Standing near the front yard of a certain mansion inside the Paradyne Academy, the figure of Natalie could be seen furtively glancing at the entrance. Worry painted on her dignified expression as she kept on waiting for Dan's arrival.
Ever since Dan disappeared yesterday, he never returned. And his sudden disappearance endlessly worried his little wife. Fortunately, her daughter was still a gullible child and with a simple diversion, her questions could be avoided but Natalie knew that it would be a matter of time until she realized that her beloved Papa was gone.
Feeding her a bowl of nourished congee, Juliet stared at her mother with uncertain eyes. With their connection as mother and daughter, Juliet could feel the former's apprehension as she raised her small arms and asked, "Is mama, okay...?" She spoke in a small tone.
Natalie turned at her and gave a wry smile, "Yes, Juliet, mama is okay..." She patted her head and the latter nodded her eyes in satisfaction. Raising the spoon, she aligned it near her mouth but under her stunned gaze.
Juliet took the spoon and painstakingly stretched it out with her entire arm towards her mother while saying, "Mama, eat!" She joyfully said with a laugh and Natalie's figure quivered in response before opening her mouth and eating the congee.
Witnessing her mother's actions, the little girl chuckled and said, "Good mama, mama shud eat okay?" She patted her mother's right arm and reassured her.
Natalie's expression turned complicated, staring at the entrance, a nightmare that occurred several years ago that resulted in her expulsion from her clan, surfaced in her mind.
The thought of Dan leaving her side haunted her as if she became someone that found a beacon inside the dark, only to find that beacon of light destroyed right under their eyes.
"I have some serious news to share with you, little girl..." Takemikazuchi's solemn voice echoed behind and Natalie's figure shook in surprise while Juliet pointed at him and said, "Skeleton Granpa!"
Takemikazuchi glanced at the young child and patted her head, satisfying the little child's desire for head pats. Natalie took her daughter from the chair and placed her on her thigh.
Staring at Takemikazuchi, she said, "What news is it Senior? Could it be about the disappearance of my husband?" Takemikazuchi narrowed his eyes before nodding,
"Yesterday, late afternoon, we received an Emergency Transmission from Lil Mathias' daughter and the contents of her message contained urgent summons for help and she also described that she was with the young man who previously saved her in the Capital..." Takemikazuchi explained
"Saved her? Could it be that she's with my husband?" Natalie asked, and Takemikazuchi nodded, "Yes, it definitely is young master that is with her since it is the two of us that saved her from those bastards. However, when we reached the area, we only found some traces of Spatial Transfer, and since there's no corpse in the area, we didn't draw any conclusion. But I can still certainly safe that they did escape..."
His eyes flashed in a critical light, "The only problem is where did they escape and where could we find him..."
"What do you mean, Senior? You cannot find them?" Natalie's worry surfaced on her expression and her daughter's expression also turned somber, clearly affected by her mother's emotion.
"Even with my cultivation, it is hard for me to track something that crossed through space..." Takemikazuchi sighed, "But even so, we're certain that they're in a place that is fifty-thousand kilometers away from that place, the only problem is we don't know which direction they tunneled in, the continent is, after all, a huge place."
Natalie understood his message, finding two people inside this huge continent without any clear directions was akin to finding a needle inside a haystack. But still, on the outside, she maintainer her tranquil expression but the wavering within her eyes indicated the upheaval in her mind.
"However, don't worry, I didn't go old for nothing, even if I can't clearly track them, I can still draw their general direction. However," Takemikazuchi's eyes shone in a critical light, "That place is extremely dangerous, not only it's a place where all sorts of dangerous beasts could be found, it's also filled with outlaws or people exiled for their crimes..."
"Then, what would happen to..." Natalie covered her mouth with her hand, holding back her emotions. She knew that the cultivation of her husband was merely just at the Peak of Flesh Tempering Realm, surviving under such conditions would undoubtedly be harsh.
"Don't worry, I believe in young master's capabilities and that little brat isn't something so simple, I don't believe that he would die in such place..." Takemikazuchi stood up, walking towards the exit, he said, "The only thing that you could do right now is to increase your strength so that when he returns, you could stand right at his side..." Takemikazuchi threw a jade bottle full of crimson pills before his figure disappeared from her sight.
Meanwhile, inside the Great Wilderness of Torb, Charlotte's consciousness returned from her body. When she woke up, she realized that she was inside a hot and cramped space.
Opening her eyes in confusion, she exclaimed in shock when she found that she was on Dan's chest, lifting her head, she found his tranquil sleeping expression and she quickly hid her expression.
Surveying the surroundings, she realized that this wasn't the location where she wanted to arrive, just what did happen? was the teleportation, faulty? She mumbled and stared outside using the hole blocked with branches and leaves.
The earthy smell of nature and the fragrance of herbs in the air indicated that she was in the forest. Bending her body, she went outside and there, her expression changed when she realized that her clothes looked different from before.
From the previous majestic fiery robe, she found herself clothed with woven clothes made from leaves, 'C-c-could it be that he took advantage of...' Her expression became horrified when she thought of this, since she was still severely injured, if that man really did something to her, she wouldn't be able to resist.
After inspecting her lower body, she sighed in relief when she realized that her most important barrier was still intact. But still, the embarrassment and shame upon realizing that her entire body was seen by a foreign man deeply imprinted within her heart.
She decided that when he wakes up, she will definitely make him explain.
Stomping her foot on the ground, Charlotte realized that the place she was in looked similar to paradise described in those books of fairy tales that she read when she was still a child.
Bewitched by the beauty of the forest and her innate naivety due to being sheltered all her life, she didn't realize that this beautiful nature hid a danger that could instantly reap her life.
Walking around, she looked for some fruits but sighed in disappointment when she couldn't find any, and when she found one, she realized that the fruits were too high for her to reach and since she couldn't use her cultivation base due to her injuries, she could only stare at the hanging fruits with desire, surging within her eyes.
Suddenly, her ears twitched as she heard the sound of water rushing downstream. Following the source of the sound, Charlotte found a crystal clear river and the fascination of seeing the water while she was thirsty lured her towards it.
Slowly approaching, she knew better not to approach such a body of water without any caution, after all. Beasts would also drink from this water and if she met a carnivorous beast in here by some kind of a coincidence, she could only blame herself for her death.
However, what she found wasn't a beast, but a figure of a middle-aged man dressed in tattered gray clothes carefully fetching water from the river with a bow on his back. The smell of blood around the man and his dignified expression indicated his experience when it comes to life and death battles.
Retreating, she unknowingly stepped on a dried out branch and this attracted the attention of the man, "Who's there?!" The man took a dagger from his waist and there, he spotted Charlotte's figure.
"A woman?" He licked his lips in desire after seeing Charlotte's curvy figure, inside this wilderness, he had to use coconuts in getting rid of his pent-up desires and lust, and it would be rare for him to get the chance in doing it with a woman.
Now that a woman whose looks rivaled that of a Goddess appeared before him, how could he let go of this opportunity? Taking his bow out, he shot at her feet and the stunned Charlotte quickly leaped backward and ran towards Dan's direction.
The man evilly chuckled and shouted, "Brothers! I found a high-quality woman in here! It's been a long time since us from the Blackwing Gang tasted some flesh..."
His shout garnered the attention of his fellow brothers that carefully plucked some fruits atop the tree branches. When they heard his words, they immediately leaped down and stared at the direction where he pointed,
"Indeed! That curves and those fair porcelain-like skin, fucking hell bro! Good job!"
The men cheerfully praised and a middle-aged man whose expression looked darker and rugged than them nodded his head, "Since you're the first one who found her, when we catch her, you'll be the one to experience her first," Taking his sword, he said, "Let's go, be careful not to injure her since it's not fun doing it with an unconscious woman..."
"Yes, sir!"
The men madly ran at Charlotte's direction and because of this delay, the latter managed to arrive at Dan's sleeping place and she knocked, "Hey, you! Hey, you!"
Dan who was snoring while she slept abruptly awakened, his body tensed up as he said, "Is there any enemy?" Taking his dagger out and his peculiar weapon, Charlotte stared at him and said, "Yes, there is! I don't know why they are running after me when I don't have any money..."
After she spoke these words, the men finally caught up and surrounded the area around her, "Beauty, why don't you run more? It's better and much fun pursuing a delicious prey like you..."
Seeing that she didn't run anymore, one of the men said, "Since you already surrendered, we won't make things harder for you, just obediently strip and bend over, we'll do all the moving..."
He approached the frightened Charlotte but before he could step forward, a gunshot echoed and his body, lifelessly collapsed on the ground.
"Did I say that you can approach her?" A cold voice echoed at the side and as the men turned their heads, they found a young man staring at them with cold eyes while holding a peculiar weapon that still smoked near its muzzle.
Staring at the men, Dan calmly walked between them and Charlotte. Manifesting his Qi, he drew a circle that separated him and the men as he boldly declared,
"Anyone who steps inside this circle will die..."