Chapter 24

It was bright outside without the sun in the sky. It was just blue sky all around him without any trace of clouds. This was definitely not the same world he was in just a few minutes back. But before he can truly take in and process what was happening his hands moved on its own, as he began swimming back to the shore. He had taken a back seat in his own body and he can't control any part. "Was this even possible?" There is certainly many things that he was unaware about his new body. He discerned it was due to the overwhelming affect of the force as he can see that his body was moving in that direction itself. The flora around him was very strange. This strange forest is much more lush and green. The trees around him were practically reaching for the sky. The scenery was of some dreams with the only drawback wa that it was too eerily silent all around. He can see himself running rapidly towards through the dense vegetation. All his efforts of trying to remember the path back to the lake failed as every massive tree looked like a carbon copy of each other. Nothing was under his control so he just sat back and meditated hoping that this does not end up bad for him. Also, if his body was desiring it so much, then it should not be something harmful.

***At the base clearing***

Helen was having dinner with the students. Only seniors were present as all the brats wanted to prove themselves and no one had any time to keep running back and forth for their meals, wasting the precious time they can spend looking for their desired beast soul. "So I hope every brat is safe for the day?" All the 5 of them nodded at her question. These were the prodigies of Rose Mary School. All of them were in their last year and of 18 years of age. They will graduate this year from the school. All of them were in Earth realm and the girl leading them was very close to breaking into the senior level cultivator. Being able to lead everyone so smoothly told much about her background. There were two ancient clans in the empire the Bloomers and the Blaze clan. They were the two most powerful clans after the royal clan. Some people believed that the that the matriarchs of these clans can even challenge the emperor himself. "Did you find someone interesting, Talia?" Helen asked the blue haired leader belonging to the Bloomers. "Hmm.." she thought for a while. "The boy from the Checkers had shown potential. He had already managed to hunt down 2 demonic beasts it seems. Next the girls from Yura merchant guild and Sabers clan were at his level. But apart from these 3 I found two more interesting ones."

Helen grabbed a bite from her skewer saying "Hmm.. hmm.. do tell!!" Talia elegantly wiped her mouth with her handkerchief, responding patiently "First will be the silver haired girl. She had been sitting and cultivating all this time from what I can discern she plan to break into 3rd level of the junior realm and then begin her hunt. She must have broken through as we speak. I liked the confidence in her eyes. She can definitely achieve big things if she maintain such diligence." Helen tore another bite from her skewer, her manners in stark contrast to Talia. "Yeah, that was Stella. She is the most talented of the lot, hands down." Talia nodded while her friends focussed more on their food than the conversation. She continued "Lastly, I found one green haired boy picking fight with a vanishing bunny." She saw Helen stop eating as her she concentrated on her report. "Although, he lacks the basic skills but his persistence was extraordinary. Apart from that somehow he was able to detect and mitigate the attacks of the beast. It even appalled me." Helen stopped her before she could say anymore "Is he alright?" Talia saw the concern in her eyes and told her all about Rick's fight with the demonic bunny. "Hahaha That idiot!! First thing he does is to pick up fight with a beast like that. Serves him right haha he should have been bitten in his ass. Now he will learn."

Talia found it surprising that Helen took this much interest in a brat who was not even a Junior cultivator yet. She shook her head, continuing where she left "I am sorry to disappoint. But last time I saw the guy he was rapidly moving towards the edge of the red zone itself. I followed him for a while but then he stopped after approaching the red line, so I left him alone." Helen face palmed herself "That stupid brat. Looks like a single injury was not enough to open his brain. Let him be, he can be willful but he is not dumb enough to get out of the red zone." Talia replied "Yeah, that's what I thought. Coming to more important thing Mrs. Helen. My friends traveled out of the red zone just to check if there are some beast that can prove to be fatal if they crossed into this area. We found a lair of earth wolves close to the edge of the red zone. June tell her what you found out." Another girl who looked like she was not more than 12 year old nodded and began explaining the situation "The whole pack contains more than 40 junior realm wolves led by a alpha male of late Earth realm. There is a possibility of them entering the hunting grounds and harm the students." Talia took over "Combined we could have hunted down the alpha but the minions might be too much for us to handle. Thus, I would suggest that tommorow we will look after students while you destroy the pack by yourself Mrs. Helen."

Helen nodded "You guys made the right choice of informing me. No need to take unnecessary risk when I am here. We will do as you say and tommorow I would take a look myself." Their meals were done so the senior students left for their night duty as Helen went inside her tent. Somehow her heart was not able to calm down since the time Talia had informed him that she saw Rick in the red zone. This guy might have become overconfident due to his rapid progress in cultivation. "I will take a look at him tommorow." Recalling his foolish laughs she can't help but think about Lily words last week. How would it feel to get mounted by that thick prick? The more she tried to suppress these thoughts the harder they will bounce back. "Mhhhhh mhhhh ahhhhh hmm" That night Helen rubbed herself to sleep fantasizing about getting roughly fucked by her own student.

***In the unknown realm***

Rick had left everything to luck. He had stooped moving in a straight line a while back. The force was changing directions each time he closed in on it. To him it felt like the thing he was looking for was rapidly moving. After running for 2 hours continuously Rick reached his destination. This patch of land had a single tree in the center with nothing but grass all around it. The tree was truly majestic even when compared to the other trees of this realm. He found himself moving close to the trunk and place his hands on it. If he had been looking on his body from a third party's view he would have seen his eyes glow a deep red. With the glow the whole tree came to life as the huge branches began to wriggle. "Ahhhhhmm... Who's there? Who woke this lady up? Hmmm???" Rick can't see the one who spoke to him but one thing was sure that he had managed to wake some powerful being. Dread. Absolute terror. That was the first feeling that came to his mind. She was definitely at the level of Agnes at the very least but while Agnes made him feel the dread, the experience was not this terrifying. The bursts of soul aura coming from the tree trunk strikes his bare skin repeatedly, producing deep gashes all over his naked body. Still, the physical pain was nothing against the mental torture he was going through. It felt as if his soul sea was going to crack open. The last thing he saw was a red shadow form ahead if him, the next second it flashed inside him and with that he blacked out.

"Hmm... Ahhh" Rick woke up with an intense headache. Opening his eyes he can only see the vast sky filled with twinkling stars. "Hahaha.." He began to laugh fanatically finding himself alive after that horrific episode. The only emotion he was feeling right now was satisfaction. Having survived the terrifying presence filled him with a lust for the same power. How would it feel if he was the one emitting such terrifying soul power? Putting these thoughts to the back of his mind he got up to assess his situation. He was lying on the shore of the lake, back in his reality. The force acting in his body had died down and he anticipated that whatever his body required it was able to claim it. The soothing sensation coming from his soul sea made him sure of it. The deficient perception was no more. Getting on his feet he found himself to be totally healed up. In addition to his foot injury, all the new injuries he had gotten from the tree had also healed back up and he was in perfectly healthy condition. He located his belongings on the shore and getting dressed up he ate whatever was left of the boar meat, after getting back to the red zone.

***3rd day of the hunt***

Rick woke up and freshing up he traveled in the red zone just to find some demonic beast. But to his bad luck he was back where he started in the afternoon. 'How the fuck am I supposed to hunt something down when I can't even see a demon beast?' His frustration was showing up when he he realised his time was passing and till now he had a single encounter with a demon beast. Just then Rick heard the sounds of combat nearby. Someone was certainly fighting a demonic beast and it was a powerful one at that. Moving through the canopy of the trees he spotted the ones causing the commotion. It was his prodigy classmate, Stella fighting a giant wolf. The canine was easily double her height and both of them had gravely injured each other very badly. The wolf was in very deplorable condition. It's abdomen had been punctured with his guts spilling out. Apart from this there were multiple wounds on its body. The guy looked like he was on his last breath. Stella was in a better condition but only when compared to wolf. A deep wound had been opened up on her shoulders ripping her clothes off. The injury was very deep as it had left her one arm effectively useless. But this stubborn girl was still not in a mood to back off. They pounced on each other as Stella gave a deep cut on the Wolf's neck but she was not able to avoid his claws as the tore open another wound in her belly.

Rick can not ask for a better chance than this. He was planning to steal her kill. That will be like killing two birds with a single stone. Firstly, there was a high chance to aquire a demon beast soul from the wolf. Secondly, he was still feeling a little salty over his prior defeat at her hands. He will definitely be able to soothe his ego if he managed to steal her kill right under her nose. "Hehhehe" He can't help but laugh deviously in his mind. He waited for them to injure each other some more before he made his entrance. But sure she got more abd more injured but she looked like she had planned to fight to death with this beast. The beast was a earth wolf and Rick knew this much about them that they will never run away from a life and death struggle. This stupid girl was in trouble. She had barely registered any more wounds on the wolf instead she had lost the use of one of her leg also. What the heck? Why isn't she running away? I got no plans to save the damsel in distress.

Stella had planned to finish this beast off previously but now everything felt like, it was ending in front of her eyes. She had been overconfident in her abilities. Having broken to the 3rd level made her feel like she was on top of this world. She was not able to detect the cultivation level of this beast when it came running in her direction. That meant it was around the level of late junior level at the very least but she still challenged it. The beast was already plenty injured. She would not have dared to take on it if he was a healthy one. But this one felt like it was on its last breath anyway. Hence, confident of taking it down, she got to her current condition. She knew she was not going to die but the sense of defeat was even more humiliating to her than death itself. "Sorry mom." Tears rolled down her eyes having failed her mother. She went for an all out attack. She wanted to take this beast down with her. The wolf too sensed her determination and growling one last time pounced towards her to put his rival to death. Just as Stella swiped sideways with her sword, she had to stop her attack midway as a guy had jumped down in between them with a long spear in hand. He parried the attack from the wolf for her. Somehow, looking at the handsome visage of his face Stella was not able to recognise him but as her heart calmed down she found it was the weakest boy out of her classmates who came to her rescue. Why? Why will someone try to save her? Even when he himself was so much weaker than herself. Didn't this guy cared for his life? Complex thoughts like this reverberated in the silver haired beauty's mind.

Unlike the girl he saved Rick's mind was very clear in what he was doing. He waited long enough for some seniors to appear and save the girl but he ran out of time. If he didn't intervene now she would be dead that's for sure. He just wanted to steal her kill. He can't watch her die. Either there were no seniors in this area or else they were counting in him to save the girl in their stead. Whatever, since he had made his decision he will fight. He turned back after getting rid of the wolf. "Oi girl are you okay?" He got together with her tearing his shirt he offered it to her "Stop the bleeding for now. I will try to buy some time for you." She nodded and hurriedly tied up her leg to stop the bleeding. "Just give me a minute. I will back you up." Rick was counting on her for this. The more he saw the fight between these two the more he realised the beast was still far from his death and he might not be able to kill it off by himself. The wolf circled both of them assessing his new challenger. It was covered in an ominous dark brown fur and those sharp the teeth matched to its overall ghastly appearance. Just when he took a step towards the wolf, he heard a cry from behind him. "No... Mom.. don't do it.. I can....." Turning around he saw his only help vanishing in front of his eyes in a glittering white glow.

Rick can only smile wryly at his dammed luck. Someone, possibly her mother might have placed a magic spell on her body such that if she was gravely injured, she can me transferred out of the forest. *Cackle* *cackle* Even the beast understood the dire situation he was in right now as it laughed to show it's amusement at the turn of events. Rick folded his sleeves, it was do or die situation for him now. Both man and the seized upon each other growling. All his practiced martial arts cane flowing from the previous Rick's memories. Combining it with his newly learnt spear skills he faced of against the heavily injured beast. Rick was much more agile than the beast, helping him avoid it's blows while simultaneously landing his spear multiple times over the bloodied fur of the wolf. He realised the difference in power as his spear was not able to produce the same amount of damage as Stella dealt with her sword due to his lack of cultivation level. Still as long as he can keep dodging the blows coming his way and maintaining his assault on it, he was convinced the wolf would be the one to cower down first.

Within 5 minutes they had exchanged more than 20 blows with each other. Except for a few gashes here and there he was not in any danger. Right then his senses tingled and he prepared himself for the incoming assault. The wolf had made some distance between them and it came running towards him. Rick was not able to understand why he got this subconscious warning from his mind. Just to prove it to him, a 10 ft wall got erected instantly infront of Rick. Although, he had been ready for it, the sharp claw landed on the left side of his abdomen tearing open a large laceration. Rick too thrusted his spear into the skull of the beast with all his might. The tip of the spear penetrated it's skull and the wolf backed out. Rick looked down to see his blood seeping from his belly. Now he knew how cunning a demonic beast can be. Thus guy literally made distraction for him with the wall to cover his field of view, while it jumped to his left side to attack him. There was a good chance that it had purposely choosen to attack from his left and it was no coincidence at all.