Running away

'This, my dear, is not a light punishment from Mother's gaze.'

After having the inner monologue, Adrian pondered the boy's words seriously, realizing that he was the one who knew about the skinwalker.

Adrian had no idea how the boy could tell that the human slave wasn't the same as before but a skinwalker.

I mean, yes, seeing how he was able to break the chain effortlessly and how his hand regenerated without any worries with the collar intact, it was safe to conclude that it was anything but the human slave now.

As they engaged in casual conversation, the situation on the other end took a bizarre turn.

"I can't fathom why you slavers are attacking me. I've been obedient, just like the model slave you desired. I even gathered logs for the fire."

Upon hearing these words from the human slave, in his unaltered voice, the slavers and the remaining slaves couldn't help but shudder.

'Well darn, the so-called skinwalker has the ability to read memories as well.'

Adrian finally realized the gravity of the situation. He didn't want to linger any longer to discover the capabilities of this abomination or why it had only possessed that particular human slave, but he didn't want to find out.

He eyed the keys hanging around the waist of the robust slaver, contemplating every possible strategy because he couldn't think of any way to reach the keys unless fate decided to favor him for once, and the keys conveniently fell at his feet.

"Hey! I doubt you two can beat that thing. I know what it is. Your only chance of survival is if you free us, and we all try to fight it together."

Adrian shouted at the robust slaver, sensing it was the only viable solution to their predicament.

Before the slaver could respond, the human slave, now revealed as a skinwalker, turned toward Adrian and offered a smile.

Witnessing that smile, both the slaves and slavers alike felt as if they were being assessed like prey by a predator.

"Do you think I'm dumb?" The skinwalker retorted with a tone that unmistakably conveyed the folly of Adrian for vocalizing their plan so openly.

'Well, it is my fault for treating him like a dumb abomination. Lesson learned.'

Adrian pondered silently, refraining from responding to avoid further provocation that might trigger a deadly rampage.

Not receiving an answer, the skinwalker turned back towards the slavers and scrutinized them. "Do you think you can stop me with this?" It looked down at the ropes made of snow and the whip around its neck, posing the question.

Trusting Adrian's suggestion, the robust slaver decided to follow his advice, realizing they didn't have many options left.

"Don't run, or I'll track you down, and you won't enjoy the outcome," warned the robust slaver as he tossed the keys in Adrian's direction, his face concealed by the hood of his cloak.

Adrian swiftly caught the keys and immediately began unlocking the chains that bound him to the vampires.

He then proceeded to free the twins' kids, as the boy who had provided him with crucial information earlier deserved the same favor.

"Why would you do that? Do you believe they'll assist us, fully aware that it could cost them their lives?" shouted the lanky slaver, acutely aware of his harsh treatment of the slaves.

His greater concern was the possibility that the slaves might turn on him even before his particular abomination wearing the skin of this human slave.

"Shut up. The shadow manifestor isn't foolish. He understands that if he escapes, this human slave, or whatever it is, will track him down after killing us," declared the robust slaver, maintaining a firm hold on the staff that was keeping the ropes made of snow in place.

Freed from the chains, Adrian tossed the keys to the female werewolf.

Although he should have handed them to the vampires, he refrained. The enslaved vampires were likely hungry for blood, and Adrian had no intention of becoming their snack.

Just as Adrian contemplated escaping, a realization struck him.

"Because of these collars, I can't do much!" he shouted towards the robust slaver, who remained silent, offering no response.

'This fat bozo.' 

Adrian inwardly cursed as he grasped the reason behind the robust slaver's apparent generosity in handing over the keys and allowing him to go free.

'I can't escape in this state. The skinwalker will catch up soon, and I'm helpless to lend a hand in this condition.'

Frustration consumed him as he struggled to figure out what to do in this predicament. Just as his mind was hitting a dead end, the boy behind him touched his arm and gestured for him to run.

The direction he was pointing in was… straight forward.

'Should I trust him?' 

Without waiting for him to decide, the twins immediately started running in the original direction of the procession, so did Adrian. Witnessing their escape, the skinwalker chuckled and turned his gaze toward the slavers.

"You two can also run, you know. Leave these slaves to me. With both of you being 3-core level core bearers and having no restrictions, you stand a better chance of outplaying me," the skinwalker suggested to the slavers.

Upon hearing the words of the human slave, the slavers would be dishonest if they didn't find the proposition tempting. The lanky slaver even glanced at the robust one to gauge his agreement.

Without uttering a word, the robust slaver simply waved his staff again, causing the snow around them to transform into ice cubes. He directed these ice cubes toward the human slave, enclosing him in a makeshift coffin, and to everyone's surprise, it was effective.

The skinwalker didn't retaliate or show any resistance. Maintaining the same enigmatic smile on its face, it allowed the slavers to proceed with whatever they were doing.

Observing the success of the attack, the robust slaver eased a bit. He understood that it might not be sufficient to contain whatever this entity was, but it provided an opportunity to catch up to the fleeing slaves and finish them.

He had little time to contemplate, as the other slaves also began to run, abandoning the other human slave who was nearly frozen due to the earlier assault by the robust slaver.

"You go after the ones who just entered the forest. I'll pursue the shadow manifestor and—" His words came to an abrupt halt.

His head soon fell cleanly from his neck with a swift cut.

"I'll track them down on my own. You don't need to worry," declared the lanky slaver, and beneath the hood of his cloak, his face bore the same eerie smile as the skinwalker.