Chapter 282: In the Woods

Chapter 282: In the Woods

The woods were not suitable for galloping on horseback at all, and whether in terms of personal skill or the horses they rode, Xialuo was far worse. In contrast, the people chasing them were running swiftly.

Jose’s severe injury and coma had put everyone on high alert, and many even suspected their current hiding place had been exposed. The appearance of Zoya and Xialuo at this very moment further confirmed people’s guesses.

Capturing these two separated girls and interrogating them for specific details became the common goal, so Ruben led several men in pursuit. They just hadn’t expected the other side to be so sharp. This turned the original plan of taking a detour for an ambush into a straightforward chase.

Zoya slowed her mount and said to Xialuo who caught up: “Take my horse and run first. After leaving the woods, turn back along the beach, avoid the Dragon Riders, and go straight back to Northland City.”

Xialuo knew this was not the time to argue, so she agreed straightforwardly, “Okay, be careful.”

Then, Zoya leaped from the horse, landing steadily on the ground, before disappearing into the woods.

Ruben was still chasing with his head down when a warning sounded in his ears.

“Careful! One person is missing.”

Hearing the warning, everyone slowed their pace almost simultaneously while secretly staying on guard.

Without turning his head, Ruben asked, “What’s the situation?”

“Unclear. One person suddenly disappeared from the horse ahead.” The Wizard, who served as the group’s eyes and ears, hadn’t expected to encounter this situation either. As a perception-type Wizard, he hated meeting opponents like this the most. Whenever he encountered such a situation, it made him feel panic. Accustomed to having everything in sight, accustomed to seeing every tiny detail, facing a sudden unknown only left him at a loss.

Ruben knew his companion’s weakness, so he signaled him to step back a little. He also sighed inwardly at their bad luck—their group’s eyes and ears had already failed before any real fight began.

Zoya stood quietly under a large tree. She didn’t think about killing those people by herself; she only wanted to buy enough time for Xialuo. She didn’t need to do anything. As long as they couldn’t find her, they would inevitably slow down out of suspicion and fear.

During this time, she even began to daydream. If she were captured, would Bran worry? Would he drop everything and come? Thinking of this pleasant thought, her mood became happy, and even the environment she had merged with was affected. A gentle breeze softly rustled the leaves, like soft laughter and whispers, murmuring the girl’s secret thoughts.

Ruben couldn’t understand these sounds. The murmuring whispers in the woods made him feel restless and irritable. As a Warrior, he was used to the tense, heavy atmosphere before life-and-death battles, so this sudden ambiguous feeling made him uneasy.

Regarding the abnormal atmosphere in the woods, not only Ruben felt uncomfortable, but his companions did too. So, while staying nervously on guard, everyone’s attention turned once again to their eyes and ears.

“She might be feeling somewhat… joyful.” The Wizard hesitantly gave an unreliable answer.

Joyful? Ruben tightened his grip on his war knife. Under what circumstances would an enemy feel joyful? So he made a gesture, and everyone became even more cautious.

Zoya was startled awake by a faint sound of a dry branch breaking, which annoyed her somewhat. Her daydream was only half finished; Bran had just turned into a wisp of gray smoke rushing out from Northland City…

As her mood changed, the murmuring whispers in the woods turned into fragmented complaints. The rustling of leaves was like the grinding of teeth, making people’s hearts itch, tremble, and go numb.

People walked past Zoya, oblivious to her presence. However, the Wizard, who served as the group’s eyes and ears, sensed something different. Mana was flowing, as if someone was standing face-to-face with him in the Darkness, their breaths inevitably brushing against each other.

He stiffly turned his neck toward that presence. Under the shade of a nearby tree, a pair of somewhat playful eyes and eyebrows, a pair of lips tinged with shyness and a smile, accompanied by a flicker of Starlight, rushed toward him.

He clearly knew what that flicker of Starlight represented, but he just didn’t want to dodge. He liked those eyes and brows, those red lips. They reminded him of his beloved wife waiting at home, the welcoming embrace of his children as he returned…

Zoya didn’t want to kill, because she knew that once the scent of blood was on her, hiding again wouldn’t be so easy. But the Wizard was too close, close enough to touch. Her momentary carelessness made it impossible for either of them to avoid the other.

Blood sprayed out, splashing onto the dry branches and fallen leaves with a soft swishing sound, and the scent of blood spread. Ruben was the first to react, shouting fiercely, “You’re asking for death!” and pounced forward with a flash of his blade.

Zoya immediately moved around the tree; she had no intention of getting entangled.

Ruben didn’t look at his companion whose fate was unknown. He followed closely instead. He knew he couldn’t let this girl disappear from sight, otherwise, this scene might very well repeat itself.

Ruben pressed forward step by step, Zoya retreated as soon as they made contact.

Soon, Zoya realized that even though she had merged with these woods, it was very difficult to shake off her pursuer in a short time. She could only fight while retreating, looking for a chance to escape.

Ruben grew more and more annoyed and impatient the longer he chased. This girl seemed able to grasp everything on the battlefield, always managing to avoid encirclement in advance. Moreover, she seemed like a spirit of the woods; the entire forest was helping her. And he was passive at every turn; the weeds underfoot and the branches in his way became his biggest enemies.

This couldn’t go on. He shouted loudly, “Dragon!”

One of his companions let out a long whistle. The whistle echoed through the woods, actually stirring up gusts of wind. In the distance, a huge figure rose from a mountain col and flew toward them.