NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - 9 ALERT!
Chapter 9: Chapter 9 ALERT!
Completely unaware of the roller coaster ride she had just put him through, Crystal answered patronizingly;
"I would WEAKEN you Nexus. If you give me your seed, you would be completely sapped of your strength, and cosmic energy. And I would be the invigorated one...and you would be the weak one…"
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to you. You're my saviour..."
She said tearfully; "You're the reason I am free right now and not wasting away as a slave- or worse. So I can't allow you to feed me Nexus. After all you've done for me, it would be an immoral thing for me to do to you..."
Nexus was flabbergasted.
How could something so deliciously naughty, sire such a devastating effect in its wake? If he was an ordinary man in this Isekai, he seriously doubted that this knowledge would have stopped him from munching through a harem of horny, voluptuous succubi like hot buns.
However, he was no an ordinary man. And Nexus was glad for that.
The rules did not apply to him. It was cute that she thought she would weaken him, especially when it was really the opposite that would happen. Engaging her in dual cultivation, would not weaken him, but actually increase his own Qi dramatically!
Crystal was the perfect girl to engage in dual cultivation.
He could could fuck her bloody all night, in both holes, and by morning, he would still be harder than a coked up adulterer in a whore house. The mere thought of it set a raging fire in his loins.
However, when he looked at Crystal's innocent naive eyes, he restrained himself. Her earnestness was genuine, and he was touched by it. By making the conscious decision to not sleep with him, she was actually looking out for him. This was wildly ironic, because spreading her legs for him was the one efficient thing she could do for him.
Regaining control of his emotions, Nexus sighed;
"It's okay Crystal, it's okay. Thanks for telling me this."
She looked up to him like a lost puppy, beady eyed, and nervous;
"You're not going to leave me, are you?"
Nexus shook his head; "Now why would I go and do something like that just when we're starting to become friends?"
Half surprised, half in doubt, she asked gently; "Friends? You mean that?"
The corner of his mouth curled in a soft smile; "Of course Crystal. I will always put your well being first. All you need to do is let me know how I can help."
The drained color started to return to her face; "I don't know how to thank you Nexus. Your kindness is so touching."
"Don't mention it," he said benevolently; "Just be sure to communicate with me at every point, no matter the discomfort, I'm here to help…"
Nexus said all the right things, praying he was not coming on too strong. If he was to get her to open up willingly, impressing her was the way to go. He couldn't very well go about this like a depraved pervert suffering from sex addiction.
That was a sure way to social suicide. Especially since he had already set the precedence as a gentleman. He had to wait it out. He had to play the long game.
So, side by side, the two journeyed west, enjoying the warmth of the gradually setting sun.
Although they were both in resplendent moods, each half of the pair had their own different thoughts and ambitions towards the other. After journeying alone for so long here, suddenly, the forest did not seem so intimidating or hostile.
The army of sentient trees seemed kind of joyous now, compared to before. The leaves rustled gently, and the branches bowed graciously, as if in submission to the howling wind.
"Any idea how long it might take to get there...?"
By 'there,' Nexus meant the town closest to the forest. "Because I feel like I've been been travelling for a really long time."
Crystal giggled lightly- even though there was nothing remotely funny about what he had said.
"Well, since we're avoiding the highways, it's can't exactly say for sure. But if I am to make an intelligent guess, I'd say we're roughly a day and a half from exiting the forest."
"That sounds like a long way off. . ."
But Crystal had not yet finished;
"And then, from the edge of the forest to the neighbouring town should take a full day at most. Half- if we travel on horseback."
That did not sound encouraging at all.
"I guess it was pretty naive of me to think exiting the forest, meant translating into township." He sighed aloud.
"Don't worry Nexus," she encouraged him; "We'll get there in no time."
But Nexus was worried. He had had enough of the forest, and could not wait to leave it behind. He looked up at the sky, noting the direction of the sun;
"Dusk isn't far off, I think we should make camp here and turn in early for the night."
She nodded in assent, and chipped in eagerly;
"Sounds good to me. That way, we finally get to catch up on all the lost hours of sleep, and be bright and early for tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah" he answered absent mindedly as he checked out the spot.
"Check out that nice burrow over there," he pointed, and walked a couple feet ahead. Squatting low, he inspected the soil and humidity.
Crystal cocked her head waringly; "Nexus, what are you thinking?"
"No warmth, it's cold, very cold." he shuffled around the ground some more; "And no paw prints either. I think we're good here. This place is perfect for the night."
Nexus was not wrong.
The clearing was flanked on all four corners by tall menacing trees. It would give them a certain degree of cover. Besides, the ground which surrounded the trees was littered by fallen dry leaves on all sides.
So, if any person (or beast) wanted to approach them, their footsteps would light up the quietness like firecrackers.
In less than an hour, the sun dropped beyond the horizon. But by then, the two had settled in nicely. They could not build a fire to keep them warm. But surprisingly, sleep came with an almost forceful wave, knocking them out completely.
Their fatigue had finally caught up with them. And for the next peaceful, uneventful ten hours or so, they remained captive to morpheus- the mythical god of dreams.
However, just when the sweetness of morning sleep was at its peak, Nexus was violently shaken out of his slumber;
[ALERT! ALERT!! ALERT!!!]
It was the system. The alarm had started out relatively low. But, quickly, it kept getting progressively louder and louder.
[INTRUDER! INTRUDER ALERT!! INTRUDER ALERT!!!]
Nexus immediately realizing himself stepping into trouble.
[ALERT! INTRUDERS APPROACHING FROM NORTH EAST.]
[TWENTY FIVE FEET OUT. CLOSING IN AT ONE POINT FIVE METERS PER SECOND.]
[INTRUDERS APPROACHING IN FORMATION.]
[POSSIBLE AMBUSH.]
[FLIGHT IS ADVISED.]
Nexus could not be any more grateful for the system than now. Dawn was close, yes, but visibility was trash. With an inescapable sense of urgency rippling through him, Nexus pounced on his feet in a fraction of a second.
Eyes up, and ears sharply in tune, Nexus' tense fingers found Crystal by his side, and prodded her with two successive taps. The succbus, oblivious, and very much still sleepy, stirred in a very princess-like manner.
She opened her mouth to complain something, when Nexus' large palm came pressing down on her mouth with a firm unrelenting grasp.
Crystal's muffled scream bounced back into her throat in the darkness.
"Quiet!" he whispered with a harsh and chilling coldness; "We've been surrounded!"
The icy cold hand of terror gripped Crystal instantaneously.
"Don't make a sound. . .we need to move right now. . ." he pulled his palm away, and grabbed her by her arm; "Follow me!"
Crystal felt the horrible twinge that came with being a hunted prey again. The encompassing terror in the darkness hung so heavy, she kept squeezing Nexus' hands tightly for reassurance.
Leading the way, Nexus crept slowly in the dark, guided by the Dual Cultivation System's directions;
[TWO STEPS TO YOUR RIGHT. THREE STEPS FORWARD. NOW ONE STEP RIGHT.]
[BE ADVISED. TREE IN BOUND ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU.]
[LIFT YOUR FOOT HIGH TO CROSS OVER THE LOG.]