Lindsay Windson nodded. “We’re wearing Amerosia clothing. If we step outside, they’ll immediately notice us.”
Great Lyria and Amerosia were two distinctly different nations-one a nomadic people, the other agrarian. Their clothing reflected this disparity.
Chris and Lindsay Windson, both from Amerosia, naturally wore attire that marked them as foreigners. Here in Great Lyria, their Amerosia garments stood out starkly. The moment they ventured out, detection was inevitable.
Chris thought for a moment and said, “Lindsay, wait for me here. I’ll be right back.”
With those words, he left swiftly.
Half an hour passed, and Chris had yet to return, leaving Lindsay Windson increasingly anxious. The area was crawling with Great Lyria’s soldiers. If Chris were discovered, it would spell disaster.
Just then, a man dressed in Great Lyria clothing approached.
Lindsay Windson’s face immediately tensed with caution. She prepared to act, but before she could, the man spoke. “Lindsay, it’s me!”
Startled, Lindsay Windson froze.
She looked closer at the man in the unfamiliar garb and, to her surprise, realized it was Chris.
“Mr. Shelby, why are you dressed like someone from Great Lyria?” she asked curiously.
Chris replied, “To avoid being recognized, I managed to get us a couple of Great Lyria outfits.”
With that, he pulled a set of women’s clothing from his storage ring and handed it to Lindsay Windson.
She took the clothing and quickly changed.
Now both Chris and Lindsay Windson were clad in Great Lyria attire, making them far less conspicuous.
The outfits had been stolen by Chris from a nearby village.
Dressed as locals, they successfully evaded the soldiers’ search.
Hours later, the two arrived at the base of a cliff.
Chris’s expression was heavy with sorrow. “Stripes fell off this cliff while saving me. If it’s really dead, I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.”
“Mr. Shelby, don’t say that,” Lindsay Windson consoled him. “Stripes might still be alive.”
Chris gave a wry smile at her words.
Meanwhile, Morrison Steelhart had dispatched an army of one hundred thousand to hunt for Chris.
Though Chris and Lindsay Windson had disguised themselves as Great Lyria locals, prolonged exposure would inevitably lead to their discovery.
And if found, Great Lyria’s retaliation would be swift and brutal.
They had to find Stripes quickly and leave Great Lyria before it was too late.
Suddenly, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The air grew colder almost at once, and Lindsay Windson shivered.
Chris glanced at the falling snow and said, “Lindsay, let’s find some shelter.”
The heavy snowfall made searching dangerous.
Before long, they discovered a cave.
Inside, they picked a spot to rest.
The journey so far had drained them both.
Although Chris had the physical endurance to endure, Lindsay Windson, being less hardy, was visibly exhausted.
Noticing her trembling, Chris took an overcoat from his storage ring and draped it over her shoulders.
With a guilty expression, he said, “Lindsay, I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
Shaking her head, Lindsay Windson responded, “Mr. Shelby, please don’t say that. If it weren’t for you coming to save me, I’d have already been dead by now.”
Chris looked at her thoughtfully. “Lindsay, how was life with the Jefferson family?”
A mix of emotions crossed her face. “Because of my potential, the Jefferson family treated me well, investing a lot of resources in me. I went from being a novice to reaching Pinnacle in a very short time.”
Lindsay Windson had once been a celebrity, living a glamorous life.
But for her family’s sake, she’d chosen to join the Jefferson family.
It was a decision she quickly came to regret.
Despite reaching Pinnacle level as an Aetherbinding practitioner, she realized that in Aethelgard, Pinnacle was not extraordinary-there were countless stronger.
Chris was stunned to hear that she had progressed so quickly.
Not long ago, she was an ordinary person. Now, she had reached the Pinnacle level-a feat that marked her as a prodigy.
Chris’s own strength had come through countless near-death experiences.
“Mr. Shelby,” she asked suddenly, “why did you come to Aethelgard?”
She was genuinely surprised to learn that Chris had made his way to Aethelgard.
After all, Aethelgard was a secretive place, known only to Aetherbinding practitioners.
Though Chris had been a Primus in Amerosia, he had not been a practitioner.
By all accounts, he should not have known about Aethelgard.
Chris sighed deeply and began recounting his journey to Aethelgard.
Hearing about the dangers he had faced, Lindsay Windson’s eyes reddened with emotion.
Though Chris spoke of his struggles lightly, she knew the peril he had endured.
In just a year, he had risen to rival mid-Solstice practitioners-a remarkable feat.
Not only that, Chris could effortlessly defeat early-Solstice level opponents. Even someone as powerful as Ethan Stone, a late-Solstice practitioner, had failed to kill him.
What made it even more astounding was that Chris possessed a “useless” Soulseed-a condition that should have hindered his growth entirely.
His achievements so far outstripped even the geniuses of prominent Aetherbinding families.
Suddenly, Chris’s expression darkened.
Sensing danger, he grew alert.
“Mr. Shelby,” Lindsay Windson asked, “what’s wrong?”
“There’s a beast’s presence in this cave,” he said gravely.
Without hesitation, Chris began investigating.
Lindsay Windson, now equally on edge, followed his lead.
Chris turned toward the depths of the cave and said, “Let’s go take a look.”
She nodded in agreement.
Together, they ventured deeper into the cave.
The further they went, the more the cave revealed a network of interconnected tunnels, like a labyrinth.
Chris noticed traces of fur scattered about.
Examining it closely, he realized it was from a tiger.
It was clear that a tiger-like beast inhabited the cave.
Upon further inspection, Chris identified the fur as belonging to a Skyclaw Tiger.
The Skyclaw Tiger was a seventh-level beast, its power equivalent to the peak of Solstice.
Chris knew he was no match for such a creature.
Recognizing the danger, Lindsay Windson urged, “Mr. Shelby, we should leave immediately!”