LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 27: Chased
A few days have passed since the dreadful night that took place in the Stronghold of Frontier City. Where thousands of innocent lives and irreplaceable manpower were lost, that could be used for military prowess.
Unfortunately, the whole world does not know of its fate or what even happened to it. They did not even suspect anything to happen; it would probably just be a minor excursion, was the thought they had. They could not comprehend such a thing called death in the hands of ghouls, even when horrifying news reached them from afar on how cities fell.
However, such blatant ignorance is dangerous; throughout the decades, they've been pushed back, and their space got smaller and smaller, but they could not care less as long as they live in luxury. They would probably be dead once the ghouls reached the front of their doors.
Fortunately, their world was about to get destroyed as a piece of dreadful news would soon arrive, which would turn the world upside down. They might try to hush it down, but eventually, it would drip down, and the people, the commoners, would hear it, as they have ears everywhere, even in the farthest corner of a lord's castle.
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The trees swayed as the breeze of the wind struck it with mellow force. Leaves were dancing as they fell to the ground, and the loud chirping of the birds echoed through the forest. The calming smell of nature permeates the surroundings. The natural ecosystem was in place; it was all in harmony until a sudden disturbance came.
At a distance, a young man with pieces of armor hanging around his body. One would think he would be covered with armor, judging by the looks of it. Unfortunately, it was battered with bits and pieces ripped away from the main body.
The young man was moving with haste, giant steps he took, even though he was short. His feet were bleeding, with calluses showing up once in a while. He had been continuously running for a few days, only taking a rest when he needed to.
It's not like he had a choice; after all, a squad of ghouls seemed to be tailing him, which he only noticed when he was quite a distance from the frontier. He was initially baffled because he made sure that there was no ghoul in sight when he left, but then again, there was the fact that the ghouls were organizing an army, and were acting in good coordination.
Not only that, but they took in what seemed livestock; he could not help but imagine the fate of those people. The youngest ones would probably be eaten at a later date, but the elderly would be taken out. Just thinking about it gave him the creeps as he thought about their fates and how he could have been one of them or the corpses if he had brandished his sword.
Fear grips hold of his heart. He wanted to give up and hide in a hole, but responsibility came first, so he ran with great effort and due diligence. Even though if he stayed silent, nobody would blame him for it. He does not care, he wants to live, yes, but the fate of the entire world hangs in balance in this piece of information. How could he just throw his fellow men into perdition?
Their probable fate would rely on how the world responded and the precautions they took. He hoped that upper echelons be brought back into reality and respond properly as if that would be possible. His goal was to the lower class and to let them prepare so that when push came to shove, they would at least give some form of resistance.
He was exhausted; breathing was heavy, as beads of sweat were dropping copiously. He knew he was being tailed, but he had to rest. Glancing from side to side, he could finally make out his location. He is sure that he is near to a settlement, and just right on time, there was a lord in the manor of the settlement.
He breathed in and out with care. Unfortunately; he was shaken when suddenly his eyes darted to the side. He was certain that he saw something, so he brandished his sword and pointed it at the evident threat.
In front of him, three ghouls came out and charged at him. He was gripped in anxiety, but he held firm to the sword. He waited for the first ghoul to come and swung his sword with swiftness and preciseness. The head of the ghoul was detached as the ghoul was completely decapitated. It fell to the ground lifelessly.
Considering the events so far. The crimson night quadruples their strength and intellect, so that means they have been weakened by fourfold. That means there was the possibility that he could take the remaining two and survive.
Upon realizing that, he was struck with glee. With that in mind, he attacked more recklessly, suddenly underestimating his opponent. The complex intricacies of emotions are very hard to understand as to why the sudden change in attitude. Nevertheless, he fought with ferocity.
He swung his sword, and the ghoul was slashed in the middle of its head and fell to the ground lifelessly. He swiftly moved to the next ghoul, intending to take it down, but suddenly, something suspicious happened. The ghoul backed off as if he would let it go.
The ghoul ran off, and he gave chase. Upon chasing the ghoul for a few moments he lost sight of it. Glancing around, he was confused but then suddenly he felt something pierced him. With a panicked expression, he looked at his side and saw the ghoul holding a stick which penetrated him.
He was wounded, but anger filled him; with that, he swung his sword, and the ghoul fell to the ground lifeless. He was shocked and angry by his oversight, he looked over into his injury and saw that it was deep.
He might die soon, so he did not pull it out to not exacerbate the wound. Thus, he moved towards the settlement with a stick stuck to his side, occasionally groaning in pain. The movements were slow, but at least there were no ghouls tailing him from behind.