Chapter 28 - The Unworthy and the Champion(III)

MInutes after the carnage, Raven and the others arrived just beyond the grove. The screams had ceased a while back, making it difficult for the group to locate the place, but, through the brilliance of everyone, they managed to trace the steps of those who came before.

As they neared, the thick smell of blood instantly assaulted their noses. It was everywhere— omnipresent, a cold eerie telling of the horrors that took place here sometime ago.

Trix covered her nose with her arm. She exclaimed, "Blood… what the fuck! Where is everyone? Didn't we follow their tracks? There's no way they all just… died, right?"

"What happened here?" Kai grimaced.

Questions upon questions, yet no at a single answer. 

The scent of blood was overwhelming. In all his years of service with the Serpents, it was his first time encountering something like this. He was used to large brutal shootouts and minor savage acts of barbarity. Along the way, he had built up the confidence of a battle-hardened survivor. Yet this… this wasn't a mere act of barbarity. There were no signs of vicious fights.

No.

No. This was something else. Something supernatural.

Kai felt a cold dread creeping into his thoughts, the realization settling in that no amount of training or composure could help him. The supernatural thrived on fear and mystery, and in this moment, he was truly petrified.

 How were they to proceed now? 

Kai could already feel his confidence waning.

The others basked in the mellow atmosphere as they retreated into their alarmed minds. No one could comprehend the workings of this place. The answer to this mystery eluded them all.

"A merciless massacre," muttered Raven, breaking the silence.

"What?" The group looked at Raven in confusion.

Raven ignored them, focusing on the crushing sensations pressing down on him. While the others remained oblivious, he could feel it. There was a terrifying supernatural presence here, overwhelming ❰Seventh Sense❱ and every other forms of perception. 

Blood began to trickle from his eyes and nose as he struggled to perceive the nature of this oppressive presence. "A merciless massacre. So cold, so brutal… there was no fight. It was over in minutes—"

"What are you talking about?" shouted Malyk.

Trix frowned, cutting him off. "Shhh. Just shut up and watch for goddamn sake."

More blood poured out of Raven's eyes and nose as he fought against the supernatural presence. The answer was there, just out of reach, gnawing at the edges of his mind. The harder he tried to reach it, the more brutal the backlash became. 

A stream of blood burst from his ears.

Staggering his way to a blood-stained tree, Raven placed his trembling hand on a drop of blood. His breath hitched.

After a moment, his voice dropped to whisper, "They were caught off-guard. Safety. They felt secure, and when the monster came, they couldn't react. No, that's not all. There's more.. something else. They couldn't fight. They never stood a chance."

"What do you mean?" questioned Kai with a frown on his face.

"What is the worst enemy to face? A foe that strikes from the shadow. An enemy that lurks beyond the perception of its prey. One that knows the primal laws of the hunt. They could not see it. It was invisible. That's why they never stood a chance. How do you fight something you can't even see?!"

The world Raven perceived was far different from the others. ❰Seventh Sense❱ was strangely working perfectly at this moment. Perhaps because it was stimulated by the supernatural presence. Only a few times has he been able to utilize this ability, and in all these moments, he was in grave danger!

The world Raven saw was bleak. Lingering remnants of emotions swirled in the air. Majority of them was fear. The fear of the unknown. He could almost hear their screams as they died. The dying cries surrounded him. He was drowning… drowning… drowning… drowni—

"Raven!"

The shout yanked Raven out of the spiral. 'Just as I thought, I 'm still unable to control ❰Seventh Sense❱. To think I almost died because of it. I should make sure to not overuse it in the meantime.'

"Raven!" Trix called out again as she wiped the blood off his face.

She looked at his pale face and her eyes shone with concern. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Raven weakly replied. 

"Was that the ability of your sigil?"

"S-Something like that," replied Raven. He mustered strength and then stood up. "Kai, we need to go. Whatever it is, we will find it in the grove. The core of this supernatural presence. The monster."

"Are you sure?" Kai nervously clenched his fist as he took a look at his surroundings. He had a lot of questions for Raven, but now was not the time for hesitation.

"Yes."

"Then, let's go!"

Suddenly, Malyk exclaimed, "What the hell are you guys doing? We can't go in there! That's insane, even for me."

"Why? Are you scared?" The group were surprised by the panicked look on Malyk's face.

"That's beside the point. After hearing that bullshit from Raven, you still wanna go? Kai, look at Leve. She is fucking terrified. She hasn't said a word since we got here. I'm willing to bet she doesn't agree with going in. We can outlive this monster. Let the other examinees bear the weight for us. Didn''t we all say the goal of this preliminary is survival?"

Trix chuckled, "You are asking us to run away with our tails tucked between our legs? Where's all that macho bravado you displayed earlier? Hahaha, I wouldn't have thought someone like you could feel fear. Heh."

"I'm just trying to be a voice of reason. Kai?"

"We can't back out. This is preliminary. Experience matters more than survival. At the Serpents, the masters mock us because we are not settled in the supernatural world. This is our chance to see from their eyes and grow."

"Leve?"

"W-We hav-have to go, no matter what." Leve's eyes were full of determination.

Malyk sighed and then looked at the last person. "Raven?"

"It doesn't matter if we hide or not. Such a flaw in the preliminary is nonexistent. I fear the only element noteworthy is time. We must strike while we still have the advantage."

"Huh? I don't understand."

Raven explained, "Think about it, the people who died here were in the same position you are in now. They thought they could wait it out, and yet, they still died. The mechanics of the monster are beyond our understanding. We can't fully predict its boundaries. I think, when the time is right, the monster will exit the grove and hunt everyone hiding. Worst case scenario…. no, it should not be that complicated."

Kai raised an eyebrow, "What's the worst case scenario, Raven?"

Raven's face was a mix of fear and excitement. He knelt down, drawing in the dirt— a large circle containing a smaller circle.

"Think of the large circle as the entire region, everywhere from north to south. The smaller circle is the core of the supernatural presence, the territory of the monster. We have heard screams coming from this area. Now, normally, the monster's operation is limited only within its territory. The fact we have not been attacked is proof of that. However, there remains a contradiction."

Trix said with a nod, "The monster did, in fact, leave its territory to hunt those wandering outside. Otherwise, the people that gathered around the grove wouldn't have died."

"Yes. So, I think that there are certain conditions that briefly allow the monster to expand its territory."

Ever since the ghost-like creature attacked him, Raven had delved into the study of monsters. He wasn't yet an expert, but the sparse knowledge he gathered was enough to piece together this situation. It was a common misconception that the modus operandi of monsters couldn't be understood. They could be understood, but only if one had comprehended the laws of the supernatural— territories, supernatural presence, territorial abilities and conditions.

Kai repeated, " What is the worst-case scenario, Raven?"

"Most likely, once all the conditions are met, the monster's territory could merge with the entire region, becoming almost absolute. And it will be free to hunt as it desires."

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. They didn't want to believe Raven's words, but his logic was undeniable. 

Malyk scratched his head and then sighed, "Fuck it, let's go then! We will just have to club this damned monster."