Chapter 246: Stingham’s Inventiveness, The Call of Death (2/2)
“Let’s rest here for a while,” Rui said to Ayrin, Rinloran, and Stingham as he looked up at the darkening sky.
“Monsters on the same level as the Fire Caracal Lord and Poisonous Nighthawk Lord are quite rare, even in the Southam Demon Forest. Considering the familiarity Evil Dragon Followers should have of the forest, I assume they generally avoid this area at the boundary of the Fire Caracal Lord and Poisonous Nighthawk Lord’s territories. With night as our cover, we should be okay to rest here as long as we keep quiet and don’t use any skills which cause bright flashes of light. Take this time tonight to rest and replenish your arcane particles. From tomorrow onwards, we will be traveling without interruptions. Otherwise, we will not be able to reach the assigned Path of Evil within the allotted time.”
“Okay.” As Rinloran looked around for a comfortable place to rest, he coldly said out loud, “As long as a certain idiot doesn’t run around and cause a ruckus, we will be fine.”
“Indeed. Ayrin, you better not run around or make any loud noises!” Stingham said as he looked at Ayrin with scorn.
“……” Ayrin’s face was full of annoyance as he responded, “He was clearly talking to you.”
……
The cloak of night finally descended over the Southam Demon Forest.
Because of the various vegetation which covered the forest, countless strange shadows were casted on the ground as moonlight descended, making darkness within the forest even thicker.
By this point, Rinloran had already fallen asleep as a light and rhythmic breathing emanated out from the simple hammock which he had woven together from some vines.
Meanwhile, Ayrin and Rui were diligently refining arcane particles. The group of four had decided to split into groups of two and take turns sleeping and refining arcane particles in case of any sudden circumstances.
“Ah!”
A shrill cry of misery suddenly broke the tranquil silence.
“What happened?!”
“Stingham?! He’s gone again! Is this fellow here only to keep dragging us down?”
Even the sound asleep Rinloran was shocked awake by the scream.
He immediately became enraged as he looked around and saw that Stingham, who had been sleeping on a bed which he had fashioned from some dead branches and leaves, was nowhere to be found.
“Teacher Rui, Ayrin, this time you must not stop me. If this guy hasn’t died yet, he soon will be!”
As he moved in the direction of Stingham’s cry alongside Rui and Ayrin, Rinloran felt like he couldn’t contain his rage any longer.
“Stingham…”
After several hundred meters, Ayrin finally saw Stingham. He was standing under a tree which had completely withered tree which had become completely covered by moss and white, cotton-like plants.
“Guys, hurry up and come look at this!”
Upon seeing Ayrin and the other two, Stingham immediately waved them over.
“If you are fine, why are you screaming?”
“I can’t believe you still ran this far after I especially told you not to!”
Rinloran’s patience towards Stingham had indeed reached the limit as he immediately accelerated upon seeing Stingham and lifted a foot streaming with arcane particles.
Whoosh!
Rui abruptly appeared beside Rinloran.
“That’s?”
At this moment, Rinloran suddenly stopped in place, not due to Rui, but due to what he saw as he neared Stingham and the tree Stingham stood beside. A person had been firmly embedded within the great withered tree.
“A person growing within a tree? What kind of strange tree is this?!”
Ayrin felt his breath catch in his throat.
“No, there is the smell of blood!”
Upon smelling blood, Ayrin immediately realized that this person had been forcefully smashed into the tree.
As Ayrin approached the tree, he began to see traces of battle around it. There were countless scratches and gashes on the ground as well as many pieces of moss and dead wood scattered around where Stingham stood.
“This?!”
Upon arriving beside Stingham, Ayrin immediately let out an exclamation of shock.
The person who had been embedded so deeply within the tree that he seemed to be a part of it had already died.
It was a young male arcane master whose heart had been pierced through by an arcane skill. But what drew Ayrin’s eyes was the silver white skin shaped in a crescent atop the boy’s head which contrasted with his dark brown skin.
Ayrin subconsciously took two steps forward.
“Teacher Rui, I have met this person before. He is a member of House Eclipsed Moon’s arcane team! He once looked for me alongside several other House Eclisped Moon arcane masters in Eichemalar,” Ayrin said in shock as he turned his head and looked at Rui after thoroughly examining the face of this deceased young arcane master.