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

Chapter 78: A Strange Forest and Three Students

  “Finally!” I blurted softly as I sat straddled upon Queen, at the outset of the forest. Getting down from the black horse, I said to it, “This is where our deal calls off, Queen. Thanks for everything. You may now return to your master.”
  The horse neighed in indecisiveness.
  “As you know,” I prodded as I noticed its reluctance, “I'm a beast tamer, and I'm about to face terribly dangerous beasts in this place. I wouldn't forgive myself if I let such a wonderful companion like you get harmed.”
  “Uhh... why not I wait for you here under the cover of that big tree there. Trodding out of here by feet is still not a good option,” said Queen in the beast tongue.
  After a moment, I decided to let Queen stay here to keep in wait. My decision had nothing to do with its explanation, because even if I needed to travel several thousand miles, I had savage beasts in my recluse ring that could perfectly serve that purpose. My reason for letting it stay, however, was the fear of it falling into some sudden mishap on its way back; it'd be better if I returned together with it.
  “Okay, stay low, girl,” I said, after cross-checking Queen's cover for the umpteenth time. Sure that no necessary attention would be drawn to it, I dashed stealthily into the forest after changing into the black uniform of Class 192, practicing my movement technique on the way. I'd unreined my cultivation to its peak.
  Suddenly, as I moved underneath the canopies of the overhead trees, my spiritual consciousness picked a signal.
  “People.” I gasped in surprise and quickly sped up a tree to observe the origin of the voices. It was from 100 metres away, so I stealthily reined my aura in, so as to avoid detection, while I advanced towards the voices in hushed conversations.
  To a Meditation realm cultivator, 100 metres was nothing. It was like a walk in the park. In very few seconds, I had already covered the gap between myself and the voices I'd detected.
  Looking down from the tree I currently clung onto, I realised that the voices were from three girls clad in school uniforms. If my guess weren't wrong, these three were all about nineteen-twenty years old.
  One of them in particular held my breath. There was a shiny star pinned on her chest. This badge had the symbol of a beast. Yes, she was a beast tamer. The other two alongside her also had their 1-star badges; formation master and musician.
  Their uniforms were different from the JAG's, due to their different professions, but they all had similar patterns and school badges. It was just like how JAG had different uniforms too, but same school badge to identify the school.
  The formation master was holding a compass and walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the beast tamer, while the musician was cautiously watching her surrounding in vigilance.
  “Rosie, are you sure the academy wasn't mistaken? We've been here for an hour and the whole place is so quiet! I can't even feel any signs of true essence fluctuations around,” said the formation master girl, with furrowed brows. Her eyes did not leave the compass in her hand for even a second.
  “The academy doesn't make such mistakes, Lily, now just keep calm,” said the beast tamer beside her, looking ahead in confidence. The girl behind them said nothing, as she followed on.
  I wanted to reveal myself, but on second thoughts, I declined the thought. Since they were from another academy, it's most likely that they'd all have competitive spirits... it was better to lay low and observe.
  I continued following them behind the shadows for two more hours. By that time, the girls were already fuming and stumping their legs in anger. Even the silent musician, whom I'd learnt was called Amanda, couldn't help to finally say, after some thinking, “Don't you find it weird that we haven't encountered even a creature as weak as a Cultivation Deciphering realm beast?”
  The two in front stopped on their track. Their eyes widened at the same time.
  “Genius, you're right! That only goes to say...”
  The sentence was not completed as they quickly sat cross-legged. It seemed they wanted to observe their surrounding with their spiritual consciousness for any anomaly. I quickly disguised my presence and stayed as rigid as a rock. Not even my breath could be detected at the moment.
  Three seconds after, their eyes shot open. They exchanged look and Rosie said, “This place is strange. I now believe it. It's supposed to be a test for us... that was why we weren't given any detail about this forest in the first place!”
  Amanda nodded. “Yes, I noticed it. We've been walking in a contorted diameter. It seems that whenever we're about to advance out of a certain spot, our line somehow finds a way to bring us back!”
  “Ahh!” exclaimed Lily. “Now I understand it! I've been tracing footsteps that looks exactly like ours, but I thought some people have been here before us. I kept this to my self because I felt we'd come out of this sooner or later... it seems we've actually been walking in a circle.”
  My mind was shaken when I heard that, and my true essence suddenly slipped from me.
  “Who's there?!” all three shot up, at the sudden feeling they'd received from below. I quickly concealed myself before I'd be found out.
  Birds flapped their wings at their co-joined aura oppression, hurrying away.
  Amanda's eyes suddenly lit in delight.
  “Do you see something, Genius?” Rosie asked.
  My mind was in peril.
  Without bothering to explain, Amanda said in an excited voice, “Quick, follow those birds!”
  Rosie and Lily didn't even question her but immediately started swinging themselves after the flock of birds.
  I quickly exhaled heavily.
  I wasn't a fool to stay behind, either. I myself had noticed the anomaly of this place, but couldn't place a pin to it. With my Eye of Insight, I could tell that that Amanda was totally discerning. She took in her surrounding with very much consideration. At a point, I even feared that she'd long since noticed me. Still, I was confidence in my anti-detection ability.
  As they ran, Lily finally asked Amanda who was now in front of them, “Remind me why we're chasing after birds, Genius.”
  “Yeah, what did you discover, Amanda?” Rosie added in seriousness.
  Calmly, Amanda explained, “These birds are natives of this place, don't you think they're more familiar with the other parts of this forest?”
  The duo (and I myself) couldn't help but look at the petite figure in awe.
  “You really are the smartest in the world! See why I told you she should come along, Rosie?!” Lily said out loud in pride.
  Rosie smiled and nodded happily.
  Soon, they noticed the birds dashing towards a large tree... which didn't seem rational for animals to do.
  ‘Swoosh.’
  The birds we were running after suddenly disappeared from our midst, silently, as though they'd never been there.
  All three girls froze on their track.
  “A Concealing Formation!” exclaimed Lily. She looked down on her compass and jumped around in awe. “No wonder we couldn't find it... it was blanketed by this large tree here. It was supposed to be a facade for ordinary people! So we've been walking around a large formation! It appears this is its main core.”
  Amanda smiled as she looked ahead.
  “After you two,” she gestured with her unreadable smile.
  Both girls nodded then dashed into the tree, unanimously.
  Amanda smiled and looked around, before saying out loud, “What a beautiful day it is! It seems experts can never beat the brains!” She then shrugged her shoulders and followed after her comrades.
  My brain began to shine forth alarming lights in my head.
  ‘What did she mean by speaking to herself out loud? Did she really discover my presence?’
  Although saying, “... experts can never beat the brains” may sound like a self-praise as to how she'd discovered the hidden formation governing this place, in truth, it still carried a second meaning.
  I nodded in realisation.
  ‘She couldn't navigate my presence, even though she'd discovered me. It must probably have been the time when my essence slipped out. Hence, the reason she'd already mistaken me for an expert. She's definitely trying to warn me about crossing on her!’
  My bones shivered. Who knew if all three of them were waiting in ambush for me to jump into the formation? Although I also was on a similar mission, I decided to act with prudence. I decided to stay in wait for an hour. That was definitely enough time for them to change their minds and turn their attention off me.
  My observations so far on the trio told me that Rosie and Lily weren't really patient fellows. As for that Amanda, her personality carried some vagueness to it that couldn't be deciphered easily. She was the only potential danger to me.