The Author's POV

"There's nothing here."

Smallsnake shouted as he stabbed the head of one of the wolves on the ground.

"I've also got nothing."

"Nothing here too."

Disappointment flashed Ava and Hein's faces as they also found nothing on the corpses of the wolves.

"Nothing on my side as well."

Leopold also added.

"..."

Looking at them from a distance, sitting on a rock and leaning forward, I fell in thought.

With over thirty wolves dying at my hands, everyone was now trying to see if they could find a core.

The process was relatively slow and tedious; however, the rewards more than made up for it as each core was precious.

Unfortunately, lady luck was not on our side as no one found anything.

This was a given, though.

The chances of finding a core were the same as winning the lottery. Miniscule.

"Huaam."

When I struggled to hold my yawn back, someone sat down next to me and tapped on my shoulder.

"What do we do now?"

Without the need to look back, I could tell who it was by his voice.

It was Smallsnake.

Still sitting on the rock, I turned my head and looked up at smallsnake.

His expression was severe, and with his hand on his chin, he had a pensive look on his face.

"If the chip has indeed started tracking our moves, we should probably not waste time here."

Smallsnake suddenly turned his head and looked at me.

"I think we should stop wasting time over here, and we should get going. According to my estimates, if they send someone to track you, within a week or month, they'll soon catch up to us."

Listening to Smallsnake and patting my pants, I silently stood up.

Scratching the side of my neck and staring towards the direction of where Dromeda city was, my brows furrowed tightly.

"You're not necessarily wrong."

"...Yes, that's why I'm suggesting for us to immediately go right now. The more distance we cover, the harder it is for them to find us."

Closing my eyes slightly, for the next few seconds, I didn't speak.

Then, opening my mouth, I said.

"We proceed at our own pace."

"What?!"

His eyes widened. Standing up, he walked to me.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"...I heard what you said loud and clear."

"Then why did you say that we should go at our own pace?"

"Haa.."

Without answering Smallsnake, I brushed my hair to the side and let out a troubled sigh.

What Smallsnake said wasn't necessarily wrong.

Now that the tracking device was on, the Monolith and possibly even the Union would start hunting me.

On a good note, we weren't in the human domain, which made it harder for them to track me down directly.

Even then, it would only delay their search by at most a couple of weeks to a couple of months.

Still.

Putting my sword back into my dimensional space, I turned my head and looked towards the distance.

"We're going to continue going at our own pace."

My current goal was to travel to the dwarven domain.

The road was a treacherous one. One that was riddled with dangers.

Not only did I have to watch out for dangerous beasts, but I also had to watch out for demons.

Although not exactly close, the demon domain was not that far.

situation prudently was the best way

Plus.

my eyes, I

the hunted when we can just as well be the

"h..huh?"

what if they could

said that they were supposed

***

the same time,

completed her day's work, the sky was

that was quietly driving through the busy streets of Ashton city, Amanda calmly looked at the ever-changing scenery outside

"Au.."

that her eyelids were becoming heavier with

She was tired.

day working

minutes, her assistant, Maxwell, opened his

miss, we're

"Mhm."

Amanda faintly nodded.

wake herself up. Right

head and looking at

long till

"We're already here."

replied with a

faded, the car soon stopped in front of a familiar building that Amanda had seen multiple

out of the car's driver seat, Maxwell moved towards Amanda's side and suavely

"Youg miss."

"Thank you."

Amanda got out of

that was neatly tucked in between her skinny dark pants, Amanda looked stunning. Holding onto a small black

in the past, wherever she walked, she attracted

walked towards the building entrance where

the care

"Good Evening."

Amanda greeted.

a familiar figure, the care lady

Amanda. It's you

"Mhm."

smiled at the

frequent visitor, Amanda got along

small talk with each other at this

bring you to

walked into the building, exchanging subtle

last week. Busy with

fit a bit of free

will be quite

brighten up and throw herself

a common occurrence at

the two ladies together looked

do try to look after yourself. Although I don't know your exact age, you don't look older than twenty. Working so much at your age is

"...I hope so."

tired smile appeared on Amanda's

Amanda couldn't

absence have slowly started

able to keep those rumours in check, but she knew that she didn't have

she was forced to push

she couldn't pick up Nola last

her schedule

"We're here."

before a particular classroom where a young girl with glossy black

with her fingers at the classroom entrance and wearing a white and blue one-piece dress, the young girl

is here for

her little head, the moment Nola spotted Amanda, her complexion instantly became brighter as she ran up to her and

"Sister!"

"Nola."

hands. Soon Nola jumped into

"Sister!"

to see me,

"Um!"

back, Amanda lifted her head and looked at

Nola

a smile, the

ever since that gentleman came to pick her up last

"Gentleman?"

Amanda titled her head.

not too long ago. On the day that

that day, but she had to cancel a week prior due to

to say, ever since that gentleman came,

"...Is that so?"

"Yes."

The care lady replied.

Her voice

could have made

ask, how did

"The gentleman?"

"Yes."

his forties or something? He seemed to be someone who worked for Nola's parents. So I'm guessing he must be an employee? I'm

"I see."

the edges of Amanda's lips

long as Nola was happy, so didn't care

to Nola, who was in her arms, Amanda patted her