Ape Stampede

Annie Thompson looked lonely and filled with disappointment. Her expression looked like a mixture of emotions, but her eyes shone in a light of fear and uncertainty. Someone like her that grew up as a treasured disciple of the Paradyne Academy. It was the first time that she experienced such hardships.

But since she was still considered as a proud disciple of the Paradyne Academy. She maintained her tough facade and walked even deeper inside the forest with an indifferent expression on her face.

~Rustle~

"Who's there?!" Annie acted like a cat whose tail got stepped on as she hurriedly unsheathed her sword. Despite the fact that her cultivation base was sealed. She was confident that she could still defend herself from beasts.

"ROAAAR!"

A bestial roar echoed throughout the entire forest as the earth itself trembled and everything was thrown into chaos. The low-leveled beasts that hid behind tree branches immediately retreated like their rear ends were on fire.

"W-w-what's going on?" The strange occurrence around her destroyed her facade as she unsheathed her sword and assumed a defensive stance despite the intense trembling of her knees.

"Anger of the Lightning God!" A scream of a young man followed by a miserable shriek of a wild beast pierced through the skies. At the same time, Annie could see two silhouettes at the distance.

The bigger silhouette fell on the ground, creating a massive wave of dust which reduced visibility. While the other silhouette landed with a somersault. Staring at their distant figures, Annie's expression, brightened and she carefully approached the area.

"Please don't be from the Thousand Swords Sect, please don't be from the Thousand Swords Sect!" She silently prayed in her heart as she neared with silenced footsteps. The distance between the Paradyne Academy and the Great Forest of Manzur was clearly so far, and she knew that the expert that was fighting with such an enemy could become her only hope in getting out of this place.

Clouds rumbled and the world darkened as a bolt of lightning descended from the skies and struck the bigger silhouette. Annie's eyes widened in shock when she heard the young man saying, "Damn, so the power of an Ape Vampire is just this much?"

When the blinding light from the lightning dissipated, Annie could see a clear look of the young man that defeated the Ape Vampire. Clad in simple robes, his expression looked indifferent and his eyes had a certain charm within it. Annie couldn't help but gasp and her heart as a young maiden hastened.

However, when she realized that the young man's aura and robes didn't seem to be affiliated with any sect, she sighed in her heart and departed. After all, all sorts of people existed under the heavens. What if that young man was someone that had an even more vicious heart than those at the Thousand Swords Sect? Then, would she be attracting her doom?

She walked away in the same manner as she arrived. But Dan had long noticed her arrival and probed her intentions. Witnessing her face changing into several colors throughout his entire observation. Dan understood that she definitely needed his help.

Her actions of retreating were logical under Dan's eyes and he couldn't help but have his interest, piqued. According to the System's simulations, it seems like Dan was in the territory of Ape Vampires. A creature which fed on the blood of the living as a fuel source for their bodies and cultivation.

Knitting his eyebrows, Dan found that it was strange that a young woman such as her would enter the territory of the Ape Vampires, wandering endlessly like a headless fly.

Without further ado, Dan decided in his heart and followed her from behind.

Annie Thompson saw that everything beyond the next five hundred meters looked like a murky and dark swamp. She couldn't see through the end of it and the eerie mist that reduced visibility around her, scared her off as she started her retreat.

Dan kept on his System Simulations and his expression turned grave. Reappearing above her, he snatched her off from the ground and flew towards the top of the tree branches. Annie's expression flickered and her eyes widened in shock when she realized that she was captured by the same young man that she saw, earlier.

"Let go of me!" She fiercely struggled and Dan revealed a small smirk on his face, "Do you really want me to let go?" He loosened his hold and Annie realized that she was about to fall.

"No, don't let go of me! I'll kill you if you let go of me!" She clung to his neck and Dan couldn't help but chuckle, "Sorry if I scared you, just look below you and you will understand..."

Rumbling sound reverberated in the area and the tree where they stood on seemed to shake in rhythm with the deep footsteps that approached their vicinity. Annie's expression flickered and her eyes widened in shock when she saw an army of hairy figures running towards the direction of the Thousand Swords Sect, campsite.

"An Ape Stampede?"

"No, that direction! I must stop them!" She uttered and Dan held her wrist, "What are you doing?! Let go of me! I need to save them!" Dan shook his head and stared at her in contempt. The robes that she wore indicated her high position at the Paradyne Academy, but it seems like she only had brawn and had no brain.

"Save them? What are you going to do against such an army and with your cultivation base, sealed?" Annie's visage turned pale and she seemed to understand Dan's point. However, she still shook his head and said, "Even so, even so, I'm going to save them!"

Dan clicked his tongue, "Stop being so retarded! Do you really think that your friends would want to see you sacrifice yourself for nothing?" He fiercely retorted and Annie turned silent.

"Then, how can I save them?" She lifted her head and asked this question. Dan shrugged, "I can see that you have quite the solid foundation, maybe as long as you are unsealed..." Dan thought for a moment, but still shook his head, "Nope, it still won't work, with the traces of energy around you, it seems like you don't have that much strength even when you are still unsealed..."

Annie hung her head low, of course, she knew about it! But right now, she didn't have any other choice but to gamble so that she could save her beloved fellow disciples.

"But wait, we can actually save them..." Dan mumbled under his breath and when his words reached the ears of Annie. Her eyes ignited in hope as she turned towards him and said, "Then, how can we save them? Please tell me and I'll do anything..." Her expression looked begging and her eyes looked teary. If Dan was an average young man, he would've taken an oath and obeyed all of her orders, already.

Annie also found Dan's attitude as strange. Though she looked bedraggled and stained with dirt. No matter what, her curvaceous figure could still prove fatal against men. But seeing that Dan looked as casual as ever without any hints of being affected by her beauty. She started to question Dan's sexuality.

"Could it be that he's a homo? No, that could be! If that is true then my image of him would thoroughly be broken! It's impossible for such a valiant and brave-looking young man to be swinging that way..." She shook her head and denied the strange ideas in her mind.

Dan resurfaced from his deep contemplation and deeply stared at her for a moment before saying, "If I go up there and face these guys, we can definitely save them." His words intensified the hope that the young maiden had inside her heart as she swiftly followed, "Then, can you help me save my friends? We were captured by those vile bastards from the Thousand Swords Sect, and only you can liberate us..."

Annie assumed a pitiful expression which will definitely tug on the heartstrings of anyone who saw it. However, Dan remained indifferent and only glanced at her for a moment, "Sure, I will help you, but of course, a price is necessary..."

Dan shrugged and turned away from Annie's indignant and stunned gaze. How could he abandon such a poor young woman like me? He should at least express his interest in helping me! Am I really that unattractive, or is it a problem of his sexuality?

Dan inwardly thought, "A wise man once said, Never do something you're good at, for free, even if they are your relatives, make them pay for your service..." A small smile lifted on Dan's lips. If she wanted him to help, she should first pay the price!

He glanced at her for a moment before thinking about what he should ask her in return for his help.