Chapter 224 lookout with Keyana
Benny stretched and yawned as he got out of the vehicle with Kevin, muttering, "Man, that was one heck of a long ride."
Everyone else seemed pretty refreshed, but Viana and Kevin looked a bit worn out. Keith, stepping out, shot Kevin a jealous glance.
Kevin took a look around the spot where Keyara had pulled over earlier. The scenery had changed from barren lands to this dense, dark jungle with a few patches of greenery here and there.
Fortunately, Keyara found a clear spot to set up camp. Once out, she glanced around at everyone, making sure everyone was present. "Alright, guys, let's get the tents up. We've got three tents that can fit three people each. Me and one more who ever wants to gonna take first turn to for lookout. We'll rotate the lookout every five hours, since the night here is about 15 hours long. That way, everyone gets enough rest."
As everyone nodded and started pitching tents, Keyara approached Kevin, who was helping Benny set up his tent. Benny's was big enough for three, while Kevin also had one, but it was just big enough for two people.
"Hey, mind if I chat with you for a sec?" Keyara's unexpected request interrupted Kevin's tent duties.
He nodded, and she motioned for him to follow. Walking a bit away from the camp, she began, "Kevin... it's okay if I call you that, right?"
Kevin nodded, and she continued, "Look, Kevin, I'll cut straight to it. You need to stop with the hanky-panky. I know you and Viana have been getting cozy all along the journey, but it's time to put a lid on it. We've got to be alert; there could be monsters or people ready to jump us at any moment. So, no more sex while we're here, okay?"
Kevin nodded, taken aback by the directness. "Alright, got it. No more getting busy." He was surprised that their discreet actions weren't so discreet after all, but he understood the gravity of the situation. He didn't fancy the idea of getting attacked mid-act either.
"how'd you figure it out?" Kevin couldn't help but be curious about how Keyana had discovered their secret car rendezvous.
Keyana shrugged casually. "Viana tends to go quiet after she's had her fill. Not hard to read." She turned toward the camp, leaving Kevin to ponder her words. He glanced at Viana, who had indeed been unusually silent since they'd left the car. As they walked, Kevin inquired, "Has anyone volunteered for the first lookout shift?"
Keyana shook her head. "Nope, no takers yet."
"Then can I do it?" Kevin asked.
"Sure thing," Keyana agreed before elaborating, "Let everyone set up the tents and grab a bite; then our watch begins."
Kevin nodded and joined the activities. Benny, finished with the tent setup, noticed Kevin approaching and inquired, "What did she want?"
Kevin settled by the fire they'd been trying to ignite and replied nonchalantly, "Just sorting stuff out." Changing the subject, he turned to Benny and asked, "What's on the menu for dinner?"
"I'm not sure; everyone's probably going solo for dinner," the bald man said, settling beside Kevin as they finally managed to get the fire going. He pulled out a wrapped chicken roll. "I brought these. Want one?"
"Thanks," Kevin accepted graciously, taking the roll. Benny followed suit.
The bald man, Stuart, happened to be the least powerful among them. He considered himself fortunate to have been chosen for this expedition. Even if he didn't stumble upon any Noxlight flowers, Chernobog's Den harbored ample cultivation resources that could make anyone wealthy, provided they dared to explore its depths.
Lucima City was quite a distance from Chernbog's Den, which explained why not many cultivators ventured from there. If it weren't for Keyara's niece having to attend Agenya Academy, they probably wouldn't have ended up here. As it stood, her niece was likely already on the way, possibly even aboard the ship heading there.
"It's delicious," Kevin complimented, taking a bite of the roll. "Is this the fire chicken?"
Stuart nodded with a smile. "Yep, stocked up on a bunch before we headed out from the last stop. Figured it'd be good for the journey, along with a few other things."
"You made a good call," Benny chimed in, enjoying his roll with a smile.
The rolls were still steaming hot when bitten into, having been stored in the space ring, keeping them as fresh as if they were just cooked minutes ago. As they savored the meal, Keith walked over and asked, "What are you guys eating?"
"Some fire chicken rolls, want one?" Stuart offered, handing Keith one of the rolls. She took a bite and remarked, "It's spicy."
All three nodded in agreement and finished the rolls, but they still seemed hungry. Kevin suggested, "I also have some rice and curry." He pulled out plastic-wrapped plates containing rice and curry.
As before, all three didn't hesitate and grabbed a plate each. After that Benny pulled bologna sandwiches, Keith had fish ones. With satisfied stomachs, they dispersed to their tents, leaving Kevin alone by the fire.
Keith seemed like she wanted to stay longer, but Kevin didn't let her and told her to sleep.
After a while of staring into the flickering flames, Kevin's heightened senses picked up the sound of footsteps—more than one set. His focus shifted from the dancing fire to the approaching figures. It was Keyana accompanied by Arya, Robert, and Ben, emerging from the forest. They seemed engrossed in conversation, exchanging words until they reached the tents, bidding each other goodnight before dispersing to their individual tents. Keyana, however, made her way towards Kevin's spot.
As she seated herself across from him, Keyana inquired, "Did you eat?"
Kevin nodded. "Yeah, you?"
She shook her head and whipped out a fish sandwich, much like Keith's, and chomped on it. Curious about what they were up to before they got here, he asked, "What were you guys doing out in the woods?"
"Just scouting for any potential monsters lurking around or any signs of them," Keyana said between bites.
Kevin acknowledged his own novice status in outdoor camps; although he'd read the rules, inexperience had caused him to overlook some key considerations. However, he found solace in not being alone in this, with experienced individuals like Keyana present to compensate for any missteps.
"Did you find anything?" he inquired.
"Not much, just stumbled upon some insect-type monster webs. Ben's faced them before and mentioned they're not much of a threat to our group even if they swarm in big numbers," Keyana said, finishing her sandwich and grabbing another.
Kevin nodded, not probing further. As Keyana polished off two more sandwiches, the conversation tapered off. Feeling a bit bored, Kevin fished out a pack of cigarettes from his space ring. He hadn't smoked in years due to health reasons before coming here, but in this world, it didn't seem to cause any harm. He pulled one out for himself and extended the open packet toward Keyana.
She grinned and plucked one out, saying, "Thanks."
"No worries," Kevin replied, smiling as he stashed the packet back into his ring. He took the cigarette and tapped it gently on his thigh to even out the tobacco inside. Keyana noticed his action and smiled, mimicking the gesture.
"You seem like a regular smoker?" She inquired, performing the same tapping motion.
Having smoked a lot in his previous life, Kevin smiled in response. "You could say that."
"So, how did you manage to seduce my grandma?" Keyana asked, effortlessly lighting her cigarette with a burning twig, looking effortlessly cool.
"I didn't do a thing. She was the one who made the move," Kevin replied, mimicking her style of lighting his cigarette.
"Well, she might have made the first move, but from what I know, she's not usually one for round two," Keyana said, a playful smile on her face.
She was right; Viana didn't make the first move in the vehicle, he did. So, after pondering for a moment and exhaling a puff of smoke, he said, "If I recall correctly, I just suggested the privacy shields, gave her thighs a squeeze, and voila! She was ready to hit the hay."
Keyana looked surprised. "It was that easy?"
"Yep," Kevin nodded, confirming it with a casual shrug.
She fell into a silence, puffing on her cigarette in contemplation. After releasing two or three puffs, she asked, "How much progress have you made by being with her?"
Kevin didn't mind sharing, even though it was a personal secret. "I've linked and opened about 50 meridian points."
Keyana looked shocked at the revelation. "50 meridians in just one day?"
"Yeah," Kevin replied, surprised by her reaction. He hadn't realized it was considered that fast.
"And you linked them too?" she asked, maintaining the same shocked expression.
Kevin nodded. Keyana fell silent, her expression a mix of shock and contemplation. She composed herself and continued, "How much progress did she make?"
"You'd have to ask her," Kevin shrugged. Keyana nodded, but she still seemed surprised. "Do you know how old I am?" she suddenly asked.
Kevin was taken aback by the unexpected question. He shook his head, indicating he didn't know the answer.
"I'm 32 years old, Keith is 26, and like your sister Kari, mine's 16. In our family, Kari's the one blessed with remarkable cultivation talent. She managed to open and link over 150 meridians within a year of starting her cultivation. But you..." She paused, looking at him with an excited smile. "You seem to have done it in just two months."
Kevin was taken aback; he hadn't realized he was progressing so quickly. Yet, considering the grade of his cultivation technique, it seemed plausible as the technique's grade played a significant role in cultivation speed.
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