Chapter 100: Only The Beginning (2/2)
Arthur's eyes scanned the surroundings, finding the most optimum path, clear of runes, for him to get there. The forest ended and a stone wall appeared, the cliff Reece has mentioned.
”Follow this wall for a while, be careful of runes! Pss.”
”How did you find them, Reece?”
”A hawk, pss.” There were some slight pride and disappointment in his voice. If Arthur had to guess why: then the pride was in his ability and the disappointment was in Arthur not calling him Senior Brother. Arthur ignored his disappointment.
”Why didn't you take the box yourself?” Arthur asked, doubtful.
”Tried, pss. It's embedded in the rocky wall, pss.” Reece went silent and then resumed his talking. ”He's with a group from Ilios, pss.” Arthur frowned at this information. If this was true, then things might be direr than they thought. Ilios was an empire that was as wide as the Yalveran Union, known for its military strength.
The cliff ran along the forest, forming an arc that made Arthur go into the forest as a shortcut. After another few moments of avoiding the runes, the leaves, and anything that moved, Arthur could finally see the cliff again.
He also saw a group of people trying to climb it. Now normally, awakeners were superhumans. A leap would get them half of the distance toward the box. However, the Forest of Traps being at it is, this cliff was surely covered in runes. If you touch three runes at the same time? Instant elimination.
The group was studying the walls, trying to find the best part of it to start climbing. Four white hoods and one golden one. It matched the description Reece has provided.
”Are you going to attack them?” The lizard asked, its tongue licking its eye. Arthur realized that Reece's voice wasn't from the lizard's vocals, but mana-generated. It was the work of a skill.
”No,” Arthur shook his head, he doubted he was strong enough to attack the five of them – and possibly, the Ender accompanying Tyrin – and emerge victoriously. However, he had an advantage in this place and he was going to use it.
Without pausing, Arthur kept running forward. He was behind the group in an instant and they turned and they heard the noise they made. Despite the hoods covering their faces, Arthur was able to recognize Tyrin. It was him, as Reece said.
However, Tyrin didn't seem to recognize him, which was understandable. Arthur only met him in the Green Golems dungeon, and nowhere else. At the bar, he didn't get to see Arthur. As for the woman, Arthur doubted she had a good look at his face since she was punched in the face before he faced her.
”Back away, or you'll get hurt!” Said a gruff voice from under one of the white hoods. However, Arthur didn't care. He sprinted in their direction faster. Their faces turned pale since facing an enemy, no matter how weaker the enemy was, was deadly in this forest.
They stared as Arthur sprinted, stepping beside rune by a few inches, unafraid the bit of being eliminated. Unexpected by them, Arthur had no plans of fighting them. As they braced themselves, Arthur simply passed them by and sat foot on the wall, and it sank as if he was stepping on sandy ground.
The first step propelled him forward, he used his other foot and it also sank to the wall as if the wall absorbed it. This was the work of his skill, Earth Manipulation. He started running up the wall as fast as he could, feeling the earth's gravity pull him to his fall.
”What – Stop him!” The gruff voice ordered again, and the group followed to use the holes Arthur left in the wall to climb. They were aware that if Arthur touched the cube, one of them wouldn't be able to get teleported like the others.
Tyrin seemed unfazed, probably thinking that he would never be the one left behind. However, Arthur had different plans. Halfway from the box, Arthur had to jump and start climbing with his hands. He did all of this while avoiding the runes. The places he used to climb were the safest on the cliff.
As expected, he reached the box before the others were able to catch up. Instead of touching the box and disappearing, Arthur used his skill Earth Manipulation to cover the box with dirt before hardening it. He ended with a cube-shaped rock, and he grabbed it without being teleported outside.
”Don't you dare!” The man in the white hood bellowed, finally losing his cool. As for Tyrin, his face was pale with anger when he saw Arthur's action.
'This is only the beginning, Tyrin.' Arthur grinned at them and kept the box in his leather bag. He continued his climbing and reached the edge of the cliff before pulling himself atop of it. It was time to flee with the box as the five raged after him in pursuit.