Chapter 16 – Possibilities

After remaining under the shade of the tree for a bit more, Aiden and Lia took out water from the spatial pouch and cleaned their bodies.

Though it was a bit wasteful to use the pouch’s water like it, neither Aiden nor Lia could endure the feeling of blood stick in the skin. So, after deciding search for a creek later to refill the water, they went behind a tree each and proceeded to take a bath and change their clothes.

A bit calmer thanks to the bath, Aiden and Lia returned at the camp to collect the proofs of killing the boars; after all, though the town hall probably will be unable of paying completely for them, it probably will grant a bonus or something similar for the great number of enemies.

Though Aiden thought it was a bit wasteful leave all the bodies here, he didn’t have enough space to take something besides the two boars with the peak core-forming cultivation and a few others of the late core-forming stage. As for the rest, they could only let them rot.

As suspected, neither of the peak core-forming boars had a demonic core. Though they were able to put a foot in the core-fusing realm, at the end of the day they were yet one step away from breaking through it. Without doing it, don’t matter how powerful a beast is, they will be unable of possessing a demonic core.

Compared to killing normal beasts, killing a demonic beast is many times more lucrative. After all, you can only sell the meat and hide of a normal beast; while for demonic beasts, just the demonic core for itself is enough to fetch a high price in the market. Apart of it, the bodies of demonic beasts have many incredible uses, varying from alchemy and weapon forging to medicinal food able of improving the body constitution.

After taking as much as possible from the beasts’ bodies, Aiden and Lia reluctantly chose search for another place to stay. After all, no matter how valuable the boars’ copses are, nobody in his sane mind would like to see such a gory scene constantly.

Probably because of all the boars killed last night or the heavy pressure released for Lia in her transformed state, this time Aiden and Lia, fortunately, didn’t find any attack during his travel. Due to last night events, both of them were pretty tired, and though a group of boars probably wouldn’t be enough to hurt them, they preferred don’t have to fight for a time.

The reason because Aiden wasn’t seriously wound when the boar attack hit him was mainly thanks to his saber receiving the brunt of the attack. When Aiden noticed the boar ambush about hit Lia, the time was not enough to amass sufficient saber intent to launch a fatal strike. Knowing it, he had not more option than to use his body to receive the attack. Luckily, the saber took most of the impact and the clothes diffused another part of it. Otherwise, even with Aiden battle strength, his body wouldn’t be more than a pile of broken bones.

But even with it, the boar attack was more than enough to left Aiden unconscious, and even now, various of his bones and muscles were hurting, making difficult to fight in this condition.

Imagining such an end, Aiden unconsciously patted the sheath of the saber. Thinking about it, from the moment when he found it in a corner of his clan’s armory until now, Aiden still doesn’t know the origins of the saber and why it is so strong. And though it hasn’t any special abilities, only the sharpness of it is enough to be considered an incredible treasure. Even now, Aiden only knows of things that he is not strong enough to cut and not about something that the saber is not sharp enough to cut.

After walking for half a day, Aiden and Lia finally found a place good enough to assemble the new camp. Taking their time to put everything together, the pair sat together once they finished it.

“What are we going to do now, young master?”

Thinking for a moment, Aiden told Lia his considerations about the last fight.

“Sigh, the truth is, during the fight last night we were completely played in the hands of the enemy. When the boars stopped because the peak core-forming one appeared, we subconsciously thought that it was their leader. Actually, the goal of the true leader was probably it. Waiting for the moment when we lowered our guard thinking we defeated the leader, it took advantage of it to try to kill us or at least injure one of us gravely.

“Actually, his plan can be considered to be a success. After all, if not for you going out of control at the last minute, we both probably would be dead for now.

“Based on it, we could conclude that the main culpable behind this incident probably is not a demonic beast. After all, I doubt a low-level demonic beast is smart enough to create such profound scheme and a high-level one doesn’t need of it to deal with us.

“It leaves us with the other option. I think our enemy is a person with a cultivation around the initial or middle stages of core-fusing with abilities related to the controlling of beasts. He probably is not too strong or he would have attacked directly; also, he probably has a method to observe the situation from afar. It’s possible that he is currently observing us as we speak.”

Aiden took a huge breath after describing the situation in detail. Then, before Lia could interject, he explained their future plans.

“I think the best we can do now is take a rest for the moment. After all, I’m not completely recovered from the beast attack. As for you, I think that such eruption of power is not without side effects, and though you don’t show anything wrong, it is better if you rest for a bit to be sure.”

Lia nodded agreeing with Aiden completely.

“Very well young master, I will do like you said. However, what should we do if we are attacked again?”

Hearing it, Aiden thought for a moment before answering.

“I don’t think the mastermind is in the capacity to attack us again. At least not so soon. Yesterday attack must have caused great losses for him and I doubt him is capable of putting together such a great force again in a short time. From the fight last night, it must know that at least an attack of such magnitude is necessary to cause us loses, so, at least himself comes to attack, I think he will concentrate his resources in preparing himself for when we attack.”

Lia studied Aiden’s words and thought they were probably right. Nodding she decided to prepare something quick for they eat. After all, they hadn’t eaten anything from last night.

Leaving for Lia the preparation of the food, Aiden began to think about the current incident. After all, though he was able to resolve some of the questions around the case, the most important doubts are yet unanswered.

Even now, Aiden doesn’t have a clear answer neither of the mastermind’s goals nor the reason because he is searching for natural resources. After all, what goal could someone with such abilities have to come at a rundown place like the border town of Cali?

Perhaps for the spirit herbs? But spirit herbs are not especially abundant in this part of the forest. And if this is the reason, why is he avoiding appear before us?

Though Aiden told Lia that the enemy probably isn’t too strong or he would have fought against them directly, Aiden could not imagine a reason because a core-fusing cultivator is not confident enough to fight a pair of core-forming ones. Though Aiden admits that a normal core-fusing cultivator is probably not his match, it is impossible for the enemy to know it, so, why doesn’t the enemy dare to face them. Is the enemy truly so cowardly?

Aiden could no think of a reason why.

Lost in his thoughts, Aiden spent the rest of the day recovering together with Lia.

After all, the time of the confrontation was increasingly closer.