Dein ran towards the forest. Towards North in fact.
He can no longer see the tribe behind him but he could still see the fire. The fire that seems to grow much stronger each time Dein look back.
At this moment, the fire from the bonfire was spreading west. Soon, the fire Dein started on the south and the fire that came from the fallen bonfire will meet. When that happens, it will continue to move towards west, however there's a high chance it will also move towards the north, where Dein is currently in.
That said, he doubt that going North will be easy for the fire. The fog here we're much thicker than anything after all. And so does the one on the east.
At least, that's what Dein could see as in front of him, dozens of meters away, stood a giant wall of white nothingness–no, actually, it wasn't standing. It was moving. Getting closer each second as it pushed the light away.
And as the time went on, the further the Sacred Flame move west the more the fog clump together on the north and east, getting stronger as they pushed the light.
Just like that, it had become a game of cat and mouse as the fog and the flame fought for control.
And now… that had become one of Dein's problem as well. He gritted his teeth, praying in his mind.
'Please, just please don't be inside the fog…'
There's a reason why Dein is in the Northside of the forest right now, running around in frantic as he searched for something.
The something in which he believes is the nightmare creature he has to kill in order to end this nightmare. The very same one Clay had mentioned to him days ago.
Dein stopped on his tracks, panting as he looked around. In his hand, he held a spear that few inches longer than his monstrous body. It's a spear he stole as he was leaving the tribe. Dein sighed, gritting his teeth.
The ache from all his wounds that Gi, the now dead priestess, had healed were catching up to him faster than ever now. He was in pain, but his frustration beat him and he hissed.
"Come on, show yourself already bastard…"
Dein was really at a loss right now. He had ran North searching for the nightmare creature without an actual plan. He even sent the trio and Clay's echo to help him search but wherever they go, they just can't seem to find the bastard.
Much worse, the fog is getting closer. And he's afraid that once the fog touched the caged nightmare creatures, they might wake up.
Which… is definitely bad. Worse even.
So if he could just find nightmare creature Clay talked about, assuming it hadn't been woken up by the fog yet, then he could just stab the bastard with his newly stolen spear while it's still asleep and finally leave this place.
'If I could find it that is…'
But just then, Dein saw something flashed in the corner of his eye. He instinctively look at it's direction. And then behind him as his dark eyes widened in shock.
'Wait… wait a fucking minute. Is… is this for real?…'
Behind him, countless shadows moved in motion as dozens of torches danced, strengthening the light as they slowly grew closer and closer.
It was the tribe's people.
And they are moving towards him at a startling speed.
Dein immediately found himself a place to hide.
'h-how… how the heck is this even possible? Aren't you people supposed to be dealing with the fire…?' Dein thought to himself, hiding himself behind a tree.
'Wait no, scratch that. How are they moving so fast?'
If Dein can remember, it had just been an hour since his escape. During that time, he kept on moving forward, closer and closer to the fog. So… how the hell did they catch up so fast?
They can't have left the same time he does so there should be an incredible distance between them if they decided to follow.
So how? In fact, how did they even know he's here? Did someone saw him when he left the shrine and run? It's possible but why would they even bother hunting him down?
"Whatever it is, we have to leave"
A serious voice that sounded like a child reached Dein's ear. When he turn around, it was the Little girl. At least the form is that of a Little girl. As for the speaker, Dein doesn't know how old the Serious guy is.
He just sounded serious and stern but also irritable.
Dein addressed them with a worried look on his ugly, dark face. "When did you guys came back? Did you find the monster?"
"Nope, we looked everywhere but we can't find the monster, mister"
The tone changed to that of the sweet little girl. Before changing right after to a scaredy one.
"N-not just the monster… i-in fact, we can't find any monster at all… it's like, they've all vanished. Only floating cages remains…"
The information, made Dein gritted his jagged teeth. His already scary face turning more as he clicked his tongue.
This… is the worse information ever.
No really, it's beyond worse!
Unacceptable even. Because it means one thing, the monster Dein were trying to find, along with all the monster that is locked up here on the Northside of the tribe, are already inside the fog…
That said, it doesn't mean that the monster just woke up, left their cages and walked towards the fog like Scaredy seems to be insinuating. It just meant that the monster locked up here on the north were just situated farther from the tribe and closer to the fog than Dein had anticipated.
Which… just made things even worse.
Because there's no way Dein is going inside that fog. He's a hundred percent sure he's going to die if he does.
Dein looks down, gritting his teeth.
He tried to glance back but in the next moment, a familiar sensation of his flesh burning returned. He felt suffocated as his neck tightend in pain.
"Arghh!"
With a groan he immediately pushed himself off the tree and fell to the ground. A second after that, the tree creaked as it was cut in half.
Dein's expression sank as he looked up. Gripping his spear that had fallen to the ground.
The choking pain had already left him, replaced by shock and horror when he saw the man standing before him with a wooden sword in hand, his body now covered in burned marks.
The man grinned, pulling the gauze off his face.
The face where Dein had once sank his fingers into.
It was Lei. Grinning as he spoke.
"Heh, I knew you'd be alive rat! Ah, but don't worry, I'll be the one to fucking kill you soon."
*****
Quin continued running forward. Behind him, over a dozen tribe's people followed. Holding makeshift torches they made from the Sacred Flame.
"Continue moving forward! Prioritize the children and women!…"
He ordered to his people. Using his abilities as a Chosen – aka, awaken – Quin can see how close people are to dying, which gave him an advantage when it comes to choosing who to save and prioritize.
That's also how he managed to gather the survivors from the fire when the Sacred Flame fell. Choosing only those who were far from dying.
Even if it means saving only more than just dozen in the process.
His other ability allows him to connect his life to others. Effectively healing them or draining them of their life's span. But Quin found no reason to use that as it will only drain a lot of his essence.
Quin continued ordering his people, placing male warriors on the front to act as the vanguard while female warriors on the back, acting as the protectors. In the middle were the civilians, along with his own son, Klen.
He gave Klen a glance, reassuring his terrified son as well as everyone. Right now, they are only moving at a startling speed because of Lei, whose one ability allows him to increase his speed indefinitely while another allows him to pull people with him at the same speed.
He's like a horse running in front of everyone. Pulling them.
That said, it will only last for a few more minutes. Quin is sure that Lei is reaching his limits. Both in Essence and in the strain of having to control his speed.
Quin sighed. But just then, someone spoke beside him.
"Chief… someone's up ahead"
Clara informed him.
"Where? How far up ahead is it?"
Quin immediately asked. He had been looking straight ahead all this time, except when he occasionally glance back, but he saw nothing but trees and the wall of fog looming up ahead. Even Lei who's running at the very front haven't seen anything.
Only Clara did, but that's also because of her ability. Allowing her to zoom her vision up to about half a hundred meters. She could also speak in the mind of those she sees.
"About 43 meters ahead… it's hiding behind a tree"
Quin stared up ahead as well. He doesn't know if the being up ahead is an enemy or not yet. It may be one of his tribesmen who had managed to escape on their own.
But it could also be the monster whom they suspect escaped the shrine after doing something to the poor kid, Clay.
And so Quin prepared his spear. Ordering his men to do that same. Then he turned to Clara, whose expression still looked grim from earlier. Well, everyone in the tribe is to be honest. Even Quin himself.
"Alright, can you tell Lei the situation."
In the next moment, Lei slowed down. Clearly having heard of the situation from Clara, even though only in their minds.
Clara and Quin immediately catched up to him.
"Is it the escaped rat?"
Lei hissed as he looked at his side, asking Clara who gritted her teeth. Whenever the monster was talked about, Clara's expression turned even more grim. Remembering what happened to her brother, Clay.
"I, I don't know yet. They're hiding now… I only managed to catch a glimpse of them when I still haven't zoomed my sight fully. So… I'm not sure."
Lei clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, useless."
Quin sighed as he heard his response.
"Nevertheless, whether it's the monster or not, we have to be careful. The tunnel the priestess used to come to our tribe is close to where that guy is hiding. We can't let anyone near it, especially that monster, he's… he's simply too dangerous."
They continued running as Quin explained. When he finishes, the two had a serious expression. After a while, Lei said in a dark, arrogant tone.
"Leave the bastard to me. I'll butcher him up"
With that, he turned left and ran to the forest. Leaving everyone behind.
And in the next moment, not far away from them now. A tree was cut in half as a dark, small gremlin with sharp fingers and teeth rolled to the ground.
Barely avoiding the same fate as the tree.