Chapter 129 You Are The Boss (Part One)


    Zander looked pretty disappointed when Rocky, who he thought that had already left, appeared in front


    of his face again. "I have told you before," Zander sneered. "You''re scared of being alone. Why else


    would you follow us stealthily?"


    Rocky seemed agitated with what Zander said and reacted as soon as thetter finished talking. He


    lunged at Zander and grabbed him by the cor of his shirt. He radiated a different kind of air, which


    Zander did not fail to notice. He was instantly surrounded by Rocky''s new aura and his eyes could not


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    believe how Rocky had changed at the drop of a hat.


    "If it were not for me, a man could have lost his life! If you want us to get out of here alive, you should


    learn how to shut that mouth of yours. Things have turned around. Instead of us looking for the spirit-


    manipted beast, we are now the ones being hunted down. It''s a trap. Is that clear now?" Rocky said


    firmly as he stared at Zander with anger in his eyes.


    Zander was shocked by Rocky''s sudden outburst that he just stood frozen for a moment. The Rocky


    that was standing in front of him was different from the one he knew. Rocky used to be timid. Now, he


    seemed to have transformed in an instant and became someone powerful. Zander finally realized what


    happened and was left with no choice but to nod his head with fear.


    After witnessing such a sight, the other spirit maniptors like Thor and Joss were dumbfounded. And


    rightfully so. They could have never imagined the meek Rocky would be able to pull a stunt like that.


    Nobody expected Rocky to be the one to stand up to Zander, shut him up, and make him listen. They


    never thought of him to be that courageous and capable.


    "Rocky, you said that the spirit-manipted beast is hunting us. Why would it do such a thing?" Thor


    could not help but ask.


    "I don''t know. I am not sure about the reason. Maybe the spirit-manipted beast knew that we came


    hunting for it, so it is now trying to fend for itself. What I am sure of is that it is a smart and a definitely


    powerful one. It seems like we became its target the very moment we entered the Maze Forest," Rocky


    exined.


    The reason Rocky was suddenly with Zander''s group was the dead body he found. When he went back


    to the right path, he discovered the corpse of a spirit maniptor that belonged in the third team. He


    was reminded of an earlier urrence and was able to put two and two together. That spirit


    maniptor''s death was not an ident. It was intended. They were being attacked deliberately. The


    earlier incident and the newly discovered body helped Rocky reach the conclusion that the entire Maze


    Forest had be the spirit-manipted beast''s hunting ground, and the spirit maniptors were the


    prey.


    It was just in time when Rocky realized the original route was no longer safe to pass through and he


    turned back right away. Before long, he just caught sight of the members of the sixth team who circled


    back to the ce they originated from. He shadowed them as he contemted whether or not his


    assumption was true.


    His hunch was confirmed when he witnessed what happened to the sixth team. He was not sure of the


    spirit-manipted beast''s capabilities but it was skilled enough to hurt more than one spirit maniptor


    at the sixth grade of the Mortal Stage. Rocky knew the beast was not weak at all.


    "Does that mean we are all in danger?" Joss asked as fear crept on his face. ''Even the spirit


    maniptors of the third team and the fifth team were not match for this spirit-manipted beast, '' he


    pondered thoughtfully. ''If we were to cross paths with it, death will surelye for us.''


    The spirit maniptors'' fear for the beast only grew as they absorbed the information Rocky ryed to


    them. They were just realizing how cruel and powerful this spirit-manipted beast was.


    "Yes, that''s right. So, if you want to make it out of the Maze Forest alive, you must carefully follow my


    instructions," Rocky said. He inspected the crowd around him, waiting for their agreement.


    "I will do whatever you want me to do."


    "Me too. Following you is way better than following someone else to the grave."


    "You are now the boss. We are all counting on you, Boss Rocky."


    All of the spirit maniptors stood by Rocky''s decision to lead them, including the one whose life he


    just saved. A spoken agreement was made from that moment onward. This time, no one would bat an


    eye to anything Zander said. After all, someone almost died doing what Zander ordered.


    Rocky nodded his head in agreement. However, he did not return to be a martyr and save these


    people. The real reason was if he were all alone, he was more likely to be a target and get attacked. He


    also knew that if he stayed with these people, the spirit-manipted beast that was hunting them might


    decide against attacking such arge group of spirit maniptors. Obviously, it was not a hard decision


    to make.


    In fact, if Uriah were right beside Rocky now, he would not have gone out of his way to find the others.


    He knew that with his and Uriah''s power together, spirit-manipted beasts with the strength at the


    Earthly Stage or below would easily be handled. They were not to be afraid of.


    Thor and the other spirit maniptors were still unaware of the agenda that Rocky had when he


    returned for them. They only knew that he went back to rescue them. They viewed Rocky as someone


    so selfless; someone who would wholeheartedly go back to a ce he knew that was dangerous just to


    save more people, like a hero. They looked at Rocky like he was their hero.


    In the midst of everyone celebrating Rocky as their hero, Zander faded into the sidelines, clearly


    defeated. Despite his frustrations, he did not dare to say a word. Naturally, he would not let Rocky


    dictate his and his teammates'' fates all the time. He made a mental note to give Rocky a piece of his


    mind and teach him a lesson once they got out of the Maze Forest.


    The sixth team made their way around the Maze Forest while following the signs. With Rocky leading


    them, it was not long until they got out of the fog area. Without the fog obstructing their sense of sight,


    they were finally safe enough. For now.