CHPT 74: The Brave Assassin, Allblack

Chadwick and his group stood in the cold and dark forest, silent— and motionless. After hearing the loud ripping noise originating from deeper in the forest, they all froze from the feeling of fear that started to grow within them.

Chadwick looked around and noticed everyone was looking at him, in their collective moment of weakness, they were looking for answers from their leader.

"Ansel's about to pass out from exhaustion, Riley's low on arrows..... and Oliver and Brenda have almost no mana leftover. The best option would be to leave with the experience we've gained— even if that means leaving Carter...one life....or six.." Chadwick assessed the situation as realistically as possible under the uncertain and fear filled gazes of his group.

After a few seconds, he looked behind them all to the exit of the forest, it was only a few yards away. Once they stepped out, all they had to do was go back the way they came and leave. It felt dangerously tempting, but he couldn't move back— he couldn't lose another teammate. He looked at the exit of the forest once more before facing his group and looking them all in the eye.

He sighed and prepared himself to give them an order they would probably dread.

"I know your all exhausted and low on...well everything. But, I can't leave him. There was a brief moment where I was ready to, but I couldn't face my wife and son knowing I let someone die simply because I was tired and scared. I just can't leave him. So please, join me in this search and fight. I want to find him and kill this Undead bastard." He said to the group.

To his surprise, they all looked to be cleansed of their fear. Even Brenda, who previously looked terrified ever since she saw Carter enter the forest alone.

"You know you don't have to ask. But yes, let's find that brave Assassin and kill the Undead Giant!" Ansel said while the group silently agreed.

Chadwick thanked them and turned to lead the group deeper into the forest under the faint— but bright, light of the crescent moon in the dark night sky.

They trekked through the forest in silence for a matter of minutes. Chadwick was confused on why it was so silent and why there were no signs of battle.

"Did it already kill Carter? Is it waiting for us in silence somewhere deeper in the forest?" He began to think up worst case scenarios while they continued to walk in search of Carter and the Giant.

He stopped suddenly, causing the rest of the group to skid to a stop behind him, they all mentally prepared themselves for the enemy they assumed was right in front of them.

"What is it? Do you see the giant?....Carter?" Ansel whispered.

"N-No.....it's the sword." Chadwick said as he pointed to the sword stuck in a thick tree a couple dozen feet ahead of him.

They all looked to where he pointed and found the sword jammed a foot or so deep into the tree. They didn't know what to think, or what it meant for Carter. If he fought the Ghoul without its sword—obviously he had an advantage if the Ghoul no longer had a weapon, but was he strong enough to actually defeat it?

Chadwick jogged up to the sword and inspected the area around it for any clues that could tell him what happened.

"Oliver, I need a light." He said from his spot near the sword. Oliver walked over and summoned a small flame in his hand that he used to light a stick, once he made the crude torch he handed it off to Chadwick.

Chadwick held the torch to the sword looking for any blood or pieces of fabric that might've been torn off by the sword. Luckily he found nothing, he decided to search for footprints in the dirt to see where the battle took place next.

He was successful in finding a trail of prints from the Ghoul, but he found another pair that left him completely confused.

"Chadwick, are you alright?" Brenda asked from behind him. She noticed he held the torch still while looking at the prints for too long and it bothered her.

"Paws..?"

"What?" She said.

"Why are there wolf paw prints in an Undead Tangent?" He asked.

The group soon walked over to see what he was looking at out of interest and confusion.

"Holy hell! What wolf is that big?" Ansel said once he saw them deeply pressed into the packed dirt ground.

"I don't think it's a regular wolf. It's probably some related species that crossbred with other canine species' brought by the Tangents. I remember my father had the head of some kind of wolf monster hung up on his wall, the thing gave me nightmares." Chadwick said with a shiver.

"For our sake, let's hope the thing's long gone." Ansel said.

"Well..." Chadwick said.

"What now!?" Ansel said irritatedly.

"The wolf prints go in the exact same direction as the Ghoul." Chadwick replied before placing the fire over the Ghoul prints close by.

"Shit." The group said in unison.

After a few seconds, Chadwick stood up and prepared to continue walking— now keeping an eye on the tracks. Before he could take even two steps, the outline of something in the distance stopped him again, this time whatever he saw made his blood run ice cold.

"Everybody get ready! The Ghouls here!" He said before dropping the torch and raising his shield.

The group jumped into formation and looked in his direction frantically, they soon saw the dark outline of the Ghouls longs and emancipated arms raised and motionless. There was a very faint glow behind it that increased the intensity of its pose.

The group stayed still for a moment, waiting for it to attack or even make a sound. Nothing came.

"Wait a minute.." Riley said before activating her vision skill.

"What do you see? Why isn't it moving?" Chadwick said.

"I-it's dead..." she replied in a voice filled with disbelief.

Right after she spoke, the entire group received a notification they were starting to think they'd never see.

DING!

[Tangent Complete! The Undead Giant has been slain! Collect the Loot you've earned and exit.]

[Rewards for completion: 150 EXP!]

"No way..." Oliver said. For the first time, the expression of astonishment was clearly displayed on his face.

"He did it?.....he solo'd a boss?" Chadwick said.

They all sat quietly for a moment and just let it all sink in. It seemed unbelievable to all of them that someone could face such a powerful boss on their own.

"Well what the hell are you all doing? Let's go find that crazy bastard!" Ansel said happily before stomping off towards the Ghoul that was beginning to look restrained by something as they got closer.

Oliver lit a handful of sticks to supply the whole group with torches while they approached the Ghoul.

The group abruptly reached the Ghoul with a shred of disbelief still held tightly within them. Once they started to look at it, they were left speechless.

"Wh-what is this?" Ansel said as he looked at the tight wooden bindings that restrained the Ghouls arms, they all followed the path of the thick branches and noticed the trees above them and behind the Ghoul all reached for it like dozens of sharp fingered hands.

"Wait...they have leaves." Brenda said.

"They do!" Ansel replied in surprise.

As they looked around, they noticed the portion of the forest they were in looked...alive. But that wasn't what surprised them most at the moment.

"He beheaded it??" Chadwick said as he looked at the black fluids bubbling faintly and leaking from its neck.

He noticed no one was speaking or responding to him so he looked to see what was occupying them.

They all were no longer interested in the Ghoul, instead they looked at whatever was behind it. Everyone stood still except Brenda who ran to whatever was behind the Ghoul.

"Don't tell me..." he said before stepping to the side to see what was behind the Ghoul.

He stood near Ansel, slack jawed and motionless. His torch fell down to his side but the area's visibility didn't worsen by any means.

The lush growth of forest greenery illuminated the area in shades of lively greens and vibrant browns that heavily clashed with the downtrodden and dead aesthetic of the rest of the forest.

He looked at the thick green grass that covered the floor until his eyes fell on a person. Brenda stood next to the man in the grass with tears streaming down her clear skinned face like a river.

"He really did it." Riley said.

"Y-yea.." Chadwick replied in shock while he looked at Claude's motionless body laying in the center of the large patch of reborn forestry. Even though he was unconscious, his face held an expression of anger and discomfort. His arms shook from how tightly he was holding the Ghouls head against his chest as if he still thought he was fighting to remove it.

Chadwick stepped closer to get a better look at the head of the giant.

The Ghouls eyes that used to glow a lifeless blue and convey its feelings of insatiable hunger, now held a dull black and grey hue. They conveyed a feeling of absolute nothingness that matched its ghastly sunken face.