Chapter 1008 - 1006 Watching From A Distance
Chapter 1008: Chapter 1006 Watching From A Distance
But to Kisha, whose senses had been sharpened to an abnormal degree, the growls rang out loud and clear, every snarl, every clash, every rumbling vibration in the air reaching her ears with unsettling precision.
Her steps halted instantly.
Then her expression changed.
The lingering awkwardness from earlier vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a bright, almost delighted smile that spread across her face. Her eyes lit up with interest, a spark of excitement flickering within them as she tilted her head slightly, focusing on the direction of the sound.
To her, this wasn’t danger.
It was an opportunity.
Without hesitation, she shifted her pace and began moving toward the source of the noise, her steps growing lighter and faster, curiosity and anticipation clearly taking over her mood.
Ethan, who had no idea what was happening and couldn’t hear the distant clash clearly, only caught a faint, echoing howl carried by the wind. It sounded far off, not close enough to be an immediate threat, so he simply continued following Kisha as she suddenly quickened her pace without explanation.
They soon arrived at another stretch of forest on the opposite side of the massive mountain. By then, Bell had already relayed the drone’s visuals directly to Kisha, and the moment she received the information, her eyes lit up with sharp focus. Without wasting a second, she moved even faster, her steps becoming lighter yet more urgent.
When they reached the edge of the forest, Kisha’s speed increased again, forcing Ethan to shift into a brisk walk just to keep up with her. The air grew tense, and the sounds ahead became clearer: the violent crashing of impact, the aggressive swaying of leaves, and the low, rumbling echoes of something massive clashing not far away.
Ethan’s brows furrowed as the commotion grew louder with every step.
Then, just as they entered deeper into the forest, Kisha abruptly stopped and scanned her surroundings before spotting a suitable vantage point. In one swift motion, she leaped upward and landed silently on a thick tree branch, steadying herself with practiced ease.
From her elevated position, she watched the scene unfolding roughly two hundred meters away, her gaze sharp and intent. Thanks to her heightened senses, the distance posed no problem at all; she could still observe the clash clearly. And judging by the intensity of the battle between the two mutated animals ahead, she knew getting any closer would risk exposing her presence.
So she remained perched on the branch, concealed among the leaves, quietly observing while the distant chaos continued to shake the forest.
At this moment, Kisha had no intention of intervening.
She wanted to be the patient fisherman, the one who simply waited for the prey to exhaust itself before moving in to reap the benefits.
Seeing her perch herself high on the tree, Ethan quickly followed suit. Unlike Kisha, who moved with effortless agility, he had to actually climb the trunk the old-fashioned way. Still, years of military training made it far from difficult. His movements were controlled and silent as he scaled the tree with practiced efficiency, nimble and steady like a seasoned operative.
After all, as a soldier trained for guerrilla warfare, especially in mountainous and forested terrain, climbing and utilizing the environment was a fundamental skill. Whether it was scaling cliffs, trees, or uneven ground, they were taught to turn their surroundings into tactical advantages, and climbing a tree quietly was second nature to him.
It didn’t take long before he reached a branch close to Kisha and crouched beside her, carefully balancing his weight. He followed the direction of her gaze, trying to focus on whatever she was observing.
But unlike her, he could barely make out anything.
Two hundred meters was simply too far for his normal vision. At best, he could only see vague movements in the distance, indistinct shapes shifting violently among the trees. To him, it was little more than blurred motion and the occasional violent rustling of foliage.
He blinked, then glanced back at Kisha, who seemed almost engrossed in the scene, her posture relaxed yet alert, as if she were watching a spectacle unfold.
Ethan, on the other hand, could only stare blankly into the distance before quietly accepting that he couldn’t see what she saw. Still, he trusted her judgment completely. The loud, thunderous clashes echoing through the forest were already enough proof that the two mutated animals fighting ahead were far from ordinary.
And if creatures of that magnitude were battling, the wisest course of action was obvious.
Keep their distance.
Observe.
Wait.
So he remained perfectly still beside her, suppressing his presence and silently monitoring the situation, ready to react only if Kisha decided to make a move.
Boom!
Crash!
The forest trembled as the clash in the distance intensified. One after another, towering trees began to topple, their trunks snapping and crashing into the ground with deafening force, the vibrations even reaching the branches where Kisha was perched.
Rather than feeling alarmed, Kisha watched the destruction with clear amusement flickering in her eyes. As if she were simply enjoying a show, she casually reached into her territory’s warehouse and pulled out a spiritual pear, bringing it to her lips and taking a crisp bite.
Crunch.
The soft, juicy sound of her bite seemed oddly out of place amidst the distant chaos.
Hearing it, Ethan instinctively turned his head toward her. The moment he saw her calmly eating while observing the battle, a sudden wave of hunger hit him. They had just crossed a massive mountain without rest, pushing through rough terrain and steep slopes without slowing down.
The exhaustion he had been suppressing was now creeping back into his limbs, heavy and undeniable. Earlier, he had even nearly slipped and rolled down the rocky path due to fatigue.
Now that he was finally crouched on a stable tree branch, the tiredness settled fully into his body, and watching Kisha eat only made his empty stomach protest even more.
Kisha, who was happily munching on the pear while watching the distant battle, suddenly felt an intense gaze on her. She paused and glanced sideways, only to see Ethan staring fixedly at the half-eaten pear in her hand.
Only then did she seem to remember that he was still there.
Seeing him look so pitifully hungry, she blinked once before silently pulling out another pear from her territory’s warehouse and handing it to him.
The fruit was noticeably different from ordinary pears. Grown in her territory’s orchard, which was rich in spiritual energy, it was larger, smoother, and carried a faint glossy sheen on its flawless skin. Not a single blemish marked its surface, and even through the peel, a naturally sweet fragrance drifted into the air.
The moment Ethan held it, he could already tell it was something exceptional.
Without hesitation, he took a bite.
Juice burst instantly across his tongue, the flesh crisp yet tender, releasing a refreshing sweetness that spread through his mouth. It was incredibly juicy, perfectly crunchy, and unbelievably delicious. For a moment, he couldn’t even tell whether it was because he hadn’t eaten proper fruit in a long time... or if this pear was simply on an entirely different level from any fruit he had ever tasted before.
The moment Ethan swallowed the first mouthful, a subtle warmth bloomed in his lower abdomen.
It wasn’t overwhelming, just a steady, comforting current that spread through his body, soothing and invigorating at the same time. The fatigue weighing on his limbs began to ease, as if the exhaustion lodged deep in his muscles was being gently washed away. Even the dull heaviness in his chest lightened, replaced by a quiet surge of renewed energy.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He could clearly feel the difference.
The lingering tiredness from scaling the mountain, the strain from the long trek, and the mental tension from staying alert all this time seemed to dissolve little by little with every bite. The fruit didn’t just taste good, it felt nourishing in a way that went far beyond ordinary food.
Without thinking much about it, he continued eating, bite after bite, fully focused on the pear in his hand. The distant clashes and thunderous crashes echoed through the forest, but since he couldn’t see what was happening anyway, he simply ignored the commotion and concentrated on finishing the fruit that was steadily restoring his stamina.
Beside him, Kisha continued watching the battle while leisurely finishing her own pear. Once she was done, she casually tossed the leftover core back into her territory space. Even the seeds were valuable, they could still sprout into another pear tree under the right conditions.
After that, she quietly waited for Ethan to finish as well, her gaze occasionally flicking toward the distance while keeping track of the ongoing clash. The moment he was done, she intended to collect the leftover core and return it to her territory too, ensuring that even the remains of the spiritual fruit wouldn’t go to waste and could instead become the source of yet another future tree.