Chapter 125: Dalholiya Forest
???????'?? ??????:
The soft purr of the electric cab whispered in my ears, the only sound to company my solitude.
Seated on the back seat, my gaze remained fixed on the blue canvas above.
To watch the blue sky, when did I develop this habit? I didn't know.
But my heart always seemed to search for something hidden in that blue. Signs? A tiny flicker of hope perhaps. A flicker of hope that whimsically whispered, 'Today, the sky will burn orange.'
But, it never did.
And that hope would always turn into venom, forcing me to claw my chest, so I could bleed it out of my heart.
To my right, Aeravat sat. His chin cradled by his hand. This entire journey, he didn't utter a single word.
In turn, I, didn't feel any need to answer the questions his eyes were seeking from the rows of orphanages outside the window.
In a way, we both were fucked.
Getting off of the car, we made our way to the landmark which was supposed to be the meeting spot.
Silhouetted against the Viridescent steel tower, I caught sight of a man and a woman, standing tall against the backdrop of Dalholiya's outskirts.
'Viridiscent steel tower' was an iron pole, a famous landmark of Dalholiya forest.
"Right on time," Riley greeted me with a grin, his hand reaching out for a handshake. I clasped his hand, and in that moment, I could sense it.
'He's stronger than the first time we met.'
Indeed, I believe he was at the (D+) back then, but now he's (C+)!
Riley reciprocated my thoughts, but through words, "You've grown much stronger than I remember."
"You remember?"
"How could I forget?" he replied with a chuckle.
Then, his eyes shifted to Aeravat as his hand extended with a greeting, "And you must be Aeravat Indrath. Riley Droit here, pleasure to make you my acquaintance."
"Likewise, the pleasure is all mine," Aeravat responded, his grip firm as he shook Riley's hand.
It was only now that I sensed the pair of ordinary brown eyes looking at me with mischief. "Good to see you, Mrs. Sylvie," I greeted.
Sylvie Schmidt, a member of Riley's adventurer party. She was a skilled swordswoman. And from what I've heard, her monstrology skills are top-notch.
She playfully reacted, "Nice to see you too... you're looking much healthier compared to the last time we met. I remember you being frail and skinny, but oh my...", her voice trailed off as she scrutinized me with mischief. "Look at you now!" she plaudit in power.
"Haha, thanks!" I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head.
Next, she answered to Aeravat's extended arm, "And nice to meet you as well, Eiravet."
Aeravat corrected her with a smile, "It's 'Aeravat', ma'am. It's nice to meet you, I will be under your care."
"That's what I said, Erabhat."
"Aeravat."
"Eiravet."
"Aeravat."
"Erectwhat."
"Aeravat."
Sylphie nodded in understanding. "Alright, got it. Now come on, let's move ahead. We can sort out the formalities on the way, Eirawatt," Sylvie winked with a smile, gesturing for us to follow her.
Aeravat did not correct her anymore.
Sylvie skipped ahead of us, her voice trailing off, "Oh, I can already tell this is going to be a fun day! Didn't expect these two, to be this handsome!"
Rolling his eyes, Riley interjected, "Sylvie, they're not your age. Keep it down." As they continued walking, their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Lost in my own thoughts, a mischievous grin formed on my face.
'Not her age, who? Hah! But man, I have to say, she is a bit too cheerful and... ' my thoughts trailed off as my eyes couldn't help but appreciate her curves.
Unbeknownst to me, I blurt out, "She is thick..."
"She is... "Aeravat agreed, his eyes locked on Sylvie's figure.
...
"What?!"-"What?!" In the moment of shared disbelief, we found ourselves interjecting together.
Our heads comically turned, and our gazes locked in a reflexive exchange of disbelief.
"I-I am into older woman...so...," I tried to give a reasonable explanation which didn't sound that reasonable after leaving my mouth.
Aeravat nodded, "Let's forget this ever happened."
***
Without the permissions granted by Emily, we wouldn't have been able to enter this forest.
The checkpoint officers were a mix of rangers, guards, and specialized dungeon regulators. Their primary responsibility was overseeing and regulating access to the forest.
They enlightened us about the unique flora and fauna of the area, cautioning us against hurting certain trees and monsters. They also warned us of sections which were off-limits or dangerous.
Dalholiya forest, sprawled across an expanse of 160 square miles, was located in District 2.
Yes, I was in District 2 right now.
Before me lay a vast expanse of towering woodland.
The squelch of soil beneath our feet, mapped our journey.
We were deep into the forest, our destination was the northeastern section.
While Dalholiya was known to have numerous dungeons, it was the one in the northeast that we had our sights set on.
Riley here came, not to kill monsters, but to covet blue-petal beads, rumored to be hidden within the northeast dungeon.
Blue-petal beads held immense value. They possessed the power to enhance weapons, artifacts, or relics, making them considerably stronger.
Alternatively, they could be sold for a handsome price.
I gave Riley the bullshit that I too wanted blue-petal beads, so it was easy to form a party.
Even though Aeravat here tagged along to help me due to my request, he seem to be intrested in those blue-petal beads as well.
But, my motivations for being here extended beyond the allure of blue-petal beads. Little did the others know, within that same dungeon, blood beads can be found.
Suddenly Aeravat pulled a question out of his ass, "Do you have a thing for Emily?"
"Where on earth did that question come from?"
"You mentioned something about liking her face in the morning," he remarked.
"I never said I had any feelings for her. And even if I did appreciate her looks, which I begrudgingly admit, ahem, wouldn't it simply mean that I'm just another of her simps?"
"Wait, so you do like her?"
"No. I don't like her, I don't hate her. I don't feel anything for her. You dig?"
Aeravat shot me a quick sideways glance, commenting, "You're way more upfront and casual than I thought..."
"Why? What did you think I'd be like?"
"Cold, calculating, and silent type."
"That's just trying too hard to be edgy. I'm normal."
'I think?'
It's been a good while since Aeravat and I started shooting the breeze, and I had to admit, the guy was way different than I imagined.
My novel was written in the third person's POV. Aeravat's thoughts and internal monologues were often hidden from the reader.
While this heightened the mystery surrounding Aeravat's inner world, it also meant that I myself was clueless about his thought process.
What I was certain about though, is that Aeravat lacked proper human emotions.
He might look normal on the surface, but his emotions danced in a tune
known only to him.
But now, I was curious. 'What kind of character is Aeravat?'
Leaning in with a feigned smirk, I began, "And what about you? I can't help but think that a handsome devil must have a bevy of admirers."
"Me?" Aeravat mused, gazing up at the sky as we strolled. It seemed as if he was pondering some deep, philosophical thought. "I meet nice girls who smile at me every day."
Was that a flex?
"And?"
"And, if they're nice to me, they must be nice to others aswell, right?"
"Yeah, buddy, that line doesn't really fit with you. I mean, with your looks, it's obvious they're interested."
"I don't know. Nobody has ever
interested me in my life."
As expected, Aeravat truly is oblivious to the concept of love.
Wait...he can't feel love or he can't feel attraction?
Aeravat never had a female lead for obvious reasons that I myself hated romance genre. Why would I put it in my novel? Even Takahashi and Aurora, were never a thing. Readers loathed the fact that none of their ships sailed.
But in my heart, I didn't give two flying fucks about the readers.
"Well, what about the girls in the academy? Don't you, like, er....ahem, feel something?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Oh yeah, some of them are cute. Actually, I met a gorgeous just yesterday," Aeravat replied, sporting a smile.
'Oh? Gorgeous? Someone intrested him?'
"Who?" I arched a brow.
"Svetlana" came the reply and instantly my eyes widened. "I met her yesterday. She was very sweet," Aeravat replied with a smile.
"Is...that so?" I asked. "What do you think of her?"
"She is nice and strong," he commented.
"I see," I replied, though deep down, I couldn't help but agree with him.
My gaze shifted towards the sky. 'Right, she is, and is innocent and kind. And, she deserves a normal, happy life. Far away from calamity magnets like you...'
And maybe, perhaps...away from me as well? The things I will do...she doesn't have to be a part of that. How will I show Seraphina my face if her daughter...no.
I consider her as my friend, but what am I even doing, knowing full well of the future?
[??????????! ?????????????? ???????????? ????????????????!] Nano's mechanical voice blared in my mind, jolting me into action.
Before I had the time to process the information, Sylvie alerted everyone, "Get down, everyone!"
In moments like these, there's no time for deliberation - you act first, ask questions later.
Swiftly, we all dropped to the ground, just as a powerful gust of wind roared above our heads. A split second later, a thunderous sonic boom echoed through the air, leaving behind a trail of white shock waves that gently rippled outward.
????????! ????????????????!
Sylvie shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "It's a mirage falcon! Brace yourselves, it can reach sonic speeds!"
Reacting swiftly, I summoned my bow from the dimensional bracelet as the rest of the group geared up for the impending battle.
In the far-off sky, a small black dot appeared, followed by a deafening sonic boom as the 8ft Avis soared towards us, poised to strike—????????!
Aeravat stretched out his arms towards the heavens, unleashing a flurry of earth spikes, aiming to impede the oncoming monster's attack.
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