RB Chapter 149 It Appears!

Kara! Kata! Kara!

A series of crackling sounds emerged from the top of a tree among one of its many branches. The sounds disturbed the previously quiet atmosphere.

On the branch where the sounds originated from, there was a black cat. The black cat was the origin of the sound...specifically its limbs.

The cat had stood up on its hind legs and the crackle was coming from the knee joints. As if something was pushing them, the joints moved from the back and appeared on the front like that of a human. There was no roar of pain, and the cat's expression didn't show any change.

'This transformation can only be maintained through sheer will. After I eat those two humans, I will be able to maintain it forever.' That thought passed through its mind, while staring at the now forward facing knees.

Standing at two feet like a human, it was about three meters tall. After the transformation, the cat moved its gaze towards a direction and both its nose and ears twitched.

It was direction the smells of the two humans had carried over from.

Shew!

The sound of something cutting through the air was heard as the cat turned into a blur, appearing on another tree instantaneously. The branch it had been on and the one it had landed on didn't rustle at all! The movement had been very silent except for the sound of the air splitting!

It moved along the branches and vanished into the direction that it had sensed the two humans in.

----

Eric's group of four advanced silently through the trees, any tiny sound attracting their senses over.

They still couldn't see the tops of the trees due to then ever present mist.

The sun hadn't yet risen and with the tree canopies blocking out the morning light, the grove appeared dark and gloomy, not to mention cold.

"I wonder where the beast is!" Elena whispered. Eric scowled. He knew that everyone was getting impatient, but they had to stay vigilant, so he turned his now violet pupils to her.

The glare caused her to lose the words that could have come from her lips.

'The beast must be the only one left in the grove, its senses and concealment must be high, so it should have sensed us already. Why isn't it here? Could it be that its still sleeping?' Eric's mind wandered. 

Crack!

The snap of a twig caused the group to stop abruptly.

"Sorry, that was me. I can't see very well." The voice came from Leah.

Eric nodded and the group continued on. This time, Leah became even more cautious.

'I don't want his impression of me to worsen.' She became very very serious at that thought.

As his spectrum vision roamed the tree tops above, something different finally caught his eyes.

He stopped and signalled the others, causing them to also stop in place. Something was moving in the trees, heading towards their direction.

He managed to only capture it through the energy that was coursing through its body. It was even camouflaged against heat vision, Leah's specialty.

The other three, even Elena, trusted his judgement, so they didn't complain. He hadn't told them all the information about his spectrum vision, but he had told them enough to assuage their questions if he ever used that ability in front of them.

'It still hasn't caught onto the fact that someone among us can see it.' Eric had no need to swivel his head when the spectrum vision was in effect...it could totally scan 360° around himself.

Multiple reactive scenarios ran through his mind if it attacked, but in the end, he decided for the team to act oblivious and continue heading into the depths of the grove.

But he also made sure to give them a signal, so that they could be prepared for ant eventuality.

'It must be one of those cat species, so its hearing, vision and smell are enhanced. I must make sure I don't do anything suspicious.' He thought.

The good thing was that Chloe seemed to understand his gesture. He had transmitted his message using his eyes as limb gestures would be misinterpreted in this darkness and fog. Since his eyes were glowing violet, it was easier for everyone to see them.

----

Splinters flew as the cat abruptly stopped in place, on one of the branches. Such a sloppy landing had been caused by its concentration slipping for a moment.

Right as it had been leaping over to another branch, it had caught sight of the figures it was about to devour, but the sight had caused a minor shock to ripple through its mind.

The figures that had supposed to be two, had an additional two, making them four.

Its ears had picked out the additional noises, but it had ignored them in favor of its nose, thinking that there was no way the humans could mask themselves from its senses.

And that, had given it a rude awakening.

'Four!? How come there are four!?'

'Why did it pause? It even made a mistake!" Eric became puzzled. The friction between the claws and the branch had caused a very low sound, but to Elena, Leah, Chloe and Eric himself, it had been as clear as a thunder strike to their powerful ears.

Elena was about to open her mouth but he urged them to move on.

Sniff! Sniff!

'Why can't I smell the other two!?' The cat sniffed at the air. But its nose only managed to capture the scents if two individuals.

'Why can't I smell these other two? This is weird. Are they like those animals which like to hide under the ground?' Eric and Chloe were like two anomalies...things which were not supposed to exist. So it became curious and focussed all of its senses on them.

"Hmmm!?" Chloe frowned and moved her gaze above, into the tree tops. But due to the mist, she couldn't see anything clearly.

'Such powerful senses!' The cat hurriedly swiveled its eye balls to Eric. It heaved a sigh of relief when Chloe once again lowered her gaze.

'What is up with these two humans?' It had been shaken. Chloe's gaze hadn't been simple. It even had a feeling like a predator was eyeing it!

Eric sensed the cat's gaze but pretended not to. He had seen Chloe's reaction. It had been instinctive so he didn't chasitise her. He probably would have reacted the same if it wasn't for having already known that the creature was above.