"Regardless, we need to go. The clan is going to send the pursuer squads soon," Kara said.
[System Advisory: Shadow Clan Pursuit — Imminent.]
[Threat Level: High. Recommended Action: Evade & Proceed.]
The shadow clan was an extremely tightly knit assassin organization. They had declined in the last three decades and had decided to lay low, but the forces of the enchanted village of the dark underground never were blunt.
Chris understood the situation, put off his childlike face, and put on a serious expression. His blue eyes glimmered in the darkness and he followed the crimson-eyed boy. Chris shot one more glance behind his shoulders and looked at the broken kingdom and started to leave too.
[System Observation: Companion Morale — High. Mental State — Alert. Synchronization with User — Optimal.]
He let out a warm breath on his hands, and clenched both of them.
"It happened so fast but I'm not dreaming. I really got out of the shadow territory. But Kara is right. We have not escaped yet." He said lowly and trekked down the dry ground.
[System Environmental Scan: Terrain — Dry, Infertile. Ground Friction — High. Pace Recommendation — Moderate-High.]
Feeling the dry and rough infertile ground on the soles of his boots, Chris raised his running pace to catch up to Kara who had already gone so far ahead.
[System Movement Analysis: Companion Speed — Slightly Lagging. Recommended Adjustment — Increase Pace.]
When he saw this, he increased his speed a notch and kicked the dust. 'He is really great. Compared to me, he is much stronger, and a lot more reliable.'
[System Assessment: User — Significantly Higher Combat & Physical Efficiency. Companion — Learning & Following.]
The Main Continent — that was the center of the four continents: the North, South, West, and the Continent of the Magic Races, Zorin Continent. His destination was to the North, while Kara's was the Main Continent.
The atmosphere in the shadow clan's enchanted village was rarely intense.
[System Status: Enchanted Village — Alert Mode. Threat Detection — Medium-High. Magical Energy — Concentrated.]
It was like a ritual in the lowest level was about to happen. High Elder Oni's pitch-black eyes shone, and the moving shadows around his black coat brimmed with a "gssh" sound.
Then he raised his palms and thrust them directly to the air.
"Summon."
[System Alert: High Elder Oni — Engaging Magical Protocol. Summoning Detected — High-Rank Familiar.]
In that instant gesture, magic power shot out of his hands, and a creature with black wings — thick disturbing ruffles of feathers which were like shadows — appeared. But that was not all. The strange bird flapped its wings and opened its five eyes on one head!
[System Familiar Detected: Five-Eyed Raven. Abilities: Surveillance, Mental Probing, Multi-Angle Vision. Tier: High.]
"Five Eyes, talk to Kara." Oni said.
After he said that, the five-eyed crow flapped its shadowy wings and flew away, passing through the bridges of the enchanted village, heading into the skies at a swooshing speed.
Crow! Crow!
[System Familiar Movement: Speed — Maximum. Target Tracking — Active. Flight Path — Direct to User.]
Five Eyes — this familiar — was a five-eyed raven with little squinty eyes colored black. Instead of normal feathers, it had a very sinister thick aura that was like soft black flames.
In no time, it came out of the territory and flew at the top of the sky! The full moon gazed at it as like a death bird of the night, it flapped its wings strongly and swerved like a violent kite traveling at great speed. As expected, it headed North, following Kara.
[System Tracking: User — Kara. Distance — Increasing. Speed Differential — Minimal. Visibility — Full.]
Bird's-eye view: Five Eyes had taken that to another level. With just one look with its five eyes, it had covered all angles and saw the entire field with no blind spots!
[System Surveillance: Area Coverage — 360°. Detection Radius — High. Environmental Scan — Complete.]
The Five Eyes familiar of Oni was a high-tier one. Not counting all its natural capability as a bird with five eyes, one of its most outstanding abilities was how it can track the trails of someone no matter how powerful, as long as the target had not left the one-kilometer radius of the raven's tracking powers.
[System Tracking Protocol: Target — Kara. Max Effective Range — 1 km. Sensory Capabilities — Enhanced.]
At the same time, Kara and Chris were moving at a quick pace like shadowy rangers of the night! Even if the fastest cheetahs were pursuing them, they would not stand a chance!
[System Performance Log: Kara — Maximum Efficiency. Chris — Moderate Efficiency. Terrain — Optimal for Stealth.]
After almost two minutes, they kept running and the view of a dark, dreary forest that seemed like an ancient forest no one ever visited came into sight.
They stopped and looked at their "destination". The trees were thick but not so tall. They had no leaves, rather were just composed of seemingly dead smooth twigs and branches.
[System Environmental Scan: Forest — Cursed. Visibility — Limited. Magical Interference — High.]
The place was naturally the Forest of the Darn — a large forest that was considered the border of the Main Continent and the South Continent.
[System Map Update: Location Confirmed — Forest of the Darn. Continent Border — North-South. Known Hazards — High.]
Due to its location, it was naturally the place Kara and Chris needed to pass through!
"We need to go. We can't stay here any longer." Kara said to Chris.
[System Advisory: Passage through Forest — Risk: Extreme. Environmental Factors: Dark, Cursed.]
It was at this moment!
The five-eyed raven was flying straight in the sky heading to them. It violently flapped its wings sending a declaration it had arrived! Then a voice echoed from the creature!
"Kara, this is where you should stop!" the voice of Oni intoned, speaking through the five-eyed raven flying in the air.
[System Communication: Direct Mental/Verbal Transmission. Target — Kara. Intent — Restrict Movement.]
"Huh? High Elder Oni?" Chris was stunned and turned around.
At first, he thought it was the High Elder. His heart almost dropped to his stomach, but when he saw the five-eyed raven, he felt more reassured. He glanced at Kara to see his reaction, but Kara was not even looking at the five-eyed raven.
This made the Five Eyes flap its wings even more violently. Its purely deep and dark black eyes stared at Kara.
[System Familiar Behavior: Aggressive Warning. Targeting Focus — Kara. Magic Signature — Active.]
Kara knew it was just the Five Eyes but he could not possibly delay them. Obviously, pursuers were now rushing to them.
But for this case, he would make an exception. With an empty expression, he stared at the five-eyed raven like it was not even worth his time.
"Kara!"
If there was the sound of someone intimidating someone to do something, this was probably the sound. As if it was an old dying man begging for more life.
Through the five-eyed raven's lens, Oni could see Kara's facial expression very clearly.
Oni knew of Kara's past, and knew more of what he had just awakened in the temple's library.
So he said, "Go back. This is not the time for you to go, the powers that dwell within you are finally awakened."
[System Advisory: User Power Level — Awakening Confirmed. Recommendation — Delay Confrontation.]
After sighing, Kara expressionlessly turned around and walked forward, ignoring the five-eyed raven.
Although Chris could not understand, he followed him and asked in a casual manner, "What should we do?"
"The Forest of the Darn is a very special place. It is always dark and gloomy, but it is a cursed forest. The five-eyed raven cannot enter there."
[System Environmental Scan: Forest of the Darn — Magic Field Blocked for High-Tier Familiars. Familiar Limitations — Confirmed.]
Chris nodded and looked at the five-eyed raven flapping its cloaky dark wings in the air. In his eyes, it could not look lamer. In fact, he had never seen something this lame.
He had always thought familiars were very amazing and powerful, and although the Five Eyes was high-tier, seeing it in this state as it could not do anything was like a joke to its real abilities.
Before Chris knew it, though, he suddenly felt dizzy. He found himself staring at the Five Eyes which seemed like it was looking deep inside his soul.
[System Mental Scan: Companion — Experiencing Psychic Interference. Recommendation: Divert Gaze.]
"Don't look at it. You're going to get more affected," Kara said, making Chris turn his gaze away. "Five Eyes' attacks mentally. Oni must be thinking it would work, and it almost did to you."
After unconsciously touching his chest and shaking his head, Chris gulped, and looked at Kara. If there was a feeling of your soul getting snatched slowly, he just felt it.
[System Companion Status: Mental Impact — Minimal due to User Guidance. Stability — Regained.]
Kara slowly smiled for a moment, and said, "It does not work with me though."
"Kara! What did you do? Did you by any chance really discover the mystery of that book? What did you find?" Oni speaking through the raven asked again.
[System Advisory: User Power Stabilized — Mental Fortitude Enhanced. Companion Queries — Logged.]
The small grin stayed on Kara's face, and he did not bother to turn his head to look at the five-eyed raven.
The five-eyed raven of the high elder Oni was one of the more superior familiars in the familiar world. It was a master of illusion and a god of pain and suffering amongst monsters.
Shadows were half-monsters, thus, the five-eyed raven's effect on him was something that Oni always used to restrain him and all the other shadows.
However, things had changed now!
When he discovered the secrets of that book, he gained new powers, and met someone special! He had no clear idea yet, but he had changed.
The five-eyed raven continued flapping its dark cloak wings of sinister, as Oni from the Shadow Clan village watched Kara and Chris enter the forest.
"Kara, we will meet again," he said.
"Once we go inside, we would experience eternal night, but that is not new to us." Kara explained to Chris.
"Eternal night?"
"That's right. Like I said, it's a cursed forest. No one — even animals — live and can survive here. Travelers and merchants used to avoid it all the time when they were still coming here. But don't worry, after we're finished here, it's a totally new place."
[System Environmental Warning: Forest of the Darn — Magic Suppression Zone. Survival Risk — Extreme. Navigation — Proceed With Caution.]