Rebirth of the Prime Dragon Master
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 the latter finished talking. He lunged at Zander and grabbed him by the collar 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 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-manipulated 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 manipulators 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-manipulated 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-manipulated 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 explained.

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 manipulator that belonged in the third team. He was reminded of an earlier occurrence and was able to put two and two together. That spirit manipulator's death was not an accident. 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 become the spirit-manipulated beast's hunting ground, and the spirit manipulators 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 place they originated from. He shadowed them as he contemplated 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-manipulated beast's capabilities but it was skilled enough to hurt more than one spirit manipulator 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 manipulators of the third team and the fifth team were not match for this spirit-manipulated beast, * he pondered thoughtfully. 'If we were to cross paths with it, death will surely come for us.

The spirit manipulators’ fear for the beast only grew as they absorbed the information Rocky relayed to them. They were just realizing how cruel and powerful this spirit-manipulated 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 manipulators 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-manipulated beast that was hunting them might decide against attacking such a large group of spirit manipulators. 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-manipulated 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 manipulators 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 place 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.