Chapter 45 - 44 - Shortcut

Karou and his group were facing the illusory hunting field, Cael already activated his Sharingan thus seeing that strange dimension that gave him headaches. This time Karou didn't go the normal way, he wanted to get in his own way.

The hunting ground was simply huge, he didn't want to have to walk for days before he found Hebi again. He also wouldn't invoke him in the middle of nowhere, Karou also hadn't trained in invocation jutsu, so it was quite possible that he would fail to try to invoke it.

Karou with his active Sharingan looked for an entrance that was close, this was a compacted dimension covered by an illusion that affected reality itself. Even with his eyes, he had no way of seeing everything.

Cael studied the main entrance to the hunting ground and after looking closely he found a breach.

- All of it! Come here! - Karou called his group a few meters from the main entrance. Some people in the vicinity watched that group move and were curious. Among them was Gift, who was the son of Patriarch Klaus.

...

- Master Gift, look, there are people trying to circumvent the entrance to the hunting ground. - A servant commented.

Gift watched people enter, his equipment was of the highest level. A level that he couldn't even reach, he didn't recognize them either.

- They are probably tourists from other kingdoms or even from the empire, let's just watch and laugh a little ... - Unlike your father, who was just a little proud, Gift was arrogant and liked to laugh at the misfortune of others. He was a warrior known in the city for being a snow mage like his father.

He watched the man who looked like the leader of the group, he also saw the beautiful lady who was with him. He even sighed that he did not have the capacity of these great young masters of empires who could have women of such size.

Gift stared at them with a smile on his face, there was the main entrance and other small entrances that were commanded by the big clans, other than that only entrances that gave in very dangerous places were known. When someone tried to enter the hunting ground by other means, two options occurred.

Either the person was taken out at the entrance to the hunting grounds, or they would walk around the hunting grounds and return to the beginning in a few minutes. The group finally entered the forest all at once.

Gift laughed while betting with his servants and companions where the group would go. If a few minutes passed, nobody left.

- It can't be, right? - Asked one of the servants.

- No ... it's impossible ... - Gift said stuttering

After several minutes no movement occurred, Gift did not believe in his own eyes and ran to investigate.

- I'll come in too, wait for me there! - Gift said entering the exact place that the group entered, if it was really an entrance he could notify his father and would gain some privileges.

Gift entered the place and left in the forest, he was hopeful and walked for a few seconds until he saw a light, coming out of the trees with a smile he was irritated when he met his servants.

Gift was incredulous, he was sure he had entered the right place. He kept trying to cross the forest for hours with his servants. Soon rumors that Patriarch Klaus's son had gone mad began to circulate in the city.

Karou the cause of the rumors was quiet walking through the woods and leaving near the cave of Hebi.

- We arrived guys! - Cael told everyone. We will start our training here.

- But Kage! I say Karou, we just walked a few minutes, aren't we on the edges yet? - Asked Lin, Karou had asked everyone to call him by name when they were alone.

- Let's say I took a shortcut. - Said Karou with a smile on his face. Karou had found a gap in the illusory barrier. The breach would soon close and become part of the illusory field again. Karou took advantage of this to travel straight to the cave much faster.

As soon as the group passed Karou realized that the gap was closed, when he left he needed to go the normal way, but this was not a problem since Karou's plan was to train as much as possible inside the field.

- Let's stop fooling people, follow me! - Karou said as he guided the group into the cave.

The group followed, the cave was very dark, you could not see a span in front of you. Only Karou and Girassol who had their special eyes could see through this endless darkness.

Soon Karou and the group reached the bottom. It was a lake that glowed purple, with its brightness everyone could see very well.

- Those who do not have the physique of a great apprentice do not dare to touch the water. I won't be able to save your lives. - Karou said when he saw that one of the soldiers wanted to try to drink the lake water.

Karou went towards the water while everyone watched him, so they saw the impossible happen. Karou stepped into the water, but his foot did not sink. Karou walked on water like a Warrior of the highest order.

Even Girassol, who was used to the surreal things that Karou could do, was surprised by this, soon Karou reached the small island in the center of the lake.

- Hebi, it's me! Come here, I came to visit as I promised! - Karou shouted for nothing. Everyone thought it was strange, they wondered who Karou was talking to. Karou was also in doubt as to why Hebi did not reply. - did he go out hunting.

Karou then started to walk out of the lake, when he was a few meters from leaving he saw everyone in the group in amazement pointing behind Karou.

- Karou be careful! - Sunflower shouted. Turning quickly, Karou came face to face with the giant snake that swallowed him whole with a bite. At this point everyone in the group was in despair.

Sunflower was the first to react by activating his byakugan at maximum, followed by Lin who created a huge mud wall to protect everyone and Katherine who drew his swords that crackled in electricity prepared to fight.

- Stop this Hebi antics! Your breath stinks let me out of here! - Karou shouted from inside Hebi's mouth.

- Hahaha was just kidding, it looks like you have some loyal servants now Karou. - The snake said when it opened its mouth letting Cael out.

- Just kidding? Now I'm all ruffled, you don't have poison, right?

- I even have ... but only in the prey that are hidden, don't worry.

Everyone was confused by what happened, they did not know how to react to this situation. Karou realized then introduced them.

- Hebi, these are my servants and companions. Guys, this is Hebi, my first friend and also the Guardian of the hunting ground.

At this moment, the same thought passed through everyone's mind in that place, they already knew that their master was an unusual man, but now they had a certainty. Karou was too abnormal.