Chereads / the unliving sage / Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: the silent beast, lurking in the woods

Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: the silent beast, lurking in the woods

"just try and catch up unicorn." Kami had started to leap from tree to tree, gaining more speed than zero; who was now annoyed by this. Kami continued to race on, until he soon sighted a very nearby farm, of a small scale. "bingo, that must be it!"

Kami leaped from the tree and landed perfectly on the grass land opened fields of the farm.

"ha I told him that he will eat my dust... At least my stamina is almost back to full health." Kami examined his seal tattoo with a grin on his face... But then something caught his eyes and attention... In fact it was something that he never thought that he would see again... The strange skeletal hamji that lurks the forest. "....this again."

It stared at kami for a long time, as it's very glares had sent shivers down Kami's spine. The stare kept on, until zero's voice could be heard from far away, scaring off the hamji... Though again, it's escape was instantaneous that it looked like as if it had vanished out of thin air... Strange.

"....I have a bad feeling for this. This hamji does not seem to be like the regular ones... In fact, it almost looked like as if it was... Monitoring me... So Unlikely for a hamji to do..." I observed, as zero started to run towards me with a very angry expression on his face... Oh no gotta run.

"KAMIIIIIII!!!!!!!"

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Zero p.o.v

"Hahahahaha *pant* I'm done *pant* in your face kami..." I taunted him, while wearing my usual grin on my face. I then made my way back to the shed with an exhausted look on my face, as I stared out towards my own side of the freshly harvested crops I did, with a proud smile on my face. "I would like to see him beat that anyways... But where is he."

I started to wonder where he could have wandered off to, as I turned my attention towards his part of the field and even beyond that. Every single crop in that very vicinity.... Harvested... But how, it usually takes me and Mia and sometimes some of the other orphans months to harvest. I gaped my mouth at this shocking feat, as I was still in shock by this but then I grinded my teeth in annoyance as I turned my glare towards the roof of the small shed, to reveal to me kami; who was asleep in his kid form with his scarf-hoodie shedding his face from the sun. I picked up a rock in rage and then threw it at him, as he just stopped it with his two fingers while grinning at me.

"Well isn't someone a sore loser hahahahaha, don't doubt my skills, I'm way out of your league." Kami said with a cocky tone while standing up to his feet and throwing the rock away, as I just folded my arms with a scowl on my face.

"yeah yeah, but with these much harvest, how are we going to carry them back huh... Though I guess I got carried away too." I said on my own part with a tired sigh. "big sis mia will kill me... More work for me."

"you know I can help you right, besides it shouldn't be that hard. At least you guys have food supplies for the next 8 months now hahahahahah." Kami suggested as he started to laugh, which I just glared at.

"i don't need your help cheated, I will do it by myself, me and big sis Mia can handle it." I poured, while entering into the small shed only to bring out a somewhat old wagon, which caught the attention of the small mercenary. I started to load the harvested crops into the wagon.

"so your going to be pulling all that by yourself back to the orphanage??" kami asked being confused by this, as he hopped down to the ground from the shed roof, but as he landed to his feet, his eyes had widen due to shock. He started to sweat profusely and was panting heavily, as he felt his breath become cold and sharp. I had noticed this and had stopped loading the crops, as kami started to rise from his crouched down position.

"Is everything okay kami, you suddenly look like you're about shit on yourself." I asked out in a worried tone, as I didn't had the power to carry an unconscious mercenary and a 8 month worth food stock, but he just held up his hand, signalling me that he was okay, and so I turned my attention to what I was doing... But just before he could take another step, he got another shock and had now clutched his heart in response to the pain. He then stared out to the open field towards the forest we had passed through to get here, with his eyes widen and his grin was now a very seriously scowl.

"Are you sure you don't have a heart problem?" I spoke out in a teasing tone, but then suddenly he turned into his grown up form, with steam now radiating from his right arm, through the bandages. As he just stared back at me with a very serious glare as this had surprised me a little bit. "is something wrong kami...?"

"...Mia is in danger... Stay here, I will be back..." he start to crouch in a sprint position, as he about to sprint off towards the forest. I immediately stopped what I was doing, as I was now worried about big sis Mia situation... But how could this be.

"w-wait let me come! I need to help her!" I cried out trying to stop kami, but before I could reach him, he had instantly zoom off towards the forest at a very high speed that made it seem like he had vanished out of sight, and there was then a thick trail of dust along towards the forest... 'that mercenary.... I need to go help her, it's my job not his!'

I started to run toward the forest too, hoping to reach there on time.

Mia's p.o.v

I continued my path along the forest, as I noticed that kami and zero had started to argue with each other on something I couldn't really understand, as they suddenly ran off towards the field, leaving me behind, as I just smiled and had started to admire the beauty of the forest.

I continued to move on, as I suddenly had a flashback of my times back at the church... St Louis de Paul section church

Flashback

A 11 year me ran through the monastery with a very cheerful smile on my face, as I started to now skip in my steps but then I had mistakenly tripped on my nun outfit, resulting in me falling, but before I could land on the floor, I was held and rescued by a taller figure with glasses, and a slick brown hair and a nicely Sharpe's beard and a very gentle smile on his face. I Covered my face in embarrassment, knowing whom I had just tripped on... Father Michael, the head priest of the church, as he just carried me and had dropped me down on my feet gently, which smiling loving.

"you need to be careful dear Mia, you could have bruised yourself if you had fell... and why were you running so fast, I couldn't even see you." He teased me, as I started to pout, in which he just ruffled my hair and had started to walk away towards the nearby village, while carrying some food stocks with him... In which I was curious about. I started to follow him in a stalking way, but then he just stopped and laughed in a very warm way. " Mia, it seems that your not busy huh, maybe you would like to accompany me to the village then"

I nodded my head rapidly, while running up to him and continue to walk with him.

"f-ather Michael... Why are with carrying food supplies to the village." I asked in a very timid voice, as he continued to smile, while staring at the road.

"Well aren't you an observer right little mia, you see we are going to feed the needy, as that is our duty and we are heading to the orphanage too, at the east district of the town." He responded in a calm tone, while still walking. "remember the 4th corporal works of mercy... Which is feed-."

"The hungry, right father Michael." I completed his response in a timid way, as he just stared down at me, with a unreadable expression on his face, but soon turned into a full side to side grin.

"well aren't you a scholar little one.... You know dear mia, you have a good heart and I pray to God that, that would never change... Always move with your heart and follow the right path..." he said to me while we had reached the town with some people already there waiting to collect the food supplies, as we handed it to them and started to head towards a hide part of the forest. "it seems we are almost there."

"F-father Michael... You said that I should always follow the right path... But how would I know?... How would I know the truth?" I asked him being confused by his wish words, as we continued to move towards the location and were already get close. He just laughed softly and then stopped and raised his head up to the sky, with a blissful smile.

"dear Mia... It's not about finding the truth... It's about accepting it, where by the path to lies is just full of despair and deception... But the path of truth is filled with that of peace and enlightenment. Yes the true hurts at first, but you then use the pain and hurt from it to seek redemption and joy." He spoke in so much wish, as I felt my whole concept on life change, he move slightly towards a nearby wall of bush, and I had started to hear the voices of kids over the other side. He placed his hands to a side of the bush and had then being to draw off the bush as a very bright ray of light shines to reveal a gate with so many children running free and so care takers working in it, I was so amazed by this and was now left speechless by the beautiful scene and joyous sound of children having fun. He then came and held my hand gently while leading me inside the environment. "always remember these words my dear daughter... Humility is shown by those who are willing to accept the truth and see the love in it..."

End of flashback

"... no matter how Overwhelming it is... Thank you father Michael... Where ever you are." I mentioned in a low voice, while still walking on the path. But then suddenly I heard some ruffling in a nearby bush, but I just ignored it, while still walking towards my destination. I then started to notice something wrong about the trail that I was moving along, as I started to sight a now bloody trail and was now hearing the agonizing screams of a man not so far from here. I started to panic a little bit and was becoming even more agitated by this, but as I had finally reached the end of the trail of blood; I was surprised to not find any thing at the end of the trail and no body... But how.

"W-what is going on... And what is this thick smell of something rotting?" I continued to move on with a even more agitated look on my face, as the smell of the rot had become even more violent. I then suddenly felt a very deep chill through my spine, as I turned my back just to fine that nothing was there, but on turning my sight back to my front, I was suddenly met with a piercing glare of a strange being with the body of a victim of malnutrition but with a very paled skin and had an appearance of a rotting corpse, as it seems to be feeding on the head of a hamji with human, with the disgusting sound of chewing flesh and cracking skull echo through the forest. I was now on the verge of throwing up on the mere sight of all of these, but then before I knew it, the beast had three the head of the hamji and in a blink of an eye it then appeared at my front and released a very loud screeching roar and seems to indicate that it was about to attack me with a malicious and hungry intention.

I fell to the ground due to the sudden proximity to me, as it raised it's claws with the intention to harm me, I then resulted to cast a little light spell to blind it. "holy art: blinding light!"

I casted the spell with the aim of blinding the beast, but before I knew it, it threw it's arm at me with a very strong force tied to it, as I was flung away towards a tree and had hit my back on it. I moaned out in pain, as I felt my head cover get removed in the process, but I had to pull myself up back and need to run away from this demon. I was about to rise Back to my feet, but suddenly I was met with the piercing glare of the beast, as it then pounced on me with the intent to finish me off... I closed my eyes and a tear was drew down my cheeks, as I was glad that it was my fate and not someone close to her that would have faced this gruesome end...

'i'm sorry zero... I'm sorry kami... I'm very sorry everyone... Please take care.' I then smile my brightest, as I was ready to receive my fate... But before I knew, I started to hear a fierce battle cry from the right side of the forest, and I was surprised to have seen who it was.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER YOU MONSTER! AURORA DRIVE!!" he shouted out in rage and had delivered a very devastating kick to the side of the demon's face that threw it off the side, as it made impact on the side of a tree; shattering it in the process. I stared back to the mercenary standing tall and seriously, with a death glare directed towards the demon with steam radiating from his right arm and his fangs now visible to view, as his mana presence was constantly growing at very drastically way.

"k-kami..." I said in hope in a very low voice.

"Good thing I made it just in time... Get ready to face me demon... For your life ends here!"