Chereads / Reincarnated as a Haunted House / Chapter 14 - Trail of Blood

Chapter 14 - Trail of Blood

After receiving Creambell's urgent message, Moonlight hurriedly made her way to the door, while Finn, with his teleportation abilities, transported himself outside the house. As he materialized in the front yard, his eyes locked onto Creambell, who was sprinting toward him, with a White Akuma Bear running behind him. Frustration welled up within Finn as he wondered, "How on earth did he manage to attract this bear?"

However, unlike the previous encounter he had with such a creature deep in the forest, Finn could now use all his powers to the full extent. He was virtually unkillable, more potent, and had a vast arsenal of weapons at his disposal, within the house's area.

Creambell was giving it his all, racing with every ounce of strength he had left, but the bear was considerably faster. The gap between them, initially a hundred meters, was closing in, growing smaller and smaller with every passing moment. Finn, desperate to help Creambell, knew he couldn't do anything until he reached the house's area.

Just when it seemed like Creambell would reach the house's area in time, it was Creambell's foot that struck a small ice protrusion on the frozen lake's surface. He tumbled to the ground, just a few feet short of reaching the house's boundary. The icy ground beneath him sent an involuntary shiver down his spine, while Finn watched in growing concern.

As Creambell crashed to the ground, he turned his terrified eyes toward Finn, as the charging bear thundered toward Creambell, its roar echoing through the tense air. The island was just  15-20 feet away, while the relentless bear was still 200 feet behind and closing in fast.

Creambell scrambled to his feet in a desperate bid for survival, sprinting towards the island, but it was clear to Finn, from his vantage point, that the bear would reach Creambell before he could make it to safety. In a split-second decision, Finn's quick thinking took over. He quickly teleported and brought a rope from inside the house.

As the bear drew dangerously close to Creambell, its razor-sharp claws poised to strike, Finn hurled the rope toward Creambell. With a breathless moment hanging in the balance, Creambell snatched the rope just as the bear's deadly blow was about to descend upon him. But before the bear's lethal claws could make contact, Finn executed another teleportation, whisking Creambell away from imminent danger and into the safety of the hall, leaving the furious bear empty-handed and defeated in its pursuit.

By the time Creambell and Finn teleported into the hall, Moonlight had swung open the door, inadvertently drawing the attention of the enraged bear. It locked eyes with her and, with a deafening roar, charged in her direction. Reacting swiftly, Moonlight slammed the door shut, her face twisted in terror as she spun around to face Creambell and Finn.

"The bear is coming," she stammered, her voice trembling with fear.

Finn's gaze met Moonlight's, and with unwavering determination in his voice, he reassured her, "Treat Butterbell. I'll handle the bear." With those words, he disappeared once more, reappearing outside with a gleaming sword clutched tightly in his hand, ready to confront the approaching threat head-on.

Standing a safe distance from the house, Finn faced the approaching bear, taunting it loudly, "I AM HERE YOUR FUR TURD."

The bear, already consumed by bloodlust, shifted its attention from the house to Finn and charged at him with unbridled fury. Finn, confident in his abilities, stood his ground as the bear closed in. With precision, he thrust his sword through the bear's chest, while the creature's claw attack harmlessly passed through his ethereal form. The bear, though injured, remained standing.

Undeterred, the bear lunged at Finn once more, its attacks still futile against his invulnerable form. Finn continued to pierce the bear's body with his blade, each strike dealing more damage. The bear, driven by instinct, kept attacking Finn, unaware that it could never harm him.

In the relentless battle, Finn gradually wore down the bear, landing blow after blow. Eventually, the bear succumbed to its injuries and collapsed lifeless at his feet.

And like every time after killing a big monster, Finn took the dead body of the bear to the roof and used his devour skill. As a result, he gained a new ability – Bloodlust. This skill increases the strength of the user by tenfold.

After acquiring the new skill, Finn returned to the hall with a contented smile on his face. Inside, Creambell was diligently grinding the rugu flowers in a pestle and mortar, working to extract their essence. Moonlight, on the other hand, was focused on comforting Butterbell, gently stroking his forehead to alleviate his pain.

As Finn observed the scene, he couldn't help but notice the wound on Creambell's palm. Concerned, he spoke up, "Hey, attend to your wound first. Let me take care of grinding the flowers."

"Wound?" Moonlight exclaimed, her worry evident as she rushed over to Creambell. She said with genuine concern, "Let me see it."

"It's just a minor wound, Your Highness. You don't need to worry," Creambell reassured Moonlight as he continued to grind the flowers in the mortar.

However, Finn gently took the pestle and mortar from Creambell's hands, his expression firm but caring. "Let me handle this," he insisted. "You should tend to your wound first."

With Creambell's hands now free, Moonlight pressed, "Now, please show me." Her concern for Creambell's well-being was evident in her eyes as she urged him to let her examine the injury.

This time, Creambell couldn't refuse his queen's directive. He slowly and hesitantly extended his hands, revealing the deep cut caused by the thorns of the rugu plant. Moonlight regarded the wound with a solemn expression, her concern evident as she asked, "Where did you get this?"

"I got it while I was plucking the flowers, Your Highness," Creambell replied, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation.

Without further words, Moonlight gently took hold of Creambell's wounded palm, bringing it closer to herself. In a moment of intense concentration, she placed both her palms over the wound, and a gentle, soothing green glow enveloped the injury. The wound began to shrink slowly, and over time, it disappeared entirely, leaving Creambell's hand unblemished.

Watching the mesmerizing display of healing magic performed by Moonlight, Finn halted his work of grinding the flowers in the mortar. His eyes were filled with wonder as he exclaimed, "You can perform healing magic!"

However, it was Creambell who answered, "Every pixie queen is blessed with two different kinds of magic. The healing magic you just witnessed is our queen's primary magic. As for the second type, it depends on the current season. Since it's winter, you saw Her Highness use  ice magic when we were dealing with the horde of salamanders."

Moonlight chimed in, elaborating, "I can only heal physical wounds, and even that to a limited extent."

As soon as Moonlight finished her explanation, Creambell turned his attention to the task at hand. With a sense of urgency, he asked, "Is the essence of the flowers ready?"

Finn nodded and handed the mortar over to Creambell. With steady hands, Creambell carefully collected the extracted essence of the flowers and gently placed it in Butterbell's mouth. Moonlight and Finn watched in anticipation as Butterbell consumed the essence.

Just moments after ingesting the flower essence, Butterbell's demeanor began to change. A sense of relief washed over him, and he drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Observing this, Moonlight inquired, "Did the antidote work?"

Creambell's eyes filled with reassurance as he replied, "Yes."

Their mission had proven successful. Creambell and Finn had ventured into the perilous Serpent Forest, obtaining the crucial antidote that ultimately cured Butterbell. The effort had consumed a significant portion of the day, with the sun now nearing the horizon. Thankfully, Moonlight had utilized her time wisely, both in caring for Butterbell and preparing a meal from the salamander meat they had acquired the day before.

After a while, Creambell brought a piece of grilled salamander steak for himself and Moonlight, expecting the food to be delicious. Meanwhile, Moonlight watched Creambell closely, eagerly anticipating his critique of the meal she had prepared. However, when Creambell tasted the food, his eyes widened, and he found himself unable to continue chewing.

"So, how's the taste?" asked Moonlight with starry eyes, looking at Creambell expectantly.

Creambell made an effort to swallow the piece of steak in his mouth, and his eyes filled with tears. He smiled warmly and replied, "It's absolutely delicious."

"Is it?" said Moonlight with an excited expression. "Let me taste it."

However, before Moonlight could take a bite, Creambell suddenly shouted, "STOP!" His outburst caught Moonlight by surprise, and she looked at him with furrowed brows. "What happened?" she inquired, clearly puzzled.

"It just needs a touch of salt, and then it will be absolutely perfect," Creambell quickly responded, masking the truth about the less-than-ideal meal his queen had prepared.

Without hesitation, Creambell fetched six small jars of herbs from his coat and sprinkled them generously onto the steaks. He then gently massaged the steaks to activate the effects of the herbs, all while Moonlight and Finn watched him in astonishment.

Meanwhile, deep within the forest, a formidable and dangerous creature had picked up the scent of Creambell's blood, tracing it back to the trail of blood he had inadvertently left behind. The trail led unerringly to the house, a place it had observed from afar on many nights, but had never dared to approach.

However, this time, a morbid fascination with the scent of blood overcame its usual hesitations, and it was inexorably drawn toward the dwelling of the pixies.

Back at the house, the pixies and Finn were in the midst of celebrating their triumphant return from the forest, savoring the improved salamander steak. Suddenly, the festivities were interrupted by a thunderous explosion at the main door. Startled, everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance, their eyes widening in shock as they witnessed flames engulfing the door.

In a matter of seconds, the flames spread, and the entire front part of the house was ablaze. Finn, driven by curiosity and the instinct to protect, swiftly teleported himself outside the burning house.

There, he saw a monstrous creature, unlike anything he had ever encountered. The creature stood a few meters away from the flames, seemingly unaffected by the chaos it had unleashed. The fiery glow from the burning house illuminated the true form of the beast, a creature that had previously never dared to cross the lake but had now ventured into their territory.