Chapter 881: Now what?
Traveling at a speed that defied logic, a man with a pair of deep cyan eyes looked back at the Dawnfeather clan territory.
A frown etched his handsome face.
The ethereal beauty floating effortlessly next to him noticed his troubled gaze.
"What troubles you, Nathaniel?"
He turned to her with a hum.
"Have you felt a hostile gaze upon us?"
She blinked, then burst into a chuckle.
"On us? Who would dare? Cease your paranoia. You are one of the most formidable beings in this realm."
Nathaniel shook his head.
"I am not being paranoid. I felt a prickling sensation at the back of my neck when we were above the Dawnfeather clan, as if an unknown being had fixed their gaze on me. However, when I scanned the whole area, I only detected weak Celestials."
The woman rolled her eyes.
"Forget it. Focus on the Dark Celestial who trespassed into our territory. Regardless, are you certain you don’t know that Celestial? He was quite persistent. And possessed too much potential to be simply ignored."
Her eyes glowed white.
"Also, I couldn’t see his future. That’s the most dangerous aspect about him. He may be weak now, but if left alive, who knows how powerful he could become."
Nathaniel’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile, and he offered a careless shrug.
How could he possibly remember or keep track of every single person he had stepped on so far?
He usually killed them, a necessary evil to maintain his impeccable reputation. Still, a few tenacious survivors always managed to escape his grip, like cockroaches.
Therefore, he was sometimes forced to exterminate the persistent nuisances.
"I haven’t a clue. You know I am a paragon of virtue. That Dark Celestial likely entered our domain for someone else. Not me."
The woman sighed, failing to notice the smile playing on his handsome face.
"Right, you are so kind. Maybe I or one of the other rulers are probably at fault."
***
Simultaneously, miles away, Kyle expanded his scent perception, casting it as widely as possible as he traveled at full speed in the direction from which the four rulers came.
He was cautious, retracting his skill at the slightest hint of a superior being nearby.
Yet, blood still spilled from his lips as the formidable Celestials in the vicinity sensed his probing skill and shredded it to pieces. Fortunately, they did not chase after him.
Kyle spat a curse. Even then, he didn’t stop checking the countless scents around him, trying to find the one he was looking for.
"He better not be dead!"
After searching through various clan territories and even vast expanses of land, he paused at the threshold of an area filled with corrupted beasts. Darkness enveloped the space, dotted with fissures. Far below, the land of the true Celestial realm lay.
According to the vast knowledge Kyle had acquired inside the Golden Guardian clan’s library, he knew the ruler’s territory lay just beyond this area, crowded with the most corrupted beasts he had ever seen.
"Hah... no way. He can’t be here."
With a sigh, Kyle stretched his neck, the joints popping in protest. What in the hell was he even doing? Scouring the Celestial realm for his greatest enemy he wanted to kill, so the man wouldn’t die on his own?
"I am only doing this because he should not die under Nathaniel. He had to eliminate that man. So, I can finally claim his life."
Calming his mind with those words, which he was sure were somewhat nonsensical, he spread his scent perception skill toward the area filled with corrupted beasts before him. His nose scrunched at the disgusting smell, but he extended his senses further while maintaining a safe distance from the ugly beasts so they wouldn’t sense him.
A short while later, he was about to leave, contemplating whether Azazeal had hidden elsewhere. Why would the man venture into an area teeming with corrupted beasts when he was already supposedly badly injured?
But before he could leave the area, Kyle’s sense of smell detected that familiar aura. It was faint, almost nonexistent. However, he could never mistake that darkness, not even if he were to lose his sense of smell.
His lips twitched as he eyed the beasts.
"Really...? You must be kidding me."
He rubbed his temples with a groan.
"Couldn’t that bastard find a better hiding spot? Regardless, considering four rulers were after him, this is actually the safest place near their territory, where he could remain hidden. After all, who would think someone would dare to hide among the beasts that could very well devour him?"
Drawing a long breath, Kyle drifted toward the many beasts, but just as he expected, the instant those formless, ugly creatures detected him, all hell broke loose.
They lunged at his figure from every direction as if their lives depended on it.
He gritted his teeth, ensuring the beasts didn’t touch him, and vanished deeper into the area, filled with the repulsive scent.
He cursed for the umpteenth time, only appearing for a split second to confirm he was following the familiar aura’s direction correctly before vanishing again.
Perhaps it was because he was floating in the vast space, surrounded by nothing but formless beasts, but teleporting without colliding with one was proving difficult.
After struggling for a while, he finally saw it. A massive lump of darkness hovering above the familiar, beautiful purple flower, its petals still tainted by red and dark spots.
In stark contrast to the way the corrupted beasts lunged at Kyle as if he were a treat, not a single one dared to go near that lump of darkness. Instead, they were actually keeping their distance from it as if it were something they utterly disliked.
Kyle retreated to a safe distance when he sensed that the person floating within the lump of darkness was breathing. His state was dire, but he was still very much alive.
"Now what? He said if he saw me here, he would kill me. Should I just leave? Anyway, can I even do anything, with his essence surrounding his body so protectively?"