Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Prologue

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Up above the clouds of Rosendun, numerous explosions burst out as a figure tore through the speed barrier without care for the unfortunate beasts that collapsed to the earth, blood leaking out of busted eardrums.

Upon closer look, one could roughly make out the man's figure with dark hair and an equally dark cloak. A pair of night-colored, bat-like wings manipulated the wind around the man, shooting his speed beyond human comprehension.

If Kashi were here, he would have recognized this dark-haired man whose hardened expression leaked cold fury. The grotesque image worsened by visibly pulsing veins on his arms and neck, all of which was further evidence of how heavily the man was currently restraining himself from doing something that he would doubtlessly regret.

Rider's eyes grew even colder as he recalled the Adjudicators' smug faces as they proclaimed their superiority over the Maggots. Once again, those bastards had shown their faces before him. It wasn't enough that they attempted to kill her all those years ago. Now, they even dared to threaten his only hope of getting her back.

Gritting his teeth, Rider came to a hard stop over a familiar stretch of trees. Ever since Fladnag unlocked Nama Woods, the easiest way to access it was through the sky. Unfortunately for most people, a formidable illusion spell formation covered both the sky and earth. Unwelcome guests would find themselves trapped for eternity if they tried to force their way in. Only those with the formation master's permission seal were permitted entry.

Naturally, Rider possessed Fladnag's seal, allowing him smooth access to the closed forest. The Hybrid Lord stretched his hand over the forest, solemn gaze searching for something within. If a mage were nearby, they would have recognized the low-frequency mana pulses escaping his outstretched palm to be the tell-tale signs of [Detect Life], a beginner level spell which allowed a mage to detect living beings in their surroundings.

What would have left them shell-shocked, however, was the impossible distance the mana pulses covered. From Rider's position, the pulses stretched over several kilometers, blanketing the entire forest. They even dug beneath the earth, reverberating through those hidden passageways, leaving no living being unscanned. Most mages would be very pleased with themselves if their detection managed to reach a two hundred meter radius, yet, there was someone here pushing it for several kilometers. This was a true example of 'no skill is useless if trained to the utmost.'

A myriad of scattered information gushed into Rider's brain as he became aware of every living thing currently in the forest. A lesser man would have lost his sanity to the torrential overload, but to the Hybrid Lord, this was a piece of cake. Sifting through the mana signatures, he finally settled on a particularly bright but chaotic signal.

"Found you," Rider muttered, a ghost of a smile finally warming that unbearably stoic face. Rider's wings burst into mana particles, then with a single step, his body shifted through space, appearing over two kilometers away. His expression softened when he saw the little daeben perched at the top of a hundred-meter tall tree, her attention razor-focused on something ahead of her.

Weeks in the forest had dug up the beast-like ferocity within Zuri. To the extent that looking at her, Rider could not help but liken her posture to that of a prowling beast, waiting for the perfect opportunity to rip its prey to shreds. The pants and shirt Kashi had casually given her back at Aygorzi had held on surprisingly well in the harsh environment, although the trousers had been cut down up to her knees. You didn't have to look far to find out the location of the torn pieces. Wrapped around both arms were pieces of cloth that had long since turned red from absorbing too much blood.

Even the stoic Rider felt a pang of guilt in his heart. In his quest to prepare his heir, had he sacrificed her innocence? Recalling the little girl who called him gray ojii-san, he could not help but feel he had failed Kashi. He was about to take a step forward when Zuri suddenly shot to her feet, an unmistakeably childish excitement glittering in her eyes.