Chapter 105: The Budh Village
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On the border of the Laining City was a settlement comprised of hard-working villagers that strived to keep their families alive. The village houses were made of mud from hard clay and huts from hay and wood, stacked in the shapes of cones or single-story buildings.
Unaware of the dangers surrounding them, the villagers diligently woke up at the break of dawn and prepared for their day of hard labor.
"Elder Mu, you are up as well?"
"Yes, who can remain asleep when so much work is pending?"
"Elder Wu'er, I don't see your grandson around today. Has he already given up?"
"Haha...let's not talk about my grandson. Everyone knows what he is like. Why don't we discuss your grandson? Isn't he the honor of the Budh Village? Where is he? Why haven't we seen him in days?"
"That...my grandson is out of the village...he went into town to seek better employment. Now, if you will excuse me..." Elder Mu turned and left in a hurry, his scrambling steps seeming as if he was being chased by a beast.
"Elder Wu'er, the entire village is aware of Elder Mu's grandson's actions. Did you need to bring him up? See now, you chased him away." A grey-haired elder with kind eyes spoke disappointedly as he looked at Elder Wu'er.
"Elder Yu, I didn't mean it. In the heat of the moment, I spoke rashly." Elder Wu'er bowed his head in shame, his dull blonde hair appearing withered in the morning dawn.
"What's done is done. There's no undoing it. Let's drop this topic. The fields are still waiting for us." Elder Yu shook his head and walked away.
The rest of the Budh Village men followed after him, going to their respective fields as they passed by the dense wood that was shrouded with an ominous fog of death and gore.
Howls and roars reverberated from the thick foliage as the thick metallic scent of blood spread in the air.
Amidst the beastly roars, a feeble whisper drifted out and mixed in the cacophony of noise.
"Huff, huff, we need...to leave this place."
Crown Prince Lail felt weariness cloud his mind, dragging his muscles and bones. Half a night of slaughtering a horde of wild beasts was more than he had bargained for. Even if there was a compatible partner beside him.
"How are we going to do that? How will we create a wide enough gap to make a great escape? As it is, we are barely managing to stay afloat." The woman coldly replied.
"We don't have any other option. One way or another, we need to create an opening and escape from here or we will end up as wild beast food." He retorted just as indifferently.
Even though they fought side by side for an entire night, him with his spear and she with her sword, the two still didn't trust each other enough to lay out all their cards in the open.
Crown Prince Lail held back his level three elemental magic abilities, while he was certain that the woman was holding back her own. Because during the entire night of slaughtering, he hadn't once seen her use a magic spell as all her attacks were facilitated by her golden sword.
Since he already suspected her to be from one of the six academies, he knew that what he saw was only what she desired to show him. As such, he had no choice but to push for genuine cooperation that comprised of half their true strength.
He came to save her, but did not mean that he had earned her favor.
On the contrary, he had earned her suspicion by coming out exactly when she was in danger.
Sighing secretly, Crown Prince Lail wiped off the sweat on his forehead, his mind flashing back to the moment when he grabbed her waist. The act was completely instinctive, not done intentionally on his part, but it bothered him all the same.
'Why did I react like that?'
This was a question for which he couldn't find an answer.
If the one in danger was his wife, his nervousness and anxiety would have made perfect sense. But the one in danger here wasn't his wife.
It was a complete stranger.
So why was he so alarmed? Alarmed to the point of instinctively shielding her with his body?
He sensed her aversion after that brief contact. No doubt, finding him and his actions questionable.
Unfortunately, what she wasn't aware of was his own confusion and distress. His disappointment in himself. As such, he didn't mind her obvious dislike but instead welcomed it.
It kept him sane.
"I will hold back the Turtle Morrg, you clear a path. When you hold back another wild beast, I will clear a path. We must accomplish our individual tasks at each turn, no matter what. What do you think?"
Her chilly voice pulled him out of his reverie, returning him to the present. As he registered the meaning of her words, his dark eyes flashed with a black-blue gleam.
'So, you knew that I was also holding back.'
He was not surprised.
In fact, he subconsciously sensed that she knew he was holding back. Only hearing her say it from her own mouth had a different flavor. It felt like an affirmation of the woman's personality. A personality that he had rightly guessed.
"Hmm. We will do it that way. There seems to be a village a little far ahead. Let us clear a path that way."
Having decided on a course of action, the two went back to back. The man holding his black-blue spear and the woman, her golden sword.
Without another word, the duo rushed into the fray.
Princess Qamari wielded Skyler with precision, holding off the giant Turtle Morrg with stabs and slashes. It roared in rage and using its thick hide as a shield, it violently charged at her with its sharp horns aiming for her neck.
She calmly parried its attack and closed in, taking advantage of her lightness to swiftly deal two severe slashes on its vital points. The beast roared back in pain, its anguished screech intermingled with rage as it threw its large paw in a swatting motion.
Princess Qamari stepped to the side but didn't put any distance between them, sticking to the beast like a mending herb.
By her side, Crown Prince Lail ruthlessly slashed at beast after beast, unwaveringly pressing forward as they dropped like wingless Myifs. His eyes flashed with a vicious gleam, the merciless sharp orbs frightening most of the less courageous beasts away.
Black-blue light flashed on his spear and sparks of lightning shot out, slamming into the nearby creatures and scorching them to death. He continued his advance with Princess Qamari silently keeping pace as she held off the giant Turtle Morrg.
A while later, about the time it takes a candlestick to burn, Crown Prince Lail tapped on the woman's shoulder, signaling as the time to switch positions.
"Be careful of the Octopus Snakes. Their poisons are troublesome to deal with." He helpfully called out over his shoulder, before engaging the charging Turtle Morrg that wanted to follow her moving figure.
Princess Qamari didn't reply to the masked man's reminder, her golden eyes fixed firmly on the mindless wild beasts. Twirling her golden sword, she slashed and hacked without restraint.
A night of slaughter had honed her senses to the point of perfection. Thanks to her innate healing ability, her scratches self-healed, and her energy recovered on its own. Her only concern was the never-ending beast horde.
If they failed to cease anytime soon or they failed to escape out of their encirclement, sooner or later, even her innate healing power would fail to have an effect.
Gracefully swinging her sword, she hacked apart another beast, its flying dark blood splashing on her veiled face as it fell. The stark contrast of red and white created a grim atmosphere that fueled her partner's blood.
Crown Prince Lail slashed at the giant Turtle Morrg, his heart racing from the scene of the woman's bloodied face. Even though she wore a veil, her luminous beauty remained unmaskable.
'What in the seven realms am I thinking?'
For the tenth time this night, he admonished himself for his wayward thoughts and subconscious attraction to the strange woman.
"Yaaaah!"
Wanting to lose himself in the fierce struggle, he directly engaged the Turtle Morrg. Beast and man collided, and booming sounds rang out, filling the air. In about ten breaths of time, the clash cooled down and the two returned to their earlier dance of evading and fending.
Princess Qamari shook her head and continued her advance. She was not able to understand the reason for the man's sudden outburst and decided to ignore it. After all, it wasn't like it was impeding her progress.
In this fashion, the veiled, white-robed woman and the masked, black-robed man slowly advanced their way out of the dark wood towards the Budh Village on the distant hill.
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On the border of the Laining City was a settlement comprised of hard-working villagers that strived to keep their families alive. The village houses were made of mud from hard clay and huts from hay and wood, stacked in the shapes of cones or single-story buildings.
Unaware of the dangers surrounding them, the villagers diligently woke up at the break of dawn and prepared for their day of hard labor.
"Elder Mu, you are up as well?"
"Yes, who can remain asleep when so much work is pending?"
"Elder Wu'er, I don't see your grandson around today. Has he already given up?"
"Haha...let's not talk about my grandson. Everyone knows what he is like. Why don't we discuss your grandson? Isn't he the honor of the Budh Village? Where is he? Why haven't we seen him in days?"
"That...my grandson is out of the village...he went into town to seek better employment. Now, if you will excuse me..." Elder Mu turned and left in a hurry, his scrambling steps seeming as if he was being chased by a beast.
"Elder Wu'er, the entire village is aware of Elder Mu's grandson's actions. Did you need to bring him up? See now, you chased him away." A grey-haired elder with kind eyes spoke disappointedly as he looked at Elder Wu'er.
"Elder Yu, I didn't mean it. In the heat of the moment, I spoke rashly." Elder Wu'er bowed his head in shame, his dull blonde hair appearing withered in the morning dawn.
"What's done is done. There's no undoing it. Let's drop this topic. The fields are still waiting for us." Elder Yu shook his head and walked away.
The rest of the Budh Village men followed after him, going to their respective fields as they passed by the dense wood that was shrouded with an ominous fog of death and gore.
Howls and roars reverberated from the thick foliage as the thick metallic scent of blood spread in the air.
Amidst the beastly roars, a feeble whisper drifted out and mixed in the cacophony of noise.
"Huff, huff, we need...to leave this place."
Crown Prince Lail felt weariness cloud his mind, dragging his muscles and bones. Half a night of slaughtering a horde of wild beasts was more than he had bargained for. Even if there was a compatible partner beside him.
"How are we going to do that? How will we create a wide enough gap to make a great escape? As it is, we are barely managing to stay afloat." The woman coldly replied.
"We don't have any other option. One way or another, we need to create an opening and escape from here or we will end up as wild beast food." He retorted just as indifferently.
Even though they fought side by side for an entire night, him with his spear and she with her sword, the two still didn't trust each other enough to lay out all their cards in the open.
Crown Prince Lail held back his level three elemental magic abilities, while he was certain that the woman was holding back her own. Because during the entire night of slaughtering, he hadn't once seen her use a magic spell as all her attacks were facilitated by her golden sword.
Since he already suspected her to be from one of the six academies, he knew that what he saw was only what she desired to show him. As such, he had no choice but to push for genuine cooperation that comprised of half their true strength.
He came to save her, but did not mean that he had earned her favor.
On the contrary, he had earned her suspicion by coming out exactly when she was in danger.
Sighing secretly, Crown Prince Lail wiped off the sweat on his forehead, his mind flashing back to the moment when he grabbed her waist. The act was completely instinctive, not done intentionally on his part, but it bothered him all the same.
'Why did I react like that?'
This was a question for which he couldn't find an answer.
If the one in danger was his wife, his nervousness and anxiety would have made perfect sense. But the one in danger here wasn't his wife.
It was a complete stranger.
So why was he so alarmed? Alarmed to the point of instinctively shielding her with his body?
He sensed her aversion after that brief contact. No doubt, finding him and his actions questionable.
Unfortunately, what she wasn't aware of was his own confusion and distress. His disappointment in himself. As such, he didn't mind her obvious dislike but instead welcomed it.
It kept him sane.
"I will hold back the Turtle Morrg, you clear a path. When you hold back another wild beast, I will clear a path. We must accomplish our individual tasks at each turn, no matter what. What do you think?"
Her chilly voice pulled him out of his reverie, returning him to the present. As he registered the meaning of her words, his dark eyes flashed with a black-blue gleam.
'So, you knew that I was also holding back.'
He was not surprised.
In fact, he subconsciously sensed that she knew he was holding back. Only hearing her say it from her own mouth had a different flavor. It felt like an affirmation of the woman's personality. A personality that he had rightly guessed.
"Hmm. We will do it that way. There seems to be a village a little far ahead. Let us clear a path that way."
Having decided on a course of action, the two went back to back. The man holding his black-blue spear and the woman, her golden sword.
Without another word, the duo rushed into the fray.
Princess Qamari wielded Skyler with precision, holding off the giant Turtle Morrg with stabs and slashes. It roared in rage and using its thick hide as a shield, it violently charged at her with its sharp horns aiming for her neck.
She calmly parried its attack and closed in, taking advantage of her lightness to swiftly deal two severe slashes on its vital points. The beast roared back in pain, its anguished screech intermingled with rage as it threw its large paw in a swatting motion.
Princess Qamari stepped to the side but didn't put any distance between them, sticking to the beast like a mending herb.
By her side, Crown Prince Lail ruthlessly slashed at beast after beast, unwaveringly pressing forward as they dropped like wingless Myifs. His eyes flashed with a vicious gleam, the merciless sharp orbs frightening most of the less courageous beasts away.
Black-blue light flashed on his spear and sparks of lightning shot out, slamming into the nearby creatures and scorching them to death. He continued his advance with Princess Qamari silently keeping pace as she held off the giant Turtle Morrg.
A while later, about the time it takes a candlestick to burn, Crown Prince Lail tapped on the woman's shoulder, signaling as the time to switch positions.
"Be careful of the Octopus Snakes. Their poisons are troublesome to deal with." He helpfully called out over his shoulder, before engaging the charging Turtle Morrg that wanted to follow her moving figure.
Princess Qamari didn't reply to the masked man's reminder, her golden eyes fixed firmly on the mindless wild beasts. Twirling her golden sword, she slashed and hacked without restraint.
A night of slaughter had honed her senses to the point of perfection. Thanks to her innate healing ability, her scratches self-healed, and her energy recovered on its own. Her only concern was the never-ending beast horde.
If they failed to cease anytime soon or they failed to escape out of their encirclement, sooner or later, even her innate healing power would fail to have an effect.
Gracefully swinging her sword, she hacked apart another beast, its flying dark blood splashing on her veiled face as it fell. The stark contrast of red and white created a grim atmosphere that fueled her partner's blood.
Crown Prince Lail slashed at the giant Turtle Morrg, his heart racing from the scene of the woman's bloodied face. Even though she wore a veil, her luminous beauty remained unmaskable.
'What in the seven realms am I thinking?'
For the tenth time this night, he admonished himself for his wayward thoughts and subconscious attraction to the strange woman.
"Yaaaah!"
Wanting to lose himself in the fierce struggle, he directly engaged the Turtle Morrg. Beast and man collided, and booming sounds rang out, filling the air. In about ten breaths of time, the clash cooled down and the two returned to their earlier dance of evading and fending.
Princess Qamari shook her head and continued her advance. She was not able to understand the reason for the man's sudden outburst and decided to ignore it. After all, it wasn't like it was impeding her progress.
In this fashion, the veiled, white-robed woman and the masked, black-robed man slowly advanced their way out of the dark wood towards the Budh Village on the distant hill.
On the border of the Laining City was a settlement comprised of hard-working villagers that strived to keep their families alive. The village houses were made of mud from hard clay and huts from hay and wood, stacked in the shapes of cones or single-story buildings.Unaware of the dangers surrounding them, the villagers diligently woke up at the break of dawn and prepared for their day of hard labor."Elder Mu, you are up as well?""Yes, who can remain asleep when so much work is pending?""Elder Wu'er, I don't see your grandson around today. Has he already given up?""Haha...let's not talk about my grandson. Everyone knows what he is like. Why don't we discuss your grandson? Isn't he the honor of the Budh Village? Where is he? Why haven't we seen him in days?""That...my grandson is out of the village...he went into town to seek better employment. Now, if you will excuse me..." Elder Mu turned and left in a hurry, his scrambling steps seeming as if he was being chased by a beast."Elder Wu'er, the entire village is aware of Elder Mu's grandson's actions. Did you need to bring him up? See now, you chased him away." A grey-haired elder with kind eyes spoke disappointedly as he looked at Elder Wu'er."Elder Yu, I didn't mean it. In the heat of the moment, I spoke rashly." Elder Wu'er bowed his head in shame, his dull blonde hair appearing withered in the morning dawn."What's done is done. There's no undoing it. Let's drop this topic. The fields are still waiting for us." Elder Yu shook his head and walked away.The rest of the Budh Village men followed after him, going to their respective fields as they passed by the dense wood that was shrouded with an ominous fog of death and gore.Howls and roars reverberated from the thick foliage as the thick metallic scent of blood spread in the air.Amidst the beastly roars, a feeble whisper drifted out and mixed in the cacophony of noise."Huff, huff, we need...to leave this place." Crown Prince Lail felt weariness cloud his mind, dragging his muscles and bones. Half a night of slaughtering a horde of wild beasts was more than he had bargained for. Even if there was a compatible partner beside him."How are we going to do that? How will we create a wide enough gap to make a great escape? As it is, we are barely managing to stay afloat." The woman coldly replied."We don't have any other option. One way or another, we need to create an opening and escape from here or we will end up as wild beast food." He retorted just as indifferently.Even though they fought side by side for an entire night, him with his spear and she with her sword, the two still didn't trust each other enough to lay out all their cards in the open.Crown Prince Lail held back his level three elemental magic abilities, while he was certain that the woman was holding back her own. Because during the entire night of slaughtering, he hadn't once seen her use a magic spell as all her attacks were facilitated by her golden sword.Since he already suspected her to be from one of the six academies, he knew that what he saw was only what she desired to show him. As such, he had no choice but to push for genuine cooperation that comprised of half their true strength.He came to save her, but did not mean that he had earned her favor.On the contrary, he had earned her suspicion by coming out exactly when she was in danger.Sighing secretly, Crown Prince Lail wiped off the sweat on his forehead, his mind flashing back to the moment when he grabbed her waist. The act was completely instinctive, not done intentionally on his part, but it bothered him all the same.'Why did I react like that?'This was a question for which he couldn't find an answer.If the one in danger was his wife, his nervousness and anxiety would have made perfect sense. But the one in danger here wasn't his wife. It was a complete stranger.So why was he so alarmed? Alarmed to the point of instinctively shielding her with his body?He sensed her aversion after that brief contact. No doubt, finding him and his actions questionable.Unfortunately, what she wasn't aware of was his own confusion and distress. His disappointment in himself. As such, he didn't mind her obvious dislike but instead welcomed it. It kept him sane."I will hold back the Turtle Morrg, you clear a path. When you hold back another wild beast, I will clear a path. We must accomplish our individual tasks at each turn, no matter what. What do you think?"Her chilly voice pulled him out of his reverie, returning him to the present. As he registered the meaning of her words, his dark eyes flashed with a black-blue gleam.'So, you knew that I was also holding back.'He was not surprised.In fact, he subconsciously sensed that she knew he was holding back. Only hearing her say it from her own mouth had a different flavor. It felt like an affirmation of the woman's personality. A personality that he had rightly guessed."Hmm. We will do it that way. There seems to be a village a little far ahead. Let us clear a path that way."Having decided on a course of action, the two went back to back. The man holding his black-blue spear and the woman, her golden sword.Without another word, the duo rushed into the fray.Princess Qamari wielded Skyler with precision, holding off the giant Turtle Morrg with stabs and slashes. It roared in rage and using its thick hide as a shield, it violently charged at her with its sharp horns aiming for her neck.She calmly parried its attack and closed in, taking advantage of her lightness to swiftly deal two severe slashes on its vital points. The beast roared back in pain, its anguished screech intermingled with rage as it threw its large paw in a swatting motion.Princess Qamari stepped to the side but didn't put any distance between them, sticking to the beast like a mending herb.By her side, Crown Prince Lail ruthlessly slashed at beast after beast, unwaveringly pressing forward as they dropped like wingless Myifs. His eyes flashed with a vicious gleam, the merciless sharp orbs frightening most of the less courageous beasts away.Black-blue light flashed on his spear and sparks of lightning shot out, slamming into the nearby creatures and scorching them to death. He continued his advance with Princess Qamari silently keeping pace as she held off the giant Turtle Morrg.A while later, about the time it takes a candlestick to burn, Crown Prince Lail tapped on the woman's shoulder, signaling as the time to switch positions."Be careful of the Octopus Snakes. Their poisons are troublesome to deal with." He helpfully called out over his shoulder, before engaging the charging Turtle Morrg that wanted to follow her moving figure.Princess Qamari didn't reply to the masked man's reminder, her golden eyes fixed firmly on the mindless wild beasts. Twirling her golden sword, she slashed and hacked without restraint.A night of slaughter had honed her senses to the point of perfection. Thanks to her innate healing ability, her scratches self-healed, and her energy recovered on its own. Her only concern was the never-ending beast horde.If they failed to cease anytime soon or they failed to escape out of their encirclement, sooner or later, even her innate healing power would fail to have an effect.Gracefully swinging her sword, she hacked apart another beast, its flying dark blood splashing on her veiled face as it fell. The stark contrast of red and white created a grim atmosphere that fueled her partner's blood.Crown Prince Lail slashed at the giant Turtle Morrg, his heart racing from the scene of the woman's bloodied face. Even though she wore a veil, her luminous beauty remained unmaskable. 'What in the seven realms am I thinking?'For the tenth time this night, he admonished himself for his wayward thoughts and subconscious attraction to the strange woman."Yaaaah!"Wanting to lose himself in the fierce struggle, he directly engaged the Turtle Morrg. Beast and man collided, and booming sounds rang out, filling the air. In about ten breaths of time, the clash cooled down and the two returned to their earlier dance of evading and fending.Princess Qamari shook her head and continued her advance. She was not able to understand the reason for the man's sudden outburst and decided to ignore it. After all, it wasn't like it was impeding her progress. In this fashion, the veiled, white-robed woman and the masked, black-robed man slowly advanced their way out of the dark wood towards the Budh Village on the distant hill.
