Gasp.
"Don't.. slow down your... speed!"
"Hm!"
Five people were running with all they had as if there was no tomorrow. Their clothes were tattered and smeared with blood. Their expression weren't good either as exhaustion was evident on their face.
These people were the formerly Allan and Jester party members. They had never stopped running since they left Bradley behind. Surely, it didn't mean they didn't meet any obstacles in the way.
They had met some Third Class Magical Beasts on their way and they had no choice but to fight them. The first two encounter were manageable as they still have some energy to spare. However, it wasn't the case with the fight onward.
They had to lose two of their comrades in the hands of the rabid Magical Beasts. Whatever happened to the Beasts, they were pretty sure it was caused by the red mist they had run away from.
"Just why.. why it has to be like this?!"
They were close to losing their mind. Running away to the point they couldn't take a break. Their already exhausted body and mind were close to breaking down. Even the thought of dying together became an option to them.
Slip!
"Kyaa!"
"Oh, crap! Sylvia, you okay?"
"Ugh.. I think I broke my ankle!"
"Crap, crap, crap!"
Someone from the former Allan party members unluckily tripped themselves and had her ankle broken. She was sure she didn't stumble upon anything. She felt like someone had purposefully tripped her.
Surely, she wouldn't dare say it aloud. All of them were in a state of paranoia currently. If she were to say it aloud, they would become more panic. However, she couldn't hold back the stressful tears to come out.
"Hu-hu-hu... It hurts."
"Calm down! You are a Knight. It will recover fairly quickly. So..."
Sylvia's friend looked down at her ankle's state and couldn't utter any single words. Her ankle didn't merely break. It was bent in an awkward way.
Although the recovery rate of a Knight was superb, it would take a week without the help of a healer for her ankle to recover.
Shiing.
He unsheathed his sword and held it in front of Sylvia's neck. All of the people froze, even Sylvia was dumbfounded.
"What are you doing?!"
One of the formerly Jester party members shouted at him in the next moment. Even if Sylvia wasn't his party member, he couldn't help but ask for her friend's sanity.
"It has to be done, Samuel! Look at her foot! Do you think she could run with that foot?"
"What are you...?"
Samuel couldn't properly respond. The condition of Sylvia's foot wasn't as good as he had thought. At this point, someone would need to carry her if they wanted to keep moving. However, no one had enough energy to spare for carrying her.
"Sylvia..."
Samuel looked at her complicatedly. He didn't know what to do. Sylvia was already crying in despair. She was weeping silently while her entire body was trembling. Samuel felt pity on her. However—
"We need to do it quickly! You know that it is impossible for a Knight to break their ankle because of tripping!"
— he was aware of the absurdity of the situation.
Something was on them. He knew it.
"Tch! Curse this crap!"
At last, Samuel turned his back while cursing loudly. Sylvia's friend took that as a cue to do his job.
"Sylvia, I'm sorry. I will make it quick. You won't suffer."
"Please... Let me live, Erik."
Erik looked at the despairing look of Sylvia. His heart clenched tightly. Although he had said his words full of conviction, his heart was bleeding inside. He gritted his teeth and spoke to her as steady as he could.
"If I am to leave you here, you will end up as a fodder. I can't let you suffer any longer."
"Huk.. hu-hu-hu..."
Only silent cry was heard out of her. Erik was close to tears, however he bit his lip to hold himself back. He had to make it quick, he was feeling uncomfortable the more he spent his time staying idle.
"I am sorry..."
He raised his sword as it shone in bright orange light. With an exhale, he swung down his sword in full force.
Boom!
!!!
However, the one who met their demise wasn't Sylvia. It was no other than Erik. He was thrown to the side by something no one could see. His head was destroyed, while the brain was splattered on the ground.
Sylvia opened her tightly shut eyes and raised her head. She had heard a boom, however she didn't know what happened. When she finally could see what was in front of her, she was struck by an intense fear.
In front of her was a root like weird creature standing while looking at her. The weird creature had a humanoid form, however it was entirely made of roots. Its hand was extended to the side with one of its fingers was elongated like a skewer.
In the end of it was, of course, the lifeless body of Erik.
Gulp.
"R-run...!"
Samuel didn't mean to scream. He was simply too terrified to think straight. He didn't realize he was screaming until the others heeded his command. Unfortunately, his screams attracted the attention of the Beast.
It turned its head to them and stabbed its hands into the ground. Its made of wood hands seemed to grow inside the soil as the ground was visibly rumbling as if something roaming inside it.
None of the remaining three people thought of looking back, they merely ran with their meager remaining energy.
"Darn! This crap has no end!"
Samuel cursed loudly. Even though he was out of breath, he had still enough reserve to spout some profanities out of his mouth.
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground below him was shaking. Not long after, a moving root came out of the ground. It was swiping its surrounding madly.
"Ah! I've had enough of this bullcrap!"
Samuel was fed up with dodging the wildly whipping root. He decided to turn his back and fought it. His axe shone in orange light as he swung it with the last bit of Qi he had in his body.
Swish!
Wind blew due to the force the axe carried. Samuel was big in stature, therefore his normal strength without utilizing Qi was already impressive. When he added Qi into his attacks, the power he wielded wouldn't be something to scoff at.
"Suck that, bastard!"
Samuel cackled madly at seeing the cut roots. The other two people running with him was also relieved at that. They had gotten whipped for a couple of times that they were sure they had a few bones broken.
Sadly, their relief didn't last long. It was because they forgot one thing. That was the Beast itself.
Stab!
Squelch!
"Kuhuk!"
Splash!
Samuel's blood smeared the ground. The Beast didn't merely stab him. It was also twisting its root like hand inside his body. Samuel could do nothing as his innards were destroyed helplessly.
However! He couldn't die just like that. He raised his axe, fully intending to cut the head of the Beast. Sadly, it was slightly faster than him. A root came out of the ground and pierced his head cleanly.
Thud!
The axe dropped to the ground along with his last breath. The remaining two people were frightened. They were too frightened that their feet turned to jelly. The beast in front of them was undoubtedly an Upper Rank Third Class Beast. They were hopeless against it.
"Ah.. ah.. Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't-"
Pierce!
The speaker's life ended even before he finished his words. His head was pierced in the middle. He was thrown away in the next moment as the Beast moved to his companion.
"No... No! Please, no! Kyaa! Help me!!!"
The last of the formerly Jester party member wet herself. Her feet didn't move according to her will, however she still wanted to live. Therefore she tried to crawl away from it. It was her desperate attempt to save herself.
"What.. what is this...?"
Sylvia was looking at the scene with an empty eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening in front her eyes. This wasn't the journey she had imagined. She just wanted to earn money and lived freely. She didn't want this terror filled journey!
"Hehe.. hehe.. so I am gonna die here? Perfect!"
She muttered emptily. She looked at the other survivor that was about to be killed. The Beast closed on her steadily. Sylvia could hear her fear stricken scream, however she couldn't do anything. She merely cried helplessly.
"If there is any God. I beg you to save our lives."
She clasped her hands and did the thing she had never done, praying. She prayed to any omnipotent beings out there to help her. Sadly, even the God seemed to abandon her.
Rustle.
"Ah..."
Another similar Beast came out of nowhere and moved in front of her. She was gaping her mouth. She started to regret ever praying to God. She asked for salvation, yet the God gave her damnation instead.
She really wanted to give whoever that God was a middle finger. The beast appeared before her. It was already raising its root like hand. She looked at that emptily, but her bladder was honest. It turned loose as she wet herself unconsciously.
Swish!
The beast swung its hand. Sylvia closed her eyes helplessly. She was ready to lose her life. However —
Slash!
Boom!
— the attack she had waited didn't come.
She felt extremely familiar with this scenario. She opened her eyes to look at what happened. She became mute by the time she saw what was in front of her. What she saw was a sturdy back of a man that comforted her.
She couldn't think of anything in her mind. She didn't know who the man was. At this point, what she thought was the fairy tales her orphanage's Matron had told her about. It was similar to the fated encounter of the heroine and her hero.
She expected the man in front of her to turn his head and smiled reassuringly to her. Imagine her surprise when the man did just like that! Not only that, her heart also skipped a beat when she saw his unnaturally handsome face!
She became even more expectant than before. However —
"Wetting yourself in the middle of battle is very unladylike, you know?"
— she met Basil!
Her heart shattered upon Basil's honest comment. She felt like crying. Actually, she was crying! She didn't know why, but it seemed right to cry.
'Tch. What a crybaby.'
Basil clicked his tongue inwardly. Regardless of gender, Mage and Knight alike were treated the same by him. He didn't like a cowardly person, especially when they were Mage or Knight.
Pat.
"Crying won't solve your issue."
"..."
Sylvia looked at Basil who was patting her head dumbly. She couldn't understand a thing had happened since the beginning. This man had first hurt her heart, then he was comforting her?! Did he think she was a joke? Audacious!
'But, it feels comforting.'
She closed her eyes unconsciously. Basil looked at her neutrally. This girl had the most varied facial expressions out of the people he had ever met in his second chance.
'A child.'
He shook his head bitterly. Just at a glance he could tell how old she was. He knew that Sylvia was no more than 18, and his guess was spot on. He took his hand off he head, and in turned she looked at him begrudgingly.
Her face was screaming, "Why do you take your hand away?!" However, Basil didn't even bat an eyelash. He merely swung his dagger behind his back.
Boom!
"I still have to finish these Stranglers."
He replied her calmly as he turned his back on her. She nodded slowly in realization. Basil took off and the wind he produced from his dash blew on her face. Along with it, came Deacon beside her, bringing someone with him.
The person was none other than the last of the formerly Jester party member. Sylvia looked at her and couldn't help but comment.
"Chloe, you are alive...?"
"It seemed so..?"
Deacon held Chloe in a rather awkward position. He was unwilling to carry this woman who had urinated herself on his back! Therefore, he carried her by biting on her shirt. Due to that her sufficiently well-endowed figure was accentuated even more.
Boom!
At that moment, Sylvia and Chloe heard an explosion from the direction where Basil was fighting the Stranglers. When they turned their heads at the direction, what they saw was forever etched into their minds.
A storm of fire engulfed the half mutated Stranglers. Coming out of it unscathed was Basil with his slowly disintegrating sword. All of them gulped unconsciously. Only then did they realize he was someone they had met before.
All of them had the same thought.
Overbearing!