Seeing the visible rise on Kyran's aura, Zephyr's reptilian eyes contracted, and he immediately jumped back with a hiss.
"You! What are you planning on doing?" He demanded.
"Are you seriously asking me that? I think my intention is obvious," Kyran replied coldly.
Zephyr growled in frustration.
Was this human not afraid of attracting the people's attention with the three mages?
This human had no idea how crazy those people could get.
They might hesitate in pursuing Zephyr after finding the corpses of the three mages in fear of meeting the same end. However, if they found out there was an intruder, and there was a possibility that the three mages were killed by him, not to mention discovering Zephyr's existence, those people would definitely do everything to find and execute him on the spot!
Because unlike Zephyr, whom they had been pursuing for a long time, and whom they were already familiar with, they had little information about the intruder. They would prioritize finding him, detaining him, or stalling for time until reinforcements arrived.
Zephyr had witnessed it before. Those intruders had become prisoners and were used for the Blood Sacrifice Array.
"You're drawing unnecessary attention to yourself!" Zephyr growled.
Kyran shrugged. He vaguely understood what Zephyr had meant.
But unlike Zephyr's idea, Kyran had a different take on how the Templar Code would react if they sensed his presence.
It would be a given that they would shift their attention to him. But they would prioritize him over the Quilin, not only because they feared he might have discovered the truth about the rare stone, but also because it had only been a few days since there were intruders in the ruins, and now there was another one. Contrary to Zephyr's assessment that they would execute him, Kyran believed they would want to capture him alive and investigate how he bypassed the Templar Code's security.
"I don't care. I have confidence in myself."
Kyran was not talking about having confidence in having two powerful magic, but his ability to escape. After all, he had not reached a level of understanding his two magic where he could have confidence in them, not to mention that his two magic were a double-edged sword. Both were powerful but also unpredictable and hard to control.
Zephyr clenched his fists. He looked behind Kyran as he felt the people after him approaching steadily. From their speed, it would only take them five minutes before reaching the area where the corpses of the three mages were.
He had to do something and fast.
Zephyr could not enter the shrine, with Kyran acting unreasonably. Zephyr was sure that if he escaped into the shrine, Kyran would follow him. And since Kyran was related to the Dragon Lord, he would definitely be 'granted' access. If the two of them fought inside the shrine, Zephyr was afraid that Kyran's destructive power might destroy the whole place.
That was what Zephyr wanted to avoid.
'If only I have enough strength to change into my real form,' he thought while gritting his teeth. 'I could lure him away using my real speed. Alas, in this form I would never outrun him.'
The reason why he had to change into a human form was that he had already exhausted his strength after using his shockwave attack three times. He needed time to replenish his magic energy and regain his form.
"Don't do this, human." Zephyr could only plead.
Kyran did not reply, and instead, his aura rose steadily.
Zephyr clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
As much as he did not want to tell his reasons, it appears he did not have much choice. Right now, Kyran was acting unreasonably because he wanted to take him. Kyran already knew that Zephyr did not want to leave, so he thought they could avoid getting into a fight if he properly explained his reason.
"No matter what you say or do, I can't leave." Zephyr started to say.
Kyran remained silent. However, his rising aura came to a sudden stop.
Zephyr took Kyran's action as his willingness to listen, and he continued, "I am the last guardian of the Shaiha. It is my duty to protect it."
Kyran frowned because Zephyr's words did not really satisfy his curiosity. As a matter of fact, it even raised more questions.
"Protect this place? From what? What is in this place you have to guard?" Kyran asked one after another.
"I'll answer if you promise not to do anything reckless."
"What makes you think I'll compromise?"
"If you are really interested in taking me as a pet, you will agree. If not, then go ahead and be reckless. In the end, you will only end up getting yourself in trouble while I... The least that can happen is I die right here."
Kyran's eyes narrowed.
"And the worse thing that can happen?" He asked.
Zephyr's expression turned solemn.
"The shrine will be destroyed."
Kyran's brow creased after hearing Zephyr's puzzling answer. He was curious why Zephyr's death was not the worse thing that could happen, but the shrine getting destroyed. Typically, if a bound guardian were killed, then the place it was guarding would fall as well.
But if Zephyr's death would not result in the shrine's destruction, it meant Zephyr was not completely bound to it. It also suggested that he was free to go wherever he wanted as long as the shrine was safe.
"Will you promise?" Zephyr hastily asked when Kyran remained silent for a few seconds. He now only had less than five minutes to convince Kyran to leave and let him be.
"Answer me first. Is the reason why you can't leave is because you have to protect the shrine or because of what is inside?" Kyran asked unhurriedly.
Zephyr's brow twitched.
This human had no sense of danger at all! Here he was getting worked up by the fact that his five minutes was almost up, but Kyran still insisted on acting like he had all the time in the world.
"I already told you. I am the last guardian of the Shaiha, so it is my duty to protect it." Zephyr replied impatiently.
Kyran smiled slyly. But because of his black mask, Zephyr did not see it.
"Good. Then let's go," Kyran said.
"Then—."
Zephyr's sentence was instantly cut off because Kyran suddenly dashed forward and grabbed his arm.
Before he could even react, a round purple disc appeared beneath their feet, and the two of them instantly sunk.
"What are you—!"
"Brace yourself."
The two of them fell into the purple disc in the next second.
At a dilapidated building, where Anette was awaiting Kyran's return. While the stealth spell was active, she was looking out the window.
Suddenly a purple light appeared and two shadows appeared.
"Oh my word!"
Kyran heard Anette exclaim from behind as soon as he and Zephyr appeared outside the dilapidated building he warped in with her earlier.
Beside Kyran, Zephyr, who had yet to understand what had happened, immediately went limp. Kyran released his hold on Zephyr's arm and, with an amused expression, watched as the latter fell on his knees and vomited on the ground.
It appeared his warp could also be used as a powerful sneak attack. So far, every person he warped with ended up on their knees.
"Don't just appear out of—," Anette stopped midsentence after realizing that Kyran was not alone.
Releasing her stealth spell, Anette went outside and approached Kyran while curiously looking at the wretched boy on the ground.
How come there was a boy in this place? More importantly, how did Kyran come across the child? Was he not chasing after the Quilin?
"Who?" Anette asked while shifting her gaze at Kyran's profile.
"I'll explain later," Kyran replied while taking out the last transmission scroll in his possession.
Then he added, "Let's leave first."
Hearing Kyran's words, Zephyr, who had just finished vomiting, immediately turned his head and hissed at him.
"You dare—!"
A purple disc appeared beneath Zephyr and Kyran's feet, and the former sunk into the disc in a second.
Kyran, on the other hand, did not sink into the disc but remained standing firmly on the ground. A new purple disc appeared above him as Zephyr fell from it.
The purple disc on the ground disappeared before Zephyr landed, and as soon as he touched the ground, his knees went limp and he started to gag once more.
"This..." Anette was speechless after witnessing this scene.
She knew perfectly well how the boy was feeling after warping in succession. It was an experience she would never want to feel again.
"Behave," Kyran told Zephyr.
Zephyr wanted to glare at Kyran. However, his insides were still churning, making it hard for him to even lift his head.
Without waiting for Zephyr to recover, or Anette to ask further questions, Kyran activated the transmission scroll.
A light-golden array appeared on their feet, and soon the three of them disappeared.
==================
Nolan, Silas and Gage, gathered around the cottage's dining area, was looking at a map laid neatly on top of the table.
It was a detailed map of Noser City which included the surrounding forest.
The three of them were currently discussing the route they would take once they leave the cottage.
They knew Kyran had the ability to warp. However, because of what Anette said about his physical condition, Nolan decided not to exhaust him and instead he talked to Silas and Gage to look for another route they could take.
On the map, there were markings written along the stream located to the left of another red mark, which was where the cottage was. The stream was connected to a large clearing that led to a lake. And from the lake, there was a short valley leading to a small town.
Gage was the one who made the markings on this route.
Silas studied the route for a few minutes before shaking his head, "I think we should avoid going to a nearby town. The Templar Code would have already sent people in every towns to keep an eye out on people entering and leaving."
Gage scowled.
However, before he could refute Silas's remark, a light suddenly appeared in the middle of the cottage.
The three of them turned just in time to see Kyran appear.
But he was not the only one because he was accompanied by a young woman and a young boy with unusual hair color. And this boy was currently sprawled on the floor, seemingly dead.
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