Where they transverse was a gloomy forest, shrouded in a dark cold atmosphere. Towering dark trees dominated the scene, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal fingers against the dimly lit sky.
The forest was enveloped in thick shadows, obscuring their path ahead and adding to the sense of foreboding yet Night Terror strolled forward like it was no big deal.
Unhindered by the absolute darkness that blocked their path. In contrast to the terror, the scrawny human that walked beside it could not see anything beyond or beside.
All he had to do was stick close to his nemesis… now turn temporary associate.
The dense foliage created an enclosure, as if the forest itself is a living entity, closing in on anyone who dares to venture within.
There was an absence of any visible signs of life, intensifying the feeling of isolation and mystery.
The air was heavy and the rancid smell was stronger even now than ever before.
Yet Night Terror moved like it was no man’s business.
They continued down this foreboding path for a while,, Northern fearfully checking his surrounding every now and then.
The smell was getting stronger and it was beginning to bother him.
Suddenly Night Terror paused. Northern who kept throwing his eyes back in search of the source of this discomforting erieeness bumped into the stalwart monster and stumbled back a few steps.
Rubbing his forehead, he raised his head and grunted:
“Yo, what the hell…”
However, he came to a stop as his eyes met Night Terror’s back and what was… were in front of it–as more crawled out from the corners of darkness.
Northern instinctively swung out his hand, sparks of weaving out of thin air to form a black sword in his hands.
The creatures that appeared before them had large bulbous body covered into mottled hide that gave a rough and uneven texture.
Their form were hunched and contorted, with thin and gnarled limbs, resembling twisted roots or tentacles, with sharp points or protrusions along their lengths.
They had no distinct head, but rather a series of orifices scattered across its misshapen body and at the end of their long neck were crude teeth long like bone needles.
They slowly snarled at the even mightier Terror that loomed above them. Hesitation could be noted in the way they moved and had not attacked yet.
Night Terror looked down on them with viciously burning eyes that emanated fear and hatred. Yet these creatures lurked, although fear could be seen resonating through the masses.
They still resisted however, like hungry monsters that had not eaten for decades… one could say that the only foe that can resist the intimidation of fear was the derangeness of hunger.
And these creatures, even though with no eyes and head looked like ravaged horrors that were ready to raze everything to the ground.
Tension wounded the atmosphere as a grave silence persisted in the heart of the forest.
Northern’s heart raced, a surge of adrenaline mixed with anticipation coursing through his veins. This was probably the first time he would be fighting since the madness that overtook him got washed away by pain.
Northern gripped his black sword tightly, sparks of power crackling along its blade.
Night Terror stood beside him, a towering presence emanating an aura of primal fear. Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them.
Then what happened the next moment was a flash!
With a guttural roar, the creatures lunged forward, their gnarled limbs reaching out like vipers striking.
Northern’s movements were a blur, his sword slashing through the air with deadly precision. Sparks erupted with each strike, illuminating the darkness with brief flashes.
Even he was shocked for a moment when he ran forward with all his speed, he didn’t expect such immense speed from himself.
It was no joke what he had been through in his moments spent holed up in the prison of madness.
Northern continued slashing, weaving through monsters like thread and needle.
<You have killed a Hazard Savage – Corpse Eater>
[You have slain a Hazard Savage: Corpse Easter]
[You have gained +2 talent fragments]
Night Terror moved with terrifying grace, its massive claws tearing through flesh and bone.
The creatures snarled and hissed, their misshapen bodies contorted with malice.
Dodging and weaving, Northern danced with the shadows, yhe sound of the creatures’ distorted snarls filled his ears, mingling with the rustling of leaves and the crackling of twigs underfoot.
Their twisted forms writhed with malevolence, their mottled hide oozing an acrid stench that clawed at his nostrils.
This was probably the source of the stink. And if it came on so strong while they were so far away…
Northern could only imagine how much this creatures were.
His eyes widened.
It suddenly made sense!
‘Crap!’
Clearly these monsters were scared of Night Terror… if it was one or two or even ten, they probably would have backed down, wouldn’t they?
Because it made no sense, Night Terror exuded an intimidating aura of pure malice that no monsters could dare to bare its fang at it.
But these ones, driven mad by hunger dared. The rift could be having an effect like it was on every other monster, even Night Terror’s extreme rage towards the castle lord could also be as a result of this.
Monsters after all were simply wired to fear each other if one was immensely stronger than the other.
And savage rank to hellion rank was a very far stone throw.
Even driven mad by the rift, they would still have feared… and hesitated more than they did.
But if they had numbers… Northern suddenly remembered about ants back on earth.
He had never come across a creature such as they but remembering about ants served as a great analogy.
If there was only one or two, or a cluster of few, step on them and they’d scatter around. But when their numbers become so enormous that the ground is shrouded in a veil of black.
Step on them and have your legs consumed by a seemingly harmless veil of darkness. It was amazing and vile how such minute creatures even in the face of a mighty Terror, with sheer numbers can turn the tide.
The whole situation in this forest worked to their disadvantage. And the only hint was the strong rancid smell.
Northern suddenly had no doubt.
The darkness in the forest could be hiding it… but his instincts warned him strongly.
This forest was probably filled with monsters like this…
If that was the case, how long before they begin to overwhelm them.
The even crazier thing was, the moment one fell to his sword or Night Terror’s blade, they get drawn into the darkness and Northern could literally hear the tearing of flesh.
He observed Night Terror while thinking of the next course of action.
With every swing of his sword, Northern felt the weight of his own fear build up.
He moved with confidence, his strikes landing with amazing accuracy.
The creatures fought back with frenzied desperation, their crude teeth gnashing, but Northern’s blade arced around them, rendering flashes in an art of gore.
Night Terror’s presence was a force to be reckoned with. Its eyes blazed with an otherworldly fire as it unleashed its monstrous strength upon the horde. Limbs were torn asunder, bodies crumpled beneath its relentless onslaught.
The forest became a battleground of swirling shadows and bursts of power, the clash of weapons and the roar of the creatures echoing through the trees. Northern and Night Terror fought as one, their movements synchronized in a deadly dance of survival.
Time seemed to blur as the battle continued, both sides unwilling to yield. No matter how many were being slain by Northern and his associate, the horde of corpse eaters just kept coming.
At this point… Northern suspected… he was right after all.
Just then an enormous Corpse Eater, far larger in size than the rest suddenly plunged out of the darkness and tore a deep gash across Night Terror’s chest.