New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Chapter 1131: The Lone Wolf, Not So Alone

The vehicles strayed from the asphalt roads quickly, and soon, they even drove off the dirt road and into what looked like an off-road path for ATVs and UTVs.

Soon after, the density of the trees rose, and very quickly they lost sight of the sky almost entirely. It was now only what remained of sun rays between the leaves of the canopy.

The vehicle in the lead kept following the path forward, snaking between trees and gigantic rocks, seemingly knowing where it was going.

Kujaku had to explain to David, who was getting impatient from the swaying side to side and rocking back and forth, why it was that they followed the lead car without worry.

"One of my agents has a tracking skill called ’Eagle’s Eye’ that lets them see everything around them in a five-kilometre radius from an eagle’s point of view. They used that to find us a clearing with enough foliage cover to hide us from unwanted eyes. That’s where they are bringing us."

David seemed annoyed at the answer.

"We’ve been driving for more than five kilometres. How is it that they saw this clearing with their skill if it has a smaller range than what we’ve already driven since they started it?" he asked, unconvinced.

She grinned at him.

"That’s because another of my agents is boosting their range with his own skill, ’Hunter’s Eyes’. That one allows a person to extend their view range by five times their normal range.

"As you should know, the human eye has roughly a five kilometre range of perception, from ground level. ’Eagle’s Eye’ allows the user to extend this range in all directions simultaneously, as well as pick where you focus and see it clearly as if it were right before you.

"Now, using the ’Hunter’s Eyes’ skill with it, which is a shareable buff, allows them to see everything within a twenty-five kilometre radius as if it were right in front of them. They basically used ’God Mode’ in a Sims game. We’ve used that combo to track our quarries many-a-times before," she explained, almost as if she were flaunting her own skills.

Her in-depth answer seemed to convince David, but his sour face remained.

"Are we there soon, then?" he asked in a grumble.

"What are you, a child?" Kujaku asked with a teasing tone. "We get there when we get there."

David sighed.

"Listen, I was fine on flat roads. But I’m starting to get motion sickness from all this wobbling and shaking. If we don’t get there soon, we are going to need to stop so I can repaint the forest floor with my last meal."

Kujaku looked at him through the rearview mirror, trying to see if he was joking. Unfortunately for her, his face showed no signs of a joke or a figure of speech.

"You’re serious?" she asked, taken aback.

"Do I look like I’m joking?" he replied, deadpan.

Alex looked at him incredulously.

"The GREAT Khalor, who rides on a bone dragon to move around New Eden, has motion sickness? That is rich!" he exclaimed, bursting into laughter.

"I don’t want to hear that from the one with obvious brain trauma, dipshit. Keep being a goodest boy, and shut your trap," David snapped back at him.

But the laughter didn’t stop for a few more seconds, as Alex decided he was paying him back for the earlier mocking.

To make matters worse, the loud laughing made his head start spinning, worsening his motion sickness.

It took minutes before David reached a breaking point.

"We need to stop. Now," he said, his face suddenly paler than usual.

Kujaku ordered the convoy to stop immediately, as she pressed the brakes gently, trying to keep him from hurling inside the vehicle.

She didn’t want to have to deal with the smell or the sight. And she could tell by the distressed faces of the other passengers that they didn’t either.

The second the car was stopped, David bolted out the door, disappearing into the woods instantly, deciding he would rather be as far as he could make it to be sick.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want the others to see or smell it, but rather that he didn’t want to let the others look at him bent over in a position of weakness.

He was bent over a bush for over a minute, emptying his guts, before he realized someone had stalked up to him.

He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

"Come to make sure I don’t set off any alarms," David asked, trying to regain his breath as he wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

Kujaku smiled at him while leaning on a nearby tree.

"No. Just making sure you don’t fall into your own sick. Wouldn’t want to carry the smell into the car with you," she teased.

David turned to look at her, his face red from being bent over and the lack of oxygen.

"What is with your fascination with me? I don’t want to be anyone’s pet hamster. And don’t give me some bull crap that you care," he confronted her.

He could tell she had been watching him a little more than she watched over the others. The extra attention irked him, and he couldn’t tell why.

"You’re right. I don’t care. It’s nothing that deep. I’m just amused by your facade, that’s all," she replied, keeping her smile on.

"What facade?" David asked, frowning.

"The one where you act like you are a big tough man, a lone wolf, a solitary one. I can tell it’s a lie. I’ve been around liars my entire life. You develop a nose for it," she answered, her smile leaving her face.

Her words took him aback slightly. Not because she had cracked him, but because of the way she said them.

"Talking from experience?" he tried mocking her.

But she only smiled at him once more.

"Yes. It takes one to know one, I believe you Westerners say. What are you running from, David Magnus?" she asked, stepping toward him.

"You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine," David said, walking back toward the vehicles.

He was sure she’d back down with those words.

"Maybe some other time. It would be too long to start right now. But maybe I will."

Her reply made him stop in his tracks. He turned back to face her, his face a mask of confusion.

"I was just jesting... We don’t have to—

But she raised her hand to interrupt him.

"I know. In any case, let’s not keep everyone waiting too long. The sun is almost completely down, and we haven’t made camp yet. We need to hurry," she said, walking away.

David stared at her back as she walked past him, unsure what he was feeling from her.

’Is she looking for a confidant? You’d expect a woman with so many underlings to already have one, no?’ he mused.

But she was right. Time was not on their side.

’Eh. I guess I’ll find out someday, since she seems so eager to share. For now, we only need to make it out of China and back home.’