Out of the Forest

While Alia took her time in helping Akt out, both Dalt and Shadow struggled to keep up with the pace the beasts were attacking. With two people less shouldering the burden together, it became increasingly difficult to cover for the others. It was even more so because they had to halt their steps in order to save Akt.

"Alia, are you done? What's taking so long?" Shadow asked.

Anxiousness was apparent in his shaking voice. He was puzzled as to why it was taking her a long time to get rid of a single wolf. It should have been done in moments, but it was already full two minutes since then. With irritation budding in his chest, he turned around to look. And when he did so, his eyes opened wide in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. He was aware that he could not get distracted at a time like this, but he could not help himself with this one.

In his view, a bloodied and wounded Akt stood up and walked unsteadily as his head hung down, his chin rested on his chest. An overwhelming aura filled with sharpness came out of him. While his appearance suggested otherwise, the aura he was exhibiting was as if a magical sword had manifested in his place. It was disconcerting feeling.

"Dalt... Look..."

Confused, Dalt could only ask, "What?"

And it was then that he saw the white-haired young man they were supposed to save standing as he headed for the beasts. His movements were sloppy, but surprisingly, his aura was sharper than before.

Akt lunged forward before anyone could stop him, and moments later, he was back on the battlefield. He swung with reckless abandon. The way he moved lacked the sophisticated motion he did earlier, but his attacks made their way to their targets nonetheless. It was that unrestrained sharpness from the atmosphere surrounding him that seemed to power his strikes.

Beasts fell one after another. Akt did not seem to care about defenses any longer. Even when he was hit, he continued to swing.

"Guys, what's happening. Are you done?" Kark asked as he backed a few steps, turning around towards the rest. When he did so, he was dumbfounded.

'What the hell?'

Alia's voice reached them right after, waking them up from their stupor, "You idiots! Help him and drag him back here! I don't know what is happening... Or how he's doing it, but that guy's unconscious. If you don't bring him back, he'll be gone soon..."

The rest were surprised in hearing that. How was it possible for someone unconscious to... move in a way like that? They had tons of questions waiting to be answered. But this time, they recognized that it would be stupid to stay still. They could not stop here.

Dalt and Shadow rushed towards Akt and covered for him in the direction that he could not handle. In between the wolves' assault, Shadow pulled him by the scruff of his neck, and with all his power, threw him in Alia's arms.

"You deal with him!"

And so, the group, with their worn out bodies fought their way to the edge of the forest.

--

It was still quite dark in the earliest morning of the day, but it was at this time that people of different walks of life wake up in order to start their day. Whether it be common people, merchants, and many others, many had made it their habit to start their day early as a way to induce productivity.

At this time, a middle-aged guard finally arrived at the southern gate of the city. If Akt was here, he would definitely recognize this person as the guard who would always chat with him on his way out of the city.

"Thank goodness, you're finally here, Nils!" A guard stationed at the gate said jovially.

Nils rolled his eyes in amusement hearing his colleague.

"You just want to slack off, don't you? It's not even time to switch, and here you are, so eager to have me replace you already."

Nils' colleague clicked his tongue, "You don't understand, old man. It's just too hard to keep myself awake at night. Man... if only my shift is in the day, I would have been fine. Plus, it's unnerving to guard in the dark. The torches just don't do the job."

"Scaredy cat?" Nils chuckled.

"Whatever. Have you not heard of the rumors? I would not be antsy like this if some asshole did not spread crazy rumors like that..."

"What rumors?"

"You know... about the mysterious black figures. According to the rumors coming from the merchants from other cities, a lot of people had gone missing and some even had been assaulted in alleys and other secluded areas by black figures. And they say that it usually happens in the dark... Isn't that too scary?" The guard narrated with fervor. He pointed at the torch attached to the wall after. "Look, do you think these torches light shit up properly? Man... it's really dark out here during the night. It feels as though something would pop-out the next second."

Nils also frowned upon hearing this but relaxed soon after, "Aren't they just making that up? How could people go missing like that without the authorities even catching a single person responsible?"

"But don't you think that for there to be smoke, there's got to be fire somewhere?"

"Even if that's true, there are so many guards around you. Why are you so scared?"

"Now that you say that—"

The guard halted. His expression turned grave the next second.

"What's up?" Nils was puzzled about his reaction. Curious, he followed his gaze. What he saw alerted him.

Beyond the gates, just outside the forest, a group of adventurers walked unsteadily. Their bodies were filled with terrifying wounds. Their bodies were colored red as if they had bathed in blood. It was a mystery to Nils how they could still be walking.

"This..."

Both guards could only mutter to themselves upon seeing such sight. What the hell could have happened for these people to be in this sort of situation? They thought.

Nils was dazed for a while as he scanned these people. It was only when he spotted a white hair amidst their dirtiness did he remember a certain young man that always chatted with him a few weeks earlier. Normally, he would have forgotten, but with such memorable hair and eye color, how could he forget it so easily?

'Akt!'

"Quick, help them with me!" Nils urged his colleague.

"You know one of them?"

"Yes," Nils said. "I'll tell you later!"

--

Dalt and the rest had finally made it out of the forest after fighting the whole night. They would not have made it if the demonized beasts followed them, but that did not seem to be the case as the beasts stopped right before the edge of the forest. They did not know as to why, but they did not have the mind to explore that question even further. In the first place, it was a mystery as to why they were targeted and swarmed by these wolves.

It was as though everything was done on purpose. Still, they could only thank the heavens for making it like that. It was only because of that after all that they made it out alive.

"Hey! Are you all okay!" A middle-aged guard came out of the gates together with another guard and ran towards the group.

Dalt heaved a sigh of relief seeing them. It seemed that they could finally relax. There were finally people in his sight rather than the wolves.

"Please, sir... Bring us to the medical facility of the Adventurer's Guild."

"What happened out there?"

"We were chased... and then..." Dalt could not finish and fainted right after.

"Hey. Hey. Are you alright, man?" The other guard beside the middle-aged guard rushed forward and caught him.

The middle-aged guard, Nils, scolded his colleague and ordered, "Stop the questions for now. Let's just bring them inside first."

"My bad, alright. I'll carry this one and call the others to help."