Chapter 171:

Chapter 171: Chapter 171:

Chapter 171:

Although he could simply refuse to answer her questions, having a reasonable explanation ready would save him the trouble of dealing with unnecessary suspicion.

The beast pouch was a convenient excuse, and as long as she believed that was where he kept the Lightning Wolf, there was little reason for her to question it further.

Osborne glanced at Sasha before turning towards the beast.

"Come here."

The Alpha Lightning Wolf immediately lowered its body, making it easier for the two of them to climb onto its back.

Osborne turned towards Sasha and extended his hand.

"Get on."

Sasha looked at his hand before glancing at the beast, still somewhat hesitant despite having ridden it once before.

However, she quickly accepted his help and climbed onto its back, settling herself behind Osborne while making sure she had a firm grip around his waist.

"Hold on properly, we won’t be moving slowly."

Osborne warned her.

Sasha nodded, tightening her grip as the Lightning Wolf prepared to move.

She still wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from their journey, but one thing was certain, travelling with Osborne was proving to be far more unusual than she had imagined.

*******

After running for who knew how long, they eventually came to a stop within the forest.

Osborne got off the Alpha Lightning Wolf, stretching his arms slightly as he examined their surroundings before looking towards Sasha, who was still seated on the wolf’s back.

"Get down, we’ll be staying here for the night."

Sasha blinked her eyes in confusion.

" Pardon?"

"You mean we’re going to rest here for the night?" she asked.

"Unless you would prefer sleeping while riding a wolf, I don’t see any other option."

Osborne answered casually before reaching towards the sword hanging around his waist.

"[Burning Blade]"

Osborne drew his blade mid air and activated his spell, causing a bright red glow to spread across its surface as the temperature around the weapon increased rapidly.

Sasha watched with curiosity as he approached one of the nearby trees, and before she could ask what he intended to do, Osborne swung his sword with a movement that was so quick and precise that she barely managed to follow the blade.

A large section of the tree separated from its trunk before falling to the ground, and Osborne continued moving without wasting any time, repeating the same action against several other trees until the surrounding area was filled with the sound of falling wood.

The trees all fell with a heavy thud, startling Sasha, who instinctively stepped backwards as another large trunk crashed onto the ground only a short distance away from her.

However, the moment she opened her eyes, she noticed that the fallen trees had given rise to an artificial clearing, leaving enough space for several people to rest.

’Incredible...’

Sasha’s eyes couldn’t help but glow subtly with admiration as she looked at the clearing, finding it difficult to believe that Osborne had managed to create something like this in such a short amount of time.

Although she had lived in the countryside for a good part of her life, she had never seen anyone clear an area with such speed, especially when the only tool they had used was an ordinary sword.

Of course, she understood that the sword wasn’t exactly ordinary, considering the strange red flames covering its surface, but that didn’t make what she had just witnessed any less impressive.

Osborne, on the other hand, didn’t seem particularly interested in her reaction as he continued chopping up the fallen trees, separating the trunks into smaller pieces that could be used for different purposes.

He stored most of the usable wood away, leaving behind a few shorter pieces and some branches that would serve as firewood, while the remaining logs would be useful for constructing a temporary shelter.

As for the excess, he rolled them away, deeper into the forest.

Once he was satisfied with the amount of wood he had prepared, Osborne finally deactivated his spell and returned his sword to its sheath, before beginning to work on the small camp they would be using for the night.

His movements were surprisingly familiar, and the experience he had gained from spending several days in the wild became apparent as he selected suitable pieces of wood and began putting them together.

He first prepared the ground, removing the remaining branches and stones before placing several logs around the area where they would be sleeping, and after arranging the larger pieces of wood, he began constructing a simple wooden tent.

Rather than simply placing the logs against one another and hoping they would remain in position, Osborne carefully carved several grooves into the wood, ensuring that each piece could fit properly with the next one.

The process took a little time, but the result was considerably more stable than what Sasha had expected from a makeshift shelter, especially since he hadn’t used any nails or other materials to hold the structure together.

After finishing the basic construction, he used some of the smaller branches to cover the gaps and added a few more pieces of wood to reinforce the entrance, making sure that the shelter would be able to withstand the wind during the night.

He then gathered the remaining firewood and arranged it in a suitable position before starting a campfire, allowing the flames to spread gradually until they provided enough warmth to make the clearing considerably more comfortable.

In no time at all, he had managed to prepare a simple campfire and a makeshift wooden tent, leaving Sasha at a loss for words.

She eventually approached the shelter, reaching out to touch one of the wooden pieces as she examined the construction more closely, only to be even more amazed by how sturdy it felt beneath her fingers.

The individual pieces were firmly connected, and even when she applied a little pressure, the structure didn’t budge at all, making her wonder how Osborne had managed to achieve such a result without using proper construction tools.

’How did he even learn to do something like this?’