Chapter 268 Wyvern
After a few hours of travel, Roderick warned everyone, "We are officially inside the Black Forest."
The surrounding area changed. It was as if the atmosphere had shifted to that of a dangerous place, with beasts lurking everywhere, ready to pounce and end the lives of the unwary.
They were close to the cliff, and when Damian glanced down, even he, with his Telekinesis allowing him to fly at any moment, felt somewhat scared.
"It's high, isn't it?" Morgana said.
"Yes, it is."
The carriage had a few other merchants inside, carrying their goods which they planned to sell in a city on the other side of the Black Mountains. There were also plenty of mercenaries acting as guards, and a few of them caught Damian's attention.
'A few of them radiate incredible auras,' Damian thought to himself.
Damian's gaze moved from the window overlooking the cliff to the one facing the forest. "Can I sit here for a while?" he asked.
The merchant near the window didn't mind, "No problem, my friend."
For some reason, his instincts were telling him there was something off inside the forest. Perhaps a creature was lurking near their carriage, or it was something else, but either way, Damian wasn't feeling good about it, and there was no reason to stand near the window close to the cliff. It was as if a beast could pounce from that place.
Well, Roderick did mention there were wyverns in the area, but those were rare, and their size alone would warn anyone, so there was no need to dwell on that too much.
'Maybe I should spend a few points?'
It had been a while since the last time Damian used his Erotic Coins to buy something. His attributes were increasing with the help of his Blood Augmentation ability, which increased his attributes and allowed him to learn more spells the more victims he absorbed. The ability was quite powerful, yet its constant usage was changing Damian's personality. Not that he minded that. He wanted power.
Anyway, attributes were not a problem for him at that moment, so instead of using the coins to buy attributes, Damian wanted to see if there were any passive abilities worth buying. There were a few that caught his attention, and there was one in particular he wished to get it badly!
<Azure Body Reconstruction: Increased all attributes by 10%. You can upgrade this ability, going up to 20%, 30% and even 100% bonus in the later levels!>
<Cost: 3000 Erotic Coins.>
'So expensive!'
The amount of Erotic Coins needed was quite high, and Damian did not have that amount yet, but that ability was something he desperately desired! Therefore, he decided to wait a little longer, accumulating more Erotic Coins, and then make the purchase.
'Despite the price, this is the best passive for me at the moment! Considering I am constantly increasing my attributes using my Blood Augmentation, this passive will be incredibly helpful!'
After browsing through the shop for a while, looking at other passives he wanted to buy in the future, Damian abruptly halted all activity and focused closely on the nearby forest. For some reason, he sensed that something was amiss.
"Roderick," Damian said, "Can you stop the carriage for a moment?"
Several of the merchants and mercenaries inside didn't appreciate the request, as they were eager to traverse the Black Mountains as quickly as possible, but Damian couldn't care less about their impatience.
"Alright," Roderick said.
As the carriage came to a halt, the uneasy stillness of the forest enveloped them. Damian's senses sharpened, his mind attuned to any potential threat lurking in the shadows.
"What's the matter, lad?" Roderick inquired, his tone laced with concern.
"I have a feeling we're not alone out here," Damian replied, his eyes scanning the dense undergrowth and the tangled web of branches that obscured the forest's secrets.
Morgana leaned forward, her hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of her dagger. "Do you sense danger?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustle of leaves.
Damian nodded, his jaw set with determination. "Something isn't right. Stay alert, everyone."
The mercenaries, now on high alert, unsheathed their weapons, their gazes darting nervously between the swaying trees. The merchants exchanged anxious glances, their unease palpable in the tense air.
Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed through the forest, sending shivers down their spines. The horses whinnied in distress, their hooves scraping against the stony path.
From the thick canopy above, a pair of glowing amber eyes fixated on them, followed by a chilling, primal roar that reverberated through the Black Forest. A massive shadow, with wings outstretched, blotted out the sunlight, casting a dark shroud over the carriage.
"Wyvern!" Roderick exclaimed, his voice filled with dread.
With a swift motion, Damian summoned his telekinetic powers, creating an invisible barrier of energy around the carriage. The wyvern descended with ferocious speed, claws poised to rend through the carriage's roof.
The mercenaries launched a coordinated attack, their weapons clashing against the wyvern's scales, but it was a formidable adversary.
Damian, despite recognizing the skill of a few of the mercenaries, felt the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. Determined to divert the wyvern's attention from the carriage, he made a split-second decision to lure the beast away.
"Roderick, keep going without me!" Damian's voice cut through the chaos as he propelled himself toward the wyvern, his cloak billowing in the wind.
The wyvern, startled by the bold human soaring so closely, veered after Damian, its maw agape, feral instincts driving it to obliterate the audacious intruder.
Inside the carriage, astonishment mingled with a sense of guilt. Initially, some had scorned Damian's plea to pause their journey, but now, witnessing his selfless bravery, they regretted their earlier impatience.
Roderick urged the horses forward, his grip on the reins tightening with determination. With every jolt of the carriage, his mind echoed with prayers for Damian's safety, hoping that the young man would emerge unscathed from the perilous encounter.
Morgana, her heart pounding in her chest, watched as Damian drew the wyvern's attention away. Without a second thought, she flung herself through the window, her agile form somersaulting in the air before she landed gracefully on the forest floor.
Her eyes locked onto the aerial pursuit, her mind racing through strategies to aid Damian. She knew she couldn't let him face the wyvern alone. With a swift, silent command, she unsheathed her twin daggers, the moonlight glinting off the razor-sharp edges. The forest's underbrush whipped past her as she sprinted, her determination matched only by her concern for her courageous companion.
As the carriage disappeared into the distant foliage, leaving only the echoing roars of the wyvern and the fading silhouette of Damian in the darkening sky, the forest embraced the unfolding duel, nature's silent audience to the clash between human courage and ancient ferocity.
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