As Asher ran from the abomination behind him, he heard several other growls coming from a distance, albeit vaguely. Asher's eyes were completely focused.
In the depths of the night, this forest was truly too horrifying. The several noises were now also completely audible.
The worst thing was that all of them were on Asher's tail.
'Goddamnit!' Asher grimaced internally as he jumped on the tree. A huge claw smashed the ground where he stood previously.
'Behind!'
Asher immediately jumped to another tree, barely dodging the behemoth who just tried crashing into him. Each of them looked like wolves, very big ones at that. They had claws instead of paws, and their skins were blood-red. Each of them had three eyes instead of two.
'It seems I have run into a pack of these heinous wolves. Holy smokes, I hate my luck.'
As Asher ran, dodging the attacks of the abominations. He eventually realized that the abominations had stopped following.
"Just why would they?" Asher mumbled under his breath without looking back.
Everything he thought was just an assumption. He feared that the moment he looked back, the wolves would attack him. Devouring him into their feast.
'Nope, not happening', Asher thought with determination as he sped through the forest. Soon, he took a sharp left turn, moving in a completely other direction.
'The closer I get to the temple, the more those behemoth's come like rats. Just what sort of obsession do they have with a mere ant like me?' Asher thought with a hint of annoyance on the tip of his tongue.
Asher somehow knew that the abominations had halted for a reason. And that reason was not so pretty.
Another abomination lay ahead, much more powerful than the wolves he had been running from. Asher felt like giving himself a death sentence if he continued moving forward.
However, suddenly. Asher stopped completely. The ever silence of the conical trees surrounded him as he even held his breath.
'Don't make a noise, don't make a noise!'
Instantly, an enormous serpent appeared. Coming down from one of the conical trees beside him. It had a bluish-red hide with green eyes. However, its eyes were somehow weird, distorted even.
'It's blind', Asher thought as he held his breath with everything he had. He gritted his teeth as he pushed through.
'Leave you goddamn ugly lizard.' Asher thought once more as the serpent moved beside him. Trying to see the cause of the noise.
Blood flowed from its tongue instead of saliva as it licked the nearby tree. Its face distorted, even annoyed with a hint of disappointment.
'Hahaha, you deserve it!' Asher exclaimed internally. His face started to turn red as he held his breath.
As if hearing what Asher said, the serpent looked in his direction with distaste. Its eyes narrowed as it led out another hiss.
'Oh gods. If they are alive that is.'
However, it was as if the gods answered his call. The serpent went back into the depths of the conical forest. Finally, allowing Asher to breathe.
"Goodness graciousness," Asher mumbled as he gasped ferociously. Holding your breath for 4 minutes was indeed painful.
'I have to move; no time for rest,' Asher thought, and a flash of determination passed through his eyes. He was going to survive this ordeal, no matter what.
A couple of hours had passed; it was the middle of the night now. If Asher had to guess, it would be 2 am at best.
The night had now completely covered the forest in a dark veil, but the thick tree crowns above it further darkened it, adding a distinct dampness to the air. The area was silent but noisy, with the faintest sound being able to echo for entire seconds. The ground was wet and unstable, jagged with branches at various places.
Fallen leaves covered the mud as Asher stepped on a branch. Creating a faint crunching sound underneath his feet. Fortunately, all the mysterious horrors lying in this forest were probably asleep. So, Asher was not in danger yet.
'I have to find somewhere to goddamn camp!' Asher screamed internally as the fallen leaves crunched underneath his feet. A tachi lay swiftly in his hands, ready to act in case any underlying threat appeared.
The world felt odd; dark fissures in space were present everywhere. It had been almost a week since the black spear incident. Yet, it had somehow damaged the entire world.
'I wonder, did anyone save me?'
Of course, someone being as strong as that person who could stop that spear was something Asher wanted. However, if there was someone else. Asher would not hesitate to be on his good pages.
That's how he had practically survived the outer districts of the capital.
'Uh, what am I even thinking?' Asher thought, coming back to the present. The Great Citadel was somewhere on the left right now. Asher had no idea how he knew, but he also had no choice but to move on.
However, before he could contemplate further. He suddenly entered an open space. Circled by the conical forests. In front of him lay a plain land.
However, what made him curious was what lay in this piece of clear land in the middle of a forest.
"Why are there ten statues here?"