Chapter 125: Dalholiya Forest

Chapter 125: Dalholiya Forest

????????'?? ??????:

The soft purr of the electric cab whispered in my ears, the only sound to company my solitude.

Seated on the back seat, my gaze remained fixed on the blue canvas above.

To watch the blue sky, when did I develop this habit? I didn't know.

But my heart always seemed to search for something hidden in that blue. Signs? A tiny flicker of hope perhaps. A flicker of hope that whimsically whispered, 'Today, the sky will burn orange.'

But, it never did.

And that hope would always turn into venom, forcing me to claw my chest, so I could bleed it out of my heart.

To my right, Aeravat sat. His chin cradled by his hand. This entire journey, he didn't utter a single word.

In turn, I, didn't feel any need to answer the questions his eyes were seeking from the rows of orphanages outside the window.

In a way, we both were fucked.

Getting off of the car, we made our way to the landmark which was supposed to be the meeting spot.

Silhouetted against the Viridescent steel tower, I caught sight of a man and a woman, standing tall against the backdrop of Dalholiya's outskirts.

'Viridiscent steel tower' was an iron pole, a famous landmark of Dalholiya forest.

"Right on time," Riley greeted me with a grin, his hand reaching out for a handshake. I clasped his hand, and in that moment, I could sense it.

'He's stronger than the first time we met.'

Indeed, I believe he was at the (D+) back then, but now he's (C+)!

Riley reciprocated my thoughts, but through words, "You've grown much stronger than I remember."

"You remember?"

"How could I forget?" he replied with a chuckle.

Then, his eyes shifted to Aeravat as his hand extended with a greeting, "And you must be Aeravat Indrath. Riley Droit here, pleasure to make you my acquaintance."

"Likewise, the pleasure is all mine," Aeravat responded, his grip firm as he shook Riley's hand.

It was only now that I sensed the pair of ordinary brown eyes looking at me with mischief. "Good to see you, Mrs. Sylvie," I greeted.

Sylvie Schmidt, a member of Riley's adventurer party. She was a skilled swordswoman. And from what I've heard, her monstrology skills are top-notch.

She playfully reacted, "Nice to see you too... you're looking much healthier compared to the last time we met. I remember you being frail and skinny, but oh my...", her voice trailed off as she scrutinized me with mischief. "Look at you now!" she plaudit in power.

"Haha, thanks!" I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head.

Next, she answered to Aeravat's extended arm, "And nice to meet you as well, Eiravet."

Aeravat corrected her with a smile, "It's 'Aeravat', ma'am. It's nice to meet you, I will be under your care."

"That's what I said, Erabhat."

"Aeravat."

"Eiravet."

"Aeravat."

"Erectwhat."

"Aeravat."

Sylphie nodded in understanding. "Alright, got it. Now come on, let's move ahead. We can sort out the formalities on the way, Eirawatt," Sylvie winked with a smile, gesturing for us to follow her.

Aeravat did not correct her anymore.

Sylvie skipped ahead of us, her voice trailing off, "Oh, I can already tell this is going to be a fun day! Didn't expect these two, to be this handsome!"

My novel was written in the third person's POV. Aeravat's thoughts and internal monologues were often hidden from the reader.

While this heightened the mystery surrounding Aeravat's inner world, it also meant that I myself was clueless about his thought process.

What I was certain about though, is that Aeravat lacked proper human emotions.

He might look normal on the surface, but his emotions danced in a tune

known only to him.

But now, I was curious. 'What kind of character is Aeravat?'

Leaning in with a feigned smirk, I began, "And what about you? I can't help but think that a handsome devil must have a bevy of admirers."

"Me?" Aeravat mused, gazing up at the sky as we strolled. It seemed as if he was pondering some deep, philosophical thought. "I meet nice girls who smile at me every day."

Was that a flex?

"And?"

"And, if they're nice to me, they must be nice to others aswell, right?"

"Yeah, buddy, that line doesn't really fit with you. I mean, with your looks, it's obvious they're interested."

"I don't know. Nobody has ever

interested me in my life."

As expected, Aeravat truly is oblivious to the concept of love.

Wait...he can't feel love or he can't feel attraction?

Aeravat never had a female lead for obvious reasons that I myself hated romance genre. Why would I put it in my novel? Even Takahashi and Aurora, were never a thing. Readers loathed the fact that none of their ships sailed.

But in my heart, I didn't give two flying fucks about the readers.

"Well, what about the girls in the academy? Don't you, like, er....ahem, feel something?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh yeah, some of them are cute. Actually, I met a gorgeous just yesterday," Aeravat replied, sporting a smile.

'Oh? Gorgeous? Someone intrested him?'

"Who?" I arched a brow.

"Svetlana" came the reply and instantly my eyes widened. "I met her yesterday. She was very sweet," Aeravat replied with a smile.

"Is...that so?" I asked. "What do you think of her?"

"She is nice and strong," he commented.

"I see," I replied, though deep down, I couldn't help but agree with him.

My gaze shifted towards the sky. 'Right, she is, and is innocent and kind. And, she deserves a normal, happy life. Far away from calamity magnets like you...'

And maybe, perhaps...away from me as well? The things I will do...she doesn't have to be a part of that. How will I show Seraphina my face if her daughter...no.

I consider her as my friend, but what am I even doing, knowing full well of the future?

[??????????! ?????????????? ???????????? ????????????????!] Nano's mechanical voice blared in my mind, jolting me into action.

Before I had the time to process the information, Sylvie alerted everyone, "Get down, everyone!"

In moments like these, there's no time for deliberation - you act first, ask questions later.

Swiftly, we all dropped to the ground, just as a powerful gust of wind roared above our heads. A split second later, a thunderous sonic boom echoed through the air, leaving behind a trail of white shock waves that gently rippled outward.

????????! ????????????????!

Sylvie shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "It's a mirage falcon! Brace yourselves, it can reach sonic speeds!"

Reacting swiftly, I summoned my bow from the dimensional bracelet as the rest of the group geared up for the impending battle.

In the far-off sky, a small black dot appeared, followed by a deafening sonic boom as the 8ft Avis soared towards us, poised to strike—????????!

Aeravat stretched out his arms towards the heavens, unleashing a flurry of earth spikes, aiming to impede the oncoming monster's attack.