Blood littered the forest. Men scream and roar in the midst of swinging blades and thrusting spears. The thin, bony faces of the captured men finally shone with valor and strength even with dirt and blood on their faces. Years of resentment and rage burst from their heart. They channeled it through their battle cry and slashed any cultist they saw.
The cultists while didn't match in strength, they corresponded with their numbers. An endless stream of them came within the forest. They charged like a madman. Not even a slightest of coordination appeared within their ranks. These topless men, with bones accessories all over their bodies, didn't have any leader to command them. Yet, chaotic as they are, they didn't relent to the strong.
And so must I!
Aidan pushed himself to stand. With gritted teeth, he stared at his much stronger foes. A quick glance towards his arms made him realize that his bones were broken. No matter. He surged and rolled the energy within him, healing all the bruises, wounds, and bones in his body.
His enemy was stronger, faster, and better. Whether in wits or strength, the muscular cultists defeated him in both aspects. But distress will not serve him well in this situation. Even a rat would fight back. Why couldn't he?
The man waited for him there. Standing still like he was waiting for him to get up.
"You want to fight?! I'll give you the fight!"
Aidan charged, passing corpses of enemies and allies alike. The cultist roared and drew his mace back before swinging it towards him.
With [Perfect Defense] Aidan rolled underneath the mace. The thick rod of spikes passed his head by an inch. A second too late and it would cost his life. But the risk was worth it. Reaching the groin of the cultist, Aidan used [Energy Claw] to rip it apart.
ARGH!
His scream shuddered the heart. Aidan freezed for a beat before he struck with a [Knockout Punch]. The cultist staggered. And Aidan followed it with [Perfect Uppercut] while sending a few [Blinding Jab] In between.
The cultist was defenseless. With a barrage of punches and the lethal pain that Aidan gave earlier, the muscular man fell.
You have killed a Member of The Ibilis Sektasi, gaining 300 experience!
Aidan roared in triumph. Never before had he felt so much heat, energy, and excitement within his body. The fight had pushed his body to an extent he had never reached. It gave his body so much energy to survive, and he had to let out that power through his roar. But the next instant, he staggered. His footing lost its balance and he fell to the ground.
A huge silhouette stepped towards him. "You've done good, Aidan. A few more fights and you'll be in shape."
The silhouette helped him to his feet. The change of lighting gave Aidan a clear view of the man. "Thanks, Feval."
"Haha, no need to say thanks among brothers, Aidan."
A group of cultists surrounded and charged from all fronts.
"Be careful, Feval!"
Feval brandished his sword and spun in a blur. The man looked at him with a smile while the cultists fell in their own blood.
More than thirty cultists died just like that. How did this man do it? The wind of his blade didn't even reach the enemy and they dropped like dominoes.
"So strong!"
"It's nothing," Feval said. "You'll reach my level in a few years. And perhaps you will surpass me. But I will become stronger to prevent that, hahaha!"
Aidan raised an eyebrow. Where did this man find that confidence within him? Sure, Aidan was confident that he could reach level thirty in a few years. But that was because he had the system. Feval couldn't possibly know about that.
"I will reach your level. But now is not the time to talk. Go help the others. I will stay at the rear to rest."
"Ledrind will take care of that. Besides, most of the cultists have been killed. Let our friends have some fun."
Fun? Taking lives was fun? Was this how the world ran in here? Aidan couldn't help but be disgusted. He hated killing. If not for his own survival and the well-being of his friend, he would not choose to kill. In his world, only discussion and negotiation were allowed. Violence among humans was strictly controlled. Only soldiers were allowed to fight against each other. Damages were limited to military factories and complexes. No civilian in any country would be affected by war... Except his.
Feval looked at him and seemed to notice his ugly expression. "I mean let our friend let out some steam. They had been captured and caged for years. Only by killing with their own hands would the anger subside."
That was true. Aidan had done it before. Yes. The anger had disappeared, but the sorrow remained.
"The cultists are running. Chase them!"
"Chase! Chase! Don't let them escape!
"Kill them!"
"No! Capture them and let them starve! Let them feel what they've done to us!"
His allies charged towards the dwindling numbers of cultists. Even with great numbers, the cultists had lost to the power of the children of fate. And with the last wave of attack, the battle was over.
"We win!
"All the cultists are dead! We can go home now!"
"Home! Let's go home!"
Aidan wanted to go back to school as well, back to his dorm where the bed was warm and soft. Yet as much as they wanted to return to their dwellings, the situation wasn't that simple to solve. First, they are deep within the back garden of Bleassephere University. Feval had told him that this garden was made to hone the skills of the students. And only the best could reach this far. The reason why the cultists successfully made their home here was the fourth-level shaman who had cleansed the beast around the area. The second reason was much more important—it would take a few days to return because of the distance.
It meant he had to walk through the jungle where predators lurked among the shadows. Third, The shaman would hunt them down when he returned. Aidan didn't know how strong this shaman was, but Feval emphasized that they should leave immediately and cover their trail.
"Make sure you sweep the ground properly as you move!" Feval shouted. He ordered everyone to grab a giant leaf and sweep the ground behind them as they moved. This would remove their footsteps, and hopefully prevent the shaman from finding them.
"Why not use magic to clear our trail?" Aidan asked.
"Magic? Do you mean energy technique?" Feval replied. "No can't do. While it is faster to use them, the shaman would detect the recent movement of the energy around the area and would act as a guide towards us. It's better if we put a sign on the road telling the shaman where we are going, rather than using techniques."
"It's that bad?"
"It is that bad." Feval nodded.
The group moved through the forest with discretion. As much as they respected Feval and the others, they couldn't help but let out a few groans of complaints. Ignoring them was the best course of action. And that was what Feval and Aidan did.
The eels' light started to dim and the wind started to chill. So much so that everyone else shuddered as they swept the ground. Some play it smart by jumping around to heat their body. Bad decision. That action made them hungry and thirsty. The source of water was nothing except a few drips from the giant leaves. And there was no beast for them to cook.
Aidan wasn't worried about finding food or water. The problem was whether they would last long enough before that happened. He had heard their stomachs growl and their teeth chattered against each other. Despite not feeling any hunger or thirst, Aidan knew their pain.
"Feval," Aidan called. "Should we stop and make tents? We can use the wood and leaves as our building blocks."
"Wouldn't the shaman catch us if we stop now?" Gomon commented.
"I think we're already far enough. And if we don't stop some of us will die from exhaustion," Aidan said.
Feval nodded. "You are right, Aidan. Everyone let's make camp here!"
Aidan was glad that Feval cared about the others. He could trust this man. Not many could put their lives at risk for the sake of others. Aidan hoped he would meet him after this.
He looked at a tree. Its trunk stood tall and straight. Aidan guessed the tree must be around ninety meters. The wood seemed strong and sturdy, a perfect material for a tent. But he couldn't cut this tree. Not because he wasn't strong enough, but because it was too tall. Cutting this tree would signal the shaman. So he looked for another tree. This time it was much shorter, though it was thinner and weaker than the other.
"This one is perfect." Aidan activated his [Energy Claw] and slashed. As the tree was about to fall, Aidan held it and put it down with care to prevent more noises. That claw attack was loud enough, he was afraid any more would alert the enemy.
Gomon stabbed a stick to the ground. He grabbed another stick and tried to tie it to another stick on the ground. But tying a rope with one hand proved to be hard as the wood slipped and the entire structure fell. Gomon sat on the ground, sighing.
"Need any help, buddy," Aidan said.
"No need, Aidan. I can do this by myself."
Aidan grabbed his shoulder when he was about to make his tent. "Then can you help me make my tent? I can't do it by myself." Aidan smiled.
"Sure."
Stabbing sticks and tying them down, Aidan and Gomon worked together to make a tent. Gomon did most of the instructing, while Aidan did most of the work. Aidan climbed a tree to pluck their leaves before sliding down and putting the leaves on top of the sticks as the roof. He stabbed a few holes on them before tying them to the stick with vines. The group had run out of rope to pass around.
"And we are done," Aidan said, "Thanks, Gomon."
"Your welcome, Aidan. Now I'm going to build my own tent."
Aidan held him. "Stop being stubborn, Gomon. Consider this as a payback for letting me sleep inside your ape golem. And don't forget that I owe you my life. If not for you sacrificing your golem, Siraye, Kalukaga, Sofiel, and I wouldn't be here right now."
Gomon hesitated. He looked at his missing arm. "Thank you for the offer, Aidan. But-"
Aidan grabbed him and put him inside the tent. "Don't be too sad about your arm, Gomon. Back in my world, people would slap a rod on their arm when they lose one."
"Your world?"