Ch 5: A Thrilling Night - Part 1

The carriage moved at a steady pace, but the ride to the next territory was not comfortable. Even those who looked to be on the same side seemed to differ.

'Now that I have devoured that village, I feel some of my power returning. But it is far from enough. I must depend on this group to get me by.'

There were five people sent to escort Fenrir to the next territory, but there was no reason for all of them to make it back alive. Fenrir already had plans to devour two of them and ensure only one escort and the coachman made it back alive.

He spent the whole day carefully observing the party and making sure which of the three seemed to be the odd one out.

Usually, when such a conflict of interests occurred, the chances of a side banding together were higher. And it would be a shame not to take advantage of this opportunity and fill his stomach.

"The sun is settling down now. We should settle down for the night and light a campfire. There are too many wild animals in these parts, and getting caught by them would be bad."

The coachman advised but they were in the middle of the forest. It was beyond dangerous to camp out since anything could happen.

Two of the three escorts looked uncomfortable and ready to deny this, but the third one (and also the one who looked like the leader) agreed with the coachman.

"You are right. It will be dangerous to travel now that the sun has gone down. I had a feeling this could happen, so I asked the temple to lend me a protective charm.

As long as we have this, no creature could come near us and attack us."

The leader assured me, but the other two still looked uncomfortable at his words.

Fenrir's eyes moved to look at the artifact filled with divine energy, and his instincts as the first demon lord told him not to approach the artifact or touch it. Divine energy was like poison to him, and it would harm a demon like him if he touched it.

'But would it really hurt me right now? My soul might be that of a demon, but my body is human, and that that 'bastard's blood runs through it. Shall I try touching this artifact and checking?'

Fenrir's desire engulfed him, and his reasoning was weakened. 

He almost reached out to touch that divine object when the leader pulled it back and put it under wraps once more.

"This artifact is our lifeline while we are out here, so I will keep it safe…. what? Do you have anything to say to me?"

The leader asked with a frown, and the other two exchanged glances before asking the important question.

"How can we believe that the artifact is the genuine thing? What if you got scammed by the temple, and they ended up giving you a defective product? We would all die-"

"So, you are doubting the temple, and is it sincerity now? Do you have any idea what could happen if I let this news spread out? Your names and your carriers will all be posted online. Do you want something like that to happen to you?"

The leader cut off the doubter, and the man fell silent. 

It was one thing to accuse the temple once, but to keep insisting that the temple could have made a mistake was a grave sin. 

Seeing how the second man fell quiet, the leader sighed and walked toward the clearing. He put his stuff down before he came back to help Fenrir down from the carriage and into a wheelchair.

"We shall spend our night here. If anyone has a problem with it, then they do not need to stay with us."

With that being said, their course of the night was decided. The coachman cooked them all a mean with whatever ingredients he had left, but that meal did nothing to fill Fenrir's stomach. His appetite called for a life force, not human food.

But he could not take what he needed until it was time.

Once they all settled down after dinner, Fenrir knew that it was time for him to carry out his plan. He picked up an empty pouch that was used to carry water, and he decided to turn the others to show them what he was thinking about.

"I will go and get some water. Does anyone else want water as well?"

Concern immediately flashed across the faces in front of him, and the leader stood up to come with him.

"Wait a minute! You cannot leave this place all alone. What if something were to happen to you? Ugh, one of us needs to accompany you. Should I go with you-"

"No way! Why would you go with the cripple…I mean, our guest? You should stay here with the artifact and protect the camp. Hey you! You should go with our guests and get us some water. Here, fill our pouches as well."

It was the leader's turn to get cut off while speaking. Out of the two escorts left, one of them was vocal, while the other looked timider and more absent-minded.

The bolder one decided to take advantage of his partner and give him the task of going after the cripple.

"Ugh, do I have to-?"

"There is no need for anyone to come with me. If you want water, you can hand me your pouches, and I will get you water as well. There is no need for anyone else to come with me if they feel uncomfortable."

Fenrir pointed out with a smile, but the party gave him an odd look. The leader finally decided on behalf of the party, and it was decided not to send Fenrir alone.

"These woods are far too dangerous, and you are burdened with a bad fate by the gods. As someone who offered you help, it is our duty to keep you safe and make sure you reach your destination without much interference.

Now, don't deny our help, and take one of us with you."

The timid escort did not have a chance to refuse or say anything else before he was sent after Fenrir. This was not a part of his plan, but this was something Fenrir could work with. 

He walked ahead and the timid escort followed after him at a slower pace. The man looked ready to jump at the slightest provocation if possible.

"D-Don't you feel afraid of going into the woods all alone like this? We don't even have the temple's protection, much less have a way to defend ourselves. W-We might get killed out here since we are all alone."

The timid escort complained, and Fenrir bit his lip so as not to spoil the surprise. But there was no suppressing the grin on his face as he led the path.

"Are the woods really that dangerous? I had never been into the woods before since my mother and other villagers often sheltered me. I am afraid that I have no idea what you mean."

Fenrir's words made the nervous escort become even more nervous.

"I-I…feeling fear is a human emotion. Even if you don't have any idea what I am saying, don't you still feel your heart skip a beat and sweat cover your brows? Even the darkness feels sinister at the moment."

The timid escort spoke, and Fenrir finally let out a sigh.

'My heart does skip, but it is out of excitement. I can feel that my meal time is close.'

The forest was dark, so it was easy enough for Fenrir to make them lose their way. The timid escort did not notice it at first, but after a while, he could not even keep walking and did not have doubts.

"Hey, I did not want to call you out, but do you know where we are going? We should have reached the river by now, but I don't hear the sound of flowing water. H-Have we gotten lost?"

The man asked in a shaken voice, hoping fervently that he was wrong about his assumptions. Unfortunately, he had sharp intuitions and he managed to guess what happened.

It was a shame, but it was time for things to end. Fenrir had played around enough, and his hunger could no longer be held back.

"You don't hear the sound of flowing water nearby? It is close, just a little further, and you can hear it. Why don't you step forward and fill the pouches? I will hold them until you are ready to fill the next one."

Fenrir promised, and the shaken man decided to take the gamble before he stepped forward and kneeled down. He could finally hear the sound of flowing water.

"Ah, so it's here. I can finally hear the water flowing. How weird, I could not hear it until now. But I can finally hear the water and-"

The man leaned down to fill the pouch, only to lean off the edge and fall down. 

He never noticed the slight glow of red around his rims, nor did he see that he was being played. As soon as he had walked away from the safety of the holy artifact, he had been free fodder for Fenrir.

Something sharp impaled his chest before the darkness opened and swallowed that man. 

Above the cliff, Fenrir felt the life force of that man leaving him and flowing into him. His meal was finally done and it made Fenrir feel alive.

"It was a good meal, and I finally feel alive after having fresh life force. Now, it is time for me to head back. But how should I play this out now? Should I pretend to be a poor victim who has been left behind to fend for himself by his escort? I am sure it will be fun to fool them all."

Fenrir rolled his wheelchair and started to walk back. On his way, he found and killed a small beast and smeared a little blood on his body. He also made small wounds on his face and arms to show that he had a rough time.

By the time he retired to the camp, a considerable amount of time had passed. The other two plus the coachman seemed to be getting ready to head after him into the forest.

*Huff*

With a show of great effort, Fenrir managed to get his wheelchair to the pair and they took a look at his deceived form and his hurt body. He did not even need to explain himself since his condition caused the other two to draw their own conclusions.

"W-What the hell happened to you? Did a wild animal…no, more importantly, where is your escort? Don't tell me, that man…"

The leader tried to explain what happened, but it was clear that he had already formed his conclusions.

"I-I, there was an attack, and my escort ran away to try to get away. But because he ran suddenly, the beast decided to chase him and leave me behind. What should I do? That man might be dead, and it could be my fault."

Fenrir let out a small sob as he spoke these words. His sorrow sounded real, and it caused the other two to exchange a look over his head.

"Don't worry about it. I am sure that your escort will make his way back soon. If not, then someone will go after him to find him. You should not let this affect your mind, or you might get sick."

The leader tried to make Fenrir feel better, but his words caused his partner to stiffen in shock.

There was only one person here that could go after their lost comrades, and it was the bold escort. He gritted his teeth in anger but chose to remain quiet for now.

It was not time for him to act yet.