Claire caught up in no time and she was taking in deep breaths.
"What is the meaning of this?"
That was a question they both asked and silence ensued.
"You tell me. I thought you operate on my command only under the hotel. I am going out for personal business," Lyren said calmly.
"You should have told me you were leaving. I was surprised you just left," she protested.
"Its personal business and I really need privacy. Sorry but you should head back," Lyren did not beat around the bush and look for far-fetched excuses.
"Could the private business be going hunting on your own? Didn't no one tell you that you should not go t o the wilderness alone? Many people have died there. You should't go alone," she said and Lyren sighed.
Who did she think he was. Did she think he was just anyone?
He did not think that there was anything that could kill him in that forest in the first place. Well, not the regions he was going to be exploring. He really did not want company.
"You are weak… You are going to hold me back," Lyren opted for the bitter truth and Claire swallowed.
"I won't be of any trouble to you. I can protect myself," Claire said with a serious expression.
"I will be going far deeper than your cultivation can allow. That is why you are going to be holding me back. I need you to understand that," he said and he meant it. "Just go back."
Lyren said and turned away. He did not have any more convincing words and if she had any conscience, she would understand.
***
It was an hour later and Lyren finally made it into the forest. He had followed the hunters and he was surprised that there were already this many hunters including commoners.
The one thing that stood out was that they were all in groups of more than three.
When many saw him, they gave him weird gazes which was to be expected. Just because some people knew he was in the seventh stage did not mean that they could now read his level.
Well, what was even more saddening was the fact that he had brought a sixth stage girl with him. It was obvious that he was the leader of the expedition but for a sixth stage to agree to follow him was saddening.
How was she going to protect herself and a useless young master?
"Miss, why don't you join our team. We will protect you and we shall share our hunt evenly with you…"
Several groups tried their luck but she ignored them all as she followed Lyren. The did not push it and only sighs left their mouths.
Several tried to recruit Lyren but he ignored them all and as the air became more humid and the sun becoming barely visible, it was obvious that they were now in the 'forest.'
Lyren had not expected that she would follow him and he decided to treat her as nonexistent. The deeper they went, the taller and wider the trees became and the creatures they encountered only got stronger.
Still, none of them was a challenge in the first place. Lyren would subtly release his aura and scare the beasts and when he reached the zones with stage six and seven beasts, they became more resistant but every time he glared at them, they would run away.
Claire was the most surprised by this as she wondered what kind of gaze it was but when she recalled the smoldering flames deep inside and the dark gray pupils, she could not help but fell a chill. What was special?
She just followed but as the beasts became stronger and reaching the seventh stage, fear started creeping on her.
The reason was simple. You could not fight beast of the same level as you and expect to win.
This was why she was surprised when the sixth stage beasts and some seventh stage beasts running away but in no time, a beast refused to escape.
She shivered as she realized that she might have made a mistake. Lyren had not spoken to her at all no matter her numerous attempts.
The beast standing in front of him was a hyena. The hyena was around two meters tall. It had back patches on its yellow skin. Its teeth dripped with saliva and it had red eyes.
It had strong hind legs (obviously shorter than the front legs.) When it saw them, it let out a piercing laugh as Claire immediately gave in as she fell on her butt.
She could not tell its level at all and the menacing aura coming from the hyena totally impaled her. When its eyes landed on her, sweat beads coalesced on her forehead.
She tried crawling backwards but her shaky hands did not let her. Her eyes subconsciously turned towards the back of Lyren who was standing straight. Could it be that he wanted to face it alone? That was not acceptable!
"Young Master run, I will hold it back for you. Don't worry about me," she barely found her voice and she stuttered as her hair fell all over her face.
"So, you want to hold it back when you can't even stand on your own." Lyren said as he looked back.
That ought to have been a joke. This was a reason he did no want any company. Trying to set limitations on him just because they couldn't do it themselves.
"You should head back," Lyren said as he drew his sword. He was about to attempt his first battle.
The hyena was twenty meters away and when it saw him draw a weapon it saw that was an open invitation for it to attack.
It was also in the seventh stage and it was confident that it could obviously take the two down.
The hyena was fast and it had no cultivation but that did not mean it was weak. It cultivated its body. It reached Lyren in no time and he did not have time to attack but only defend.
It had a straightforward attack style and it only thought of ramming into him first. Lyren used the sword to defend and the reverb shook his hand as he was sent skidding backwards.
He stopped around ten meters away and as he looked up at the hyena again, it was already charging at him. It appeared that it really was hungry.
Claire saw the first exchange and Lyren was already on the backfoot. A shiver ran down he spine and he blood ran cold and as she raised her head strenuously, she saw a pair of red eyes fixated on her.
The hyena had been aiming for her in the first place. Lyren was meters away and she was a meter from it. She was being a liability just as he had predicted and to make matters worse, she could not move.
She heard a gurgling sound coming from the hyena as it opened its mouth and started walking towards her. She wanted to scream or anything but only death awaited her. Lyren was just too far to save her.
She felt regret as she awaited her inevitable death. It was her ignorance that was paying off but just then, the hyena stopped and it let out an angry cry.
The smell of burnt fur filing her nostrils…