Chapter Thirty-Six: So Tired

After a few hours or so, Kai found himself standing before a stream that endlessly flowed for the length of his eyes. This chilly stream of water is much thinner and shallow compared to the other parts. Once Kai crosses this, he'll reach the small area of the White Forest that's been separated by the river.

After he does so, Kai will add this area to his formation then cross this river again and finally, head straight back to the castle.

This portion of the White Forest is separated from the larger forest. This part, as Kai had observed from the map, covers a small area only so he can actually just walk around it in just a few hours, or maybe in even less time.

But… This place is quite dangerous, actually. This small piece of land before Kai is so near the border of the Rukadius Kingdom and the Lunox Empire. It is known that these two nations have bad blood between them that has been going on for more than ten generations already. The tension between these two nations can cause the whole continent to shake, even. While the king only sent the first Duke of Zein and his entire bloodline to the northwest, where the border between the two of these nations is, who knows what kind of military bases the empire stationed near the border?

Ah, they might be even closer than Kai would imagine…

'I'll just be careful not to cross the border, and make this venture swift…'

Taking a deep inhale of chilling air, Kai gathered himself and crossed the river that was cold but not freezing and easily set his foot down to this separated forest. His boots are now wet but Kai simply cast a swift heating spell to dry them out, this much didn't cost him much mana. At least, his feet won't be freezing now, right?

He huffed a few breaths, calmed himself, and then roamed around for a while until he arrived at the same river as earlier. Well, that was quick. Around thirty minutes, perhaps? His venture ended faster than he estimated, but then again, this land is just a small piece of the larger forest that's been separated by this river.

Kai crossed the river again and dried off his boots with the same spell as earlier. Then slowly, he moved his feet and turned around, looking at the other side of the river with a solemn face. When five seconds or so had passed, Kai finally left and headed back to the castle.

'Such an uneventful 'walk' I had…' Kai thought, 'My whole body is aching and I'm so tired though…' Despite the uneventful travel Kai had, he definitely is drained out. So when he arrived home after a long time of wishing, Kai immediately went to the nearest resting room, a guest room that most likely had never been used until Kai decided to use it weeks ago. It was located on the very first floor so Kai didn't need to walk upstairs. The condition of the room was kept pristine. Compared to how it was when Kai first entered it, this room was clean without a speck of dust that's really visible to the naked eye. The bedsheets as well as the pillow have been washed and hung to dry as well. So when Kai plopped down on the soft and comfortable bed, Kai's old back felt immense pleasure instantly.

"Ah, this is it…"

Burying his head in the pillow, Kai sighed heavily and stretched out his body. He felt the achings, but also the cracks as his body moved and eventually relaxed. He raised his head finally from the pillow and took a deep breath. And also yawned.

'Mhm. I'll go check in Helix later…' He flipped over and closed his eyes. 'I should start activating the formation first.' Kai was sure that he covered most of the right portion of the territory. If the demon beast's lair is not found through this detection formation, then there would be no doubt that it is located at the left portion of the White Forest.

Kai's hands lazily rummaged around his bag, without him even getting up from the bed. He pulled out his DIY map. "Mhm." he hummed as he stared at it with a calm gaze. Holding the piece of paper in his left hand, his right hand then pointed at a few points in the map and mumbled, "Around here, and here…"

Kai then closed his eyes and took another deep breath, but this time, it was in order to gather his focus and to feel. To sense the formation he had written on his short journey and to connect it all to his body. And then Kai opened his eyes with a lazy but satisfied smile.

"Even if I take a small nap, the activation process will continue…" Kai's aware that there's a large possibility that he will be experiencing the recurring dreams, however, his eyes and body really are begging him to take a very, very short nap. The room was filled with the demon beast's mana, but, that didn't make Kai hesitate even a tiny bit as he slipped to an unusually long nap.

An hour, two hours, three hours…

Before Kai knew it, five hours had passed.

Since his whole 'walk' took seven hours in total, and which he left the castle at dawn, he got home around noon and now, the sun is already starting to set.

"... ow ineff…ent…"

"...ke up… this fool…"

Then there was a soft sigh.

Kai struggled to open his eyes and his ears and brain failed to hear and register the words that were being spoken by the other person in the room. "Mgh…" he groaned and turned his body with difficulty.

But the other person in the room finally felt annoyance and decided to break Kai's beauty sleep.

Helix sat on the bed and leaned a bit closer to the sleeping man while supporting his upper body with his left hand placed on Kai's left side. With an expression of frustration on his beautiful face, he called out louder than earlier, "Kai!"

And so with a start, Kai's body jumped in shock and his eyes opened wide. "Wha-!" His voice stopped and his body froze. Perhaps, because his left arm that was on his side moved in reflex and strongly pushed whatever was beside his elbow, Helix lost support and his upper body fell on Kai.

"Ugh…" Helix groaned. His nose and chin hurt from the sudden fall at an unknown firm surface. He raised his head slightly and immediately, his gaze came in contact with Kai's own. Kai's face had a baffled expression, and Helix's also had one of confusion.

But this expression of his soon turned into that of shock and embarrassment.

Helix used his right hand to support himself up but Kai also moved in panic and again, unintentionally pushed Helix's right arm off and yet again, Helix's face fell on top of Kai's chest.

Both of them fell into a moment of silence.

Then Helix, "Kai Zein, if you don't have a death wish, stop moving and act like a corpse."

Kai froze up instantly in fear of his own life.

Helix got up and stood up, he's now off the bed. But his eyes gave a deathly glare towards Kai, with an obvious intention of killing the other.

Kai felt like crying.

'But I didn't do anything wrong…'