Chapter 205 205 - Warm Hug

Chapter 205 205 - Warm Hug

"Are you sure it's okay for you to stay up for so long? You should rest," she said as she ran her hand over her master's back. Ryan's eyes reflected the fire from the small campfire in front of them. As the warmth enveloped them, they grew closer to each other. With each passing second, Pharah's heartbeats grew stronger, while Ryan noticed the subtle difference between the campfire's warmth and that of the wonderful and sexy warrior's body. The sound of burning wood and shifting ashes filled the empty forest, occasionally interrupted by the wind rustling the trees, disrupting the fire's melody.

Turning around, Ryan noticed how the woman was becoming increasingly breathless. 'Does she... want to do this now?' he wondered, activating his Demon Sight, and realized that was exactly what was happening. Her Lust percentage was extremely high, reaching a worrisome level.

A roar echoed from beyond the gate. Swiftly, they entered a defensive stance. Pharah held her two curved swords, typical of desert warriors, while Ryan retrieved Artemis's weapon from his inventory. Slowly, Pharah advanced toward the gate. Her heartbeats remained steady; her years of experience in battle outweighed her experience in relationships. Ryan's Demon Sight couldn't detect anything in front of them; it was as if that roar had never happened. Sighing, he started focusing on his breathing. Gradually, the campfire's sound faded away, and his red eyes were entirely focused on what lay ahead.

"Dodge! Now!" he shouted. Leaping backward, Pharah dodged the attack of a gigantic shadowy bear. The creature had a noticeable affinity with shadow elements. It vanished upon landing, as if it had melted into the ground like a puddle of water. "I've seen this before...!" Ryan widened his eyes, clenching his sword even tighter. 'It has a shadowy form, just like me.' Ryan pondered the situation. 'It takes a lot of energy to maintain a shadowy form. That idiotic bear couldn't have that much mana for it.'

Staring at the warrior, Ryan said, "Pharah, just wait for my command. It could appear anywhere." She nodded. "I hope you're sure about what you're saying," she replied, smiling.

Concentrating on the night, Ryan began to plan his move in this situation. Looking up, he noticed the accumulated shadowy energy near the trees covering the gate's entrance. 'I've found you.' The bear emerged from the shadows, leaping toward Ryan. With a single swing of his sword, he cleaved the creature with a massive Wind Slash. "You'd have to be faster to catch me off guard," he said, looking at the fallen creature.

After defeating the shadowy bear, Ryan and Pharah remained vigilant, knowing that more challenges could emerge at any moment. The silence in the forest was nearly deafening, broken only by the crackling of the nearby campfire and the rustling of the wind in the leaves.

Ryan, still with his Demon Sight active, kept a close watch on the shadows around him. He sensed the presence of shadowy energy in motion, as if hidden creatures were preparing to attack. Pharah, on the other hand, kept her blades at the ready, prepared to react to any threat.

Suddenly, a dozen shadowy creatures emerged from the darkness. They were shapeless beings with bright red eyes and sharp claws. They approached stealthily, sliding across the ground like living shadows.

Ryan shouted to Pharah, "Be ready! These are shadow creatures. Stay behind me."

The battle erupted with violence. Ryan wielded his Artemis sword, creating wind slashes that cut through the shadowy creatures. Each time he struck them, they dissipated into black smoke and then reformed, ready to continue their attack. Pharah was a blade dancer, agile and precise, cutting down the creatures as she moved with skill. She demonstrated her combat expertise, but the creatures seemed endless.

"They followed the bear's death," Pharah shouted. The two exchanged glances, their thoughts swirling on how to deal with the situation. Ryan sighed and began channeling his energy, watching the creatures gather and reappear from all sides.

Four spheres of light appeared around him, like small stars that illuminated the night. With a quick flick of his fingers, he sent the spheres toward the creatures. The intense sunlight caused their bodies to vanish as they were incinerated. Unlike the previous attacks, these creatures didn't emit dark light, meaning they wouldn't attract more monsters.

"I'll handle this area," Ryan said, pulling Pharah into a long kiss. The warrior's eyes were bewildered, but Ryan's words filled her with determination. "Check the other entrances; I'll hunt down the source of this corruption."

Nodding, Pharah agreed and quickly ran off. In seconds, she had crossed the entire camp, searching for the other warriors.

"Master Pharah, did something happen?" one of the girls asked.

"Stay on alert; we're under attack!" she shouted.

The two warriors raised their hands and sent a signal of fire into the sky, alerting the rest of the warriors.

In the midst of the forest, Ryan sprinted with all his speed. He used his Demon Sight to locate where the creatures were emerging from. It was as if a line of pure shadowy energy was guiding him to the heart of the forest. As he ran through the branches and trees, the scent grew increasingly intense.

His red eyes glowed in the night, as if he had transformed into one of those creatures. His breathing was heavy, echoing through the forest with his quick steps and movements. As he advanced through the forest, the energy grew more intense along the path, consuming the area guided by the trail.

In the heart of the forest, he stopped. "It's here," Ryan said. He looked down and concentrated all his strength into a single punch.

Collapsing amidst the debris, when Ryan opened his eyes again, he was inside an abandoned house. "This place has been consumed by time a long time ago," he thought. As he walked through the place, he realized where he was. The room resembled a kitchen, with a stone stove and four iron pots.

As he walked through the house, he cut through roots that pierced the rough stone walls. The shadowy energy was massive in that place, to a nauseating level.

With a single kick, Ryan found the source of the creatures and the corruption plaguing the forest at night. "A child?" he said aloud, confused. The room appeared to be a girl's bedroom, with a cloth doll lying on the floor in front of a bed. Lying on the bed was a sleeping spirit.

"Can you perform an exorcism?" Ryan nodded. He extended his hands, channeling his holy energy. Slowly, the child woke up and disappeared from the bed. She had a huge smile on her face and spoke in a language Ryan couldn't understand, but he preferred to believe it was a 'thank you.'

The shadowy energy vanished, and in the end, the child's body and nightmares were causing the shadowy waves in the area to disperse. Sighing, Ryan walked through the forest after understanding a valuable lesson.

"My emotions control the intensity of my magic," he murmured to himself, looking at his hand. With a deep breath, he let go of all his anger and with a single motion, he cut down all the trees in a four-meter radius, causing a commotion among the birds and animals that slept in the area.

"This is interesting," he said.

Emerging from the low brush, Pharah was on high alert. "Some boars showed up because of the commotion, but I haven't found any more shadowy creatures."

Ryan nodded. "I took care of it."

In the silence of the forest, they both started to notice the light shining above their heads. Looking up, they saw the stunning constellation of stars that illuminated the night.

"The World Serpent," Pharah said, pointing to the sky. She tried to reach for that constellation, realizing how small her body truly was.

'The World Serpent... So there are other stars and planets in the second world...' As Ryan observed the vastness of the cosmos in the second world, his body grew tired as his muscles relaxed. A few seconds later, he fell into Pharah's arms, and she carried him back to the camp to rest.

The next day, Ryan and Pharah prepared in the morning.

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked as he watched the desert warrior finish cleaning her swords.

Nodding, she said, "I need to be by your side on this journey."n/.OvelB1n

Nodding, Ryan used both his hands to lift Pharah into his arms. With ease, he raised her and leaped into the sky. In seconds, they were soaring among the clouds, but Ryan decided to descend a bit. Just below the clouds, they began their journey, attentively observing the forest and understanding the terrain.

"So, is this what you see every day? This world must be much more fascinating for you," Pharah said, her voice filled with surprise.

"You're not that far from me," he replied with a smile.

They continued flying for several minutes, the speed was so intense that they could no longer make out what was passing by them. The strong wind was making Pharah's bronzed body cold, and trembling, she clung to Ryan.

"I didn't think this would be a problem," he said.

Pharah widened her eyes. "No! It's not a problem!" Before she could continue speaking, Ryan activated his fire aura, causing his body to become slightly warmer. The heat was relaxing and comforting, and once again, Pharah drew closer to Ryan.

A little while later, they had arrived in the forest of the floating islands.