Chapter 98
The forest swallowed the moonlight, leaving only shadows and the occasional glint of stars through the canopy.
Lucas moved through the darkness at a pace most cultivators would consider reckless—his senses extended, his mana ready, his hand never far from his katana.
But beside him, Ashely moved faster. Effortlessly. Each step carried her ten meters, her feet barely touching the ground before she was already forward again.
She had insisted on carrying him for the first leg of the journey. Lucas had argued.
"You're slower," she had said, not unkindly. "And this route is dangerous enough without us traveling at your pace."
"My pace is eighty meters per second."
"Which is half of mine." She had knelt, gesturing for him to climb onto her back. "We lose a day traveling together at your speed. We lose nothing if I carry you. Pride is a luxury we can't afford tonight."
Lucas had swallowed his pride. It tasted bitter, but she was right.
Now, hours into the journey, the forest had thinned into rocky highlands, the trees giving way to scrub and stone.
Ashely moved at a steady hundred meters per second, her breathing unchanged, her steps certain. No mana. Just her body's natural strength.
Lucas had known she was powerful.
"You're thinking too loudly," she said, not breaking stride.
"I'm calculating."
"About my speed or my endurance?"
"Both." He adjusted his grip on her shoulders. "You could maintain this pace for days."
"I could, but we don't have days." She leapt over a ravine, the drop below lost in darkness. "We have until the others leave. That's when the generals will move. We need to be in position before then."
"The clones will hold them for a while."
"As long as they need to." She landed silently, already accelerating again. "Your mana clones. How long do they last?"
"Without combat, maybe some days if it replenishes its mana. With combat, some hours. But they'll fight like I would—strategically, defensively. They'll retreat before they're destroyed."
"And my lightning clone?"
"Lightning clones are indistinguishable from the original. Energy signature, presence, even the feeling of her mana. If the generals sense her, they'll believe the ritual is starting early."
Ashely was quiet for a moment. "You planned this before you came to me."
"I plan everything."
"That's what worries me."
The terrain grew rougher, the path winding through a series of narrow valleys designed to hide their passage from any eyes that might be watching. They were taking the long route—safer, more concealment, fewer places for an ambush. But it added hours to the journey. Hours they might not have.
Lucas checked the position of the stars. "We need to stop."
"Why?" Ashely questioned.
He tapped her shoulder. "Let me down."
She slowed, finding a sheltered alcove beneath an overhang of rock. The space was small, barely large enough for both of them, but it offered cover from above and concealment from the valley below. She set him down and immediately moved to the entrance, scanning the darkness.
"I know I told you we were going to move at a speed that the others would catch up. But I wasn't truthful about that part. My plan was to use my Astral Mode so we could reach the seal place in an hour and finish this before the demon generals react." Lucas spoke, his Mana eyes activating.
"Don't you think that would be dangerous, mostly if the demon generals are waiting for us at the sealing location?" Ashely replied with a frown. "I know that form, but you can't last long in it. With also your limited mana, how are you going to suppress the Demonic Mana Beast and also defend yourself?"
Lucas looked ahead, his eyes gazing at the starry sky as he smiled. "Don't worry too much. I will keep my promise to you. And the chances of them winning against me is low, unless the demonic beast escapes—which I hope you won't fail on that part."
"I won't." Ashely replied, and Lucas nodded.
"As long as that doesn't happen, there won't be anything to fear." Lucas answered. He was confident, but not overconfident. Even with the new seals which mean I don't have to reseal the spell again, I would still need to wait an hour before using it again. It mostly taxes my ocular power, so I need to find a way to increase the volume and quality of it.
"Then, Master, would you follow this disciple's foolish plan?" Lucas questioned jokingly.
"I am your Master, so I can't really refuse." Ashely replied with a smile and added, "I know how strong you are, my disciple, but always be on alert."
"Yes, I will." Lucas replied as he used the sealed spell of Astral Mode, which had been sealed into both eyes.
"Your turn," he said.
Ashely raised an eyebrow. "My turn?"
"You carried me here. Now I carry you." He met her gaze. "Unless you want to walk the rest of the way?"
She laughed. "It was fun when I was doing it."
He turned his back to her, kneeling slightly. Cyan light erupted from his eyes, spreading across his body like a second skin. The mana cloak wrapped around him, luminous and fluid, and the world seemed to slow.
Every sound sharpened. Every movement became anticipation. He could feel the weight of Ashely on his back, the stone beneath his feet, the wind moving through the valley below.
Using his mana to protect her, he started floating, and the moment he moved, a sonic boom erupted.
This time he didn't even try to suppress it as he broke through the sound barrier.
He was flying at speeds which people might mistake for a shooting star as Lucas reached 425 meters per second.
Lucas crossed cities, towns, and villages on the way, finally reaching a place filled with valleys.
The last valley opened before them, a wide bowl of stone and shadow, and at its center, the entrance to the seal. A cave mouth, ancient and dark, carved into the mountain's heart.
Lucas stopped at its edge. The cloak dissolved, the cyan light fading from his eyes. He let Ashely down carefully, his legs threatening to buckle, his breath coming hard.
"Twenty minutes," he said. "Almost exactly."
She looked at him. Then at the cave. Then back at him.
"Rest," she said. "We have time."
"Okay, after that we'll finish this. But something just feels wrong." Lucas spoke.
"What do you mean?" Ashely questioned.
"Hmmm, let's wait and see." Lucas replied, sitting down and looking at the cave.