Chapter 19: White Eyes

Several hours had passed. The howling of the storm outside had faded into an eerie silence.

Inside the caravan, the students who had fainted earlier were beginning to stir. Some groaned in confusion, while others rushed to the jammed door, trying to force it open.

Ray slowly opened his eyes. A single tear rolled down from both of them. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was from a dream. Or maybe something else. He wiped it away and looked around.

Mizuko was curled up beside him, sleeping peacefully like a baby. Her breath was soft and steady, completely unaware of everything.

Ray sighed, then stood up, throwing on his coat. He approached the door. Frozen solid.

He traced his fingers along the thick ice that had sealed it shut. It was possible to open it with force, but—

"SHAAAA!"

A scream suddenly erupted from behind him.

"YOU PUNY BRAT!!!"

Ray barely turned his head. It was Doyoun. Still hadn't learned his lesson. Doyoun charged at him as fast as he could—only to trip over his own feet. Ray casually stepped aside.

CRASH!

Doyoun slammed into the door with full force, And the door blasted open. The impact yeeted him straight out of the caravan and into the snow.

"YOU LOW MUG!!!"

Doyoun's voice rang out, but before he could rant any further—

WHOOSH!

A flying arrow cut through the air, missing him by an inch.Doyoun froze, Literally. His pee turned to ice on the spot.

His face paled in horror as he slowly turned toward where the arrow had come from. Embarrassed, he yelled and stomped his foot—then started marching angrily in that direction.

Ray and a few other students stepped outside. The cold hit them instantly, their breaths turning to mist. But before they could assess their surroundings—

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Doyoun was running back toward them at full speed, his face pale, tears streaming down his cheeks. And hanging from his pants— His frozen pee.

"IT'S THE MOUNTAIN GHOOOOOOSHHHT!!!!!!"

The students tensed. But Ray's eyes narrowed. Behind Doyoun, several arrows came flying through the fog—

Doyoun turned to look back, Fell flat on his face, And pissed again. He raised his hands in the air, begging for his life.

"I SWEAR!!! I'LL BE A BETTER MAN GOD!!!! PLEASE LET ME LIVE!!!"

Before the arrows could impale him—

SHHHHHHT!

A thick ice wall emerged.

The arrows embedded themselves into the ice, stopping inches away from his trembling body.

Ray stood with his left hand glowing light blue, releasing frost and snowflakes into the air.

In his right hand—

A Glass dagger with blood vein-like patterns pulsing inside its blade.

Doyoun scrambled to his feet, barely looking at Ray.

"I-Illa haha Huhu Hng hng!!!!"

With that, he ran back inside the caravan, still crying. Ray ignored him. His eyes darkened as he turned to face the direction the arrows had come from.

"Stop hiding."

His voice was low.

Cold.

For a moment, silence....Then—

WHOOSH!

An arrow shot directly at one of the students. Just as it was about to pierce a girl—

It vanished.....

The next second, It was in Ray's hand. His fingers crushed it like paper. His eyes turned red, pupils glowed with pure rage.

"I said... stop hiding."

A deep, eerie laughter echoed from the distant fog.

Eyes...

Dozens of them. White eyes, glowing unnaturally. One by one, figures emerged from the mist.

Not ghosts...

Not demons...

The Mountain Elves....

Their pale white frostbitten skin was covered in blue and red veins, their pure white eyes unreadable. They wore white thick Arctic coats, blending perfectly with the snow.

The students shuddered.

Ray analyzed everything. Temperature was Below -20°C. No human footprints anywhere. Their caravan horses are Dead. The driver Probably dead too.

They were completely stranded. Ray turned back toward the caravan. He exhaled slowly.

"Were you the ones who found us?"

The elves laughed. But didn't speak. Ray's mind raced.

"Expected."

His grip tightened on the Glassy dagger.

"It seems we have something unexpected."

The voice came from one of the elves, seated atop a horse that looked as pale and unnatural as the elves.

Ray slowly raised his silver dagger, its veins pulsing.

"We don't have to do this."

His voice was cold, but controlled....The elves burst into laughter.

"Don't have to do this? Bwahahaha!"

The mounted elf grinned.

"Don't you know how delicious you humans are? How foolish would it be to waste such fine supplies?"

Ray sighed and took his stance. The archers raised their bows, crossbows, and compound bows. Assassins unsheathed curved daggers and serrated blades. Mages lifted their hands, their fingers glowing with an eerie light.

And the horse riding Elf, He unsheathed a massive claymore—made of bone, adorned with gold and black markings.

Ray remained still.

"Isn't this the time when your kind migrates to the Eastern Region?"

The elf chuckled.

"Haha... Exactly. That's the plan. Since you humans know we migrate east at this time, it made it easy to set a trap. We let you think you were safe. But the truth is—"

His grin widened.

"HUNT."

Ray glanced back at the students. Some were frozen in terror. Others couldn't even process what was happening.

Then, slowly, Ray began walking toward the elves. The leader tilted his head.

"You're not human, now are you?"

"Doesn't matter."

"How amusing. Are you also planning to devour human flesh?"

"Negative."

The elf sighed.

"How about an offer, non-human? You leave their care to us, and we spare your life."

"Declined."

Ray's answer came instantly. The leader's grin faded....

Instead,

His face twisted into terrifying Sinister smile.

"Aurze."

The command was given, arrows rained down, the elves scattered, surrounding Ray.

Ray crouched, his left hand touching the snow.

WHOOSH!

A massive ice barrier erupted, sealing the students and the caravan inside.

"This makes things easier for me."

The first wave of arrows came. Ray caught every single one. Then—

Then he vanished. An archer blinked in confusion—

SHUNK!

Two arrows pierced through his eyes.

Not just him—

One by one, the archers collapsed, dark purplish blood spraying across the snow.

"Eleven down."

Ray's glowing red eyes locked onto the leader.

SHING!

Blades whistled through the air.

Assassins appeared around him, aiming for his throat. But, Ray vanished again.

SPURT!

Heads flew... Ray landed, completely unstained.

"Seventeen down."

Then—

BOOM!

A shockwave blasted Ray backwards.

He skidded across the snow, nearly fifty meters away.

His vision blurred.

"The... fuck?"

Ray touched his head. A sharp, throbbing pain.

The leader stepped forward.

"I am Fcrohelas Szhalamar. The leader of my kin. The greatest warrior of my people."

His voice was filled with malice.

"I gave you a Win-Win deal. And yet, you refused."

He dashed. Ray barely dodged, leaping into the air just as the claymore sliced through where he had stood.

Ray was struggling.

The other elves are nothing but insects to him. But this leader...Was different.

WHOOSH!

Arrows shot toward the ice barrier, aiming for the students. Ray caught them mid-air and hurled them back.

SHUNK!

Each arrow pierced through an archer's skull.

But...

"HNYAH HNYAH HAAAAA!!."

A presence behind him. Ray's body froze.

The Claymore...

Mere inches from his neck....