to protect you all. At noon, Blavi, Riska, Zubin and Sanchez, you guys go separately in four directions to see if you can find a spot for us to stay. We can stay here for one more day and move tomorrow."

"There is a pond ahead. Anyone who wants a bath can get one there," Zubin offered.

"Fantastic! I stink!" Feller giggled.

"Where is it?" Blavi was excited. As mages, they could use magic power to make enough water for simple washing. However, it was almost impossible to form a small pond for a bath because it took too much magic power. There was only limited water element in the air. The more water that needed to be collected, the more magic power it would consume. It was truly a blessing to have a natural pond for a bath.

"Ahead of us. Walk along the grass," Zubin smiled.

"How about me?" Niya interrupted, "I also want to…"

The group was silent. Although they were teammates, they were embarrassed by Niya's question. They were at a sensitive age, and they had just started to be attracted to the opposite sex. Now that Niya, a girl, was asking to take a bath, it was quite tricky.

"You may go when everyone else is done," Anfey said.

"Okay…" Niya bit her lip with reluctance. Anfey was being very inconsiderate to have her, a lady, bathe after a group of men.

Anfey tried to treat everyone fairly. He would not even give himself any privileges. As long as the group was safe, he did not care about what people did. If Niya wanted to bathe with the group, he would not stop it. When the group started meditation, Anfey stepped out of the cave and started practicing his swordsmanship. He tried to hide his exquisite sword skills; however, practice makes perfect, and vice versa. If he didn't practice for a long time, he might lose his skills. If anyone questioned him, he could tell them about the weird old guy from the Ben Laden Village.

Still water runs deep. When a swordsman reaches an extremely high level, it would not be easy for a normal person to notice. However, this was not all true. If there was a huge gap in strength between two opponents, exquisite swordsmanship was useless. If the two opponents were about at the same level, skills became crucial. If one was holding a heavy sword without a sharp blade and the other had a magic weapon that cut through copper and iron, the outcome would be clear! For Anfey, Ernest's swordsmanship could be described as a big deal. Even if his opponent's attack was faster and more clever, Ernest could always avoid or block the attack at the last second. What if Anfey had the same fighting power as Ernest?

Anfey was confident with his martial arts ability. His practice came in four stages: practice of movement, practice of breathing, practice of spirit, and practice of perfection. He had passed the first two stages and was entering the third one.

After one set of practice, Anfey sat on the ground with his legs crossed and started to adjust his breathing. Anfey's method for adjusting his breathing was very special. He could practice anywhere. However, it was best to practice with legs crossed. If an enemy came, he could jump up immediately and not worry about hurting himself.

Niya was bored in the cave when everyone was meditating. No one talked to her. She walked out of the cave and sat down about ten meters from Anfey. She was staring at Anfey with curiosity while she was playing with some grass. She as least knew that she should not bother others when they were meditating! Niya was being good.

"What are you looking at?" Anfey initiated the conversation. When he was adjusting his breath, he was very sensitive. He felt that Niya was looking at his face.

"What are you doing?" Niya asked.

"I am meditating."

"Liar…You always lie!"

"I've…never lied to you, have I?" Anfey was uncertain.

"What do you think?"

Anfey smiled and didn't say anything.

"Anfey, thank you," Niya said.

"Me? Why?" Anfey was confused.

"I was thinking over what you said yesterday. You were correct! If we turn to my Father now, it would bring him a lot of trouble. I am so touched that you were being considerate and brave," Niya said slowly. "Thank you for thinking about my Father."

Anfey was embossed. He giggled after a little while. "Niya, how come you are so nice today? That's surprising!"

"Did you mean… I wasn't nice before?!" Niya was upset and looked at Anfey with anger.

"I didn't mean anything bad. Please don't misunderstand me," Anfey shook his head with a smile.

"Ugh…" Niya sighed, bowed her head immediately and said sorrowfully, "Maybe… I wasn't being nice… Since I could remember, I was a troublemaker for my dad. Now I have grown up, but Father got old. I should learn how to take care of him!" Anfey smiled and listened to Niya quietly.

"Anfey, was I bad before?" Niya asked gently, and then she immediately encouraged herself. "It doesn't matter. I will try my best from now on. I want to make my Father proud! Do you believe in me?"

It was human nature. Once you had learned to think, you would enjoy it. People got mature slowly by thinking. Everyone's words had deeply touched Niya yesterday. As students, they were all willing to share the responsibility to protect Master. She, as the daughter of the Master, should step up as well.

"Of course I believe in you!" Anfey responded affirmatively.

"I wonder what Father is doing now. Maybe…he is worried about us." Niya started staring at the cloud.

"So, if we don't want to disappoint him, we need to be mature. We should at least be able to protect ourselves." Anfey grasped the chance without hesitation. It was his job to educate the younger students. It had become natural.

"I know," Niya nodded and chuckled. "Continue your practice. I won't bother you anymore. I will practice with my sword as well."

Niya was a go-getter. She walked to one side, pulled out her sword and yelled "Ah." There was a fainted red light coming from her body, which was her fighting power. The fighting power was not like a colorful painting. It consisted mostly of red and white. Before reaching the exquisite level, most swordsmen would go through a bottleneck period. If they kept pushing through this period of slower growth, their fighting power would become more and more powerful. The color would turn from red to white.

Anfey patted his forehead. How could he meditate while she was making such weird noises? He also had no confidence in Niya. What if the sword got out of her hand and hurt him?

Niya felt that Anfey's eyes land on her. She turned her head and laughed. "Anfey, do you want to compete with me?"

"Never mind," Anfey waved his hand. He didn't want to discourage her, since he could easily beat someone as green as her.

"What? Do you look down on me? I know you are way better!" Niya pouted.

When it came to this point, Anfey really had no way out. He slowly stood up. "Very well. Let's go."

Chapter 62: Meeting Her Again

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

Niya was discouraged after her sword had been deflected away 20 times by Anfey. She left to practice combat power on her own. Anfey watched her for a while from a short distance and then he got to thinking.

The combat power training was quite simple in this world. It was neither as complex as Kung Fu, nor as systemic as Taoism. There was a saying that "all roads lead to Rome". People who had practiced Kung Fu and Taoism independently could benefit from learning from each other. There was a saying in Chinese that learning fight moves without practicing breathing and other exercises to build up strength would lead nowhere.

The speed with which Niya swung her sword was very slow whenever she was practicing combat power. She had to give a lot of thought before she could slash with her sword. The red light around her was getting thicker.

Ernest had told Anfey that willpower was a such a strong power. When swordsmen practiced combat power, first they had to be so focused that they could not notice their surroundings, and then combine both willpower and focus together to practice combat power. These were the entry level skills required for combat power training.

It was easier said than done. Ernest recalled his combat training when he was young: he had to wake up very early to practice and stay focused until very late. When he had finished training for the day, he could not even move his fingers. He also had splitting headaches after the training.

This method of practicing combat power sounded stupid to Anfey. He had read Shaolin Temple 72 Kung Fu Arts. He found that combat power trainings were similar to Cinnabar Palm and One Finger Zen trainings. Cinnabar Palm training involved daily rubbing hands in sand in a basin. This appeared to lead to the ability to move the sand without touching it, and even being able to generate electricity between the palms. One Finger Zen's training followed the same principle. This simple and raw method had allowed Ernest to be a master swordsman with powerful combat power. It it was partially a credit to the environment on Pan Continent. Anfey had benefited from practicing on Pan Continent. The achievement of practicing for a few years on that deserted island on Pan Continent was greater than if he had practiced diligently over ten years elsewhere. Anfey had reached a level he never had thought possible.

Time, everything took time. Given time, Anfey believed he could be as good as Ernest. If he could reach the level of a saint, Ernest would not even beat him.

Anfey was deep in thought for so long that the sun was high in the sky. Christian and his group had finished their meditation and were walking out of the cave. Everybody took some rest and ate some food. Blavi and his friends used levitation magic to fly in four different directions to check out routes. Christian and his group went to the pond together. Niya did not want to join them since all the guys would bathe in the pond. Anfey worried about Niya's safety, so he dragged her along with him. He thought Niya could just walk around in his company while everyone else could do whatever they wanted.

Climbing over a hill, the pond was just ahead of them. Christian, who walked in the front, suddenly stopped. Anfey looked up and heaved a slight sigh. Whatever he did not want to happen always happened. He was worried that he would meet those two sisters again, and he did.

The younger girl was holding a lot of leaves and grass in both her arms. She was shaking from the cold when suddenly she saw a group of people. She was scared, but she could not yell for help because she was afraid the group might attack her for yelling. Her shadow was trembling with her. It was easy to tell how panicked she was.

"Shally." A clear call arose from the hill.

"Sister." Shally stepped back and screamed.

A strong combat power appeared from the hill. A cloud of white light was rushing down from the hill. The leaves and branches in the path of the white light were all crushed into powder. Nothing could stop that cloud of white light. That cloud of white light appeared in front of everyone in a second.

The elder girl, who fought intensely with Anfey the previous night, stood in front of everyone. The ocean-blue jacket made her so striking, and her white combat power was so shining, but none of those characteristics allowed others to neglect the soft, feminine and lovable look on her face. She might have been so rushed that she was bare-foot. Her white and fleshy toes clinched the ground tightly, which showed her stubbornness, just as she had been yesterday. Her eyes showed a slight panic, seeing a group of unexpected people. It was not only because of the number of people she was facing, but also because they were all mages. Even if she could defeat all of them, she was not sure if she could protect her little sister in the battle.

Some women looked stunning, some cute and affectionate, like your old friend when you had met for the first time. The woman in front of everybody gave them a different feeling, like a little grass, weak but tough at the same time. She was a feisty heroine, ready to fight with everything she had.

Christian's second group walked in the front. They were only shocked for a second when they saw the two girls. Christian moved one step back and heard waves of magic surges in the air. A guy from the team moved in front of Christian and set up a magic cover, another one moved behind Christian and took out a magic scroll.

Anfey had told everyone earlier that team members were set and would not change, so they needed to think about how to work together in case they became panicked in surprise attacks. He also asked every team to design ten different plans to fight with different enemies.

Christian had followed Anfey's directions precisely. Even though they only saw one person in front of them, they knew her ability was greater than anyone's on the team, so they responded immediately. One took a defensive action, Christian was responsible for making offensive attacks to hold the enemies, while another one took out the only magic scroll assigned to their team.

"Do not misunderstand us. We do not want to hurt you." Anfey stood up quickly and nodded at the girl. "Hello," Anfey greeted her. Both parties were on the run, and they did not need to fight even if they could not be friends. Fighting would not benefit either of the parties.

"You, it is you." That woman recognized Anfey. Her face suddenly turned purple, and her hand was shaking badly with the sword. She was shaking even more than her little sister.

"It is me. What are you doing here?" Anfey said politely.

"You, You…" The woman stuttered and shook even more intensely. She could neither imagine nor understand how he could talk to her with that attitude after what they had experienced last night.

Christian and all the others were shocked and look back and forth between Anfey and the woman. They did not know what had happened between Anfey and those two sisters, but they did not drop their guard, due to Anfey's excellent teaching. Christian and his group had finished silently chanting "abracadabra," ready to use their magic at any time.

"Eating this kind of food is not good for you." Anfey could tell what the leaves were that Shally held. There were few green fruits in the leaves. It was obvious those were their dinner.

Anfey whispered to Feller, and then Feller took out several linked sausages and passed them to Anfey. Anfey took the sausages and threw them at Shally's feet. "Girl, these are for you."

"Sausage, Oh, Yeah!" Shally cheered. She forgot her fear and tossed the green fruits aside, picking up the sausage quickly. She held them in front of her chest, smelling them with her head tilted to one side. She looked so excited and happy.

The elder girl moved her lips a little, but did not say anything.

"We want to take a bath in the pond. Can you guys make way for us?" Anfey said softly.

"Walk straight ahead. This is my area!" the elder girl said coldly.

"Why are you claiming this area? Is this your territory?" Niya asked angrily.

"Ok, ok, we are leaving." Anfey hurried and pulled Niya away. "But I almost forgot one thing. Can you give me back my rubber rope? That was a rubber rope from a three-eyed cow monster, very precious."

The elder girl almost fainted, with her little mouth opening and closing quickly, like a struggling fish on the shore. What happened last night had shocked her so much that she would not forget it throughout her life. She could not believe this bastard had asked for that rubber rope back.

She wished to chop him into pieces with her sword. It was hard to imagine fighting with a powerful swordsman and over ten mages. If it were just herself, she might do it, but she had to think about her little sister.

"Big brother, is this one?" Shally was a polite and sweet girl. Since Anfey gave her sausages, she should have returned something else to him. Shally was worried Anfey would asked for the sausage back, so she decided to offer the rubber rope on her own without asking her sister first.

Anfey smiled and nodded when he saw Shally taking out a piece of rubber rope from behind her. "Yes, miss. Can you give it back to me?"

"Sure." Shally did not dare to walk to Anfey. She threw it at Anfey, but she did not have enough strength, plus the rubber rope was light. The rubber rope landed on the elder girl.

The elder girl took it off her body and threw it to the ground. She was staring at Anfey with the desire to kill him. She had never wanted to kill someone so badly since she was young. If she had a choice, she would have fought him without thinking.

"If you like it, you can keep it. Let's go." Anfey shook his head hopelessly.

"Let's go," Christian responded softly. He slowly moved backwards.

Both parties still kept alert until they were a safe distance from each other. Sante kept looking back to see if the two girls were making any moves. Niya had behaved quite well. She did not say anything after Anfey gave her a hint.

Seeing that Anfey and the group of people had left, Shally remembered to look at her sister. She said with a timid voice, "Sister, did I make you mad again?"

The elder girl's face became stern, and she turned around quickly to her sister. She was about to say something when she saw Shally was holding tight to the sausages, with her fingers almost dug into them. She felt an unspeakable sadness and said softly, "Shally, you eat first if you are hungry. I am not mad at you."

Chapter 63: The Unfortunate Sisters

Translator: Nyoi_Bo_Studio Editor: Nyoi_Bo_Studio

"Anfey, how did you know those girls?" Christian asked, grinning.

Everyone was still minding their own businesses, but Anfey knew they were all listening, waiting for his answer. It seemed like all intelligent beings enjoyed hearing gossips.

"You remember the first time we encountered the knights of Sacred Flame Legion? The time when those people appeared to save us? I've been thinking about it. If they could follow us from the Sacred City without us noticing, then maybe they are still around us." Anfey said slowly, "one of those people was a woman. I found a scrap of cloth then and it had smelled like a woman. So after Zubin and I found the pond yesterday, I remembered that cloth. So after everyone fell asleep I returned to the pond and I wanted to wait them out."

"For them to bath?" Sante asked.

"I don't know about the others," Anfey said, "but women liked to be clean. Of course, the possibility is low, and I just wanted to try my luck. I had nothing better to do anyway."

"Then? I found the two siblings?" Christian asked.

"Yes," Anfey nodded. "I thought she was the one I was waiting for, so I was bent on subduing her. Then we fought in the pond."

"And you won?" Christian asked, remembering the strange expression on the girl's face.

"Of course," Anfey said. "Had I lost I wouldn't be sitting here."

Everyone started laughing, but Christian sighed. "Anfey," he said, "next time if you wanted to do anything, you should tell us. We can all help you. No one want to see you hurt. Don't forget we are your team leaders and your companions. You brought us here safely, and you are the only one that can bring us safely to Master Saul."

"Yeah, Anfey," Niya repeated. "We can all help you."

"I told you, there is a small chance that I will even find anyone. I didn't want everyone to wait up for nothing," Anfey said.

"If you can wait, surely we can as well," Christian disagreed.

"Alright," Anfey said. "I will be more careful next time."

"Anfey, who do you think they are?" Christian asked.

"Someone going to the same place as well, I figured," Anfey said. "I feel like they are only here because they are on the run from someone."

"Interesting…" Christian said. "Anfey, what if they come with us?"

Anfey shook his head. He had considered the possibility, but in the end he decided it would be the best if they go their separate ways. "You see the older, more powerful one? She is skillful enough to be a senior swordmaster, or maybe even higher. How powerful are the people who forced her into this forest? Going with her means we will be placing ourselves in danger as well."

"Anfey, think about it. How powerful can her enemies be? As powerful as Phillip? Unlikely. If Phillip and that girl's enemy come at the same time, then we will be in trouble. But how possible is that?" Christian said slowly. "If Phillip and that girl's enemy find us separately, we have an advantage."

Anfey lifted a brow and looked at Christian. He focused on the dangers, not the benefits, and so had long given up on the idea of cooperating. Christian, however, looked at the problem from another point of view, and had enlightened Anfey on a new perspective. When enemy strength remain the same, cooperation benefits both parties. Unless, of course, their enemies join force as well.

"Her enemy may not be that powerful after all," Christian said. "You see the little girl? Her strength magically is almost as bad Anfey. I say, she is running because she is concerned about her little sister."

Everyone chuckled. Joking fun at Anfey's magic was, after all, hilarious. Anfey rolled his eyes and sank into his own thoughts. Anfey welcomed advices, because he knew he wasn't perfect, but he would still be the one to make the finally decision.

"Anfey, we only have one swordsman, and only one person stands between us and the enemy. This too dangerous, especially when you don't have any combat power. It's too dangerous for you. If she is here with you, we can use our powers to the maximum."

"I agree," Sante said, nodding.

Everyone around them nodded, agreeing with Christian's words.

"Alright," Anfey said slowly. "Let's try working with them, then. I have one condition, though. They have to answer to me, or cooperation is off the table. Of course, our mission is to protect the young sister, so we won't let any harm going to her way." Anfey felt that Shally was the girl's biggest weakness, and would be a good leverage in negotiation.

"Why are you telling us that?" Christian asked, smiling. "Whatever your conditions are, go tell them."

"I…" Anfey suddenly remembered the events from the night before, and shook his head. "No, no. Christian, you should go talk to them"

"Me?" Christian asked. "Anfey, you're the most suited for the job. At least you are acquainted with them, and they trust you more."

"No, I can't be the one," Anfey said, shaking his head harder. Trust? The way they look at him, they want to eat him alive.

"Shally, slow down, slow down a bit," Suzanna said softly, trying not to let her emotions show.

"Ok," Shally nodded, taking a large bite of the sausage. The meat was all gone but she kept chewing on the casing.

Seeing Shally like this, Suzanna couldn't hold her emotions back anymore and bursted into tears. She shot up and hid behind a tree, sniffling.

A few moments later, Suzanna felt someone tugging at her shirt, and found Shally standing there, terrified, holding a sausage in her hand. "Sister," she said hurriedly. "I didn't eat your sausage. Here. Eat it. Don't cry. I won't anger you again, please don't cry."

"No, Shally," Suzanna forced a smile and said. "I'm not hungry. Go ahead and eat."

"No, I'm full," Shally said, flushed red. "I know you're hungry, sister. Here." Shally said, sticking the sausage in her sister's hands.

Suzanna sighed. Of course she was hungry, especially after that fight with Anfey. Anfey had only put her joints back into place, and Shally was not much help. She had came out of her bonds purely by her own combat power. She would be lying if she said she wasn't hungry.

But what could she do? They had left in a hurry, and brought nothing with them. For the past few days they had survived on bitter shrubs and berries. The smell of sausages reminded Suzanna exactly how hungry she ws.

Suzanna took a bit of the sausage, and swallowed it without even chewing.

"Don't throw away the casing," Shally said, concerned. "It taste good, really." She stared at the sausage and swallowed.

Suzanna widened her eyes, and hugged Shally. Her sniffles became loud sobs.

"Sister," Shally said hurried, wiping her hand on Suzanna's face. "Please don't cry. Did I angry you again? It's my bad, my bad, please don't cry anymore. If you keep cry, I, I will cry too!" Before she could finish, she bursted into tears herself.

The sisters held each other and cried. Suzanna was still a senior swordmaster, and had better control over her emotions. She stopped crying first, and wiped away her sister's tears. "Shally, don't cry, it's my fault for not taking care of you," she sobbed.

"No, sister," Shally said, crying. "I'm happy. Really happy."

"Shally, listen. Stop crying now, ok?" Suzanna sighed. "I have some more coins. Let's go back to those people and buy some more food, ok?"

"Really?" Shally rubbed her swollen eyes and asked. "Will they sell it to us?"

"Of course," Suzanna said. "If not we will just give them all of our coins." She forced a smile and patted Shally's cheeks, "come, Shally. Let's go wash our faces so they won't laugh at us." Suzanna was a strong woman, and didn't like the idea of using tears to win sympathy from others.

"Ok!" Shally said. She was a child, after all, and it was easy to cheer her up again.

Chapter 64: New Members

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Anfey!" Sante called as he walked out of the forest. He didn't need to call out for the rest of the group to spot the two girls behind him.

"Anfey, they said that they wanted to talk to you," Sante said.

The two sisters walked over and stopped a few feet away from the camp. The older one whispered something into Shally's ears, and the Shally stopped. The older girl walked over to Anfey.

Anfey and Christian glanced at each other, and they both stood up to greet them. Christian was confused, but Anfey was nervous. His brain was working fast to understand why she was there

"Hello, why are you here?" Anfey asked.

"You see, we are all out of food. You must have some prepared. I want to buy some food from you," the older girl said, her expression cold. She was speaking with Anfey, but her eyes were focused on Christian, as if she did not want to look at him.

Anfey chuckled. He disliked women who were too full of themselves. They did not have enough food supplies even for themselves, and even if they did, he would not have given them to her. He had no use of money in this place, and he did not need it.

"I know you do not have a lot of supplies. I have twenty-three coins, and you can have it all. I don't need much…" The girl hesitated. "Even if it's just a few sausages."

Anfey blinked, and his dislike for her dissipated. One single coin could buy them a dozen or more sausages in a city. Now she was willing to spend twenty coins for just a few. Clearly she knew the price of food in this place, and was not an unreasonable person.

Anfey thought about it and waved Feller over. Feller walked over and fished out a handful of coins and handed it to him.

Anfey took the coins and held them out. "We don't need coins," he said, smiling, "we need food. I was hoping to buy some from you."

"Is that so? I apologize for disturbing you," the older girl said coldly. There was no change in her expression, as if she had known that she would be faced with rejection. She turned and began walking away.

Anfey was shocked again. He had it all thought out. He was going to reject her request at first. If she begged him or asked again more earnestly, he could act like he was moved and agree to help her. This way he could try to bridge the gap between the two of them. He hadn't considered that the older girl would just leave.

Anfey shook his head. Judging from her earlier request, she was a reasonable person, or else he would not have come up with his original plan. On the other hand, the girl's attitude was not what he would expect in someone pleading for help.

Anfey was a very logical person, but dealing with a girl's changing mood needs experience and consideration. Anfey had never really loved a girl, so he could not figure out the girl's change in emotions quickly and accurately.

Suzanna made her attitude cold and unapproachable because of Anfey. What happened the night before was too much of a blow to her pride. Then, she was hanging on the tree, and was humiliated to the point that she considered just ending her life. She could look for help for the sake of her sister, but she would never beg in front of Anfey. She was trying to protect her remaining dignity.

Seeing that Suzanna was leaving, Christian looked at Anfey and tried to get him to stop her.

Anfey pretended not to see Christian's acts. There was no way he would try to stop her. Remembering what had happened the night before, he figured that if he tried to stop her, he would be met with force.

"Miss, please wait," Christian called out after the girl after realizing that Anfey was not about to stop her. "Can I please have your name?"

"Suzanna. Nice meeting you," the girl stopped and said. She had to stop. She saw Shally's disappointed eyes and was very conflicted. Must she returned and beg for help?

"Hello, greetings, I'm Christian." Seeing that Suzanna's attitude had softened, Christian felt a boost in confidence and smiled warmly. "We can maybe discuss what you just asked about."

"Really? Thank you so much," Suzanna said gladly. She smiled softly and said, "I do not ask for much. I only need two sausages."

Anfey stood nearby and was very beaten by this. This was the first time he had seen Suzanna smile. He felt defeated that Suzanna treated Christian differently. He wanted to be a good person, but she wasn't giving him the chance. Was Christian really more likable than he?

"Of course, of course. There is just one thing I don't understand," Christian said. "Two sausages would only last for a day, wouldn't it? What about tomorrow? The day after that? How would you survive in the forest?"

"That is my problem," Suzanna said honestly.

"I have an idea that may solve your problem. If you're interested, why don't we find a quiet place to discuss it?"

"Alright," Suzana said after a few moments of consideration.

Christian and Suzanna walked over to the forest and began discussing Christian's idea. Sante and Feller tried to eavesdrop on them and come back and tell Anfey about what they had heard. In the end, Anfey had to give them each a sword sheath to keep them from spreading rumors.

After a long time, Christian and Suzanna returned with Shally walking behind them. Christian winked at Anfey victoriously, then coughed a few times. "This is Suzanna," he announced. "From today, she will be joining us. She will face any future danger together with us, and, of course, we will protect Shally from any danger."

"Ah, welcome, welcome," Sante called out.

Everyone else followed his lead. Suzanna glanced around the group and said shyly, "We will be friends from now on. I will do my best to help this team."

"Suzanna, why don't you join Anfey's team?" Christian said.

"Wait. Christian, I can follow your orders, but never his," Suzanna said, pointing at Anfey. She was the highest ranked, and the most powerful, but she didn't try to take the role of the leader. She knew that the combined power of the mages was more powerful than hers. She had stated from the beginning that she will follow Christian's orders.

Christian hesitated, then said, "Suzanna, you should know that a team cannot have two leaders. Everyone here must follow his orders. If you cannot do that, our deal is off the table."

Suzanna stared at him in silence. After a few moments, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Anfey. "Fine," she hissed.

"What do you mean by fine? Will you leave? Or will you follow my orders?" Anfey asked. He wasn't worried. She had already decided to cooperate with them, and wouldn't change her mind easily. He would not let anyone challenge his position as the leader of the group.

"Fine," she said, "I will follow your orders."

"Alright then," Anfey said, "I welcome you."

Suzanna turned her head. Following Anfey's orders was a necessity for joining the team, but personally she hated him and did not want to talk to him.

Shally walked over and stared at him, her eyes filled with hope. Anfey waved Feller over, who gave Shally some sausage and bread. Shally practically grabbed the food from his hands and began eating it. It seemed like the sausages from a few days ago did not satisfy her hunger.

Shally's actions made Suzanna look away in embarrassment. This showed that she did not do a good job as a sister.

Anfey sighed. He took a goblet from his ring. Moments later it was filled with water. He was only an apprentice, but even he could manage to gather magic. He handed the goblet to Shally.

"Thank you," Shally said timidly. She smiled at him sweetly, but because she was not familiar with him, she appeared shy.

A magical surge approached them. "When did you get here? Took me a while to find you," Riska said as he landed on the ground.

"Riska, let me introduce you. This is Suzanna. She is very powerful," Christian said.

Riska noticed the two girls and blinked in shock. He turned to looked at Anfey, who nodded. He turned and smiled at Suzanna. "Greetings," he said, "I'm Riska. Welcome to the team."

"Nice meeting you," Suzanna said, smiling. She was clearly very easy going. Everyone could make her smile, except for Anfey.

"Riska, did you find a good place to camp?" Anfey asked.

"No. I went into the swamps again. It was huge. I changed direction a few times but couldn't find the edge, so I had to come back," Riska said.

"Are we leaving here?" Suzanna asked.

"Yes," Sante told her.

"Great. We have to leave in seven days," Suzanna said.

"Why?" Christian asked curiously.

"Do you know why you can't find any magic beasts here?"

Chapter 65: Signs of Danger

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"You're saying...this is the territory of legendary magic beasts?" Christian asked in shock.

Suzanna glanced at him and nodded, "Yes. See, there is a unicorn."

"How did you know?"

"When Shally and I first arrived here, we realized that even though it was scenic, there was no water source. Shally is only an apprentice and cannot summon water like you can. We were disappointed, of course, but we had to go somewhere else to find a water source."

"That pond…"

"It was green when we first found it. It was poisoned, and there was no way a person could drink it. Shally and I searched the surrounding areas and couldn't find any water source. We came back to the pond and found it was clear. I realized then that the pond had rocks that were poisonous. The rocks slowly released the poison and turned the pond undrinkable."

"Poisonous? There are fish in there, though," Anfey said.

"There is no poison in the water now, but if you take a bite from the fish, I promise you will be a corpse before you know what happened," Suzanna replied. She disliked Anfey, but she needed to tell everyone in case someone was stupid enough to try to eat the fish.

"I remember," Christian said, nodding. "Read about it once. Unicorn horns have purifying properties. In the Magic Beast Forest, many beasts wait around water holes at midnight for unicorns. A few taps from the horn are all it takes for the water to be rid of poison."

"I realized there was a unicorn nearby after the water cleared up. After a thorough search, we found a cave hidden by trees. It was sealed off by some silvery webs. I returned without disturbing it."

"Where is the cave?" Anfey asked.

"To the southeast, about ten miles from here."

"You sure there are unicorns?" Christian asked.

"We've lived here for days. An unicorn's power is limited. After a few days the water would be poisonous again, and I would take Shally out for a few days. The water would be clear again when we returned. I think that is enough to prove their existence."

"It must be unicorns, then," Christian agreed.

"Unicorns are powerful?" Anfey asked.

"Your knowledge of the world is hilariously childish. Do you not even know what a unicorn is? You should really go find a school and brush up on your studies," Suzanna snorted. "Unicorns have the ability to release serial lightning. As long as it has stood under the moon for a certain amount of time or there is lightning in the sky, unicorns can simply absorb energy from their surroundings. You do know the power of serial lightning, don't you?"

Everyone around them chuckled. Everyone had realized, more or less, that something must have gone down between Suzanna and Anfey. Suzanna was nice to almost everyone except Anfey, and since Anfey had always just accepted the treatment, he must be at fault.

"Suzanna, miss, I think you are…" Riska opened his mouth angrily. He did not understand why Suzanna would treat Anfey this way. Anfey had established absolute authority among his peers, and when someone tried to ridicule him, Riska felt responsible to stand up for him. Anfey tugged on his sleeve and shook his head. Riska fell silent.

Suzanna watched them thoughtfully. She could not understand why these mages would willingly follow the orders of someone who barely had any magic or combat power. Even though Anfey had defeated her easily the night before, it was her habit to measure the strength of a man by his combat power and magic. It was a habit ingrained in all children of the Pan Continent, and Suzanna was no exception. Plus, she believed that she had lost because she fell into a trap, her movement was limited in one leg, and she had been forced to fight in the water. If they had been on an open plain, she would have easily won.

Suzanna had underestimated Anfey. Of course, it was also because she wanted some degree of revenge on him. Now that she had witnessed both Christian's angry rebuke and Riska's rage, she understood somewhat that Anfey did not win the mages' trust with words. There must be stories she did not know, and Anfey was the one that led everyone to safety.

"How long will this last?"

"Three more days," Suzanna said. She was not stupid. When the position of the leader could not be undermined, it would be in her best interest not to ruin her relationship with him. "Normally it would come out for food everyday. Now it's probably in its mating and birthing season. It leaves its den once every few days."

"Christian, can't we tame one?" Anfey asked.

"No," Christian said. "It's practically impossible to tame a unicorn. If Master Saul were here, there might be a sliver of hope. But we cannot, no."

"It's near impossible to tame a unicorn," Sante said. "Once there were many people riding into war on dragons, but for thousands of years there was only one person on a unicorn."

"Only girls can tame them," Riska said. "Men will only be attacked."

"Hey, just asking," Anfey said. It had always been him telling them what was sensible and what was not. Now that they were more mature, it was their turn to teach him.

Just then, a faint glimmer of magical surge came from the distance, sweeping through the forest like a whisper. Christian and Riska shot up, used levitation and began floating into the distance.

Anfey grabbed his sword. "Ready for battle," he ordered.

The surge meant danger, and those on watch were in danger.

Everyone quickly stood up and readied for battle. Suzanna glanced back and found Shally in the middle of a group of mages. She was relieved.

"Let's go," Anfey said. "Sante, Feller, you two go help them. Feel free any scroll."

"Got it," Sante nodded, raising into midair with Feller."

Anfey and the group went another twenty miles when they sensed two surges. Anfey stopped everyone and quietly waited for their return.

A black dot approached them, and Christian and Riska landed with someone hanging between them. Zubin looked terrible, his face pale, and he could not stand on his own.

"Zubin," Anfey said, "what happened?"

"Manticore," Zubin said, smiling bitterly.

"Manticore?" Suzanna asked hurried. "Did it try to poison you? Did you touch the fog? Inhale any?"

Zubin glanced at Suzanna. He did not know her.

"Zubin? Talk to us," Anfey urged.

"I saw it release the fog and held my breath."

"Good," Suzanna said. "Take him to the pond. Unicorns and manticores are enemies. The unicorn's purifying power can fight manticore's poison."

Christian smiled. He didn't wait to thank Suzanna, and used another levitation spell.

"Let me," Suzanna said. "You're too slow." She took Zubin in her arms and, with her strong combat power, dashed towards the pond.

When everyone else returned to the pond, Zubin was already submerged in the pool with only his eyes above water. Suzanna was right. The pond had purifying qualities. It had only been a few minutes, but Zubin was already looking much better.

"Zubin, how did you run into a manticore?" Anfey asked.

"I found a pretty good place, not as scenic but a good hiding spot. I wanted to get closer, but then I saw a small manticore. I knew something was wrong and tried to levitate. Then I saw the bigger manticore and it tried to kill me with its fog."

"Good," Christian said. "You're smart. If you were a second slower you might be dead by now."

"You are lucky," Suzanna said. "Manticores are fiercely protective of their young. If it had chased after you, you wouldn't have been able to get away."

"Stop trying to scare me," Zubin said, shaking his head.

"We aren't scaring you," Suzanna said. "I just want everyone to be more alert. This forest is filled with danger. I saw orcs in here a few days ago."

"Orcs? I thought there were no orcs here?"

"Says who?"

Riska and Zubin glanced at each other. They had heard it from other people, of course, and Suzanna would not lie. It seemed like the forest still had orcs present.

"How many?" Anfey asked.

"One. I killed it."

"Don't orcs live in packs?"

"Usually, but I saw only one."

"Then we should really be more careful," Anfey said slowly.

Chapter 66: Let the Magic Beasts Fight

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Blavi and Sanchez soon returned as well. They were scared when they first saw Zubin submerged in the water, but after learning that he would be fine, they both laughed and made a few jabs at him. It was all friendly banter, and if Zubin had been seriously hurt, they both would have been worried out of their minds.

After find a good resting spot for Zubin, Blavi and Sanchez introduced themselves to Suzanna. The three scouts hadn't made any discoveries, and that had worried Anfey. Everyone was chatting, but Anfey was sitting on the ground, deep in thought. Their food supplies could still last for a few days, but they needed to plan carefully where they would rest. If he was alone, it would have been easier. Now he needed to care for a whole group of people, and Anfey found that difficult. Only Christian and Zubin knew their futures would be hard, and one of them could not even move. Christian walked over slowly and sat down next to Anfey.

Whether it was unicorns or manticores, both would pose great danger to them. It was likely that there would be conflict whether they stayed or moved.

"You say manticores and unicorns are enemies?" Anfey called in a sudden stroke of inspiration. His call startled not only Christian, but also Suzanna.

"I said that," Suzanna replied. "Why?"

"If they fight, who would win?"

"The unicorn, of course," Suzanna said. "However, all high level magic beasts are sentient. Like people, they would not trespass on another magic beast's territory. Their way of surviving is to avoid direct conflict."

"I thought you said they are enemies."

"That means while they would not shy away from a fight, they would not initiate one either. It is very unlikely they would run into each other in this forest, you know."

"Alright," Anfey said, nodding. "Christian, can you set up a magic shield to hide everyone's surges?"

"I don't have enough crystals," Christian replied.

"Don't worry about the crystals. Can you do it?"

"Of course."

"Alright, just one thing left." Anfey turned to Suzanna. "Suzanna, I need you to do something dangerous."

"What is it?" Suzanna asked, her heart sinking. She still could not trust Anfey, and was very hostile towards him. Hearing that he had something dangerous for her, she thought that perhaps he was trying to make things difficult for her.

"This is my plan. Zubin saw two manticores, right? You go to its territory and kill the smaller one. I don't think the bigger one would let you get away. You head out and send a signal. I will try to provoke the unicorn. Then we will hide and let the two fight."

"That's one way to do it," Christian nodded. "If an angry unicorn and a crazed manticore meet, it would be a guaranteed fight."

"That's what I'm thinking," Anfey said. "No matter who wins, the other would certainly be severely injured as well. It shouldn't be hard then for us to kill it. Then we don't have that constant threat over our heads."

Suzanna sighed in relief. She was the only one in the group who could manage to kill a manticore and escape another angry one. Anyone else would be torn to pieces. It seemed like Anfey wasn't being unfair to her, and giving her the harder job.

"What do you think?" Anfey asked. Normally he would not ask for permission, but mostly his question was directed at Suzanna.

Everyone muttered to each other for a bit and nodded.

"Suzanna, I know you are very skillful, but this is still dangerous. What say you?"

"I'm good," Suzanna said. "When do we leave?"

"We are not in a hurry," Anfey said. "There are many things to be worked out. We don't want any accidents."

"Accidents?" Suzanna asked.

"For example, if there are multiple manticores, what should you do? What if you are discovered before you can do anything? What if you get hurt? How will we find you? What if the fight is over before one of the animals could be seriously injured? Will we still strike then? We have to think through everything before actually doing anything, or people will get hurt."

"You're right," Christian said, nodding.

Suzanna watched him, a hundred thoughts running through her head. She had always considered herself smart, but in that situation all she wanted to do was to run and find somewhere they could camp. Anfey, however, thought about how to get what they needed. Everyone knew about the manticores, but only Anfey thought of using it to fight the unicorn. Suzanna must admit she was very inferior to Anfey.

"Alright, everyone stay here. Blavi, I entrust everyone to you. Christian and Suzanna, come with me. Zubin, where did you encounter the manticores?"

"I'll take you," Zubin said, pushing himself off of the ground.

"No, you should stay here," Anfey said, shaking his head.

"I'm already feeling much better," Zubin smiled bitterly. "Plus, it would be hard to describe where it was."

"Anfey, I can protect him. If anything happens, I will help Zubin escape and you and Suzanna can fight whatever is pursuing us."

"Alright," Anfey said after a moment of hesitation.

For those who were powerful, twenty miles was not a long way. After a short while, they were already standing in front of the nest of the manticores.

In front of them was a large cliff covered in vines. Ancient trees stood in front of the cliff, their trunks thick and twisted. In other parts of the forest, sounds of screeching and heavy breathing could be heard constantly, but here it was silent, as if there were no other living beings.

"Can't see anything," Anfey said, frowning.

"Oh, the manticores will see you before you see them," Suzanna grinned.

"Let me," Christian said. "My eye of the sky cannot be detected by the manticore." He stepped forward and whispered a spell. A ball of gas gathered between his hands and began to condense, then the shadows of a few trees appeared within the gas.

Christian focused on the eye of the sky, and after two dozens images flashed through the gas, two manticores appeared.

It was Anfey's first time seeing high level magic beasts. The manticore looked similar to a lion, its body was bright red, as were its eyes. It had thick limbs and sharp teeth the length of a man's hand. Behind its body was a long, thick tail covered in shining scales, and ending in a sharp tip.

"A manticore does not have magic, but it is extremely strong. It can shatter the shell of a stone tortoise with a single slam," Suzanna said slowly. "See its tail? It can pierce most beasts' bodies without any problem, and it has stupefying properties. It can freeze its enemy for a short time. Even if you are a swordsman, if that tail gets you, you're dead. The manticore will tear you to pieces before you can properly recover."

"It's that dangerous?" Anfey asked, shocked.

"Unicorns are even more dangerous," Suzanna said lightly. "Not only can they use serial lightning, unicorns are much faster than manticores. Its horn not only has purifying properties, but also stupefying, like the manticore's tail. A manticore must come in contact with its target to harm it, but a unicorn doesn't have to. If you are lucky, the unicorn won't kill you before you can even see it. Unless you are scared and want me to take care of it."

"Thanks for your concern," Anfey said, smiling, "but I can handle it."

"No one's concerned about you," Suzanna said angrily. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Christian, can we keep our eyes on them? How long can you hold on to the magic?" Anfey turned to Christian and asked.

"I can hold it for an entire day, no problem."

"Great. Now we watch."