Sylvara's Rebirth A New Dawn for Abel novel Chapter 126

**Chapter 126: Ambush**

Finster

Veyric stood firm, resolute in his decision not to abandon Sylvie. The thought of leaving her behind felt like a betrayal, and he was determined that if they were to face the consequences, they would do so together. He echoed Sylvard’s previous words, a sharp edge to his tone as he aimed to provoke Issae. “Yeah, we were blinded before and supported the wrong person. You’ve let us down—no spine at all. Goodbye!”

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, he took off, sprinting after Sylva, his heart pounding in his chest as he feared the repercussions of his defiance.

Behind them, Lara’s voice rang out, laced with fury as she screamed, “Sylvant! Veyric! I won’t let you two pathetic losers escape! Just wait—I’ll twist your heads off!”

Sylvara, not too far ahead, felt a chill run down her spine at Lara’s vicious threats. The forest around her seemed to darken, the trees looming like silent witnesses to the unfolding chaos.

As she ran, Sylvara instinctively tilted her body, narrowly avoiding a low-hanging branch that seemed to come alive, snaking around Lara’s ankle with an almost malicious intent.

Lara’s shriek cut through the air, panic evident in her voice. “Ah! What is this? What’s wrapped around my leg?!”

The branch, having ensnared her, yanked her off her feet, lifting her into the air as if she were nothing more than a ragged carrot pulled from the earth.

“Ah! Help!” Her cries echoed through the trees, a desperate plea for assistance as she dangled upside down, the world spinning around her.

Sylvara, momentarily glancing back, quickened her pace, her focus sharpened. She was determined to put distance between them and Lara, her mental energy flowing smoothly as she navigated through the underbrush, deftly avoiding any obstacles that could slow her down.

The sunlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor, a stark contrast to the tension that hung in the air.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally paused, Veyric’s energy having been drained from the relentless sprint. He bent over, panting heavily, “I can’t… I really can’t. I need a break.”

“Then rest,” Sylvara replied, her voice calm yet firm. She halted as well, unbuckling her backpack with a sense of purpose. “Stay here. I’m going to change. Call me if anything happens.”

His throat felt parched as he nodded, waving her off. “Okay. Just don’t wander too far. Come back quickly.”

With clothes in hand, Sylvara slipped behind a dense thicket, her movements swift as she discarded the eye-catching red camouflage in favor of Lara’s uniform.

The outfit, belonging to the chief of the Healing Department, came complete with an armband that marked her authority. Sylvara hastily tore off the armband, casting a wary glance around before stashing it, along with her red uniform, into her space ring.

Suddenly, Veyric’s voice sliced through the stillness, laced with fear. “Sylvara! Come here now! Something’s wrong!”

A frown creased her forehead as she darted back toward him, moving with the swiftness of a gust of wind, leaves rustling beneath her feet. “What happened?”

“It wasn’t the academy,” Sylvara replied without hesitation, her voice firm. “This is joint training for five Military Academies. If they were going to clear the area, they would have done it long ago. They wouldn’t destroy the ecosystem; they’d use tranquilizers or drive the beasts into a designated zone and release them after training.”

“Look at the blood,” she continued, her tone serious. “You only get this much from a kill. And remember that roar we heard when we first entered the forest…”

Veyric’s eyes widened in realization. “You think someone killed a mutant beast, and that roar was its last?”

As the weight of her words settled in, Veyric pulled out the map, his hands trembling slightly. “If that’s true, the five academies are really stirring things up.”

Sylvara chuckled softly, the sound almost eerie in the tense atmosphere. “Stirring things up? I seriously doubt it’s just the instructors chasing us. I think upperclassmen are lying in ambush too.”

“We’re supposed to go here,” Veyric said, spreading the map before her, his finger tracing the final point. “See this? It crosses the entire planet. Thirty days to cover it. It’s brutal.”

Sylvara studied the map intently. It didn’t just mark shortcuts; it outlined dangers and traps along each path, a comprehensive guide to the perils that lay ahead.

“You’re right,” Veyric said, pointing to a small icon. “Upperclassmen are hiding along the routes. There are 200,000 freshmen, and they’ve deployed 300,000 seniors plus 10,000 instructors pulled from different corps, all to ambush us.”

The reality of their situation loomed large, a terrifying prospect as they stood on the precipice of danger, unaware of what awaited them in the shadows of the forest.