chapter 66 : barbarians pursued
The weary students, their bodies pushed to the limits by the relentless trek, finally reached the sanctuary of Long Su's encampment.
As they staggered through the wooden gates, they were met with the sight of skeletal militia that look weaker the. The skeleton that save them
standing at attention, their unwavering vigilance a testament to their loyalty and discipline.
In the heart of the camp, a curious scene unfolded.
A young man, his face illuminated by the warm glow of a crackling fire, sat feasting on a generous slab of meat.
The tantalizing aroma of cooking meat wafted through the air, an irresistible beacon to the famished students.
Long Su, pausing in his meal, offered a warm welcome to the newcomers.
"Come, eat first, and later we shall talk," he said, his words laden with empathy for their ordeal.
The students, their bodies wracked by hunger and exhaustion, found their strength ebbing as they partook in the meal.
The silence was punctuated only by the soft sounds of chewing, a testament to their ravenous hunger.
One by one, they succumbed to the comforting embrace of sleep, their bodies finally surrendering to the respite they so desperately needed.
Only one student remained awake; his eyes locked on Long Su with a mixture of admiration and curiosity.
"Thank you for saving us," he said, his mouth still full of food. "My name is Xie Jin, from the second grade , first class ."
Long Su, humble in his response, brushed off the praise.
"Anyone in my situation would have done the same," he replied.
"My name is Long Su, from the third grade second class ."
Xie Jin's eyes widened in recognition. "You're Long Su? the only student with undead skeletons as his units?" he asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
Despite the heroic actions of the skeletal soldiers in securing their rescue, Xie Jin had assumed the unique army was the result of a special summoning method, not a standard student force.
Everyone konw that the skeleton are weak and manged long su to make them stronger then second level Barbarian's units
He didn't continue to ask questions; everyone has a secret, but his mind was struggling to reconcile the reality of the situation with his preconceived notions.
As the night wore on, the fire crackled and popped, its embers casting dancing shadows across the faces of the sleeping students.
With a final word of gratitude, Xie Jin joined his fellow students in a well-deserved slumber.
Long Su, mindful of the precarious nature of their circumstances
chose to forego the refuge of the World Seed, opting instead to sleep in the open air alongside the others.
The night stretched on, its dark embrace enveloping the camp in a shroud of uncertainty.
All creatures disappeared and dared not to seek open shelter within the barbarians' dwellings, the rank stench that permeated the air serving as a potent deterrent.
The students slept fitfully, their dreams haunted by visions of their recent ordeal.
As Long Su drifted on the cusp of sleep, a voice pierced the silence, jarring him back to consciousness.
"Your Highness, please wake up," Zhang Han urged, his tone laced with concern.
"We have a problem."
Long Su's eyes snapped open, his mind racing as he surveyed the camp, searching for signs of danger.
Stirred from his slumber, Long Su found himself caught between the haze of sleep and the urgency of Zhang Han's words.
"What happened? Did the barbarians attack us?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.
"No, Your Highness," Zhang Han replied, "but our scouts have discovered the barbarians' army, and they are but a mere twenty minutes from our location."
The weight of Zhang Han's revelation settled upon Long Su, dispelling the last remnants of sleep from his mind.
"Did the scouts discern the size of their force?" he inquired, his voice tinged with a sense of foreboding.
"Yes, Your Highness," Zhang Han confirmed, his own anxiety mirroring that of his lord.
"The barbarians' army is immense. Their numbers range between twenty and thirty thousand strong."
With the dire nature of their predicament now laid bare, Long Su's mind raced to formulate a plan. "Wake the students," he ordered decisively. "We must flee at once. Gather the army; I will send the majority of them to the World Seed, leaving only a small contingent to hasten our retreat."
The darkness around them seemed to deepen, as if the impending threat had cast a shadow over their refuge.
With each passing moment, the prospect of escape grew more urgent, and any thought of engaging the enemy in battle was dismissed as a path leading only to certain doom.
The escape scrolls, their last resort, were not an option, leaving them with no choice but to flee with all due haste.
The once-quiet camp was now a flurry of activity as students, their eyes heavy with sleep, were roused from their slumber by the urgency of the situation.
Fear and confusion etched deep lines on their faces, their whispered questions hanging in the air like a heavy fog.
"What has happened?" they asked, their voices trembling with uncertainty.
The sudden awakening had left them disoriented, and the ominous mood that had settled over the camp only served to heighten their anxiety.
Xie Jin, his gaze trained on the skeletal soldiers gathering together before vanishing into the World Seed, deduced the dire circumstances that had befallen them.
"It appears the barbarians are approaching," he said, his tone grave.
Long Su, sensing the growing unease among the students, addressed them with a firm resolve that belied the gravity of their predicament.
"Everyone, we must flee now," he announced, his voice carrying across the camp.
"The barbarian army is closing in, and their numbers are vast."
The students exchanged anxious glances, the weight of Long Su's words settling heavily on their shoulders.
The thought of an immense barbarian force bearing down upon them filled their hearts with trepidation.
Despite their fear, they clung to the hope that Long Su's leadership and the remaining skeletal soldiers would see them through the perilous journey ahead.
——————
Just 15 minutes after long su rescued the students.
In the dimly lit throne room, palpable tension hung heavy in the air.
The Blood Clan commander, his crimson eyes burning with fury, sat upon his imposing throne, his gaze fixed on the trembling figure before him.
The news of the students' daring rescue had reached his ears, and his wrath echoed through the hall like a death knell.
"You lost them," he seethed, his voice dripping with contempt. "How did you lose them? I gave you ten Blood Barbarians, and still, they slipped through your grasp."
His fury was a tempest, a force that threatened to consume all those who stood in its path.
The assembly gathered in the room cowered under the weight of his wrath, their bodies trembling with fear.
No one dared to breathe a word, lest they draw the ire of their volatile commander.
Cold sweat trickled down their spines, their fear a visceral thing, a living entity that held them in its icy grip.
"Elder Etug," the commander continued, his voice now a frigid whisper that demanded obedience.
"Take fifty blood barbarians and join the barbarian army in pursuit of the students."
" You had better bring them back, or don't even think of standing before me again."
The weight of the commander's words settled over the assembly like a mantle of doom.
Elder Etug, his face pale and drawn, bowed deeply, his body shaking as he acknowledged the command.
He knew that failure was not an option, not when the price of failure was the unfettered wrath of the Blood Clan commander.
As Etug took his leave, the commander's gaze swept over the remaining figures, their faces etched with fear and uncertainty.
"As for the rest of you," he growled, his voice laced with chilling authority, "order your troops to hasten their search. We need to find the other students. You have one day."
The assembled priests, their faces drawn and weary, bowed deeply, their whispered affirmations barely audible.
They knew that their lives now hung in the balance, their fates inexorably tied to the success of their mission.
As the last of the priests departed, the commander was left alone in the silent throne room
his rage still simmering just beneath the surface.
His crimson eyes burned with fierce determination, a promise that the students would not evade his grasp for long.
The night had borne witness to their escape, but with the rising dawn came the unrelenting pursuit of the Blood Clan
their fury and vengeance echoing through the darkness like the beating of a thousand drums.