Journey Through Dangerous Path

  After calming the furious Mashia, the adults talked some more about the plan and what their parts were. After spending the rest of the day, they call it a night. 

  The next morning, the group checked the necessary preparations for their plan to go without any trouble. After checking the group split into two, the carriages led by Mashia while the other group with only Solance and Ryker.

  Giving his siblings and his lovers a hug, he was about to leave. However, a tug on his clothes stopped him. Looking back, a blushing Mashia cutely pouted at him. He laughed, in his mind, of course, he didn't plan to fight an angry dragon for now.

  He hugged the dragon princess, close enough that his mouth got near to her ear. "If you want to make our relationship closer and official, when we group up, come to my room," he whispered, the dragon princess blushed but nodded nonetheless.

  After the last exchange, the two young men ran towards the dangerous path. As they sprinted to the path, Ryker asked, "So, do you know why the path gets so dangerous?" 

  The young master went silent before answering, "There are many theories, but one that I believe is that an expert who practiced the Law of Death died in the area. Or Lore of Soul, not sure but at least one of the Path,"

  "Really, what makes you believe that?" Ryker continued asking, not out of breath even as they ran.

  "Because my family had sent a group to travel through the area before its danger was known. Based on the records, they died a mysterious death, their body turned to dry husks. Unfortunately, the records are not too clear, but it mostly said that the victims claimed their bodies felt heavy and suffered minor cold symptoms despite being at the Genesis Condensing realm.

  That's what I've known, I don't know the details as I only care about which path to avoid, not the reason. In hindsight, if I dug into the record I might know more but what can you do," he shrugged.

  Ryker didn't question it, after all, it make sense to not look into it if one could just avoid the area. 

  "Looks like there are some bandits, they might be the Uru Family's dog. Let's give them a little surprise shall we?" Ryker said, smiling maniacally before dashing towards the group. Silence could only sigh before chasing after the maniac.

-x-

  The group didn't notice them at first but it quickly changed when Ryker slashed one of the Genesis Foundation experts with ease, severing him by the waist. Seeing one of their strongest fighters was killed so easily, the other Genesis Foundation expert put a barrier around him.

  He scanned the area, spotting a single Genesis Foundation at the first stage when he looked at the person behind him. 

  "The target is at the back! Quickly take him down, I stop the expert!" he told his underlings, charging towards the charging expert.

  In his mind, someone at the 1st Stage Genesis Foundation realm couldn't possess a threat to him. He reasoned the reason his ally was killed quickly because he was surprised and a powerful weapon and talisman was used.

  That thinking was quickly changed when the expert punched at him, the power strong enough to break his barrier and send him flying, to his great shock, 'How could someone at the 1st Stage be this strong?!' he thought in surprise before the expert punched him again, the last thing he saw was the fist imprint.

  Seeing their leaders killed so easily, the other bandits quickly ran away, not wanting to die to the powerful experts. However, he didn't let them go as he threw several flame spears at them, the spears burning them to ashes in an instant.

  In just 3 minutes the entire bandit group was destroyed, the person destroying didn't even look surprised. His companion, in the meantime, looks like someone telling him the sky is green and to later learns his friend is correct.

  "What terrifying monster," Solance said to himself, before walking towards Ryker, who was busy looting the bandits of their possession. 

  "Let's go," After taking everything of value, Ryker urged him, the young master nodding before they walked into the dangerous path. Not knowing that one of the bandits had crushed a signal token, calling for help.

-x-

  An hour after the fight, a group of bandits arrived in the area. They looked at the corpses in front of them, or more accurately what remained of their corpses. 

  "They must be attacked by the expert with the young master of the Hal Family. The expert must be strong to kill two Genesis Foundation experts with ease, one of them even at the 7th Stage," one of the bandit group's leaders said.

  "True, then how are we going to do our job? The strongest person in the area is only at the 7th Stage and we only have 6 Genesis Foundation experts in the area, Bagu and his men were already killed by the experts if the intel is correct," the other bandit leader said in worry.

  "We just have to guard this place for now. Maybe we can ambush our target before running away," the first leader suggested.

  The second one nodded, telling their men to prepare for an ambush. However, to their surprise, they were met with another expert.

  "Do you belong to the Uru Family?" an elderly man asked, looking down at the group, literally. He was floating in the sky. The bandits quickly recognized him, a book of the higher-ups in the Uru Family distributed to every force under the family so they would know who to answer to.

  "Sir Bar! We greet the great master!" the bandits kneeled, showing their respect. The elderly man didn't seem to care, looking in one direction before asking.

  "Did the young master come through here?"

  "We not sure, my lord. We only come here when we get a call for help. By the time we got here, the entire group stationed here had already been destroyed. But it is the most likely option. The other one is an expert who decided to destroy a bandit group for some reason," the bandit leader answered, looking at the elder to see his expression.

  The elderly man nodded, saying, "Keep watch here, while I'm going to wait for them in case they survive,"

  Before he got to leave, the bandit leader decided to be brave and asked, "What do you mean by if they survive?"

  The elder looked at him, making all his previous courage disappear, making him slam his head to the ground. Before he could beg for mercy, the elder answered him before flying away.

  "That way is to a path to the capital, a death path that kills many."