Chereads / Narrow Escape [The Trilogy] / Chapter 44 - Chapter044

Chapter 44 - Chapter044

Deborah's POV

The sharp, piercing cry of the baby instantly heightened the tension in the room, and everyone's nerves went taut as they collectively held their breath.

The once-silent air was now thick with fear and despair.

The women holding their babies began to panic, desperately trying to cover their children's mouths, but it was no use.

One baby's cry seemed to trigger the others, and soon the room was filled with wailing, the cries rising and falling, spreading rapidly.

I could see the terror in the eyes of the Tirnanog women. 

Their faces were pale, and their bodies trembled as they held their babies close, too frightened to even glance out the window.

At the same time, I could hear the noises outside growing louder. 

The mutated creatures were getting closer.

Their footsteps were strange, like a hopping or jumping motion, and there were more than just one or two of them.

Each step was filled with a sense of looming danger, as if they could burst in at any moment.

I looked over at Matthew, his expression sharpening with focus.

His golden eyes gleamed like those of a wolf, fierce and dangerous, his pupils narrowing as if detecting every slight movement in the darkness.

His face was set in grim determination, muscles coiled in readiness for whatever might come next.

Suddenly, in the lower right corner of the window, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, eerily piercing through the darkness.

Though I couldn't see the creature's full form, its eyes and movements suggested that it wasn't very large.

My heart clenched, and I debated whether or not to act.

Just then, a woman sitting in the corner slowly raised her head, her brow furrowed as though sensing something.

She parted her lips slightly, as if to say something, but her voice caught in her throat.

"Drip… drip…" Her baby suddenly let out a loud, distressed cry, the sound sharp and full of fear, as though the infant had been startled by something.

I quickly realized that liquid was dripping from the ceiling, splashing onto the woman and her baby.

The woman silently endured the pain, not daring to utter a sound.

Wherever the liquid touched, it corroded the skin instantly, turning it black and rotten as if it had been decaying for years.

Seeing this, the entire room erupted into panic.

"The liquid is corrosive! It might be the creature's body fluids or saliva!" I shouted, warning everyone.

The room descended into chaos.

Those wearing hats quickly pulled them down, trying to cover themselves, but it was no use.

The liquid was so corrosive that it could eat through the roof, and clothes offered no protection.

Matthew remained vigilant, his eyes locked on the door. 

I whispered urgently to him, "It seems staying inside is even more dangerous."

He nodded slightly, just about to respond, when the small hole in the ceiling suddenly widened, and a monstrous head poked through.

It looked like a gigantic toad, its body covered in uneven, bumpy skin, slick with a glowing, slimy liquid that shimmered ominously in the dim light.

"Its slime is corrosive! Everyone, run!" Matthew ordered immediately. "Head for the door and scatter!"

The moment he gave the order, people scrambled for the door in a frantic rush.

The room was in complete chaos, with everyone trying desperately to escape.

Matthew and I were among the last to make it out. 

When we turned back, the roof of the house had already collapsed, and the creatures were pouring in.

These mutated toads were enormous, nearly half the height of a person.

Their dark, slimy bodies emitted a constant stream of fluid, making a sickening "gurgling" sound as they moved.

Wherever their slime touched the ground, the earth began to sizzle and corrode, sending up plumes of black smoke.

Their movements were slow and lumbering, every step heavy with a twisted, unnatural strength. 

Despite their bulk, their jumping ability was terrifying.

As we ran, I noticed that there weren't many of them—perhaps only twenty or thirty.

But even with their small numbers, their corrosive slime and sheer strength posed a deadly threat to everyone.

Suddenly, one of the mutated toads opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and in one swift motion, it swallowed a screaming woman and the crying baby in her arms whole.

As I watched the half-human-sized mutated toad open its enormous, gaping mouth, the world seemed to freeze.

Time seemed to slow down to the point where I could see its sharp teeth glinting coldly in the faint light.

The woman's face twisted in terror, her hands reaching out helplessly, trying to shield the baby strapped to her chest in the sling, but it was too late.

The toad's jaws snapped shut with a sickening crunch, the sound tearing through the air like a blade.

Both the woman and her baby were swallowed into that horrifying, dark abyss, vanishing from the world.

After a moment of eerie silence, I saw its stomach—the twisted silhouettes of the woman and her baby, faintly visible through the creature's thin, translucent skin.

Their arms and legs thrashed wildly, desperately trying to escape the revolting hell they were trapped in, but their struggles only stretched the toad's slimy skin further, making it bulge grotesquely. 

The sight was suffocating, an oppressive image that made it hard to breathe.

The woman's arms pounded against the toad's belly, and the baby's cries could be heard faintly from within the creature's body—a chilling, haunting sound, like a cry of despair from the depths of hell.

With every movement, the toad's stomach bulged, the deformed shape of their bodies rolling beneath its skin, as if they were trapped inside a glass coffin. 

It was horrifying.

Then, the struggling stopped.

"They eat people!" I shouted, trying to pull the others out of their stunned confusion.

But the scene was too chaotic—no one seemed to hear me.

Instead, my yelling only drew the attention of two more mutated toads, who started leaping toward me.

The nightmare wasn't over yet.

The babies' cries echoed through the different houses, and the creatures seemed enraged by the sharp noise, smashing into buildings as they charged wildly through the village.

The corrosive slime dripping from their bodies quickly ate through the walls and rooftops, plunging the entire village into apocalyptic terror.

The two toads bounded straight toward me.

I quickly summoned my magic and shouted, "Ignis Ardens!"

Flames leapt toward the creatures, but the slimy coating on their bodies seemed to completely resist the fire's power. 

The flames flickered briefly on their skin before vanishing completely, leaving no trace behind.

However, I quickly noticed that they were extremely sensitive to sound—the sharp noises seemed to irritate them greatly.

Realizing I could use this to my advantage, I made a decision to lure them away from the village.

"Come on, over here!" I yelled at the creatures, shouting at the top of my lungs, waving my arms to create as much noise as possible, trying to attract their attention.

At first, only a few of the toads showed interest, their red eyes locking onto me as they began to lumber toward me, their movements clumsy but focused.

As I continued yelling and provoking them, more and more of the creatures turned their attention toward me, following closely behind.

Their heavy bodies thudded against the ground with each leap, the sound of their movements making the ground tremble beneath them.

Seeing the swarm of toads chasing after me, Matthew started running in my direction, worry etched on his face.

"Don't make a sound—listen to me!" I shouted as I ran, "They're extremely sensitive to noise! I'm going to use my teleportation magic to lure them to the city ruins. Go back and tell everyone to stay quiet!"

But Matthew kept running toward me.

"I'll be fine! Go back and tell them to stay silent! I'll be back soon! Hurry!!!"

Finally, Matthew turned and ran back toward the others.

"Come on, follow me!" I yelled again, my voice growing hoarse from shouting.

Taking a deep breath, I whispered the spell under my breath and called out, "Ventus Swift!" Instantly, my body was wrapped in magical energy, and I disappeared from where I stood.

The moment I landed, I barely had time to catch my breath before the toads reacted, their massive bodies leaping into the air, flinging corrosive liquid in all directions, dissolving everything they touched.

I couldn't stop. I had to keep yelling, "Come on! Come and get me, you disgusting creatures!" 

My voice echoed through the empty plains outside the village, immediately drawing their attention.

The toads shifted direction, their red eyes locking onto me, their limbs pushing off the ground with force as they closed in again.

Just as they were about to reach me, I gritted my teeth and cast the spell again, "Ventus Swift!" My feet left the ground, and I teleported several meters away.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of this deadly chase, I managed to lead them to the city ruins we had visited earlier in the day.

I ducked behind a broken wall, watching them closely.

My energy was depleting fast, and my breathing became labored. 

The magic was draining me quicker than I had anticipated.

The creatures didn't stop. 

They continued following the sound of my voice, their slimy bodies thudding against the ground like a series of small earthquakes.

The nauseating stench of their corrosive slime was getting closer, and my heart raced as I felt the tension build in my legs, ready to act.

Sweat dripped down my forehead, and my body was starting to weaken. 

Each movement felt heavier than the last.

I had to keep provoking them, keep their focus on me, ensuring they wouldn't turn back to attack the others.

"Ventus Swift!" I called out again, teleporting myself to the far side of the ruins, though I could feel my legs wobbling, the strain of continuous spell-casting taking its toll.

I leaned against a half-collapsed wall, gasping for breath, my vision swimming as exhaustion hit me hard.

Thankfully, I had managed to lead the monsters away from the village.

The ruins were vast and silent, the broken buildings looming like giant ghosts in the night.

I crouched behind the crumbling wall, holding my breath, making no sound.

As the area quieted down, the toads seemed to calm as well, slowly moving through the ruins in search of new prey.

I knew I had to leave soon. 

Closing my eyes, I focused on the image of the village, praying I still had enough strength left to teleport back to safety.

"Ventus Swift!"