Wendy raised an eyebrow, surprised by Kalsie's assertion. Navigating in the darkness was no easy task, and she was skeptical about his claim.
"Trust me!" Kalsie declared with determination, moving ahead of the group to guide them in the right direction.
Two monsters lurched toward them from the front as the scent of blood filled the air. Knowing they were no longer slow and weak, Kalsie refrained from engaging them at close quarters. Instead, he hurled his torch at the monster on the left.
"Growl!!!" The injured monster howled in pain while the other leaped toward Kalsie.
Upon witnessing this, Fred and the others nocked their arrows, preparing to assist. However, Kalsie raised his left hand, signaling them to hold their fire.
The monster's dangerous claws closed in on Kalsie's head, mere inches away. Yet, he remained unperturbed, his reflexes sharp. With a swift maneuver, he sidestepped to the right and swung his sword while the Dead Walker was still airborne.
Thud! The monster's head was severed from its body, and it crashed lifelessly to the ground.
Without a second glance, Kalsie sensed the white orb's energy being absorbed into his body.
He retrieved his torch and swiftly dispatched the remaining injured monster, which was still writhing in agony. As the group caught up to him, Kalsie resumed leading the way.
Behind him, various emotions played across the faces of his companions. Some felt relief, while others smiled knowingly, expecting Kalsie's strength. Still, others displayed a mix of wariness and surprise.
They all understood that absorbing the white orbs had boosted their abilities, but the extent of Kalsie's newfound strength was astonishing. Witnessing Kalsie dispatch the two monsters within seconds left them wondering how many Dead Walkers he had vanquished to attain such prowess.
Wendy, too, was astonished, realizing it would take her significantly longer to defeat just one of the creatures.
Observing Wendy's expression, Fred couldn't help but comment, "What? Are you surprised, by any chance?"
Wendy turned her head toward Fred and shot back, "Why are you looking like that? Its gross."
"Didn't you mention earlier that you're more skilled than my brother? Still confident about that?" Fred referred to their conversation from the previous night when they had huddled together to devise a plan for their safety.
Fred's frequent mentions of Kalsie had irked Wendy, prompting her to assert her superiority out of annoyance.
"Ugh, just be quiet. I'm going to help him," Wendy declared, picking up her pace as her stamina gradually returned.
As Wendy drew nearer to Kalsie, he briefly acknowledged her with a nod before refocusing on their path.
"You seem like someone who doesn't like relying on others," Wendy remarked, startling Kalsie.
"What do you mean?" Kalsie inquired, taken aback by the question.
"You stepped into the forest to find your friends despite the risks, and earlier, you practically made yourself bait so the rest of us could escape. I can't decide if you're an idiot with a good heart who helps others or an idiot who's unwilling to trust anyone else when it comes to your own life and prefers to handle everything alone," Wendy explained, her smile taking on an enigmatic quality.
Kalsie fell silent for a moment before responding, "I don't see anything wrong with becoming bait when I'm confident in my strength. As for trust, if you think I can't trust others with my life on the line, you simply don't know me well enough."
"That's a fair point," Wendy conceded. "I'll let you in on something I dislike: owing anyone a favor, aside from my family or friends. But since you've saved me once, I owe you one. So, if you ever need a favor, you can count on me for one."
"Alright then, I'll keep that in mind," Kalsie replied, nodding in agreement.
After their exchange, they fell into silence while continuing to run. When a few monsters approached, Wendy and Kalsie swiftly dealt with them.
Wendy, no longer emitting a strong scent of blood, managed to avoid inciting a frenzy among the monsters until they were very close to her, a fact that eased her nerves.
Just when they thought they might finally escape and locate a safe haven, their hopes were dashed as they caught sight of countless black silhouettes standing motionless in the darkness, about 20 meters ahead.
"Damn it! What do we do now? Is this the only way?" Wendy's expression soured as she turned to Kalsie.
They had halted behind a cluster of trees to avoid drawing the monsters' attention to their location. Ahead of them, their intended path was obstructed, and behind them, a relentless horde was hot on their heels.
Kalsie, however, wore a faint smile as he calmly replied, "It seems we're close."
Wendy quizzically raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Kalsie's gaze shifted to the rest of the group, who had also reached their position.
"What the hell..." Their faces bore expressions of despair as they beheld the multitude of monsters just twenty meters away.
Kalsie gestured toward the ground and spoke quietly, "If I'm not mistaken, our destination is only a few minutes from here. We need to follow this muddy path. Our movement will likely alert those Dead Walkers, so we'll have to move swiftly this time. Trust me, once we reach that place, you can relax as much as you want. But for now, don't give up. Are you all with me?"
They nodded in agreement, even if some seemed inclined to voice their disagreement.
With no other options, they had no choice but to concur. Kalsie began counting down on his fingers, and when he reached zero, he commanded, "Go!"
With Kalsie leading the charge and the others following closely behind, they poured every ounce of their remaining energy into their legs and sprinted with all their might.
However, their rapid footsteps echoed, alerting the group of monsters ahead.
"GROWLLLLL!!!!!!!" With a resounding growl, the creatures were spurred into action, giving chase to the fleeing group.