We stayed up there for a few more minutes, witnessing the sun being gradually swallowed by the red hue. Every now and then, my gaze briefly shifted to Leo, trying to discern what he was planning. It seemed he was building some sort of defensive barrier, stacking tree trunks on top of each other to create an advanced line of defense.
Honestly, I'm not sure of the usefulness of this against a monster attack, but you never know. My biggest fear is that the monsters themselves might use these trunks as weapons. Let's just hope there aren't monsters around here that intelligent.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, the moon was already almost entirely red, which made the situation even more eerie. It felt like something was slowly consuming the sun.
"Okay, it's time" I muttered as I stood up. Then, I turned my gaze to Noelle, who was beside me. "Noelle, I want you to stay inside the bus with the others. It's probably the safest place we have right now. You'll provide support for me and Ellen; meanwhile, we'll protect the bus"
Upon hearing my words, Noelle nodded and squeezed my hand tighter. I noticed she still held my hand even as I stood up. Setting that aside, I looked at Ellen.
"Ellen, you and I will lead at the frontline"
Ellen responded to my words with a nod. Then, her gaze shifted to the ground, and she remained silent for a few seconds.
"Do you think the others will fight too?"
Ellen didn't specify who she meant by "the others" but given the situation, she was certainly referring to the other passengers. It's not like I didn't understand the reason behind her question. We were 58 people in total, a considerable number, but to be honest, if 10 of them are willing to fight, it'll already be a lot. From their perspective, there's no reason to take risks if there are others willing to do it for them.
"I doubt it. Honestly, if I hadn't found out that I could evolve and get stronger, I'd probably be inside the bus right now. Actually, even if I found out later, I doubt I'd have the courage I have now to face these dangerous situations"
Ellen remained attentive to my words while I, on the other hand, let out a small sigh before continuing.
"It all boils down to a matter of perspective. Even though they can strengthen themselves on their own, many don't see a reason to do so since there are others strengthening in their place to ensure their safety. The primal instinct of human beings is to survive, even if it means fleeing"
Ellen remained silent after my words, shifting her gaze to the now red-tinted sun. However, her eyes expressed a renewed determination, an inner flame that I wasn't sure where it came from. I chose to interpret that as an advantage, a strength we could harness.
With my gaze fixed on the sun, I noticed it was only a short time before it turned completely red, perhaps just a few seconds. We watched cautiously until the last white part finally turned red. For a few moments, everything remained as before, while Leo, his group, along with the bus passengers, waited anxiously.
Suddenly, the environment drastically changed color, turning into an intense red hue, reflecting the sinister glow of that scary thing.
"Noelle, get to the bus, now"
My words weren't exactly gentle, but Noelle simply nodded and got off the bus, entering it right away. It seemed she too had realized that the situation had completely changed.
Without hesitation, I activated my [Ecopulsation] and directed it decisively towards the forest in front of us. Upon the first pulse, no signal returned. Upon the second, the same silence. But on the third, finally, a response emerged: something was approaching. A Goblin, judging by the stature.
Ignoring this concern, I sent another pulse. Immediately after the first signal, four more came, and then a continuous succession. With each pulse sent, the number seemed to grow, but overall, it was just Goblins I was detecting.
I noticed Leo's gaze on me. Although I never explicitly shared this information with him, it was likely Leo had deduced that I possessed some ability that allowed me to detect enemies. After all, my behavior revealed quite a bit.
I nodded in response to Leo's gesture. Watching his reaction, he began to call his group back. Everyone was tense, aware that we had no other choice but to fight. This place never gave us a choice. At the moment, I wasn't armed, so I would have to defend myself with whatever the monsters were using.
We waited for some more time, and from my point of view, it seemed like hours, although probably not even two minutes had passed since the sun turned red. In the darkness of the forest, red lights began to emerge, several of them, to be honest.
Then, a horde of Goblins began emerging from the forest. I won't lie, the sight was scary. It felt like the apocalypse was happening; if someone told me those words, I'd definitely agree.
"Ellen, let's go"
Hearing my words, Ellen nodded, and soon after, we both jumped off the bus and headed towards the imminent threat. I briefly looked back at the bus, where many passengers were watching from the windows, as if they expected those glasses to protect them. Among them, I noticed Noelle; she seemed exceptionally focused and stood out from the other passengers. Her eyes radiated determination instead of fear.
"If you have any plan, I think now would be a good time to share" said Ellen, a slight smile adorning her lips.
"Actually, I do" I replied, returning her smile. "Kill them before they have the chance to do the same to you"
After uttering those words, I started running towards the monsters, with Ellen right behind me. Although everyone had improvised a barrier with logs, it seemed fragile and would probably delay the Goblins for only a few seconds. I decided not to dwell on it and immediately activated the skill [Etheric Pumping] feeling the power flowing within me. Without hesitation, I plunged into the battle, facing the Goblins who managed to bypass the barrier.
The improvised walls seemed to serve their purpose, as the Goblins couldn't pile up to attack. Seizing the opportunity, I advanced towards a Goblin and delivered a precise kick to its face, knocking it down. Without hesitation, I grabbed the sword it was holding.
In a matter of seconds, I activated [Infusion] and delivered a clean cut to the Goblin's neck.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 8] Experience was gained.
Without wasting time, I ignored it and moved towards the other Goblins.
They didn't seem to have very high levels, as I was able to cut through them with relative ease. This was a significant change from my beginning, or maybe it was due to the considerable evolution of my skills since last time.
Once again, my sword severed a Goblin's head, and my [Ecopulsation] was activated, alerting me when a Goblin tried to attack me from behind. With a quick movement, I dodged to the side and turned around, making my sword cut through its head. Grabbing its dagger, I activated [Infusion] again and quickly threw it towards another Goblin approaching the bus.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 6] Experience was gained.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 9] Experience was gained.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 7] Experience was gained.
You leveled up [11] -> [12] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.
A ball of flames suddenly surged next to me, advancing towards another Goblin approaching me. Apparently, Noelle was doing her job. Meanwhile, I glanced quickly at Ellen and saw that she was doing well, electrocuting a Goblin until it turned into charcoal. Then, she launched a lightning-made cut towards another Goblin. Frankly, I didn't want to be hit by that skill.
I also observed Leo for a moment and was totally surprised to see that every time he killed a Goblin, something entered his body. I doubt others could feel it. The reason I could probably feel it is because of [Ether Manipulation] and [Etheric Vision] but even so, this energy was different from the pure Ether I knew. It was darker and stickier, just feeling it gave me a sinister sensation.
I looked back at the Goblins approaching. It seemed there would be no end to them. Without hesitation, I began to face them, cutting off one's head and quickly moving on to the next target.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 12] Experience was gained.
Grabbing the dead Goblin's dagger, I threw it at another approaching one, then swiftly ran towards my next target.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 9] Experience was gained.
With Ellen's assistance, who had electrocuted a Goblin, I cut it in half, its waist slowly giving way as its upper part fell to the ground.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 9] Experience was gained.
Another Goblin fell as my sword pierced its chest, and a wave of green blood spurted onto my face.
You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 15] Experience was gained.
You leveled up [12] -> [13] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.