章節 17: [Expedition]
As Claude traversed the mysterious lavender forest, his gaze frequently shifted to Karl, who was leading the group.
'I still can't believe it... That was Karl? He made that speech?!' Claude found himself astonished, recalling the impassioned address Karl had delivered earlier.
The memory of it almost got his blood boiling again. It seemed so strangely contrasting with the usual way Karl carried himself.
However, even as he revelled in memories of Karl's speech, Claude soon noticed Karl stopping and turning around to address everyone.
"Everyone! We're almost there! We need to rest for a while before continuing on," Karl announced.
The village guard heaved a sigh of relief, already fatigued from their journey. The weary group halted their trek as Karl directed them to a suitable clearing to rest.
The villagers quickly went about their tasks, some gathering dry wood for the fire, while others scouted the area for prey.
Claude sat by the pile of wood and observed the scene with admiration, recognising the villagers' efficiency.
Though he had offered to help before, they had kindly declined, insisting they didn't want to trouble him.
A fire soon crackled to life, bringing warmth to everyone around it. It didn't take long for those who went hunting to return, guided back to camp by the fire's glow.
Watching them carry the prizes of their hunt, Claude marvelled at the peculiarity of this world.
Most brought back hares with pale, amethyst-hued fur, while another group returned with a single deer, its velvety black fur almost swallowing the surrounding light.
As he watched everyone prepare the food, Claude felt a wave of nausea. Though he knew how food was obtained, it was his first time witnessing the butchering of an animal.
'Come on, Claude! Get used to this!' he chided himself. 'It's not like you didn't leave that snake in a worse state back then.'
As Claude tried to acclimate to this way of life, everyone else soon joined him, sitting in a circle around the dancing fire.
"Chief...?" Peter asked apprehensively. "Could you tell us anything about the bloodborne? Most of us haven't fought them; we don't know much."
"Of course!" Karl paused his chewing as he answered, "Honestly, I should have told you this earlier..."
"The bloodborne..." Karl began, "Are unlike any other creature you may have come across. They possess an unholy amount of strength and a ferocity that would put even the fiercest warriors to shame."
His words hung heavy in the air, causing everyone to take a deep breath. The reality of facing such creatures loomed in their minds, unnerving them.
"Their skin," Karl continued, "... a deep, dark red, as if forever marked by the blood of their victims. Their hair is sparse and wild, matted with the grime of battle. They wear rough garments crafted from the hides of their prey, adorned with bones and metal scavenged from the fallen."
Everyone felt a chill run down their spine as they pictured the bloodborne clad in their barbaric attire, sharp teeth and claws ready to tear through flesh.
"But perhaps most terrifying of all," Karl concluded gravely, "is their ability to manipulate blood itself. They wield it like a weapon, using it to ensnare their enemies and regenerate their wounds."
Listening to these words, a wave of near panic swept through the group.
How were they meant to fight such things?
Nevertheless, Claude despite his worry had something else on his mind.
Claude looked at Karl for a moment. "You've described their abilities and appearance... Do you know any of their weaknesses?"
"Ah! As expected of an Emissary!" Karl praised Claude before continuing. "Despite their strengths, they have plenty of weaknesses. First of all, they aren't very intelligent, they are also slow-moving, and extremely bloodthirsty, often turning on their comrades. As long as we fight smart, we can beat them."
"So we should avoid direct confrontation with them?" Someone in the camp queried.
"Absolutely! Even if we win in a direct fight, it would be a tragic victory. Traps will be our best allies. We need to pick the bloodborne off one by one," Karl finished.
A silence hung in the air as everyone tried to engrave his words into their minds.
With Karl's strategy now their guiding principle, they steeled their resolve. The camp sprung into action, making the necessary preparations for their imminent departure.
As they walked, Claude noticed the forest becoming less dense. 'And here I was thinking that this entire world was this strangely coloured forest...' He shook his head in amusement.
Their weary footsteps carried them further away from the eerie embrace of the lavender forest. The dense canopy of trees gradually thinned, giving way to rolling hills and rugged terrain.
Despite the physical exertion of their journey, Claude felt a renewed energy as the stifling atmosphere of the forest dissipated.
As the group advanced, their footsteps echoed against the rocky terrain, and Claude realised they were now walking uphill. The burning sensation spreading from his legs made him knit his eyebrows.
Looking around at everyone carrying their heavy spears and rations, Claude realised he had it easy. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the discomfort and pressed on.
Soon they began traversing mountainous regions filled with lavender grass. Panting heavily, Claude cast a wary glance downwards.
The dizzying altitude made the ground below disappear in a shroud of mist, concealing the perilous depths. 'I'm definitely going to die if I fall...' His heart pounded as he peered over the edge.
"Are we there yet, Chief?" Peter asked beside him. "Everyone is getting rather tired. At this rate, we'll all collapse from exhaustion."
"Don't worry! We're almost there!" Karl waved his hands, dismissing Peter's worries as his eyes glowed with anticipation.
The group trudged forward, their breaths visible in the crisp mountain air. The rocky path beneath their feet grew narrower and more treacherous with each step. Jagged cliffs loomed on either side, while the occasional loose stone skittered down the slopes, vanishing into the mist below.
Claude glanced up at the towering peaks ahead, their snow-capped tips shimmering faintly in the twilight. The mountains seemed alive, their whispers carried by the howling wind.
"Careful there!" one of the guards called out, catching another who had slipped on the loose gravel.
The trail led them across a precarious ridge. The ground was uneven, forcing Claude to plant his feet firmly with each step. His heart pounded as he peered over the edge, where the abyss yawned wide below.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the ridge, causing everyone to shiver. One of the younger guards muttered under his breath, "What I'd give for a warm fire right now..."
Claude, overhearing, couldn't help but agree. The cold seeped into his bones, making even the simplest actions physically and mentally exhausting. The rough terrain did little to help; every step sent small jolts of pain through his already tired legs.
As they pressed on, the path took a sharp descent into a narrow gorge. The group found themselves surrounded by walls of jagged rock, their heights blotting out the fading moonlight.
As they moved on the gorge eventually opened into a wide plateau, its surface littered with jagged rocks and sparse patches of lavender grass.
The group took a brief respite, grateful for the flat terrain. Claude leaned against a boulder, taking in the view. The vast expanse of mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, their peaks shrouded in mist.
Suddenly, a sharp cry broke the silence. Craning their necks, they saw a large, shadowy figure moving along the ridge above them, its outline distorted by the mist.
"Stay close," Karl ordered. "It could just be an animal, but we can't take any chances."
The group tightened their ranks and continued on, their eyes darting nervously to the ridges above. The shadow did not reappear, but that did little to sate their unease.
Their journey took them across another ridge, this one even narrower than the first. The wind howled with greater ferocity here. Claude shielded his face from the biting gusts, his boots slipping occasionally on the frost-covered rocks.
The ridge finally ended, leading to steep switchbacks that zigzagged up the mountainside. The group ascended slowly, their pace steady but laboured. The exertion showed on everyone's faces, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
Claude found himself falling behind, his legs screaming in protest. He gritted his teeth and pushed on, determined not to be the one who held the group back.
As they neared the top of the switchbacks, the wind suddenly died down, leaving an eerie stillness. The silence was broken only by the crunch of boots on gravel and the occasional groan of fatigue.
"There!" someone in the group exclaimed, pointing ahead. Drawing everyone's attention, they saw something poking out from the mist below.
The ruins...?
The group glanced at each other, excitement overflowing from their eyes. Even Claude felt overjoyed at this discovery.
For him, the ruins presented an opportunity to learn more knowledge, something he now realised was difficult to come by.
'The Old Man really wasn't wrong...' Claude mused.
He remembered Raymond telling him that the average man would never become learned due to a lack of opportunity and class restrictions.
In the past, he would have waved this off as an exaggeration. Yet, only in this foreign world did he see the truth in those words.
Without a teacher like Raymond, Claude was forced to travel to ruins in any hope of finding knowledge. Otherwise, he would have little hope of developing his powers.
"Boys! Do you see that?! Over there lies our future!" Karl clenched his fists in excitement. "Come on! We can't tarry any longer."
"Yes, Chief!" the group echoed, their excitement mirroring Karl's as they descended the ridge.
Breathing the familiar air of lower altitudes, they recovered some of their exhaustion.
Marching forward, they soon came across what they had seen from above. At the rear of the group, Claude squinted ahead.
The pale mist that had masked his vision no longer hindered him, revealing the true nature of the ruins. "A city...?" Claude muttered, staring at the scene before him.
The city sprawled out before them was of overwhelming size, unlike any he had ever imagined.
Strange buildings and towering structures pierced the sky, their silhouettes stark against the horizon.
The skyline was dominated by colossal clock towers and immense chimneys, all encrusted with rust and draped in creeping vines.
The houses, were unlike any he had ever seen, standing tall and imposing. These homes, with their vast windows and elaborate ironwork, seemed to belong more so to giants than man.
At the heart of the city stood a massive round dome, its tarnished brass surface glinting faintly in the moonlight through layers of grime.
From its centre rose a colossal spire, dwarfing all other buildings in size and grandeur.
Claude now realized that the ruins everyone spoke of were very different from what he had imagined.
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TaleDrifter
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