Chapter 365: ck Buran


    "Big sis.." Next to Itzel, Courtney revealed a terrified expression, her hands clutching the olderdy''s arms for support. "This is..." Despite beingpletely illiterate, the vigers had heard of a ck Buran.


    It was a monster of the legends, infamous for plunging entire towns into chaotic cyclones, destroying anything and everything in its path. Known for its ability to conjure storms on a whim, it was a terrifying beast to confront.


    "It''s okay." Itzel herself wasn''t very confident in Ryu''s chances, nheless carried on a brave front. What is Ryu''s age anyhow? Can such a youngd really go toe to toe with a cmity like ck Buran? Only time is going to tell.


    Over on the other side, Ryu remained oblivious to Itzel''s consideration. Right now he was only worried about one thing.. that is being tossed up into the air. Since his mentor had gone out of his way to warn him, he was better off taking the threat seriously.


    It was a no-brainer that Ryu can not fly. Thus, things can quickly escte out of control if the boy was not on his heels every second. Courtney realized Itzel was telling her to believe in Master Lyod. It was easier said than done, however, she wasn''t exactly capable of helping out anyhow.


    Ryu in the meantime had already conjured both his wood clones. Despite his best efforts to improve this wood clone technique, he can only control two at once. Both the clones had sharp expressive eyes.


    One can tell just by looking at them that Ryu need not narrate his ordeals to them, their intelligence told them what they were up against. "There is still some time. Think this through.. are you sure about using these guys?" Master Lyod cautioned with some nonchnce.


    Considering the wood clones were even more fragile than Ryu''s real body, he must be concerned if they would be sent flying by the ck Buran. "I know it will be hard to keep them safe. But they are the best bet I have at the moment." The boy defended his decision.


    Mana devouring seed was the most powerful attack he possessed, with the capability to bring even the most fearsome beasts to their knees. There was no doubt that his chances will increase dramatically if he cannd the attack. But trying to shoot the seed onto a wind-type beast will simply be a fool''s dream.


    "Then are you ready?" The next time Master Lyod spoke, time was up for the youngd. Ryu''s skin shivered, partly in dread and partly in excitement. "Yes. Let''s get this over with." He pped his cheeks repeatedly to bring himself to the utmost level of alertness.


    "Do your best." Master Lyod had a very short response for him. "Follow me." Saying that the old man strode ahead towards a deep chasm on the edge of the t hill. Ryu remembered to pass on an eased-up smile to the worrieddies behind, before eagerly joining his mentor.


    **In Gustump City at the same time**


    "WHO DARES...??" A thundering voice rumbled over the Governor''s pce. One can tell the person behind the roar was no ordinary human, rather it''s better to say he was probably not even an ordinary cultivator.


    "Sorry, esteemed gentleman. But I am under no obligation to reveal my name." Up in the sky of the city, a woman dressed in a white long skirt levitated with her arm around another female. The second person being carried was clearly unconscious as she did not move to free herself.


    The air around the governor''s mansion coalesced as if responding to the rage of the person contained within. "How brazen...!!" Very soon, a person flew out, ascending rapidly until he was directly facing the intruder upon his property.


    "I see..." Governor Pediot had always been a headstrong guy with an entire city that revered him almost to the point of divinity. He had not achieved all this just by being born in a high background. No... his arms carried the requisite strength that allowed him to dominate every other contender for his governor''s position.


    As such, his senses could very easily figure out the woman standing opposite was no ordinary personality. "Greetings Governor... Forgive me for not having the luxury of time to exchange pointers over a cup of tea."


    While he could not see through her porcin mask, Pediot was sure this woman had her lips stretched into a smile while she fearlessly addressed him. "You are no ordinarydy, yet youck the courtesy to not encroach upon a sovereign territory."


    "Sovereign you say... You think you control this city, governor?" Still casual in her ways, thedy in a long white dress spoke in a disdain-filled voice. Governor Pediot was a smart man, he could tell what she was hinting at. He might be the governor here, but the royalty remained the one and only sovereign of thesends.


    Lacking response, he just didn''t bother to reply, instead noticing the incapacitated woman she carried in her arm. "Why are you after my wife?" "Wife? Sorry for my limited cognizance, governor. But I see no wife here.. all I see is a pet."


    That single sentence revealed how much the unnamed woman was aware of his personal affairs. "Whether I keep her as a wife or a pet, that should be none of your concerns, woman. Hand her over... otherwise..."


    "Hehe.. you are a funny man, governor. Why do you think I didn''t bother stepping away from your ce even after I had secured my target?" The woman sniggered while looking down upon the unconscious Mae.


    This was the most troubling fact for Governor Pediot. Instead of running, the masked woman had chosen to encounter him. Did she realize she would not be able to escape from him... or... does she think he simply can''t stop her from escaping? The second assertion was too shocking.


    "Maybe you are just a foolish girl behind that mask of yours. Don''t make me resort to violence, girl." The confrontation was the only way forward, decades of experience on the battlefield had taught Pediot to read the situation like an open book.


    The ether around the man vibrated, caused by the release of his humongous mana reserves. So much so that the mansion guards beneath the two facing-off individuals felt their breath being choked out of their lungs.


    "Or maybe.." The masked woman gently pushed Mae''s body away from herself, encasing it into a film of her mana and letting her afloat. "I decided to make it clear to you that no matter how much you struggle, you can never get your pet back from this mother."


    With her fingers interlocking, she cracked her joints much like a man would. Governor Pediot can only scoff at the haughtiness on disy. He had seen so many of her kind die a cruel death at the hands of the beast-men. "As I told you, you are a brazen girl. As your senior, I must cut you to size."


    "Big words.. old man." *THRrrrrrr* Akin to a lion''s roar, Governor Pediot''s had sprung into action. Unfazed by the gender of his opponent, he threw a roaring punch. His fist cleaved the sky, approaching Felicia''s alter personality like a lightning bolt.


    "Weak.." Compared to him, thedy in white waspletely rxed. Her hands red in motion, putting stop to the mountain-crushing pressure of Pediot''s punch while thrusting her other hand toward his chest. Even in the heat of the moment, her actions carried an elegance of a waterfall.


    Pediot could not defend. Her palm met his chest, making blood rush to his mouth. A single exchange had told the man he was facing an absolute expert here. Even while his body shot back, he could only wonder why in this dammed world will someone send such a master to kidnap his wife.


    *Swoosh* Another impact. *BAAAM* In a blink, the masked woman had traveled next to him,unching a volley of attacks toward him. Overwhelmed under her swift strikes, Pediot was quickly thrown off-guard. All he could do was desperately defend himself.


    ''It can not be him..'' There was only a single person in Pediot''s mind who would go to such lengths for Mae. However, he was a mere vagabond, there was no way in hell he could summon such a master to his aid.


    "Who sent you?" Naturally, the masked woman didn''t bother replying. Choosing violence over talk. "You really want to do this..??" Blocking a vicious kick to his temple, Pediot''s mind spun in bubbling rage. No one can walk over him in his own territory.


    "Mountain sundering fist.." With the woman turning out to be a better hand-to-handbat artist than him, Pediot had no choice but to tip the bnce of this stand-off to brute force. Mana collected around his hands as the man began countering the fluent movement skills of thedy with a slew of rampaging punches.


    "Useless." Though there was a reversal, causing the maskeddy to get pushed back constantly, she showed no signs of giving in. To Pediot''s shock, the more the woman fought him, the stronger she seemed to be getting.. to the point that she gained back her lost the advantage.


    "You are a hundred years too young to even think of defeating this mother.." Hidden behind her trusty mask, Felicia seems to be having fun. Her heart raced from the thrill. Even though there was a good chance she might end up exposing her identity if she took this too far, her childlike fascination refused to disperse.


    ***


    Right in front of Ryu''s eyes, his master cum father-inw had jumped into the chasm. Despite the rays of early dawn illuminating the scenery in deep red, the light could not prate the Abyss-like depth next to his feet.


    Making sure his two wood clones were next to him in optimal condition, Ryu gulped. As if his own fears were not enough, he could sense a very subtle dread originating from his clones as well. Were they simply responding to his own emotions?


    As creations of his mana, they weren''t supposed to exhibit any sort of temperament, yet these guys have time and again left him astounded with their strange behavior. s.. this wasn''t the time to deliberate on such matters, because, in only a few seconds, a fearsome predatory screech made Ryu''s eardrums buzz.


    *Gggyeeeerrrr* The immense ckness engulfed whatever was contained in the void, only allowing the wretched voice to emerge. "You are up boy... Do your best." Before Ryu could even prepare himself, a man flew out from the chasm. He was master Lyod, who had left him to face off against whatever was crawling out of the dingy gorge.


    "Both of you better be ready.." There was a shred of dread in Ryu''s voice that was released from his rapidly drying throat. Well, he didn''t need to mention it since the clones had conjured a set ofnce and shield on their own ord while continuing to take steps backward to put more distance between themselves and the approaching monster.


    Ryu himself was forced to back down. *Geyyyerrrr* With another ear-buzzing shrill cry, a jet-ck figureunched itself from the gorge, flying straight towards the skies. The figure was so fast that Ryu could barely even tell its shape.


    However, he didn''t have to wait for long since the shadowy beast seems to have discovered him and it took a sharp turn mid-air. *WOOSHH* The ck figure descended just as fast, dropping into the hard ground like a meteor crashing down from the heavens.


    Fortunately, the beast was in no mood to initiate an attack right away. The dust settled around the figure and Ryu could finally discover its true body. Magnificent was the first word that came to his mind.


    Standing twice his size at around 12 feet tall, the beast had a big head on its torso with equallyrge ears. While its back was covered in ck scales, its belly was a soft gray. Yet, the most impressive part was its long slender arms that had wings attached to them.


    Effectively, the creature partly resembled an overgrown bat. Its sharp eyes were intelligently scanning Ryu at the moment, probably trying to find out if he was the same person who disturbed its sleep.