Once he heard that strange sound coming from behind him, Dean turned toward the north again. His heart began to bump like crazy as his body got alarmed because of the sudden noise.
Before, because he was concentrated on planning the start of his journey and collect resources, he didn't notice how quiet the environment was. However, when those sounds came from the north, he realized it.
'Something is coming! If it's out there, then definitely a Dread is coming, there is no other guess!'
Dean was panicking now. When fighting against the 5th gen Dread, he was very confident and determined, but he knew that his luck wouldn't repeat.
He knew the basics about Ascending. This way, he was aware of the fact that, after you Ascend, your power won't be the same next time.
"Willpower" gather in someone's heart during those 13+ years. It accumulates until the human passes for a harsh situation that obliges the body to release all this power and give the human the ability to control it. All that "Willpower" released at once will have a high potency, which will increase someone's strength several times more.
Dean was fifteen. He was two years late to Ascend. The "Willpower" was gathered in high quantity in his heart.
'Besides my change in power in the next times when I use this energy, there is also the fact that I can't control "Willpower" just because I Ascended. I need to learn the techniques and find a way that is suitable for me. It's not that simple!'
Since he couldn't fight, then his only choice was to run away and hide. Dean knew very well that Dreads had sharp senses, so the chances of him being heard or smelled were high, but he wouldn't stay still in the same place to turn into Dread food.
'If it is coming from the north, I will move to the west and wait until it gets another path. I just need to pray not to be noticed or choose the exact direction which the monster will get.'
Dean looked around the last time, just to be sure that he didn't let anything pass unnoticed, but hurried himself once the noise got louder.
He tried to run at first, but his legs, especially his calf, didn't let him do so. The boy needed to leave that place limping and feeling waves of pain cross his body as he walked as fast as he could.
As the noises got louder, anxiety befell on him, making cold sweat run down Dean's back and his breath get unsteady. He didn't even look to the sides or behind, frightened that he would face the beast right after he did so.
After what seemed an eternity, he finally got to the forest edge, hiding himself behind one of the gray trees and peeking in the north direction.
'I need to be sure that the Dread won't come my way, or else I will be dead. From now on, I can just escape if I go deeper into the forest, and that alone can be too dangerous.'
He waited some minutes and could spot four figures coming his way. Nonetheless, they weren't Dreads, but humans.
"What!?" He shouted, unintentionally, but then covering his mouth with all his strength.
'What the hell is it? Humans? I would never expect humans to walk around here. This place seemed to be desert from any living being, even Dreads since no one got attracted by the sound of the explosion.'
He saw that the group moved toward the fissure that got opened on the ground and began to analyze it. Their inspection wasn't detailed, though. They weren't investigating.
'They have weapons made of Petroleum-metal. Their clothes are the ones which Ascendants would usually wear as well. I think they are one of them. That's logical. They are exploring outside their settlements, after all.'
Dean reasoned for a while on that matter. He was pondering the risk of showing himself to them.
'If they are Ascendants, they can't be bad people at all. The Ascendants sacrifice themselves every day to help people. They can be somewhat harsh, but they generally are kind-hearted.' He remembered the Ascendant that teleported him, trying to save his life.
The boy decided to go there and talk to the group. They would surely be of huge help. With his exhausted body and lack of resources, he wouldn't be able to survive for too long, except if he got lucky again.
"Hey!" He waved to those four people.
They all got alarmed at that exact moment, unsheathing their weapons and turning to him.
Dean raised his hands above his head. He emphasized his limping even more, showing that he got harmed.
"I am human, don't worry! I just need help!" He shouted in a pleading voice.
The group looked at each other. It was hard to see their expressions from that distance.
"Come here, boy! But keep your hands above your head!" One of them shouted, sheathing his sword again. The others followed him.
Dean got in front of them. He was a bit apprehensive, but hoping that everything would go well.
That group of four people had some bruises and cuts all over their bodies as well. One of them was carrying a heavy bag filled with tools and provisions. The others had backpacks but were less heavy.
"Hey, boy." A man with a black and bulky beard, average-length dirty hair, thick brows, and tired eyes, pointed toward that fissure. "Did you see the Dread and the Ascendant that did it?"
Dean gulped. He didn't know whether it was a good or bad idea to say such a thing to that stranger. He was looking to the sides as if he was a kid that just did something wrong.
"Erm... I did it. A Dread of 5th generation was here but ran away. But, yeah, I did it."
The group looked between each other, their brows raised, and their eyes widened.
They returned their gaze toward the boy, impressed.
"Tell me more about this, boy." The bearded man asked, approaching him.