Cayden was surprised to see Nena catching up with her eyes bloated with tears. He looked behind to see and was shocked to see Arion being left behind to face numerous Dreadlings all on his own.
He unconsciously stopped as he asked Nena, "Why did you leave him??"
Nena pulled along Cayden and continued running as she said, breaking into sobs, "H-He wants to save us. Don't stop running...otherwise...it will all be for nothing!"
However, inwardly she hated herself for leaving Arion behind. Just a while ago, she had to leave Ina's corpse behind and now Arion.
She was no fool and knew what was going to happen to Arion and that he had accepted it as well. She still desperately prayed that any senior appears to save them all.
Cayden's resistance became weaker after hearing her words. He gritted his teeth as he turned his head back and continued to run forward.
He wasn't feeling any better than Nena about leaving behind Arion but knew Nena's words couldn't be refuted.
Now that Nena wasn't pushing along Arion anymore, the duo could run faster, putting more distance between the Dreadlings and themselves.
Arion's heart thudded inside his body as his shaky fingers grabbed the wooden bow and took out an arrow from the quiver.
The Dreadlings were just less than hundred meters away, and they were getting closer at a fast pace.
He regretted staying behind, but he knew there was no point in running away as well since they would have definitely caught up, and the others would die as well.
However, he decided to fight till his last breath since that was something he had always done in his previous life. To never give up till the end.
He raised his bow and placed the arrow shaft on the arrow rest of his bow. He nocked the arrow's tail against the bowstring and tried to pull it with all his strength.
But the bowstring seemed so difficult to pull back that his fingers were beginning to hurt as he continued to try and pull them back.
His frail hands were trembling, and his fingers began to cut against the bowstring.
"Ugh, Come on! Eeeahhh!" Arion grunted and roared as he continued to apply strength even after his fingers began to bleed.
He was not surprised by how strong this bow was since this was supposed to be used by at least a quasi-Defier, unlike a disabled person like him.
Because he did not possess a body infused with prana, he only had a normal human's strength. And apparently, that was nowhere enough to use this bow.
Still, he did not lay down the bow and waited for them to get closer so he could at least fire an arrow at close range as the last resort.
*Kreee! Kreee! Kreee!*
But even if he was putting up a brave expression, hearing the frightening screeches of the giant spider-like Dreadlings in front of him made his heart writhe.
His limbs and fingers couldn't stop shaking, thus making the bow and arrow tremble as well.
But he then took a deep breath as his eyes focused. He steeled his heart, strengthening his will and resolve, remembering the numerous times he was visited by death and how his present situation was no different.
The only difference in this situation was that his enemies weren't humans but monsters that he had only read in myths and legends.
His mental state was now strangely calm, as if he was used to such situations and no longer had any fear of death.
But his will to survive was still burning in his heart as he thought about Mei and the new life he was granted, only to see that even this life was about to be taken away from his hands.
He wished he could have lived longer and enjoyed his time with Mei.
*Kreee! Kreee! Kreee!"
The Dreadlings reached within ten meters away from him, and their screeches filled the air around them.
"Come on, you ugly fuckers! Aaaah!!" Arion roared as he let go of the bow and decided to at least stab one of them with his arrow since he knew there was no point in letting loose an arrow that he barely could pull back.
*Kreeee!!*
The Dreadlings got even more excited seeing a fresh human up close and pounced upon Arion.
Seeing these Dreadlings pouncing upon him, he positioned the arrow in front of him and stabbed the first one that pounced upon him.
*KREEE!!!*
The Dreadling that got to him first screeched aloud in pain as its body got punctured by the tip of the arrow due to the speed at which it lunged towards Arion.
But because of the force at which it pounced upon Arion, it made Arion fall down along with his wheelchair while the rest of the Dreadlings crowded over Arion as if competing against each other to get a bite from him.
However, just as the Dreadlings were about to bite onto his body, all of them suddenly froze up as if they were petrified by something.
Arion was surprised as he opened his previously shut eyes to see all these Dreadlings crowded before him and making screeching noises as if they were communicating something with each other.
'What the fuck is going on?!' Arion, who was prepared for the worst, shouted inwardly in surprise and shock.
Not even in his dreams did he expect these terrifying monsters to stop their attack on a weakling like him.