Kapitel 155: Obsidian Forest

Lysandra and I walk in tandem, the soft crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot echoing in the dense foliage. The Obsidian Forest is just as I remember, with its tall, looming trees blocking out most of the sunlight and casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. The air is thick with an energy that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Mid-yawn, I stretch my arms above my head, feeling the slight strain in my muscles. Damn, I'm more tired than I thought.

Beside me, Lysandra mirrors my actions, taking a big stretch that makes her joints pop audibly. "By the way, V," she begins, a sly grin playing on her lips, "why did we split up? I mean, I can't stand that bitch Biana any more than you can. But you? Ditching the group? You're always up to something."

I nod in appreciation. It's refreshing to see Lysandra using that head of hers. In the past, she wouldn't have been this observant. "The Obsidian Forest isn't as simple as they made it out to be," I explain, my tone serious.

She yawns, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, and mutters, "Ugh, so what is it?"

Stopping in my tracks, I pick up a stick from the ground and start sketching in the dirt. I draw a half-circle, representing the Obsidian Forest. "See this? This is our forest. Now, most people are only aware of this part," I point to the half-circle, "because no one knows about what lies beyond."

I then draw five curved lines inside the half-circle, each layer representing a deeper section of the forest. Pointing to the first line, I continue, "We are here. This forest has multiple sections, each increasing in difficulty." Moving my stick to the innermost curve, "The furthest part has only been tackled by S-ranked adventurers."

Brushing the drawing away with my foot, I sneer. "This silly representation from the guilds is such a half-assed attempt at understanding this place. It's not entirely incorrect, but it's overly simplified. If a creature from deep within the forest decides to come out, these 'sections' won't mean shit."

Lysandra stares at me, her expression a mixture of boredom and impatience. "Okay, cool story bro, but why should I care?"

As we continue walking, I elaborate, "The Academy, in all their wisdom, set up a barrier that spans 10 miles, blocking anyone from going too deep into the forest."

Mid-sentence, a massive Horned Wolf emerges from the thicket, its eyes locked onto us. Lysandra simply meets its gaze. There's a momentary standoff, a silent battle of wills, before the wolf, trembling slightly, decides to retreat. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Your dragon aura cheat is seriously unfair."

She shrugs nonchalantly. "That's why we're the superior species."

"So, let me guess," Lysandra smirks, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "you want to break that barrier?"

I can't help but smirk back. "Bingo! The herbs beyond the barrier are top-tier. Why would I settle for anything less?"

As Lysandra and I approached what I knew to be the location of the barrier, I couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Lysandra, without any warning, suddenly face-planting straight into it. The fact that it's invisible made her blunder even more hilarious.

Hahaha! Oh man, just picturing her running full-speed into this thing makes it even better. She quickly scrambles up, a blend of frustration and embarrassment painted across her face. Without missing a beat, she begins pummeling the barrier with her fists, sending ripples across its invisible surface with every impact.

"Fuck! Would you stop?!" I chide, though I'm thoroughly entertained. "If you keep that up, some professor is gonna come check on this thing."

"I'll break you myself, you piece of shit!" she retorts, directing her anger towards the barrier.

I let out an exasperated sigh. Lysandra might have her moments of clarity, but she's still Lysandra. Part of my reason for bringing her here was indeed to let her vent a little – seems like it's working.

With a swift motion, I activate my glove, watching as it morphs into a door frame. The ability to eat mana around it should allow us to create a temporary entrance without setting off any alarms. Though we'll have to be quick – can't have the staff noticing a glitch in their precious barrier.

"Hey," I call to Lysandra, who's still taking her frustration out on the barrier. "We're heading in. Ready?"

She stops, catching her breath and smirking at me. "Isn't this a tad...dangerous?" she teases.

We share a silent moment, her words hanging in the air. Then, the absurdity of her caution hits us both at once, and we collapse in a fit of laughter.

"Hahaha, since when do you care about 'dangerous'?" I manage to say between laughs.

"I know, right? Just fucking with you."

With the laughter still fresh, I push the door frame against the barrier. As it begins to drain the mana, an unstable crack appears, growing wider by the second. Not waiting for Lysandra, I grab her and pull us through.

Once inside, I immediately deactivate the skill. The barrier seals itself, leaving no trace of our intrusion. But Lysandra's not done poking fun.

"Hahaha! Dumbass! You left your sword on the other side!" she teases, pointing to where the door frame was.

I roll my eyes, unimpressed. "Nice try." Without a second thought, my glove materializes back onto my hand.

She clicks her tongue in mock disappointment. "Damn, thought I got you there."

Lysandra shoots me a quizzical glance, "Are you sure they won't get suspicious?"

I let out a sigh, rubbing my temples. Factoring in the number of students, the staff will likely not keep tabs on every individual. "With both freshman and sophomores around, it's nearly impossible for them to keep a track of everyone. We'll be alright," I reassure, "But we need to start moving. There's somewhere we need to be before night falls."

A mischievous gleam lights up her eyes. "Will there be strong monsters? I'm itching for a good brawl."

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, I nod, "Oh, there'll be plenty. But our first stop's a cave."

She runs ahead, her speed and agility a testament to her dragon lineage. Looking over her shoulder, she asks, "How do you even know where you're going? This is your first time here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I reply, my tone teasing, "But I have my ways."

And by "ways," I mean being shamelessly charged 50 damn points by the system for a map. Considering the rarity of tasks, it's an exorbitant price.

[If you desire more tasks, try visiting unknown places or interacting with unfamiliar people. Chances of task generation increase by 7%.]

[Progress the story, stop being so weak, and you'll earn some damn points.]

I click my tongue, trying my best to ignore the system's snarky comments. As if it knows best.

A short run later, we arrive at our destination – a sprawling cave, its walls glittering with mana stones. The luminescence from these stones casts an eerie glow all around. Lysandra's dragon instincts flare up, her eyes taking on a greedy shine. "Can I have some?" she asks hopefully.

I nod, giving the illusion of agreement. "Not a chance," I retort. As if I'd let her hoard these valuable stones. She doesn't even need them!

As we venture deeper into the cave, I ensure no one's lurking around. Scanning the quality of the stones, they seem to be of decent purity – not the highest grade, but certainly mid-range. This should suffice.

Making my way to the center of the cave, I notice it has two entrances. Deciding to fortify our position, I approach one of the openings and, with a quick slice, seal it off completely, ensuring the mana doesn't dissipate in multiple directions.

"I'm close to reaching Stage Two, but with these stones, I could push through to Stage Three. I'm not sure how long it'll take. Keep an eye out, will you?" I instruct Lysandra.

She lazily yawns, stretching her limbs. "Alright, but when you're done, you better feed me."

Nodding, I focus, letting the ambient mana fill my senses. I begin drawing it into my core, feeling the energy circulate and nourish every part of me.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

-Lysandra's POV

Resting by the entrance of the cave, I can't help but let out a heavy sigh. Ugh, guarding duty, the bane of my exciting adventures. My gaze shifts to Kael, diligently focusing on his training, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. The sheer sight of him irritates me. But why, though?

Being mostly secluded with my father at our home for a long time, I never had the chance, or perhaps, the desire, to interact with weak humans. My only memory of them was their trembling forms, fear clear in their eyes after one unintentional display of my strength. Weaklings. This aversion to humans is why I stayed home, tucked away in the grandeur of our dragon world. That is until old man Darius, at my father's behest, dumped me with Kael. As if he was any different from the others.

Our first meeting? Disdainful. I deemed him unworthy, another frail human. And to be honest, he seemed equally unimpressed by me. So, as fate would have it, we had a duel, where I got a taste of his unconventional toys, and much to my chagrin, lost. The result? A blood pact. And now here I am, his 'blood sister', masquerading as a mundane student in the academy.

Though I must admit, over time, Kael has piqued my interest. It's intriguing how he lets others underestimate him. At first, I dismissed him as a pathetic soul, letting people walk over him. But as I observed him more, I realized he wasn't just lying low – he was playing mind games, letting others believe he's inconsequential, all the while outsmarting those who think they're intelligent. It's maddening how he does that. How he can be so nonchalant about his status, while my pride refuses to let others look down upon me.

There's also the matter of his vast knowledge. How does he know so much? Where does he get his information? I've been with him almost constantly, and yet, he manages to surprise me with something new every day. And his fire affinity… It's nothing short of captivating. A warm, calming fire that lulls my senses. Why does his fire make me feel this way? It's just… different.

Before I realize it, my annoyance has shifted into admiration. Or maybe it's just a begrudging respect? A thought strikes me: For a human, he's growing quite rapidly. But he's still a weak human, right? As these confusing feelings jumble inside me, I can't help but admit, albeit grudgingly, "Hmph, maybe he's worthy of being around me, after all."

But no sooner had the thought entered my mind, my cheeks flush in embarrassment and I find myself flustered. Damn him. How did he, of all people, manage to evoke such reactions from me?

I click my tongue in annoyance, slamming my hand against the cave wall. The impact creates a significant hole, scattering shards of rock and mana stones. Tsk, why can't I figure Kael out? He trusts me, doesn't he? He never hides anything when he writes, and I've witnessed him in various situations. But damn, the way he thinks! Every time I believe I've got his strategy down, he switches things up. Like in that broken underground ruin – how did he anticipate the second group's arrival? And perfectly matched opponents for a favorable outcome for us? It's mind-boggling!

My thoughts are interrupted by a deep growl. Turning, I'm met with the sight of a massive beast, a grotesque mix of a wolf and a bear. It towers over me, its eyes locked onto mine. Good, something to take my frustration out on.

Surprisingly, despite my imposing dragon gaze, it only shivers slightly before lunging at me, growling menacingly. "Well, aren't you a brave one? At least you've got some guts," I taunt, admiring its audacity.

With a feral grin, I dash towards it, delivering a powerful punch to its face. The force sends it sprawling backwards, crashing through trees. But I'm not done venting my frustrations.

Closing the distance, I focus, conjuring an ice spear. Ugh, It's still hard to control. How does father make it look so easy? Without hesitation, I drive the spear through its head. The icy magic rapidly spreads, encasing a sizable portion of its head in frost. The beast's struggles slow before it collapses, defeated.