SWNOVELXO Chapter 16: Pursuers
Around this time, the village must have already seen the aftermath of my battle with Ren and Jun.
That means they would have sent someone to track me down, Feng thought, his mind racing as he moved through the dense underbrush of the Blackwood Forest.
His fists clenched tightly, and his sharp eyes scanned the surrounding shadows.
"It'll probably take me another day to safely get out of the Blackwood Forest and reach the open road that leads to Brightshore City," he muttered under his breath.
"That means I'll have to avoid any scouts the village sends before I escape."
His gaze hardened filled with determination.
Feng glanced over his shoulder, his thoughts momentarily lifting as he remembered his newfound strength.
"It's fine. I'm not as powerless as I was before."
His lips curled into a faint smile as his fingers brushed the tattoo on his back, the image of the Blackwood Alpha Wolf etched into his skin.
Its ferocious stance seemed almost alive, a reminder of the fact that he was no longer a Broken Soul.
He had his own path to strength now.
"Alright, let's move," Feng whispered to himself. "I need to stay alert.
This forest is as much my enemy as the people chasing me."
He tightened the straps of his bag and adjusted the bandages he had used to cover up the wound on his chest before continuing forward, his steps careful and deliberate.
A few hundred meters behind him, two figures moved through the forest with practiced ease.
Lin and Mun, scouts from Raincloud Village, were focused on following Feng's trail.
The faint signs of broken twigs and disturbed leaves marked his passage.
"Hey, can you sense him with your Heaven's Pact?" Lin asked, his voice breaking the silence.
He was a wiry man with an easy grin, but his eyes carried a hint of impatience.
"Can you shut up for a moment? I'm trying my best here," Mun snapped, irritation evident in his tone.
Unlike Lin, Mun was stocky and serious, his movements deliberate and precise.
Closing his eyes, Mun summoned his Heaven's Pact.
A faint glow surrounded him, and a small white dove materialized above his head, its translucent wings fluttering soundlessly.
"The White-Eye Dove," Lin said, whistling softly.
"That Heaven's Pact is really good for scouting, huh, Mun?"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Mun retorted.
Thin streams of white spiritual energy seeped from his body, spreading outward in all directions.
After a few moments, his eyes snapped open, now glowing faintly.
The dove above him dissolved into motes of light.
"I've got him," Mun said with a nod.
"He's near the river, probably resting after his fight with Ren.
If he really is the culprit, we need to bring him back to the village for questioning.
Even if he isn't, he'll have answers about what happened."
Lin's grin widened. "Finally, some action. It's been ages since we've had a proper fight.
The last one was with those idiots from Greenbun Village." He licked his lips, his excitement barely contained.
Mun shot him a stern look. "Don't get complacent. If this guy really took down Ren and Jun, he's no pushover.
Remember, our job is to find him and hold him off until reinforcements arrive.
The village isn't far, so we'll have backup soon enough.
Yuta and the others will probably catch up before that. So just don't do anything reckless."
Lin waved a hand dismissively.
"Relax. I'm not planning to get myself killed. Besides, I'm sure Ren's alive.
He's probably just outsmarting that kid somewhere."
He laughed, the sound echoing faintly through the trees.
Mun sighed, shaking his head.
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
The two scouts quickened their pace, moving deeper into the forest, their senses sharp and weapons at the ready.
Unaware of his pursuers, Feng knelt by the edge of a clear river, the cool water soothing his hands and face.
He cupped his hands, bringing the refreshing liquid to his lips.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself to relax, letting the tension in his body ebb away.
As he gazed at his reflection in the water, the events of the past few days appeared in his mind.
"I can't believe things change so fast.
One minute I was a waste thrown out from the only home I've ever known.
Now I even have plans of joining the Brightshore Academy and killed the number one genius of Raincloud Village in hundreds of years," Feng thought to himself.
"Just a bit more, and I'll finally have a new life," Feng clenched his fist.
"I just need to be careful. If anyone from the village sees me here, they'll definitely get suspicious," he muttered.
"How could someone like me survive in the Blackwood Forest for so long?
They'll think I'm hiding something." He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.
Feng's gaze turned steely.
"They'll probably try to capture me.
Maybe even kill me if they find out I was responsible for what happened to Ren and Jun.
I can't let that happen."
The faint rustling of leaves nearby drew his attention.
He tensed, his hand instinctively moving to the blade at his side.
Though the forest seemed still, he knew better than to let his guard down.
"I need to set a trap or find a way to detect them before they get too close,"
He thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
"If they come for me, I'll have no choice. I'll kill them first."
His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but the determination in his eyes was unmistakable.
The images of his fight with Ren flashed in his mind, the injuries he sustained and the threat he felt to his life.
"I will survive. I will become stronger." He took a deep breath, forcing his body to relax.
Lin and Mun were closing in. The faint sound of the river reached their ears, and Mun raised a hand to signal a stop.
"He's close," Mun said in a hushed voice. "Stay sharp."
Lin grinned, drawing his weapon. "About time."
Mun rolled his eyes but readied himself, his Heaven's Pact surging faintly.