Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls
Chapter 191 - 191: Travel Problems

The rhythmic trot of the horses cut through the silence of the dense forest, where the sunlight filtered through the leaves in golden beams. Kael kept his eyes fixed on the path ahead, but his mind was not quiet. The smell of damp earth mixed with the distant sound of birds seemed to soundtrack his restless thoughts.

Exelia followed at his side, firm and attentive, her expression serious and almost impassive. But Kael sensed that something was hidden between the lines of her silence.

After hours of travel, he finally broke the silence:

"Exelia... why didn't my grandmother say goodbye to me?" Kael asked, his voice low, almost hesitant. "And why didn't she let me use mass teleportation to get to the elves' kingdom? I could have saved hours of travel time."

Exelia gave him a quick, analytical glance, then shifted her focus to the trail ahead.

"She has her reasons, apparently she made a trip. She had to visit someone," she replied in a firm but discreet voice. "About the Teleport, it seems that it's not just a question of distance or convenience. She wants you to go through it."

Kael frowned. "Go through it? What do you mean? She wants me to... walk there?"

Exelia took a deep breath, pulling on the horse's reins to slow down.

"You know, anything can happen on long journeys, right?" Exelia wondered.

After leaving the Witch Kingdom, Kael and Exelia discussed the best routes they could take. Exelia suggested a safer, albeit longer, route that could extend to three or four days if there were any problems on the road; this would avoid the most dangerous areas of the Elven forest.

However, Kael decided he preferred a more direct route through the forest, believing it would save time. Besides, he had the confidence to deal with any problems that arose, given that...

Let's just say that he had received some encouragement when he had become so much stronger. He also wanted to move up a few levels if possible. Well, he certainly followed their example...

Exelia frowned, visibly worried, but reluctant to insist, knowing that even if that madman wanted to kill himself, he could. "All right, if that's what you prefer. Just know that the forest is known for being treacherous."

"Understood," Kael replied with a resolute expression. "Let's go through the forest. The path may be shorter, and we have the advantage of being a well-prepared group."

The decision was made. The horses set off, entering the forest which, although beautiful, offered a narrow and complicated path. The vegetation became increasingly dense, with the trees intertwined above, creating a green tunnel.

"What an eerie place...", Kel murmured, attentive to his horse, while Exelia looked around, observing the forest that surrounded everything. She felt as if something was watching her and opened her eyes wide to try and spot something, but felt nothing... However...

"Animals," he said, looking in the same direction as Kael, drawing her attention.

Exelia quickly turned to look ahead, she seemed to see what he could not. Seeing Kael's curious expression, Exelia decided to offer her help.

"Expand your Mana field slowly, as I taught you. Direct it where your eyes see it and expand it from your body, think of the field around you and spread that Mana... You'll soon feel the deer hiding behind the white-trunked tree."

Intrigued and a little confused, he slowed his horse down and tried to follow Exelia's instructions. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his mind and concentrate on the energy around him. He felt the Mana flowing into his body and gradually began to direct it outwards, like an invisible field that extended beyond the carriage.

As Kael concentrated, the sensation of something invisible began to materialize in his mind. He felt the presence of the deer, hiding behind the white-trunked tree, with its thin legs and lowered head, chewing on leaves. The deer was there, watching the carriage with curious eyes.

"I see," murmured Kael, opening his eyes and looking in the direction Exelia had indicated. "There's a deer hiding over there."

Exelia gave a slight smile. "Good work. Expanding your Mana field is a useful skill, especially in environments like this. You'll start to notice a lot of things that aren't visible to the naked eye." She explained.

As they advanced and talked about techniques they could easily learn and share, the sound of horses' hooves resounded in the tranquillity of the forest. However, the uneven road began to show its challenges, as it was still a dirt road. The holes and roots that emerged from the ground often shook the carriage, causing the group to feel the impact.

"This road is in terrible condition," commented Kael, observing the terrain ahead "No wonder it's so difficult to get through here."

"I should have seen that coming," said Exelia, stepping forward to inspect the terrain. "Let's try to keep going like this and see how far we can go before we stop." She muttered, "But it looks like this was done on purpose.

Kael frowned, his eyes roaming over the twisted branches and bumpy earth. "On purpose? By whom? And why?"

Exelia turned, her eyes dark. "Rebel groups, mercenaries and even bounty hunters who want to hinder access to the Elven Kingdom. They know that the direct route is the shortest way to reinforce the court - and they want to delay any help that arrives."

Kael tightened his grip on the horse's reins, his countenance resolute. "Then we'd better speed up, before something worse happens."

They continued forward, each step raising small swirls of dust and dry leaves. The forest seemed to close in around them more and more, the shadows denser and the sounds of wildlife more muffled.

Suddenly, a dry crack echoed on the trail ahead.

Kael froze, his eyes fixed on a dark spot between the trees.

"Did you see that?" he whispered to Exelia.

She nodded, pulling her bow from her back in one swift, fluid movement.

"Stay alert. We're not alone."

A group of figures emerged from between the trees, silent as shadows, armed with bows and spears.

Kael felt his adrenaline rise, but the newfound confidence within him kept him steady.

Exelia positioned herself next to him, taking aim at the enemies.

"Looks like the forest really wants to test us," Kael muttered, tightening his grip on the reins.

"Let the games begin," replied Exelia, with a cold smile.

Kael's eyes quickly scanned his surroundings. Now that he knew how to use his mana field, he tried to activate it more intuitively, sensing the presences around him. They were surrounded - five, maybe six - expertly hidden among thick roots and high branches, but not invisible to anyone paying attention... or trained.

"There are six," he muttered. "Two in the trees, four on the ground. Three with short spears, one archer... the others look like mages."

Exelia didn't reply immediately, but a gleam of approval flickered in her eyes. Then she drew an arrow and held it steady in her bow.

"So you know where to aim."

There was no time for more words.

An arrow whistled through the air - but not from them. Exelia moved as if dancing with the wind, dodging with an agile twist and then firing her own arrow. The dry sound of impact indicated that it had hit one of the archers hidden in the trees.

Kael quickly dismounted from his horse, conjuring a sphere of fire between his hands. The heat grew rapidly, taking shape as if it were a living extension of his will. He threw it with precision at the group approaching from the ground.

The impact of the sphere made the ground shake, and one of the attackers screamed, caught in the flames. The other two retreated momentarily, but then advanced with aggressive roars. One of them threw a spear, which Kael deflected with a makeshift magic shield - unstable, but functional.

From above, Exelia fired with almost cruel precision. Each arrow hit its target with millimeter perfection, incapacitating rather than killing. She was quick, methodical. As if she were measuring each enemy's reaction time.

"They're not trying to kill us," Exelia said between shots. "They're testing our capabilities. Or buying time."

"Time for what?" Kael retorted, creating another smaller sphere of fire and fusing it with electrical mana. He launched the attack in an arc, hitting two opponents at the same time. One of them fell, the other staggered, paralyzed.

Then the ground shook beneath their feet.

Kael and Exelia looked at each other for a second - the kind of second that separates warning from disaster.

From underground, something exploded amidst the earth and roots. A guttural roar echoed through the forest, and out of the hole emerged a deformed creature, made of stone and flesh, with eyes as red as coals and arms as thick as logs.

A Fusion Golem - a magical aberration. Rare. Unstable. Brutal.

"Shit," Kael hissed. "This isn't a test, it's an ambush."

"And we're in the center of it," Exelia added, already taking a step back. "Kael, use your speed. Use your mana to boost your momentum and flank. I'll distract him."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes glued to the monster that roared as if it were tearing the forest itself apart with its voice.

She smiled. "Always."

Kael concentrated the mana in his feet and shot like lightning sideways, snaking between trees and leaping over roots. The golem turned towards him, but Exelia hit it right in the temple - an enchanted arrow that exploded into shards of light.

Kael slid behind the creature, summoning the energy his grandmother called "Inner Light". The same one he had been training with - the one that seemed to grow inside him ever since... well, ever since she forced his body to mature.

He concentrated it in his fists.

With a roar of his own, Kael landed a direct blow at the base of the monster's spine. The energy exploded like compressed thunder, cracking the creature's stone armor. It screamed, staggering, and before it could react, Exelia shot a second arrow, this time aiming for the magic core in the beast's chest.

The arrow stuck in the center. For an instant, time froze.

Then - explosion.

Pieces of the creature flew through the air. The crash sent the birds in the treetops flying. The forest fell silent.

Kael was gasping for breath, his fists still shaking with leftover energy.

Exelia approached, holstering her bow on her back.

"Good work," she said.