Chapter 36: Mission E (4)

Third-person Point of View

"Run! Run, don't stop running!"

"Damn it! Reynolds told you we shouldn't have come to this place!"

"Please, I don't want to die! I still don't want to die!"

"Help me, help me!"

"We're going to die. There's no escape..."

A group of 5 people, 2 women and 3 men, ran through the darkness of the forest. They ran for their lives. They had the misfortune of getting lost in this forest. The captain of the group, Reynolds, an adventurer of rank E, base-silver rank, and his other companions were in maximum-bronze, F+ rank hunters. Currently, they were being pursued by a pack of "faceless," creatures with the ability to transfer the face of their victim upon killing them. They measured less than a meter, with coffee-colored bodies and 4 arms. Their speed wasn't very high due to their small bodies. Their method of attack was to first observe their prey, stalk them behind a tree, only revealing their heads. Some novice hunters mistook them for humans, a grave mistake as approaching them led to being ambushed from all sides and beaten until pulp. These mid-bronze rank monsters were second in the food chain in Zone 1.

This specific group fell into their trap, and now they were paying the consequences. Unlike the "Felices," they made no noise; they were always silent.

"Darn it! I'm getting tired. I feel the strength in my legs fading; I can't run anymore! Cristina is the team's healer, and as such, her physique is terrible, making her the easiest prey in the group.

"Come on, don't give up. We'll escape this situation and we will return to the city to get married.," Eduardo, Cristina's boyfriend, was the second in command, being the team's swordsman.

With tearful and with a profound sadness...", Cristina nodded her head.

He grabbed Cristina and hoisted her onto his back. Although their speed would potentially decrease, he didn't care.

This was going to be their last adventure. They had planned to hunt enough lower-rank monsters to buy a modest house in the city and live together.

But fate played a trick on them. As a team of five, they could have confronted the stampede of creatures, but they had no strength left after their hunt. The map had torn, they lost the return route, and they got lost. Two days lost, supplies running out, not much time left. These were their last efforts to survive.

BOOM!

Suddenly, they heard an explosion. Usually, explosions were caused by another group of adventurers or a battle between monsters.

"We have no other options. Let's go to that place."

"This might be our only hope."

"Let's go!"

"With luck, we'll distract them."

They all had grim expressions. They were gambling. It could be a group of monsters fighting, but they could also stop fighting and start killing them. Or the "Change faces" could join the fight and get distracted.

With their last card on the table, they ran towards that direction. Their lives depended on the mother of fortune. Isn't it fun?

Huff... Huff...

Eduardo was getting tired, but they were almost there. Their eyes gleamed with a desire to survive. He wasn't going to die in this place for nothing!

SURGE! SWOOSH! CLANK!

They arrived at the place where the sounds and explosions were happening. All five were stunned by the scene unfolding before their eyes. It was a battlefield, limbs as long and black as the night, viscera everywhere, black blood painting the ground, heads and bodies mutilated. A true slaughter, a carnage, and in the midst of all that hell was a young man. Tall, with black hair that seemed to have a certain shine. He had a mask covering his face; the mask was black, but his blood-red eyes could be seen through the holes, shining with a certain level of madness. His sword danced perfectly with his body; they were one against the world.

Boom! BOOM!

An ice projectile killed another monster, and the ground froze in a small part. Among the trees was a girl with equally black hair, a black mask, but her eyes were blue. She looked so tired, but her eyes didn't.

All the monsters on the ground were maximum-bronze, but they fell like ants without the slightest resistance. The sword always killed those who approached.

Slash!

Snapping out of his stupor, Eduardo quickly carried Cristina to where the black-haired girl was.

"Who are you!?" Elsa, seeing them, went on guard. They had enough with those bastards that kept coming out of nowhere. It had been almost an hour since they attacked, and it still wasn't over.

"Please, let me put my fiancée next to you. We're not bad people! Please, I beg you."

Elsa hesitated at first, but seeing their desperate eyes, she nodded.

"But on one condition. You and the others must help my brother. Also, seeing that you're not tired and that another pack of monsters is approaching in his direction, we're in the same boat. Helping each other is the best option we have."

Reynolds approached the tree and nodded. "Leave it to us. Everyone, come here."

Melany, Reynolds' fiancée, took out 5 recovery potions from her bag and handed them to all her companions.

"I'm sorry, miss. I only have 5 potions," she said, bowing her head.

"That's fine. I already have one with me. My brother gave it to me to restore mana."

SURGE! BOOM!

Another explosion caught the group's attention, and they saw the "Change faces" reach their position. But they were attracted by the scent of fresh blood and flesh. They quickly went to the crater where the most food was, but in that place was Anthony, fighting against a horde all alone.

"HAAHAHAHAH, look bastards, we have surprise guests. Who wants to join the party? You deserve a warm welcome."

They heard the excited voice of the boy, and they were dumbfounded. Normally, normal people should be desperate and distressed as the number of enemies increased, but his voice was excited and happy.

Sigh. They heard a deep sigh from the boy's sister.

With a embarrassed face, she rolled her eyes and said.

"Just ignore him. He's a bit crazy."

Everyone nodded in understanding. They all agreed that the boy was crazy.