Chapter 6: What are those?!

"What happened??"

"This… this…its.. im.. imm… impossible!!!"

"What do you mean?"

"The spirit bull…it's realms stronger than us…"

"What?!!"

"The blue flaming aura… is a monster bloodline that can only be activated by an Ascender beast.." the leader of the hunting party spoke with shock as if a god descended from the sky.

"So you're saying that this bull is an Ascender Expert??"

"..." The leader closed his eyes, nodded and frowned.

"Lady Alice! Sir Lyle! Please escape!"

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Lyle replied as he grasped the handle of his sword. This was the first time he felt a sense of helplessness. When facing the horde of goblins, he never felt pressured. But this spirit bull released the pressure that can end all life surrounding it.

"This fellow…" Alice pondered as she was imagining the chaos it did at Lopan village. She was wondering how this tyrannical monster attacked the village without causing any casualty. With the aura it's releasing just by being around can kill people who are not practicing Arts. And in Lopan village, only 4 people were Arts experts. The village head who was rank 1 copper arts practitioner, and the three rank 2 mortal arts elders.

"Nguuuuu!!!" suddenly the bull went into an attacking position, scratching the ground with its hooves, ready to attack.

Lyle released his sword from the scabbard and dozens of spirit swords appeared above him. Alice chanted a seal breaking spell on her chains.

"Spirit swords breaking formation!"

"Holy chains activated! Evil be sealed!"

Alice and Lyle shouted as they attacked the spirit bull before it can act. But suddenly, they frowned, faces became pale.

Lyle's sword formation suddenly vanished as it touched the blue flames. Alice's holy chains did not move, as if it was dead.

The Holy Chain Sealing Arts is a bloodline art that lets the user use divine chains coming from a different plane using the body of the caster as the entrance and exit medium. These chains emit a holy aura that is able to suppress evil.

Unfortunately, the spirit bull is a sacred beast. A monster that emits the holy blue flaming aura. Therefore, when Alice commanded her chains to seal the bull, it did not obey her orders.

"Lyle! Use the phantom sword slash!" She shouted to Lyle as she prepared another chain technique.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Defeat it of course.."

"Gosh!! You believe you can defeat it?" Lyle asked in a tone of disbelief.

"Nope." An innocent smile appeared on her face.

"......." Lyle facepalmed. "I really don't know what to do anymore… ha ha ha.." he lightly laughed.

"He he he... it's not that I'm suicidal or anything... I just have a feeling..." Alice giggled as she ran behind the spirit bull.

The Spirit bull this time was just standing in his original position, not minding the things around it. It was staring at a distant location deep in the forest. It had a serious look on its face.

The two teenagers did not notice what the bull was doing.

"Chain Arts! Earth sealing chain!" as Alice shouted her art, earth attribute chains appeared from the ground rushing around the spirit bull.

The spirit bull noticed the unfolding of the attack too late. But it was still calm and looked back to the direction it gazed upon.

"Lyle! I got it! it's your turn!" She shouted while a sinister grin appeared on her face.

"Gotcha! Spirit sword Art, First Sword, Tiger's Fang!"

Booooooooghsshshshshshhs!!!!

A loud bang sounded throughout the central region of the forest. Dust particles rose up from the ground as a wave of energy torrents swayed the massive trees and broke nearby branches.

"Are they successful? Did they defeat the spirit bull?"

"I guess so…"

"Phew… I thought we were goners.."

"Yeah. Thank the heavens the Silver Wolf was with us."

"Also the lady…"

"It can't be... Its…"

"It's alive?!"

Alice and Lyle frowned as the dust particles receded. The Spirit Bull was still standing in its original position. Not a scratch on its body can be found. It didn't even mind the strongest attack Lyle unleashed. It was still looking seriously towards the east of the forest.

Suddenly, golden symbols appeared from the spirit bull's forehead and in a speed so fast, entered the heads of the 9 people present.

They reacted too late. They wanted to evade but weren't able to due to how fast the attack was. Thinking that they were about to die, they suddenly felt energized. Their wounds were miraculously healed. Lyle and Alice who used up most of their mana suddenly regained strength. Shock can be seen on their faces as well as traces of confusion.

"Play. No. More. Danger. Leave. Now…"

"What the… did the Spirit bull just talk right now?" one of the silver robe hunters asked.

"Maybe my brains' broken from its attack just now…" another replied while shaking her head.

"LEAVE!! NOW!!" The bull shouted as it dashed to the eastern part of the forest.

'BOOOGSSSHHHHHH!!!' A loud bang came from the direction the spirit bull went to. Dust rose to the sky.

The group felt the pressure coming from the eastern forest.

"Alice… stay here with the group. I'm curious about what happened to the spirit bull. I feel there's something wrong. Leader, please take her back to the village and call the 40th barracks for airship assistance to pick up Alice." Lyle said seriously

"As you command, Sir Lyle." The group leader replied.

"Lyle, what are you up to?" Alice asked

"For someone as strong as the spirit bull to be nervous, talked to us and warned us about an incoming danger… something doesn't feel right."

Alice understood what Lyle meant. As a genius Copper Level Mortal Arts Practitioner, intuition, and instincts must never be ignored yet, the task given to him by his lover was to be the primary concern. But in this situation, a greater threat might come in the future, so he decided to end this incoming threat before it can reach his loved ones.

"I understand. But you must take care not to encounter irreversible accidents. Or my big sis will choke me to death." Alice said jokingly.

Lyle lightly smiled as he breathed out a silent sigh. He turned around and dashed to the eastern region of the forest.

-Eastern Sleeping Vine Forest Ruins-

A battle is happening on a clearing in front of the eastern forest ruins. Four creatures were moving so fiercely, hitting and evading with their respective moves. One of the creatures was the spirit bull. Against the bull, three creatures with bodies like giant gorillas, skin like dragon scales, head similar to that of a boar. They were powerful. Although they are not Arts practitioners, their aura can be compared to rank 5 Gold Mortal artists.

As Lyle arrived, he went up on top of a broken tower and observed the situation. His eyes widened, his face darkened.

"What are those?!"