Chapter 224: Retreat
"Where are we going, Aur?" Naomi's voice dripped with frustration as she manoeuvred under the canopy of a towering tree, its roots resembling legs making it easy for a person to pass through under it.
"Just keep walking," Aur replied casually, too lazy to provide further explanation.
Naomi couldn't suppress her growing frustration.
"Why am I even listening to him? I'm a mid-tier one wizard, and he's just an early tier one wizard. He shouldn't even be my match. Yet, whenever I try to disobey him, my instincts scream of an overwhelming danger that will destroy me," she grumbled bitterly.
Aur suddenly halted, causing Naomi to stop abruptly as well.
"What happened?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she peered ahead. Naomi spotted a pair of eyes staring at them with silent bloodthirst.
Whoosh!
Before she could finish her question, the 'thing' launched itself at her.
In the emerald green pupils of her eyes, all Naomi could discern was a shadow hurtling towards her. Yet, in that critical moment, her survival instinct seized control. With a swift motion, she used her pale blue mana in her mental space and swiftly conjured a dome around her body, her eyes flashing with the intricate pattern of a bell.
With a resounding "bang," the wolf collided with the invisible barrier, unable to leave a single scratch upon it.
Naomi regarded the scene with a cold expression, her eyes shimmering with green intensity. Sparks of lightning crackled around her form, and her eye pattern shifted once more, now resembling a lightning bolt.
As the pattern manifested, the sparks around Naomi intensified, forming into a concentrated mass at her forefront.
She clenched her fingers into a fist and lightly punched towards the wolf before her.
The punch, though seemingly gentle and weak.
However at the point of contact, a bolt of lightning flashed through her fist, coursing directly into the wolf and electrifying it to charcoal. Her seemingly gentle punches landed with devastating force, completely obliterating the creature.
"Humph," Naomi retracted her fist, her expression filled with pride, but it quickly shifted.
Thud!
Two bodies fell to the ground beside her; they were both wolves double the size of her.
"Are you stupid?" Aur's voice cut through the air, his crimson eyes fixed on her.
"Eh," Naomi was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"You became complacent after killing just a peak mortal beast, failing to notice the other two beasts hiding behind you," Aur calmly explained, though his perception had already extended outward, encompassing a radius of two kilometres around their location. "Come out, come out, wherever you are, Aiden Smith."
Naomi nodded her head, fear flickering in her eyes.
"You don't have a lover, right?" Aur suddenly asked.
She was stunned by the question. "No—"
"You know I can do some research and immediately find out, even by asking the second elder," Aur interrupted her.
Hearing this, a bitter expression crept onto her lips as she could only helplessly tell the truth. "Yes."
Aur remained silent, collecting the corpses of the wolves in his spatial ring before moving forward.
"Hey, where are you going? Wait for me," Naomi shouted, hurrying to catch up with Aur.
In the shadows of the forest, an old man observed the two with a contemplative expression.
"That Aur's speed is so terrifying," he thought, frowning. When the two wolves were about to attack Naomi from behind, Aur had moved like a gust of wind, slaying the monsters with a simple saber slash.
"Don't worry, Brother Aiden. With the three of us instructors combined, even if Aur is hiding his strength, he shouldn't be able to make much of a wave. However, the only thing we should be scared of is that girl. She is the daughter of the second elder.
Although the third elder has given a guarantee that he could protect us if we secretly kill Aur, killing Naomi is slapping right in the face of the second elder."
Aiden Smith sighed as he listened.
"What should we do then, Louise?" he asked, turning to the warrior woman with tomboy hair in front of him.
"I don't know. You tell me. You invited us to kill Aur. Now, if we really have to kill him, then that woman should also be killed. If not, then we will likely be exposed and branded as traitors. It would be fine if we kill Aur without knowing it.
After all, the wilderness is dangerous. But now..." Louise shrugged.
"Do we really have to give up?" Aiden Smith frowned, gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Any better ideas?" Louise said in a deadpan tone.
"Then we shall withdraw."
The three of their shadows became blurry before instantly vanishing.
Aur, who was listening to Naomi's monologue, had a regretful expression on his face.
"Too bad they didn't bite the bullet," he thought in his heart sensing the people who were leaving.
"Hey, Aur, are you even listening to me right now!?" Naomi shouted at the top of her lungs.
Aur's gaze suddenly fell on her, instantly silencing her.
"Hey-" Naomi paused as she hurriedly conjured a barrier, her eyes glowing in a bell pattern.
A giant paw appeared in her vision, crashing into her barrier with a growl.
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Her barrier was almost instantly smashed to bits, sending her hurtling into the trees just from the sheer force of the bear.
"A shadow bear?" Aur thought with a calm expression. His demeanour remained unchanged even when he sensed that the bear was about peak tier one realm.
"It's time to test my strength," he muttered, tightening his fist, and instantly the void trembled.
The shadow bear's hostility was also drawn to Aur, sensing his presence, which was much stronger than the woman's.
"Humans, give me back my baby," the shadow bear spoke in a human tone, her eyes shimmering with rage.
Just as Aur was about to attack, he paused.
"Your baby?" he frowned. "I don't know about your baby."
"You humans stole my baby," the shadow bear spoke again in a low-pitched tone, her presence exuding boundless murderous intent.
Aur furrowed his brow, going silent as he contemplated something.