After Jack arrived, he saw Cooper squatting down in front of a half-eaten large wild beast.
The corpse was so black that it seemed darker than night.
Jack felt a cold chill pricking his skin. If such a large, dark-skinned beast attacked him, he probably wouldn't even have the courage to draw his blade, much less fight it. And even if he did manage to fight, he doubted he could survive against such a robust beast.
"Found them!" Cooper chuckled coldly, with ominous light flashing across his sole eye.
"What, they are here?" Jack quickly looked around in excitement.
Only Lyria and Livy's figure and visage could now soothe his tired heart.
Cooper snorted. "There's no way they'll stick around after hunting. That was the same as giving up their lives because I can find this corpse with just the smell."
Cooper never considered either Lyria or Livy to have the guts to face him directly when he was going all out—unlike the previous battle, where it was clear that he had underestimated both of them and was also holding back to capture both girls alive.
In the previous battle, Cooper hadn't given either Lyria or Livy the option to run and had forced them to fight. Otherwise, if they had known a Warrior was after them, both Lyria and Livy would have fled long ago. Cooper was very sure of this, as no Mortal has the guts to fight or even resist a Mage, much less a Warrior in close combat.
Cooper was very confident in his strength to kill both Lyria and Livy in seconds if he had his sword with him.
Jack didn't bother listening much. He didn't even inquire how Cooper had managed to find Lyria and Livy's location. He skipped all this and directly pleaded, "Uncle, let's stop for now. They also won't travel at night, so let's rest. You're also injured; I haven't eaten anything since morning, and I'm tired."
Cooper sighed with heartache.
Did Jack think Lyria and Livy had the time to sit back and eat food while a Warrior was chasing after them? How could his nephew be such a weakling compared to those little girls from the orphanage in both spirit and capability?
Cooper shook his head and refused. "No, there's a high chance they're still traveling at night. Clues also won't stay around forever, and those will likely disappear by morning. So, let's hurry—the faster we can end this, the quicker we can both return and rest."
Cooper turned around and started following the clues.
Jack was furious but also helpless. He couldn't just sit back and not follow Cooper; otherwise, any wild beasts could end him in his current hungry, tired, and weakened condition.
"Uncle, take your sword, or I cannot walk any further!" Jack yelled out. His previous respectful tone toward Cooper was gone.
Cooper once again sighed and took away his long sword from Jack's back.
The reason Cooper didn't want to carry his heavy sword all the time was that he wanted to be in his best shape to attack both Lyria and Livy. He was still injured, and if possible, he wanted to kill at least one of them with a sneak attack before focusing on the remaining one.
Sadly, he couldn't do anything if his nephew couldn't follow him due to this.
Cooper couldn't afford to lose Jack, even if he failed to kill Lyria and Livy, because as of now, only Jack was the hope for their Eldridge family.
Cooper and Jack continued traveling, and before they noticed, over eight hours had passed.
It was already past 3 AM.
Both Cooper and Jack were so tired that they wished to do nothing more than lie down and rest.
Cooper was far from his ideal state. Even he hadn't expected it would take such a long time to track mere two fourteen-year-old Mortals.
Perhaps both Lyria and Livy were also dead-tired, as they had left far more clues in the dark than during daytime.
These clues weren't obvious. It was just how either Lyria or Livy had stepped on grass or some snapped twigs on the ground or stepped on the mud, leaving their footprints behind, and so on.
Cooper had actually thought of giving up multiple times. He needed rest, but he knew both Lyria and Livy should also be tired, judging by how heavy their footprints were on the ground.
Currently, no wild animals had attacked because of Cooper's presence as a Mana Wielder, but the same couldn't be said for either Lyria or Livy. So, both girls must have fended off quite a few wild animals and should be even more tired.
After a while, even Cooper felt like dropping his sword off and just giving up to take some rest.
At this moment, Cooper spotted something that completely woke him from his tiredness.
He quickly stopped and signaled Jack to be quiet.
After that, Cooper moved silently toward a certain tree in front of them.
Jack couldn't see because his vision wasn't as good as Cooper's, so he was confused.
He was too tired, sleepy, hungry, thirsty, and filled with mosquito bites and itching sensations throughout his body that he no longer bothered with whatever Cooper was trying to do.
After peeking from behind a tree, Cooper confirmed what he saw—a silhouette. He was certain it was one of the girls, facing the other way, right beside another tree, surrounded by bushes, and slowly getting up.
He couldn't clearly see what this girl was doing, as it was very dark, and the thick bushes covered most of her figure, but he was completely certain this was the girl who had made him lose his eye!
The clothes and the smell were that of the amber-eyed girl without a doubt!
Cooper's eyes blazed up with uncontrollable anger and bloodlust. He would return this pain, hatred, and resentment with this single strike!
He didn't want to give Lyria even a moment further. As he currently was, he didn't think he could continue chasing either Lyria or Livy anymore. If they both ran away into the forest, there would no longer be any hope of killing them.
So, Cooper didn't wait for Lyria to do whatever she was trying to do. He launched himself with the help of the tree beside him and struck with full speed and strength.
The long, heavy sword went right through Lyria's back and came out from her front.
Cooper rejoiced, but he also felt a little weird. The girl's body felt like it was made of air, and his sword had penetrated too smoothly—but then again, he had used Mana to imbue his sword, so maybe that was why he didn't feel anything after successfully taking his revenge?
While Cooper was feeling pity, he was suddenly struck with a déjà vu-like feeling, and all his hair stood straight.
He instinctively turned his head upward toward the source of the threat, and what he saw made his soul nearly flee.
A girl, fully coated with mud from head to toe, was so black that she was almost invisible in the current dark environment. But Cooper would never forget the fierce, large amber eyes, which seemed like the only glowing thing in the darkness of the night—and also the position of the girl. The way she was lunging at him—it was the same posture, no, it was just the same feeling as when he had lost his right eye. This time, the girl's target was clearly his left eye!
Cooper's previous tiredness all blew away, but it was already too late.
It was an extremely well-prepared ambush, so perfectly executed that even if he were at his best condition, he doubted he could have dodged it.
The attack was just like in the past—with abnormal precision, timing, and a terrifying angle where there was no option to dodge.
Cooper didn't even have a moment to think, and so, on instinct, he used the same defensive move—covering his eye and neck with Mana Defense.
POP!
A sound similar to when Cooper lost his right eye sounded once again, but this time from his left eye socket.
"AHHHH…"
Cooper's anguished cry was so loud it spread across miles within the forest. It wasn't just physical pain but psychological as well.
Cooper took a step back from the force he received on his head, and just as he was about to subconsciously slash the amber-eyed girl in half with his sword, he felt a piercing pain in his back, right below his ribs, around his left kidney.
The previous agony-filled cry still hadn't ended, and suddenly it grew louder in volume.
Cooper coughed helplessly, a mouthful of blood spilling out.
The pain in his back was strangely extreme for some unknown reason, and the current situation had forced him into a mental breakdown.
Cooper quickly recovered and slashed his sword behind him with full strength, but it didn't hit anything.
He subconsciously jumped a few meters back to avoid any new attack.
After stopping, Cooper was completely mentally and physically traumatized.
It suddenly dawned on him that he might—no, he would—die here!
It was such a foreign thought to him. In the past, when he had agreed to deal with both Lyria and Livy, he had never even imagined this outcome was possible.
Now, not only had he lost both his eyes permanently, but a dagger was still stabbing right behind him—and he didn't even have a free hand to pull it out!
The fear of death Cooper was currently experiencing was, in fact, far greater than what he had experienced when facing Bella Noll six years ago.
After all, there had been hope and a chance that Bella Noll wouldn't kill him, and there had been a chance for someone to rescue him—but right now, he was all alone in nowhere, and he no longer even knew how to return to town.
Since the beginning of this mission, Cooper had been extremely confident. Although he had lost his eye due to carelessness, even then, there had been absolutely no chance he would lose any battle against any Mortal—especially when he had his sword in hand. Even if all the Mortals of Ringwood Town came rushing toward him, he could still mincemeat all of them with just his brute strength—he had been certain of this.
But right now, he was being brutally killed by two little Mortal girls who weren't even adults!
The situation was so hilarious and also heart-wrenching that Cooper suddenly woke up to realize that he, too, had always just been a Mortal—and currently, he was about to die at the hands of two other Mortals.
Cooper's memory suddenly jolted, and he recalled his life before today—how comfortably he had lived and enjoyed life. He had had a wonderful childhood with his reliable brother and parents.
His parents had been so proud before they passed away, knowing both their children had become Mana Wielders.
He had also married a beautiful girl and had been truly happy and satisfied. All the people and workers who had worked under the Eldridge family had been reasonably happy; they had respected him and his brother, Stuart Eldridge. The entire town had respected their Eldridge family, which had two Mana Wielders. They had had huge land, wealth, and people under them.
So why? Just why? For what reason was he suffering so much injustice and pain?
What crime had he committed in his life to be tortured like this?!
He had only wanted to love and support his nephew and show his gratitude toward his brother—and it wasn't even a bad deal for both orphanage girls to marry his nephew and serve him. They would be happy, well-fed, receive all the respect in town, and wouldn't even have to do any chores—they could spend their entire lives in comfort, leisure, and support from everyone, including his.
So why this situation?!
He had only thought well for everyone and tried his best—but currently, he was being mercilessly bullied and murdered by two little girls for whom he had initially had only good intentions.
Cooper lost his mind and kept howling toward the sky in pain and grief.
He was also filled with despair, knowing he could no longer ever see again in his life.
At this moment, his hatred, anger, and pain bolted out of his entire self, and he wanted nothing more than to kill both girls before he succumbed to death.
If he managed to kill both Lyria and Livy, then perhaps he might be able to return and live his remaining life peacefully with his wife.
"Where are you? Come and face me, cowards!" Cooper howled in his hoarse voice.
He was ready to retaliate in any direction the moment he heard even the tiniest sound.