Chương 15: Humans
Every eye in the vicinity was focused on only one person. Some were filled with anticipation, some with fear, and mostly with confusion.
Arsh clicked his tongue looking at Leo. He moved toward him, holding Elsa's hand, his eyes enraged.
"Leo. I don't care about your ass. But, ``Care to explain? why the heck Elsa is here with you?''"
Arsh shouted at the blacksmith enraged. Leo's eyes shook with uncertainty and guilt. He tried to answer. But, Arsh stopped him midway through.
"Whatever. We'll discuss that later"
Arsh turned to the group of adventurers, who looked the most startled by his presence.
"We can leave the pleasantries for later. We have a situation at our hands"
Arsh told them, letting the emergency in his voice sink in. He might have come as the abnormal slayer to them. But in reality, he was quite the opposite of that.
The fight with the gargoyle had taken a heavy toll on his body, especially the fire spell. He never imagined a beginner's spell could dry out his essence that fast, or maybe, it was due to its constant use.
Arsh was tired, his stamina nearly depleted. The fall from the sky, even after cushioning it a little, was very brutal for him. Arsh huffed a heavy breath, looking at adventurers and monsters.
'....Damn! They all stopped'
The monsters were wary, due to Arsh's theatrical entrance between them. But, they were not stupid. They didn't run away, not a single one of them. They were being cautious for now, just in case.
"....They are going to attack again"
A man with a brown beard responded, looking in the same direction as Arsh. Armed with lustrous gold-colored armor, and a long, yet essentially sharp silver spear in his left hand.
"We can't get away from here. There are monsters in every direction. Unless you have a plan. Red-eyed kid"
Now every eye in the surrounding was focused on Arsh. Both monsters and humans alike. As they were also expecting him to make his next move.
"Kid, Why are you here, though? Don't tell me. This is part of that crazy bastard's training regiment, again"
Leo hugged his trembling daughter tightly in his arms. His eyes were entirely serious. He didn't trust Alan much.
Arsh cracked up, hearing his cutting remark. At this moment, he was relieved. The risk he took to come here was worth it. Even if he was not going to make this out unscathed.
"Naah I wa-"
"GROWL"
Abruptly, the monsters moved forward together, their tension disappearing in thin air. Arsh knew exactly why that was. They most likely were trying to test out Arsh.
"Shit! Take formation"
Arsh screamed at the adventurers, who were already in their positions. Arsh looked at them astonished for some moments. But, the astonishment soon disappeared with an understanding look. Remembering, this was their regular job.
The monsters attacked from every direction, together. Arsh took a hold of his dagger, hastily. He was not ready to fight them again, not yet. He needed a little more time, at least enough to reclaim his essence again.
But, the situation was not adept for it. He had little to no faith in the adventurer's abilities. So, he was ready to take all the burden alone.
But, yet again. He was proved wrong. The 2 adventurers, alone, glossed over the entire battlefield.
The person with the brown beard came as the master of the spear. His every strike was completely specific, mostly focusing on piercing rather than slicing.
But, the 2nd adventurer was the most remarkable, out of them. Carrying battle axes in both of his arms, and his proficiency in magic was completely clear from his battle style.
The moment the flocks of monsters moved toward him. He used spells focused on the ground, sinking them in the mud-like substance. Followed up by his battle axes, crushing their heads.
They were strong, exponentially so. More than Arsh gave them credit for. But, he was still sure. They were going to die sooner rather than later.
'...it is all in vain. If the stronger ones didn't shift'
Even though both of the adventurers were blowing off monsters, left and right. The stronger horde, consisting completely of primate-level monsters, didn't move even an inch.
The adventurers were masters of their respective weapons. But, even with that, they can't hold on against a horde of primates.
'Unless, your name is Alan'
Arsh shifted to the back of the formation. He got what he needed, for now, time. They were plenty strong, enough to hold coyote-level monsters at bay. Until the stronger horde was on the move.
"What about the injured people?"
Arsh asked the brown beard man, cutting a monster in half from the side.
"They need protection for now. We have a healer with us, she will heal them. It will just take a little time"
'We don't have that little time, Goddammit!'
Arsh shook his head and hauled back. He knew all of them were going to be barbecued if the monsters from the back moved out.
Arsh moved to the center of the circle, the safest place in the whole formation. He moved near the wounded man on the ground. He crouched, placing his hand over the wound. While the healer woman was busy healing the other person.
"This is going to hurt, you should brace yourself"
Arsh smiled darkly looking at the man, dead in his eyes. He shuddered with fear, sending a tremor through his body. Arsh smiled again, satisfied by the man's reaction.
|Shadow stature|
'.....Am I slowly turning into him?'
Arsh mused to himself.
Arsh's shadow pushed from the ground. Drafting around his fingers, stitching the deep wound with very high speed and complete precision.
The darkness first punched a hole through the skin, then moved between them like a thread. Continuing the same process continuously, in every wounded part.
The man flinched from the pain, he tried to scream. But, Arsh was faster, muffling him with his free hand. The man tried to move away or break free. He grabbed the man's neck again, to keep him from moving.
"It is a temporary treatment. Sit still. The shadow will dissolve after some time"
After the treatment was done, the man gaped for air. His eyes turned to Arsh, with a mixture of anger and fear in them.
"GO! Take the rear. We don't have time for this"
Arsh commanded the man, lying on the ground. The man again threw a hateful gaze toward Arsh. Compiling to his command nonetheless.
Arsh stood up from the ground, shaking the dust off his clothes. He looked around again, to gather the situation again. Which looked rather grim than before.
"They are on the move"
The horde of primates was on the move. They were not attacking with full-scale assault, yet. Just one or two of them, moving at a time, to gouge the strength of their prey.
Arsh knew the situation was not favorable for them. He moved toward the second injured man and the trembling healer beside him.
'Ugh! I can see his insides'
Arsh looked at the man, lying in the pool of his own blood. The man had a bloody hole in the place of his chest. One of his legs was completely missing altogether.
Arsh grimaced, looking at the dying man. He was still breathing, somehow. Due to the constant healing spells used on his body.
'He will be dead in no more than 5 minutes'
But, Arsh was aware of the outcome. The man was beyond saving. No human being could save him from the brink of death.
Arsh squatted in front of the dying man. Looking directly into the eyes of the healer, who was desperately trying to heal him.
Even though she knew herself, the injured man was already beyond saving.
'....She is clinging to him like a parasite'
Arsh looked at the woman with pity. He knew how hard it was to lose someone you care about. He witnessed it firsthand, like the thousands of others in this accursed world.
"It is futile. You can't resurrect dead people if you are not a god. He is going to die an agonizing death, if you don't stop right now. You have to let him go, peacefully. Amanda"
The woman's eyes sobered up instantly, upon hearing her name. Startled, she looked around everywhere, to gather up the situation around her.
She looked around, her expression not changing even a bit. She ignored Arsh, not meeting his eyes. And started chanting the healing spells again.
"We can't cling to the dead ones. We have to move forward without them. We can't throw away our life, always clinging to their memories. Let him go, now. You are just increasing his pain, and you know it"
Arsh spoke again, in a comforting voice, his expression somber.
Amanda listened to Arsh quietly, slowly chanting her spells. Her tears flowed like a river. Her face burning with more agony, than the wounded man himself.
Arsh looked at them with an unreadable expression. He didn't know them. He won't even blink an eye if all of them died.
But, when he looked at the woman named Amanda, and her desperate attempts to save the wounded man. He felt stabbed, his heart aching.
The injured man tried to move his hand toward her face, failing promptly. Amanda took notice of the hand movement, quickly moving her hand to the man's face.
"...Andrew. I am here. I am right here"
The man nodded his head. He opened his trembling mouth, and the tears around his eyes stopped flowing.
The man traced his hand across her face. He smiled a radiant clear smile looking at her, responding in a serene voice.
"Thank you for everything, Amanda."
"I love you"
The man heaved his breath one last time, completing the last sentence.
The man named Andrew was dead.
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