BXBX NOVEL Chapter 162: The Unseen Force [1]
"Do you think it\'s the work of a human? Perhaps one of the citizens?" Gordon wondered aloud, his eyes never leaving the carcasses of the beasts.
"I doubt it," Nathan responded, scratching his chin. "Apart from us, there is no one skilled enough to execute such precise slashes."
He was right. Awakened individuals weren\'t abundant in the Barony because most had either gone to the capital to work for a guild or as mercenaries. Even being a servant in a noble household allowed them to live more comfortably than staying here.
"Then who would do something like this? Are you sure of what you\'re saying?" Celine furrowed her brows, a cold shiver running down her spine. The deadliest enemies were the ones you had no information about.
"Everyone, I think I found something." Hans, squatting and observing one of the beasts, called out, attracting everyone\'s attention.
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*Swing! Swing!*
Early in the morning, Nyx was sweating profusely, a sword that glinted in the sunlight in her grasp. She expertly swung the sword, cutting through the air and causing the air around her to vibrate slightly.
\'Not enough!\' Nyx gritted her teeth, slashing the air once more. Her swings intensified with each motion, becoming more deadly. With her narrowed eyes and raven hair, streaked with red, dancing wildly in the wind, she looked like a fierce, beautiful demoness.
Because she was so engrossed, she hadn\'t noticed someone approaching from behind... at least that\'s what the person thought, until she twirled her feet just in time. Spinning her body, her sword flashed toward the neck of the person sneaking up on her.
"Heok, it\'s me!" A beautiful light-skinned girl with mesmerizing chocolate eyes exclaimed in fright, feeling the cold blade at her neck. This girl was Serena.
"You know I don\'t like it when someone sneaks up on me like that." A sharp sound tore through the air as Nyx withdrew the sword from Serena\'s neck.
Serena felt her throat hurt slightly, yet she didn\'t seem bothered. Instead, she was taking deep, rapid breaths as though she had just run a marathon.
"Are you okay?" A worried expression crossed Nyx\'s face.
With a flushed and pale face, Serena exclaimed, "B-beast! The other kids and I spotted a beast close to Miss Eve\'s house. Where\'s Grandpa Nathan? We have to report this to him immediately!"
"A beast inside the town?" Nyx repeated with an incredulous expression. How did a monster manage to bypass the town\'s towering walls and infiltrate without anyone noticing?
Nyx\'s confusion lasted only a second before she grasped her sword tightly and grabbed Serena\'s hand, pulling her behind as she sprinted toward the direction Serena had come from.
"W-what are you doing?" Serena complained, being effortlessly pulled along as if she weighed nothing. It was really embarrassing, but she was more confused as to why they were running toward the monsters instead of seeking help.
"Take me to the place!" Nyx shouted as the breeze whipped against her serious face. "Besides, Grandpa, my mom, and all the important people are currently outside the town. Who knows how many lives that thing could take before help arrives."
"Y-you!" Serena wanted to argue, but she knew Nyx wouldn\'t change her mind when she wore that expression.
Soon they arrived at the place. It was the pathway that led to the gloomy mountain belonging to the "red-eyed witch," as the children fondly called her.
Indeed, Serena was right—there was a beast.
It was a four-legged creature with a muscular frame radiating power. Its brownish hide was filled with scars, as if it had been in many fights. The beast\'s features were a blend of wolf and bear, with razor-sharp claws and teeth extending from its maw. Its piercing yellow eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light.
[Bearwolf - LV 9 Wildin]
Because they were both Awakened, the two saw the red string of text hovering slightly above the beast, displaying its MP and HP.
Nyx grasped her sword tightly and took a step forward, ready to engage the beast in a fight. Serena was conflicted and had a bad feeling about this—the beast was on the cusp of leveling up and becoming an intermediate tier. She doubted Nyx could inflict harm on it; after all, she had tried the same with arrows, but the hide of the beast was too sturdy.
Eight metres.
Seven Meters.
Five meters.
Four meters.
Three meters .
Two meters.
Nyx drew closer, taking a fighting stance. The beast also stepped forward, a snarl on its face, saliva dripping from its mouth.
Yet, before the beast and the young girl could clash, a blinding reddish trail passed between them. Nyx stumbled back, shielding her eyes from the intense colors.
She thought it was an attack by the beast and forcefully opened her eyes, only to witness a sight she had never anticipated. She stood there, unmoving.
"What was that?" Serena exclaimed, rushing forward, only to be met by the sight of the beast split in two.
"H-how?" Serena was stunned. She hadn\'t seen Nyx move, yet somehow the beast was... No, it must have been the red flash. But where did the flash come from?
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"Hmmm." Inside Eve\'s mansion, Skully, the butler, had been watching the beast outside all this time. Thanks to his vast network, he had also noticed the strange movement outside the walls of the town, but he wanted to observe more before making any decisions.
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Swoosh! Swoosh!
The reddish trail blazed through the town. A few observant citizens caught fleeting glimpses of the scarlet blur that vanished before their eyes could fully register it.
"Damn, the sun\'s too bright—I must be imagining things again."
"Yeah, I thought something passed me."
Because of the blinding speed and the swift disappearance of the afterimage, most of them felt they were hallucinating and continued about their day, unbothered. Join the journey at m-vlempy _r.
---
Behind the Cromwell Manor, roughly 500 meters from the mansion\'s bright lights, the reddish trail suddenly stopped in front of a wall concealed by thick foliage and twisted branches.
The wall, made of rough-hewn stone, merged with its surroundings, its surface obscured by vine and moss. If one were to stand here, they\'d not notice anything out of place.
However, as soon as the reddish trail parted, it revealed a long tunnel stretching inward, with shimmering blue monster cores in the ceiling casting warm light on the passage. Inside this massive tunnel, mutated red-caparaced ants worked together, meticulously carrying food and other supplies.
The reddish trail entered the tunnel. The ants inside gave a simple nod and continued with their tasks. They were creatures that didn\'t dwell on mindless conversation, preferring to focus on getting their jobs done—a truly hardworking bunch.
The reddish figure sauntered through the tunnel, taking several turns while greeting any ants it passed along the way. Finally, it came to a stop in front of two golden double doors. Pushing them open, the figure stepped into a luxurious chamber and kneeled in front of a humanoid ant lounging on a throne-like seat. Beside her was another humanoid ant with dark, carapaced skin.
The ant spoke in a deep respectful, almost reverent tone: "My queen, it is done."
The Ant Queen\'s eyes softened for a moment, reflecting both pride and resolve, before they blazed with determination. She clenched the armrest of her throne, her voice steady but filled with emotion. "Good. While Master is away, we are his shield. No harm will touch those he loves—not while we still breathe. For his sake, we will protect all that he holds dear."
Meanwhile, back at Eve\'s Manor, the flickering green orb in Skully\'s eye socket flashed sharply. The undead, with its enhanced vision, had just witnessed the wall parting behind the Cromwell Manor and had even caught a glimpse of the inside.
....
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