CHAPTER 539: FOREST MEETING

"Lukas?!"

"What are you?!"

"I think I’m going to be sic— blergh!"

"Alucard?!"

Lukas sprinted forward at an astonishingly high speed, leaving a trail of shocked and disoriented people in his wake.

The hunters and mediators held on tightly to him despite him having a tight hold on Alhai and Mr. Covez, their stomach lurching as they struggled to keep up with the incredible pace.

Lukas’ body moved with grace, his feet barely touching the ground as he propelled himself forward again and again, his speed resembling lightning striking the ground.

Then, before they knew it, Lukas came to an abrupt halt, his swift strides ceasing as he reached the city gates.

The sacred beast quickly released Alhai and Mr. Covez from his grasp, dropping them to the ground unceremoniously which sent all of them sprawling on the ground, their bodies reeling from the dizzying speed at which they had been carried.

All of them groaned in discomfort, trying to regain their bearings and composure after being subjected to an unexpected speed.

Fortunately, Mr. Covez was the first to regain his bearings after being dropped by Lukas.

"The gates!" He stammered out and stumbled to his feet, sprinting through the city gates, his attention firmly fixed on his destination rather than any further interaction with others behind him.

The five hunters who had been holding onto Mr. Covez shook off the lingering dizziness and swiftly gathered their bearings.

"Mr. Covez!"

"Guildmaster!"

They called out in unison, their concern evident in their voices.

"Wait for us, please!" Akane pleaded, her words laced with urgency and worry as she and the other four hunters quickened their steps, their eyes fixed on the figure of Mr. Covez distanced himself from them.

Their urgency to keep pace with their guildmaster intensified as they chased after him, unwilling to be left behind.

Not wanting to be left behind, Lukas, Heiren, and the other mediators followed suit, their strides quick and heavy to catch up with the fleeing Mr. Covez who didn’t look back.

The two groups’ collective pursuit formed a line of figures chasing after Mr. Covez.

The mediators, the sacred beast, and the five hunters, found him abruptly stopping at the edge of the forest.

From their point of view, they could make out two indistinct figures standing further ahead, but the poor lighting conditions made it challenging to discern any details clearly.

Curiosity mingled with caution as the group drew closer, straining their necks and squinting their eyes to catch a clearer glimpse of the mysterious figures looming in the semi-darkness.

However, a wave of relief washed over the mediators’ face# when the five of them finally recognized the silhouettes up ahead.

The recognition brought a flicker of happiness to their faces, and Heiren couldn’t help, but call out in excitement.

"Sinclair!" The brown haired mediator shouted, his voice laced with concern and relief.

The sound of his familiar voice carried through the air, reaching the figures standing further ahead, causing the hybrids to turn their attention to them.

Sinclair’s eyes widened when he saw Heiren running towards him before the mediator threw himself at him, disregarding the fact that he might get injured, but the hybrid managed to stay on his feet despite the unexpected attack.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Heiren.. And the others too, it seems."

The hybrid’s words and expression made the others grow worried, but before they could voice out their concerns, Sinclair spoke up again.

"I guess all of you were worried because Coco hasn’t come back home yet, huh?" He murmured and looked past Heiren, taking in the group that had gathered behind him.

Heiren nodded profusely almost immediately, his eyes brimming with tears as he met Sinclair’s gaze.

"You’re connected to Coco, right?" The mediator inquired, his voice laced with desperation. "You must know where she is! You always know where she is, right?"

The concern etched on Heiren’s face was clear, his words coming out in pleading and panic.

His eyes searched Sinclair’s face for any sign of reassurance or knowledge, hoping that the hybrid held any information about Coco’s whereabouts.

Unfortunately, Sinclair shook his head.

A sense of frustration and concern filled the air, which soon followed by Heiren tightening his grip on Sinclair’s arms.

"That’s the problem." Sinclair admitted, his voice tinged with worry. "I can sense her distress, but I can’t pinpoint her location.. It’s like she suddenly disappeared, and that’s.. Unsettling."

Silence filled the air, but Alithe quickly changed the course of the conversation.

"I already sent my men out to search for her half an hour ago." He explained, his voice monotonous, but they could hear the slight shake of it. "Unfortunately, they haven’t returned with any news yet."

Once again, silence filled the air.

Sinclair placed his hand firmly on Heiren’s shoulder, the mediator’s worry visible as his shoulders shook.

The hybrid’s lips formed a straight line at the sight and sighed.

"We were contemplating searching for Coco ourselves." He revealed, his grip on Heiren’s shoulder tightening slightly. "But we can’t do that without informing her guild first.. So I sent a letter to the guildmaster."

"That’s right." Mr. Covez stated with a nod. "I received the letter so I came here with my best hunters to help look for her."

"For that, thank you." Sinclair said, then turned to Heiren. "And please, don’t worry."

Sinclair tried to reassure the mediator, his hand squeezing Heiren’s shoulder comfortingly. "I swear to you that I will find Coco before sunrise. I won’t rest until I locate her, no matter what it takes."

"But.. But what if she.." Heiren stammered out, unable to form a proper sentence.

Sinclair was about to assure him again, but Zaque stepped forward and caught his attention, the mediator’s eyebrows furrowed.

"Does this mean she hasn’t returned to the guild since earlier..?" He inquired, his voice shaking with his gaze fixed intently on the guildmaster and the five hunters.

"How long has it been since she was last seen?"