Close Call!

The spirits that were just calm and cheerful just moments ago were flying around the sky.

The atmosphere was suddenly cold yet somehow also warm, in everyone's eyes, the world or their vision was becoming blurred or twisting due to the amount of ghostly bodies around.

"As for me, I can't see anything... Barely. Right now something bad is happening by the damned lake, seriously I just got here and I am about to get into trouble..."

Yoru thought to himself, paused, looked at the two ogres who were suddenly backing away from fear but still had eyes on him, then added:

" Get into trouble with the ogres I've never met, whatever was hiding in the lake, and the ten people I just found... What a day."

He sighed and turned around, dashing away.

The others suddenly saw him jump back into the dark forest and they did not hesitate to follow, none of them didn't dare turn back.

Chills were running down their spines as a loud roar broke through the screams of the dead, everyone else only heard the bone chilling scream.

Don't look. Don't look.

Everyone's thoughts all had the same instinct, they felt as though if they looked, they would have met their end.

Screeeeeaaaaaccchhhh!!!!

All eleven youths suddenly had the shivers, they ran as fast as they could without looking back, not daring to look back, not even trying to slow down even if their legs were weakening from fear.

The screams of the deceased in the air was loud, only to Yoru, he gritted his teeth as he weaved through the bushes.

He was at the middle of the group, the slowest was the young farmer and the oldest of the twins who was helping him through the forest.

Bleurgh!!!

Schwooop.

Crunch!

A loud roar that came from the ugly ogre suddenly erupted as a disgusting crunching sound was heard.

Everyone panted and heaved, they did not want to be here anymore!

...

The surroundings in his eyes were all in a translucent, light shade of blue, the light and the dark blended and mixed in with each other.

Wang Zihan had a calm look on his face, but he was tense and nervous, the sudden heightened senses due to his ability to perceive different elements were frightening.

"How could I die here? I am the successor of the Wang family! I can't die here, not without being able to do something!!"

He thought inwardly as he let out a heavy breath and continued to run.

His minds were in shambles.

The sensory overload was too much and he felt like he would pass out.

' But I must not! I need to set an example!!'

Letting out a low growl, he calmed his thoughts and ran.

He ran and ran.

Ran as fast as he could.

The group followed and kept up with his speed, other than the two straying members who were falling behind...

...

Zhao Lina kept a good pace, she was in the middle as they weaved through the bushes and the trees.

She could see light far away, they were close.

So...

So close...

However her gaze kept wandering to their eleventh member.

The red ogre said something...

"Something about his parents? Goddess Of Souls and Lord Of The Dead, he looks just like any other commoner but not at the same status as that farmer."

She said to herself in her mind as she leapt from a large tree root and then followed the group.

In her eyes, she could feel the heat coming from very very far behind, where the clearing was.

Her senses were simple and advanced and wouldn't give her much of a headache unlike Wang Zihan.

Her blood red eyes tore through everyone's bodies as she examined them.

They flew orange and red, they were clearly becoming exhausted, some had a small shade of red like the twin and the farmer, along with Wang Zihan.

However the only calm one here was the eleventh member, making her suspicions grow but cannot say much.

She needed more information.

" Who is he? Why did that ogre ask for his parents name? Is he a an enemy, a threat? Will he be a part of our group and help us?"

Many such thoughts and questions were racking up her brain.

——!!!

Another loud roar tore through the darkness and the tense atmosphere of the forest.

She looked ahead of herself again, the light, which was the end of the forest or atleast another clearing maybe, was getting brighter and closer.

Giving the young black haired youth another glance, eyeing him up and down.

She allowed one last question to surface in her mind.

"Can he be trusted?"

***

[My oh my, what have you done that made all those souls erupt? I'm not complaining however, surely that should make them lose their beliefs from whatever was in the center of the forest.]

After what felt like an eternity running, everyone collapsed by the same hill beside a tree, the exact same place I woke up.

I sat down underneath the shade of the tree, catching my breath and to give the people some space.

Looking up, I saw the same deceased adventurer looking the same as she's always been.

A rather bright cheerful and teasing smile as she floated right next to me.

We were far from the group so I could speak to her openly, however I decided to keep my voice quiet still.

"What was underneath that boulder in the lake?" I asked while slowly steadying my breaths.

She looked at me, a wide smile appearing on her face.

[Ah, so you reached that far into the clearing huh?]

She looked at the ten youths that were laying down on the grass, they were all dead tired...

And frightened and maybe even traumatized, but that was none of my concerns.

" Do you know what that thing was?" I asked, glancing at her on the corner of my eye as to not seem suspicious, looking at thin air.

She looked at me somberly and sighed, she took a glance at a girl with white hair that faded to red...

And then a blonde young man who, despite everyone running for their life due to fear, still had a cheery smile...

Finally she turned to me, and she spoke with a disgusted tone:

[As you already know, it's called a graveyard of souls... But the one at the center of it, the reason, is the Soul Harvester.]

I gave her a long look, I too let out a sigh.

If it's called that by a necromancer then I might as well be cautious of it...

Clap!

Clap!

Everyone suddenly turned their heads, including me and the deceased necromancer spirit, at Wang Zihan.

He still wore a bright and bright and bright smile on his face as he addressed everyone.

"Woah! Close call wasn't it guys!?"

He chuckled and pat everyone on the shoulder as they let out a weak groan or a loud sigh of exhaustion.

Zhao Lina swatted his arm away before he could even get his hands near her, she sneered at him and turned away.

He then walked up to me, this time his smile seemed out of place underneath the shadows of the tree...

"Let's get along well, yeah?"