In the blink of an eye, it has already been a day since Shad and his group had left Ozuna city to the Great Tower. Currently, it was early in the morning and the sunlight filtered through the leaves above, flowing through the gaps like water.
At this moment, the members of the Lightning Corps began to pack up their tents while chattering. Soon afterward, the campfire came to life with a crackling sound.
In his tent, Shad slowly opened his eyes and shook himself sober after a long sleepless night. Walking out his tent, he swept his eyes around.
He saw only thirty lightning corps members moving about and lighting campfire while packing up their tents, he also noticed that some of them were already ready, and they were waiting for the others.
At the same time, the three imperial knights slowly crawled out from their tents in a hazy stupor. All three of them were yawning continuously which was clearly a symbol of their lack of sleep.
As imperial knights assigned to the 4th prince and also the four generals of the Lightning Corps, they had the duty to protect their leader at all time. As such, even though Shad went to sleep last night, they've spent all night guarding his tent until they were ordered to get some sleep.
Slowly shaking his head, Shad began to pack up his tent as well. Even though he was the 4th imperial prince and could order anyone around here to do a small chore such as this, he preferred not to.
Even when he was a kid, he had never let the maids bathed him or clothed him as they did for his other brothers. He didn't like the idea of being pampered all the time and be taken care off as though he was a handicap even though he was a prince. There's certain things that a man should do by himself.
" Hey, Shad, my favorite little brother! Did you get a good night sleep" Suddenly, a sweet and caring voice called out to him from behind. At the voice, Shad turned his head behind only to see Viviana with a sarcastic smile on her face along with four devastating beauties coming towards him. These four people were other than Mina, Nina, Monalisa, and Gwen.
Unlike Shad and the Lighting Corps members who have slept within the depth of the dangerous Dark forest which was the den of countless ferocious magical beasts, these five ladies were sleeping comfortably and soundly in the Imperial Palace due to Monalisa's dimensional portal ability.
After Knowing the ability of Monalisa, Viviana became very close to her and started calling her big sister. As for Monalisa, she was rather happy to be very close to her, not because she was the princess of the Djage Empire but because she was the big sister of her young master and also her future sister in law. If she could gain the recognition of Viviana, things would be a little less complicated and easier in the future.
" Ah, quite well," responded Shad with a smile on his face, though last night, he hadn't slept a wink.
It was the first time he had passed the night into such a dangerous place such as the Dark Forest. Not only it was also filled powerful beasts, but he also had to guard against many powerful experts who were going to the Great Tower as well. As such, he didn't dare to sleep soundlessly.
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Instead, he spent the whole night cultivating. Furthermore, the first time he has stepped into the boundless Dark Forest, fresh and clean elemental energy had immediately fallen upon him like rainfall, cleansing him in both body and mind, allowing him to suddenly feel as though he had returned to nature. It was the same when he had entered the Black Mist forest as well, only this time, the elemental energy was a little denser. So, after spending a whole night in meditation, he had absorbed quite a bit of magic power within his infinite space and slightly increased his strength.
Last night, when he was cultivating, his powerful soul seemed to have directly sync up with nature which caused the elemental energy of the world to converge towards him with a frightening speed.
Although this has occurred in the depth of the forest, and not in its outskirts, this immense movement caused the magical beasts and the other nearby humans within the forest to collectively quiet down.
After all, with such a powerful elemental energy fluctuation, as long as those humans and magical beasts weren't idiots, they wouldn't dare to deliberately interrupt the activity of an 'expert' at this kind of level and attract his attention.
" Ohh yeah, I am glad to hear that because we girls slept very well last night too," She said while looking at shad with a cunning and a mocking smile on her face
" We took a nice bath in the hot spring before we go sleep in a large and soft bed, and in the morning we ate a nice breakfast and then..."
" Yeah, I got the picture." Interrupted Shad with a slightly tormented look his face as he quickly left to talk to Mark who knew more about the Great Tower. He already knew the temperament of this big sister of his, she likes to torment people and tease them. Now that his two older brothers weren't here, Shad was her only target.
After an early breakfast, Shad along with Lightning Corps set off for the road. The four girls were happily chatting with one another as though they were in a park instead of the most dangerous place within the continent. In just one day, Mina, Nina, and Monalisa seemed to have grown very close to Viviana. They were happily talking got each other as though they have been best friends for a long time. Even Shad was the little surprise of how those girls got along so quick. Surprisingly, even the cold Nina was smiling a little with them as well.
In a flash, Shad had traveled with the Lightning Corps for an entire day and was getting closer to the Great Tower. In that time, they have encountered other group of people that were going to the Tower as well. However, after seeing the hundred Lightning Corps and the four imperial knights, they didn't dare to have any idea of attacking them. Furthermore, some of them recognized Shad, so as soon as they saw him, they quickly receded like a tidal wave to make way for him and his group. None of them dared to offend the Imperial Freak.
As they were entering into the deepest part of the forest, Shad abruptly stopped his footsteps and stared outward with a cold glare and spoke out ." Be careful everyone there's a movement up front. There seemed to be a powerful beast coming our way."
Hearing Shad's warning, the four imperial knights along with the Lightning Corps paused as each one of them stared up ahead. However, no matter how hard they tried and how much they strained their eyes, they could only see countless huge trees and vines ahead.
Even though they could not see anything or the magical beast mentioned by their supreme commander, they didn't dare to doubt him. They had complete faith in him as they have witnessed his heaven-defying strength.
" Mark, take Gwen with you along with twenty Lightning Corps and protect the princess along with Mina and Monalisa. The rest of you prepare for battle." Ordered Shad with a solemn expression on his face.
Suddenly, just as Shad finished speaking, the land around them began to shake.
Without saying any word, Mark and Gwen Quickly took twenty Lightning Corps and surrounded the three girls. And then, the rest of the Lightning Corps brought out their weapons. They arranged themselves into a serious battle formation while looking ahead with a solemn expression on their faces.