BUTTERFLIES (Arc 2&3; The Undefeatable Class 192)

Chapter 73: Ambush at Jade City

“Velma, any report on the progress of the mission?” a man with a petit build and fat stature, robed in a royal manner asked, as he felt the presence of someone landing from the sky, to a metre beneath him.
  “Your Highness, there's nothing off, still the little peculiarities are within expectations so far.”
  “Describe her killing intent aura.”
  “Reporting to Your Highness. It's totally peculiar, unlike ours. It's filled with battle will, yet there's never bloodiness attached to it, which I cannot seem to understand. It's more like...”
  “Righteous killing intent?” the man laughed, still not turning around and his sleeves together, behind his back.
  The lady was silent.
  “How did you sense her killing intent, has she fought anyone so far?”
  The lady bit the side of her lip. After a few hesitation, she spoke.
  “I'd followed her earlier when she went to one of the academy's training ground. The killing intent slipping off was so pure that it didn't even feel like a killing intent at first. Plus... how can she never have visited the clan yet own a powerful disguise ability? Had I not followed her, I'd have thought I'd lost track of her.”
  “Hmm... very impressive. How long do you think she'd stay in the academy?”
  After a moment of thought, the lady replied, “With her progress, it shouldn't be a big deal to defeat those morons in a year time and get into the Intermediate Academy of the Gifted!”
  The man seemed to have nodded then waved his hand. “Something else you have say?”
  “Yes, Your Highness. It... it seems she'd be taking up an academy mission by daybreak.”
  Nonchalantly, the man demanded, “What's the content?”
  “Second part of the 2-star beast tamers' examination. She'd be required to tame a beast one realm higher than her current cultivation realm. An Ethereal Opening beast.”
  “Hmm... take note of all her abilities. I trust your cover, so don't let yourself be found. We still don't know all of her abilities.”
  “Yes, Your Highness.”
  “Leave immediately.”

* * *
  I dropped a note for my roommates and also one more for Receptionist A, early that morning before I made for the Beast Guild.
  Roy swooshed off the vicinity of the dormitories and speedily brought me to the Beast Guild. I leased him to stay around while I took the elevator to the second floor... for fun's sake.
  The middle-aged man was entirely pleased to see me. For the first time, I realised that this man had an animal aura. It only goes to say his Gift was either related to animals (like me) or he was a demi-human.
  Something peculiar I'd noticed was, in the academy, there were very few demi-humans. No centaurs or cyclops or the likes... and if there indeed were, I'd definitely not noticed due to my class' cultivation being an indoor cultivation type.
  The man asked me to hand over my Student Token while he processed the second part of my test. After a minute, he returned from one of the halls and returned my Student Token.
  “Here, you're to tame an Ethereal Opening realm savage beast, since you've met the standard cultivation realm for taking the exam; the Meditation realm. There are three stages of beast's loyalty taming, as you must already know; the Inceptive Taming, Advanced Taming and Complete Submission. If you're able to attain the Advanced Taming and bring it back to the Beast Guild, you'll earn your real 2-star badge. If you choose to give the beast to the Beast Guild, it'd be exchanged for lots of academy points, depending on the type of beast, and you'll also earn your 2-star beast tamer emblem.
  “The location for this exam is the Blazing Sun City. You're to make self preparations before leaving. Take sufficient food and make sure your academy points can sustain you for your daily meal. Even if you have to spend a year to tame a beast with the Advanced Taming loyalty result, do it. It's already an academy mission.”
  He explained that I could locate the city through the True Essence Map added into my Student Token, however it was up to me to find the forest necessary for the exam, within that city.
  After clarifying several things, I'd left the Beast Guild straight for the school cafeteria. I hadn't eaten in days, and it was about time I stuck filled my stomach.
  Eaten to satisfaction, I even succeeded in buying some takeaways, because the academy refused to give me free takeaways. It was an eat-and-go kind of law, since the food was free and had to sustain the students.
  In no time, I was out of the school building, looking fresh and cool. The school had provided me with a kind of flying-made-easier material which was placed on Roy's back such that it appeared to be a mini-house. This was to protect me from unnecessary dangers, and also to give me an opportunity to meditate while I travelled to carry out my mission.
  It was explained that one had to rent it alongside one of the academy's aerial savage beasts... it seems I got fortunate, since it was free to beast tamers with their own aerial beasts.
  At the back of Roy, I enjoyed the ride as I looked through the window at the fleeting clouds and little people and buildings down below. I was dressed quite pretty and casually, even going to the point of completely reining in my aura.
  With the virtual map from the Student Token, I was able to direct Roy, telepathically from where I was. After making a few predictions to when next we'd be changing course over the wind, I went into meditation, but not for cultivation sake. I was trying to mentally strengthen my United Heavens Movement Technique.

* * *
  After the passing of eight days, we finally left the Arerat City, into the neighbouring city. The map made me understand that this city was called Jade City. The Blazing Sun City was the city immediately after this city, so I still had lots of days to spend on air.
  “Let's rest here for a while... staying on air for too long is not good,” I told Roy. It agreed and said it was thirsty and also needed to excrete, so we stopped by a riverside of a valley where there was no habitation or signs of people. It was only a place close to the city gates, so I wasn't really afraid of crossing paths with people since this region wasn't necessarily the Jade City itself.
  While Roy went to do its thing, I let out my cultivation to observe my surrounding using my spiritual consciousness. It was totally devoid of people, though a few beasts prowled here and there, but nothing to be alarmed by.
  The river here was extremely beautiful. After staring at it for a moment, I decided to take a bath in it. Roy was already done easing itself and quenching its taste, so I stowed it away in my recluse ring. I pulled my clothes off, letting them slip to the ground and disappear into my storage ring.
  I couldn't even remember the last time I had the opportunity to take such a bath. At the academy, everything was done in haste. There wasn't ever a time one could bath slowly... without having someone waiting in line to bath too. Plus, with this large body of water, I was anticipating a smooth and cold bath.
  I looked down at my full, developing breasts and couldn't help but blush as to how rapidly I was growing. My hips were equally impressive. Probably had something to do with my cultivation too. I took a deep breath, reined my cultivation in, then dived into the river.
  ‘Woosh!’
  I couldn't help but smile widely. I could swim, so this wasn't a big deal.
  Suddenly, as I was washing my body, my brain began to give an alarm call, while my body had a tinge of uneasiness as my cultivation which was reined within my body suddenly gave out a bubbling sensation. It was something I'd learnt to improve due to my lessons with Old Sage Muyu. It meant that a sneak attack had been launched against me. I immediately dived into the riverbed, just in time to see an arrow pierce my previous position.
  “Bastard!” I roared underneath the water.
  Who actually dared to murder me?! My mind ran furiously, thinking of how to get out of my predicament. It was a good thing I'd already stowed Roy away, I couldn't imagine what I'd have done had it been shot dead. As I boiled underneath the water, I couldn't help but think: ‘So this potential murderer gazed upon my feminity?! I'll change my name to “Idiot” if I spare you!’