Chapter 343: Akaro's paw!

Deep in the underground, Kyoya and his friend finally could spot the first root from the lightning tree. This root sparked from time to time, but what actually sparked were the runes written on it.

Those runes were blue, deeply engraved within the roots!

No one felt like touching those, but they would progress otherwise. Since Josef was like an expert here, everyone's eyes turned to him and he slowly sneaked its way towards it.

Looking around the thick root and its runes, Josef inwardly whispered, 'I know shit.' He couldn't get any information out of it through his senses. Of course, the worst had yet to come.

As the disciple of Lord Aron, Josef could just use one of his techniques and try to seize the control.

Those runes were what stopped him, though.

It was not only the new world, but Josef wasn't experienced by dealing with the lightning. It was one of the natural origins, so should have enough means to protect himself, but the strength behind the lightning race was also another stopping matter.

The whole day couldn't be wasted, though.

Josef braced himself, mustered every drop of courage, then took out the examining stone. This stone was like an egg and by putting it close, Josef should learn something about those runes.

Were they the source? The technique to protect the roots or something entirely different? By knowing about the origin, the party could prepare their next move.

There was one flaw that Josef hated for the first time. This egg had to be held by him, so he bit his lips, put it on the rune, then closed his eyes. One second, five seconds, ten seconds…

"!" A sudden lightning exploded from the rune after ten seconds! It flew like an unstoppable snake straight at Josef whose egg long ago had given up on the stone. He recoiled as fast as possible, but stumbled on his path.

The lightning's speed was also something else. In just a flash, Josef felt an unprecedented might of this lightning that looked down upon everyone below forty! One wrong move and he was dead already!

Or so it seemed as a cat flew past him. Her paw smacked down the lightning, her hotness overpowering it. Once the cat landed on the ground, her eyes looked over the wound caused by the lightning.

It was just a scratch mark that didn't even bring out the blood.

She raised her cat eyes high, turned around and jumped back to the husband's clothes.

Due to her emotions going out of control, Akaro had been so hot that she herself couldn't stop if she wanted.

If she wanted! That was why she just continued to bully the husband back by sticking close to his clothes…

"Thank you, Akaro…" Josef uttered, still in a daze. Everything happened so fast, but he was all good.

Kyoya rubbed his cat while slowly stomping his way to the root, "It seems like it has offensive force… Any more info?"

"It looks like those runes are the source. Without those, the lightning tree would lose its offensive… I think," Josef wasn't sure as he had too little time, but if that was what he got, then Kyoya and his party could only believe.

The plan was to learn and assess the situation anyway.

With those roots already examined, Kyoya decided to use one of his titles which was woodman. He had many of those related to his concepts as these two mixed well within the game system.

Once Kyoya and the rest got outside, Kyoya took an axe and began to chop off the tree. He requested Akaro to sit on his head and protect him in case the lightning tree answered his axe in retaliation.

This was expected, but the lightning indeed fell from the sky, "Akaro's paw." Kyoya said while joking, and the paw went up. It reflected the lightning and protected him from more lightning roars.

His party, half-way gone in the ground cheered on him, "Kyoya's cat suddenly became so strong. I think she will open up to us soon. I have never seen a cat race, though." Fusia started the talk, her eyes looking at the cat.

Hiro added, "Hmm...  Have you guys ever seen a cat race?" Various thoughts mixed with reality and fantasy dreams from Earth could be seen within his eyes." His question made Fusia roll her eyes at him as she joked.

"Cat women are dangerous, you know? They are really tricky and often trick other women to believe that their husband gave up on them. They want to have the meat for themselves." In this way, the elf stopped Hiro's thoughts about cat women. Additionally, she sealed those for an eternity.

In the end, the tricky one was the elf.

But now that Akaro began to show off more, everyone believed that she would soon expose her human self and become another good party member in the husband's heaven.

The husband got a few chunks of wood, then turned his head to the side, "How long have you been watching for?" He looked at the man in blue clothes, "And why didn't you tell me?" Kyoya spoke those to his cat who was on the watch.

Akaro just used her message system.

[Akaro(Kyoya's beloved): We don't know much about their race and purpose. I hid my presence, so he believes that you have an item to protect yourself against the lightning. Your strength is overall weaker than his, so it's unlikely he called other forces. It's a good occasion.]

"Uh, thank you," Kyoya thanked, then the man finally spoke.

He found no threat in the husband's body nor Kyoya didn't seem like a dangerous person, "Want to play hero?" He inquired with a faint smile.

"A hero? Not really… I have my own interest in saving them." Kyoya closed his eyes, smiled brightly and properly faced the man. What looked like an impending battle between him and the lightning man turned into bullying as everyone from Kyoya's eyes left the underground and surrounded their opponent.

Fusia's strength piqued the man's interest, but he didn't seem to be scared. "Money? Is it money? How much can this fallen tribe give to you? Instead, how about you just tell me the price?"

"I can't believe you silently want to end this matter. And in such a pacifist way." It was Kyoya's turn to inquire about his opponent.

The man just sighed and said, "We have heard enough talks about how merciless and shrewd we are by bullying the weaker race. No need for more of this."

"..."