Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Chapter 174

Chapter 174

The campfire continued burning quietly beside him, while the Alpha Lightning Wolf rested nearby, occasionally moving its ears whenever it heard something moving within the forest.

Sasha, on the other hand, simply watched as Osborne practiced the Aura cultivation manual in silence.

She had initially intended to ask him a few more questions about the manuals, but after noticing how focused he had become, she decided against interrupting him.

She eventually returned her attention to the fire, occasionally glancing towards him whenever she heard a slight movement, but Osborne remained focused on his cultivation without paying her much attention.

Time gradually passed.

The flames slowly became smaller as the firewood burned away, and the sounds of the forest grew quieter as the night continued, leaving only the occasional rustling of leaves and distant cries of nocturnal beasts to interrupt the silence.

Sasha tried to remain awake for a little longer, partly because she didn’t want to leave Osborne alone, but the exhaustion from their journey was gradually catching up with her.

Her eyelids began feeling heavy, and despite her attempts to stay awake, she eventually found herself struggling to keep them open.

After glancing at Osborne one final time, she decided that there wasn’t much reason for her to remain outside, especially since he didn’t seem to need anything from her.

She quietly retreated into the tent, arranged the bedding and lay down, hoping to get enough rest before they continued their journey the following morning.

The Alpha Lightning Wolf remained beside the fire, occasionally raising its head to examine its surroundings before returning to its resting position, while Osborne continued cultivating without much change.

********

The next morning.

Sasha woke up, letting out a tired yawn as she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, still feeling a little sleepy after the long journey they had made the previous day.

She adjusted her clothes before stepping out of the tent, expecting to find Osborne preparing breakfast or perhaps getting ready to continue their journey.

However, the moment she stepped outside, her eyes landed on the familiar figure sitting beside the campfire, and she couldn’t help stopping for a moment.

Osborne was still in the same position as he had been the previous night, with the two manuals placed beside him and his eyes closed as though he hadn’t moved an inch since she had gone to sleep.

’He’s been at it all night?’

Sasha couldn’t help feeling surprised by his dedication, especially since she had assumed that he would eventually stop practicing and get some rest.

She had never considered herself particularly lazy, but even she couldn’t imagine spending an entire night sitting in the same position while concentrating on something without taking a break.

Her gaze shifted towards the Alpha Lightning Wolf, which was lying close to the fire, and she noticed that the creature also appeared to have been resting throughout the night.

The wolf’s eyelids trembled slightly before its beastly eyes slowly opened, revealing its sharp golden pupils as it looked towards the approaching girl.

It then raised its head, opened its maw filled with ferocious fangs and let out a long yawn, stretching its front legs before settling down again.

Sasha couldn’t help looking at the creature for a moment, although she eventually turned her attention back towards Osborne when she noticed that something had changed.

"I see you’re finally up."

Osborne suddenly spoke, his voice carrying through the quiet clearing as he slowly opened his eyes.

After spending several seconds adjusting to his surroundings, he finally let out a breath.

’All night of concentrating, yet I only managed to consolidate the first star.’

While his expression looked calm, inwardly he was a bit displeased with the result, especially since he had expected the process to be somewhat easier after experiencing how quickly he had progressed with magic.

Unlike magic cultivation, he found cultivating his Aura more difficult than he expected, and despite spending the entire night following the instructions in the manual, the progress he had made was far from what he had hoped for.

He had managed to consolidate the first star, which was certainly better than making no progress at all, but he couldn’t help feeling that the time he had spent could have produced a more impressive result.

’I reckon it would take me a few more days to reach 2 star...’ he mused, furrowing his brows a bit.

********

He stole a brief glance at Sasha before getting up, brushing away the bits of dirt that had gathered on his clothes as he stretched his body after spending the entire night sitting in the same position.

"Sit while I find us something to eat." Osborne said.

Last night’s game was long gone, having been shared between the three of them.

" But shouldn’t you rest first."

Sasha couldn’t help asking, considering that he had spent the entire night cultivating without getting any sleep.

She had initially thought he would stop after a few hours, but when she woke up, he was still sitting in the same position, making her wonder whether he had any intention of taking care of himself at all.

"One need only rest when they overexert themselves. You needn’t worry about my health."

Osborne answered casually, showing little concern about her question as he checked the condition of his sword before placing it back into its sheath.

"Moreover, I’d prefer it if we arrived at our destination without any hindrance whatsoever."

He added, making it clear that he had no intention of wasting time because of something as ordinary as a lack of sleep.

’Well, since you put it that way...’

Sasha nodded her head, accepting his explanation before taking a seat on the log beside the fire, although hidden within her eyes was a contemplating gaze.

She wasn’t entirely convinced by his words, but she also understood that arguing with him over something like this probably wouldn’t accomplish much, especially when he seemed perfectly fine despite having spent the entire night awake.

Still, she couldn’t help wondering whether he was hiding his fatigue for her sake.