Chapter 153: The Journey Back 1
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"What of the werewolf clan?" Garen asked as he drank the hot water he had poured"What of the werewolf clan?" Garen asked as he drank the hot water he had poured out a while ago.
"A lot of them died. In the end there was a white werewolf with claws that were a meter long, which looked like some sort of a weapon. He fought with Flamingo, but the both of them took it somewhere else not long after. I used up my remaining energy bringing these two here after that and passed out. I don't know what happened after that"
She gave the two fainted men a few quick presses as if she was trying to relieve their dizziness. She then got up and sat beside Garen.
"Oh right. The white werewolf was really strong! He was standing toe to toe with Flamingo. He should be the leader of the werewolf clan. I’ve heard that highly skilled werewolves are going after Flamingo as he had killed an important figure in the clan."
"Flamingo was heavily injured." Garen shook his head, "The white werewolf might have noticed this and didn’t want to retreat because it would be hard to have his revenge if Flamingo fled."
At this moment, Su Lin and Joseph were slowly coming to.
"Alright let’s go. This place is reeks with blood and will definitely attract a lot of people. We should leave immediately." Garen calmly said as he stood up.
"Where are we going?" Celine jumped and landed her small, dollish body on Garen’s shoulder.
"Please stop sitting on my shoulder all the time." Garen frowned.
Celine’s pants were tattered, and exposing a good half of her hips and buttocks. It felt completely different when she sat onto her shoulder with her bare skin touching him.
He would have felt nothing if she really had been a young girl. This girl however obviously wasn’t; and on top of that she had an amazingly hot body when transformed.
"Don’t tell me you’re interested in this young girl’s body?" Celine smiled slyly. "I might be able to satisfy that.. since it’s you we’re talking about~~"
"I see you’re still talkative even when heavily injured." Garen shook his shoulder and Celine almost fell down as she weakly moaned in pain. She had a severe internal injury, so severe that she had trouble balancing herself.
"My body is weak and small, please be gentle with it, now~~" Celine quickly balanced herself and spoke in a weak voice.
"Keep this up and I will throw you off my shoulder." Garen was tired of her fussing and started to pack up his things. Celine decided to hold her tongue from then.
Su Lin and Joseph were still lying on the ground, still disorientated. Garen walked towards the duo and scooped them both up with one hand, and proceeded to leave the room thereafter
Both of them were clearly confused, it was as if they weren't fully conscious.
"Hey! What the-" Su Lin struggled drunkenly as he tried to release himself from Garen. However he couldn’t move an inch under Garen’s clamped hand.
Garen ignored their writhing and quickly went down stairs, as he looked at the grave’s direction that was bathed in fresh blood.
"We should get ourselves a souvenir since we’re already here."
""What kind of souvenir are you looking for?" Celine asked curiously.
Garen didn’t reply her. He walked back to the battlefield filled with werewolf corpses and stood in front of the black werewolf leader.
The black werewolf was nailed onto the tree with his chest wide open, revealing solid, black muscles.
Garen put down both of them and reached his hand out towards the black werewolf’s right claw and pulled it. With a click, the black werewolf’s claw was torn from the body. Garen carefully put it away on his person.
"A sharp claw from the black wolf and the sprite’s wings. I should find a collection room to store these things. Not everyone comes across these everyday." Garen smiled. "Let’s go."
At this moment, almost sober, Su Lin and Joseph saw again the desolate, blood soaked scene, limbs and body parts strewn everywhere. Both of their faces went pale, even though they had just seen it awhile ago.
"Let’s go to the nearest city from here, Pinehill City. Duskdune Shura managed to escape. How are the people from Slash doing?" Garen asked as he lead the way.
"The Slash team should be heading back now. They took the opportunity to escape amidst the werewolf clan’s fight against Flamingo. They ran faster than us." Celine said, her voice slightly down "So, we just head back?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Garen replied coldly. He climbed one of the village’s buildings and looked toward the horizon, trying to figure out which way was the way back.
"I really don’t get why we came here in the first place." Celine said helplessly.
Su Lin smiled wryly as he looked at Joseph who was just beside him.
"What do you plan to do now?"
Joseph mimicked the smile on his own lips.
His original plan last night had been to disrupt the werewolf clan’s hunting ceremony and end it for good. Never in his dreams did he expect to be involved in this strange incident. He felt like he became a main character after being an observer for the past twenty years.
"Let’s talk about it when we go back. My family and friends are all in Pinehill City. No matter how powerful the werewolf clan is, I doubt they would attack the city when the Demon Hunters and garrison are on the watch.
"You never know." Su Lin shrugged his shoulder. "It’s impossible to distinguish between a normal human and a werewolf before they transform. No one would be able to expect their ambush from within the city. In either case, we need to head back now. Come to the federation when you get the chance. Don’t go bailing out on me now!"
"I know. I know."
They walked into Pinehill forest. through Dahl the Falls in the direction of Pinehill City. Celine was in charge of looking out for danger from their surroundings.
Garen was silent all the way through as he felt the endless flow of energy enter his body.
They managed to arrive Jiu Gu Clan’s territory in dusk.
The clan’s female leader greeted them with much hospitality as she let them rest after the long journey.
However, they kept pressing on shortly after, arriving at a hotel in Pinehill City sometime after 9pm.
**********
The next day, dawn.
Garen was sitting on a sofa on the second floor of the hotel, which was beside a small red table. On top of it was a cup of black coffee.
Garen had sat on the sofa after a shower. He then poured a cup black coffee for himself and knocked it back swiftly.
Knock knock.
"Come in; it’s unlocked."
The door slowly opened as Celine, in her white pyjamas, came into the room rubbing her eyes and yawning at the same time.
"Where is Su Lin?"
"He went to the telegraph station early in the morning to arrange a flight for us from the Federation. Right now’s a good show of just how important he is. We would have had to take a flight from the nearest big city away Pinehill City if it were not for him, but with him around, we leave this place whenever we want."
Garen drank his warm, bitter coffee again. The concentrated aroma of the coffee dissolved across the room it disappeared past his lips.
There was a T-junction just outside of the hotel, pointing at Pinehill City. The sun was still in slumber, and yet a blend of horses and carriages rang through the streets.
"We met sprites and demon hunters yesterday, and right after that is a normal day. It felt like I was in a dream." Garen shook his head as he spoke.
"Do you feel uncomfortable seeing normal people with special abilities everywhere?" Celine pulled a stool in front of Garen and sat down on it.
"I can manage that, but that Joseph from yesterday had a strange look on his face when he returned. It felt like he had got a new life or something." Garen recalled that man’s strange expression the day before.
"Looks like the clan of werewolves have somethi.ng restraining them from revealing their identities to ordinary people. But what could it be." Celine was slightly curious.
"That’s not our business in any case. Duskdune Shura was heavily wounded by me, and he won’t be at his peak anymore, even if he recovers. But even that might not be the case, what with that Blood of Eternal Life he was talking about.." Garen didn’t know what it was.
"Don’t worry so much about it. We didn’t come here specifically to kill Duskdune Shura." Celine curled her lips. "That’s the Federation’s job. All we need to do is stand by the sidelines and wish them luck."
"That’s true. Well, whatever. That’s the end of that."
"Indeed it is." Su Lin barged into the room. He was dressed in a white shirt with a black windbreaker and black trousers, carrying good amounts of swagger with his eye catching red hair that complemented his handsome face and golden earring on one of his ears.
What’s even more shameless is the cologne he had on. It’s strong smell invaded the room as he entered.
"What do you think about Suya’s number thirteen blue demon aroma series I just got from the perfume store?" Su Lin asked with a charming smile on his face. He could have seduced many a girl with that.
"It’s disgusting." Celine replied as she immediately covered her nose.
"No way…" Su Lin’s expression immediately disappeared. "Alright alright. I’ve received news a while ago; we’ll end the Duskdune Shura operation here, as another international criminal was involved in it: Flamingo. Flamingo’s threat level is one step higher than Duskdune Shura’s, and this incident had shocked the whole International Police Joint Organization. They’ve sent a team to investigate this matter yesterday, and confirmed that Duskdune Shura was heavily injured, whereas Flamingo sustained minor injuries. The pair was confirmed to have accomplices with them.
"Does that mean the International Police Joint Organization is going to handle this situation for good?" Garen whispered.
"Yes, our Slash team from the Federation will only provide support for them. Our focus now has shifted beyond just Duskdune Shura, but also an even more dangerous criminal, Flamingo." Su Lin answered solemnly. "You may not know this, but Flamingo is that guy with that sword that emitted red beams. He was involved in a major crime in the Republic of the Tulip a long time ago, where he murdered three generals, twelve field officers and almost the whole army’s upper echelon in a single night. The Republic of Tulip has been trying to kill him for the past thirteen years, but to no avail."
"That ferocious!" Celine was shocked. "The Republic of the Tulip is the country with the strongest military in the world, and they still couldn’t do anything about him?"
"Nothing. Rumors say that he once destroyed five tanks with just his sword." Su Lin shook his head.
"Tch…" Celine was speechless, but suddenly turned her head and looked at Garen.
Garen then shook his head. "Even I can’t penetrate through a tank’s steel armor. It’s much easier for him since he uses a sword."
"Both of you are monsters. Although you’re weaker than him, you’re not that far off." Celine started to laugh. "Well, I’m counting on you to protect me, then. You are Erudas’ mentor, surely you wouldn’t let him die while you watch from the sidelines."
"Speaking of which what have you done? What’s the connection between Erudas and the Poker Organization? Are you planning drag me into this without any rhyme or reason? That’s not happening" Garen said as he scowled.
"It’s not a big deal, really. I foiled one of the Poker Organization’s plans in Weisman and saved Erudas. They have been trying to kill us ever since. That’s it." Celine summarised.
"I will deal with the Poker Organization. I haven’t repaid them for attacking us yet." Su Lin started sneering. "Be it from the organization or a household’s point of view, their actions are obviously blatant provocation."
He paused.
"I have already arranged for a direct flight back to the Federation in the afternoon. At least we didn’t go home without gaining something; we have learnt about demon hunters and the like."
"Then we shall take a good rest and leave in the afternoon." Celine took up the coffee pot and drank directly from it. Garen wanted to stop her but wasn’t able to in time.
"Would you like some?" Celine asked innocently as she deliberately licked the coffee pot with her tongue.
"Forget it. Go ahead..." Garen gave up on the idea of having another cup of coffee.
"It’s an indirect kiss you know~~~" Celine tempted him.
"Not interested…" Garen stood up and walked to the window and lfet her to her own devices.
"Oh right Garen, The federation started their exam yesterday." Su Lin butted in, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Exam?" Garen was slightly stunned. "That fast…"
"Yeah, and we’ve known each other for nearly two years…" Su Lin nodded his head.
Garen was staring at the intersection street below and didn’t reply.
The Federation exam was equivalent to the college entrance examination which was one of the main examinations for college students who were keen on entering university. His sister, Ying Er was participating in the exam today.
"We should be able to get back in time. Don’t worry about it, I’ve arranged for the fastest airplane we have." Su Lin walked over and patted his shoulder.