The Giant Chase1

The giant peered down, his gaze locked onto the tiny humans who had yet to find cover. Amid the chaos, Crim seized his opportunity and quietly moved toward the shrine marked on his map.

"Perfect," muttered Crim under his breath.

Darting from one bush to another, he concealed himself in the foliage as terrified slaves screamed, their cries alerting the monstrous presence. It was a fate scarier than anything imaginable, one that not even a normal person would wish upon their worst enemy.

The creature was a terrifying sight—a colossal giant, over 100 meters tall and 50 meters wide, making even the mightiest monsters on Earth seem like mere goblins in comparison. Its feet and fingertips bore ominous black burns, and its face, if one dared to look up, revealed a void where eyes and ears should be. The only features on its purple head were a cold, crisp mouth and a nose streaked with blood.

Crim caught sight of a nearby forest, where he believed the Shrine was located atop its heights. He knew he had a long way to go before reaching safety, especially with the giant closing in, treating the people as if they were mere pawns in a game.

The monster recklessly struck Crim's makeshift fireplace, setting its leg ablaze. In agony, the creature caused tremors as it hopped around, attempting to extinguish the flames consuming its limb.

Amidst the chaos, Crim and a few others managed to put some distance between themselves and the beast. Crim deduced that the creature was vulnerable to fire, much like most humans and animals. He also noticed the lingering burns on the giant's feet, remnants of a previous encounter.

Then came a dreadful crack as the enormous creature crushed the carriage, igniting the remnants of their camp with its fiery leg. The unsuspecting driver awoke, his skin searing briefly before succumbing to the flames.

Crim observed from a distance, crouching low. He rolled in a mud puddle, attempting to mask his scent further. Despite the distance, the monster still appeared colossal, instilling a touch of fear in the young man.

A few survivors had spotted Crim and rushed toward him, which irritated him. "Help us!" they implored, but he quickly hushed them by placing a finger to his lips. They nodded in understanding.

Among them, there was a strong and muscular slave, a thin and fragile boy, and the children from earlier who had decided to follow Crim. He hoped they might prove useful.

The Giant spun around, searching for the scent he had detected earlier. Crim, feeling irritated, hurled clumps of mud at the slaves, much to his "companion's" confusion. The slaves didn't protest; it was how they had been taught.

The forest still lay far off, and the giant approached them menacingly, having extinguished the fire. One by one, he snatched up the hidden figures, sniffing them before devouring them in a gruesome frenzy. The slaves struggled to stifle their screams, while Crim observed, searching for any vulnerability aside from the obvious lack of eyes.

"This is more than I expected," Crim sighed.

The monster drew nearer, and Crim felt a growing unease. He worried that the creature might discover their hiding spot. If all else failed, he'd have to dash for the carriage to create some distance, wait for a while, and then search for the Shrine.

But what would he do with the remaining slaves? For now, they served as valuable sacrifices, but if his second plan succeeded, he'd need to dispose of them without raising any suspicions. It wouldn't be an easy task, he thought, eyeing the fearful group.

Among them, two individuals stood out as capable fighters, evident from their physique and remnants of keen eyes. Unlike the previous bandits, he couldn't rely on deceitful tricks this time.

The trembling ceased, leaving Crim bewildered as the atmosphere took on an eerie shift. The young slaves clamped their hands over their mouths, and the fighters stood frozen in terror.

The monstrous, gnarled hand descended slowly toward their muddy hiding spot. Up close, the wrinkles and scars, remnants of past struggles, appeared even more horrifying. Any of those scars could slice a man in two, but for the giant, they were mere blemishes.

Crim's heart sank, realizing his plan had crumbled, and fear gripped him. The giant revealed its enormous palm, fingers clenched, and finally, its colossal arm touched the grass, thankfully in an empty space on the field, avoiding contact with anyone in the group.

But before the monster could retract its appendage, a young girl gasped, unable to stifle her breath any longer. The giant's attention was instantly drawn.

The creature searched for the source of the sudden movement, much to Crim's dismay and horror. Each time the monster drew closer, the group inched a little farther away, taking advantage of its slow pace, which made it relatively easy to anticipate.

The monster dismissed it as an old wound reopening and pulled back. Crim let out a sigh of frustration; his initial plan had crumbled. Even if he proceeded cautiously, the creature would be onto him.

As it drew nearer to the forest, he decided to bide his time. He waited for the beast to move far enough away, creating an opportunity for him to sprint to the carriage and escape. The tension in the air thickened as he plotted his escape.

The slaves gazed at him with desperate hope, as if he were their savior. Yet, Crim knew he'd have to dispose of them eventually, a realization that momentarily tugged at his conscience before he remembered that this world was but an illusion, a domain of horror.

Then, a bone-chilling crunch shattered the silence. Crim shot to his feet, his heart pounding like a war drum as a tree in the forest cracked open. He sprinted towards the carriage, the others following suit.

"To the carriage!" a mother screamed.

'You stupid—' Crim cursed in his mind with words I can't continue to write, wishing the monster hadn't caught on. But the monster, with its unnaturally sharp senses, picked up on the Knight's plan and bolted towards the carriage.

Crim couldn't fathom how this monstrosity could move so swiftly. Panic coursed through him as he noticed the creature closing in rapidly. He strained his remaining strength, but his stamina betrayed him, slowing him down while the relentless beast closed the gap.

The monster drew nearer, a horrifying presence inching closer with every passing moment."