novel bin Chapter 37 Deathly Desolation
Chapter 37 Deathly Desolation
Klar continued his desperate escape through the Silent Forest, dragging his mangled body.
Every step he took was accompanied by excruciating pain at the severed arm. The wound, forcibly sealed with a brutal burning spell, was like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
Sweat soaked through the tattered apprentice robes, mixed with bloodstains, emitting a strong smell of rust and burnt metal.
The smell was exceptionally pungent in the deathly still air of the forest, like a lighthouse in the darkness.
He dared not stop. The curse of the second-level wizard Pero was like a leech, not only eroding his vitality but also acting as an invisible beacon, constantly revealing his location to his pursuers.
He could only rely on the maps he had seen in the library, his vague memory, and his instinctive intuition of danger to traverse the relatively "safe" outer areas with difficulty.
"Huff...huff..."
His heavy breathing was like that of a broken bellows.
The dizziness from blood loss intensified in waves, and the scenery before his eyes began to sway and overlap. He bit his tongue hard, and the sharp pain brought a sliver of clarity.
We must survive! Hold on until the seal is broken!
This thought became the only pillar supporting his faltering body.
He staggered and hid in a thicket of bushes, curling up like a dying beast, cautiously listening to the sounds around him.
The silence of the forest was broken.
At first, there were faint shouts and some kind of energy fluctuations coming from a great distance.
Then, the sounds became clearer—the shrieks of magical creations cutting through the air, the deep roars of magical pets, and the chanting of spells by apprentices to communicate with each other or to drive away their prey!
The pursuers are here!
And the quantity far exceeded his expectations!
Third-level apprentice Kur also stood on the back of a huge eagle-headed bat, his cold eyes piercing through the thin mist in the forest, looking down at the team advancing like a comb below.
He held a rhombus-shaped crystal in his hand, which was constantly flashing with a faint red light—one of the items given to him by his mentor, Pero, which could sense the approximate location of the cursed person.
"Southeast direction, Zone 3, fluctuations are increasing!"
His voice, transmitted clearly through the sorcery tools, reached the ears of the third-level apprentices leading each team.
"receive!"
"clear!"
"Team Three, follow me!"
The response came from the magic props.
The massive hunting net began to rapidly close in on the area where Klar was hiding.
The experienced third-level apprentices commanded their tracking-savvy magical pets—such as shadow leopards and wind-sniffing hounds—or unleashed probing magical auras, like countless invisible hands parting layers of branches to search for any clue.
A metal construct spider controlled by a level three apprentice suddenly stopped, its compound eyes flashing red and emitting a rapid "beep beep" sound.
Its sharp metal feet pointed to a patch of fallen bushes and a few drops of dark red blood that had not yet completely dried on the nearby rocks.
"Here! There's blood! It's very fresh!"
The apprentice's voice carried a suppressed excitement.
"Surround this area! Be careful! The target is extremely dangerous!"
Kur, who was leading the team, immediately shouted a warning.
Instantly, several figures rushed towards that area from different directions, and the light of witchcraft began to shine, forming an encirclement.
Several eager freshmen followed excitedly behind, trying to get closer.
Clara's heart was pounding in her chest!
The encirclement formed too quickly!
He could feel several malevolent mental forces sweeping across the bushes where he was hiding! A chilling despair washed over him again, almost crushing him.
No! I can't die here!
The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything.
He suddenly rolled out of his hiding place, his only remaining right hand rapidly forming hand seals as he rolled, instantly creating a more condensed orange-red fireball than before.
Filled with all his resentment and madness, he slammed it hard into the point closest to him, which was also the weakest point in the encirclement—where two curious freshmen were standing!
"boom!"
The fireball exploded, and the scorching heat and flying flames sent the two freshmen flying with screams. The surrounding bushes were ignited, and thick smoke billowed up.
The encirclement was torn open by this sudden and fearless attack!
"He's there!"
"attack!"
"Don't let him get away!"
A roar filled with shock and rage rang out.
Several ice spikes, wind blades, and corrosive rays shot towards Krall's tumbling figure almost simultaneously.
Klar rolled on the ground in a sorry state, dodging most of the attacks, but a tricky wind blade still grazed his thigh, leaving a trail of blood.
The excruciating pain made his vision go black, but he dared not pause for a moment. Taking advantage of the impact of the explosion and the cover of thick smoke, he dragged his injured leg like a frightened rabbit toward the location of the extremely dangerous cave marked on the map.
"Chase!"
The third-level apprentices turned ashen-faced and immediately led their men to give chase.
A freshman was helped up by his companions. Looking at his charred robes and burned skin, his face was filled with fear and lingering dread.
Hick's promises were tempting, but the "traitor's" cruelty and ruthlessness far exceeded their imagination!
High in the air, Deshick, who had rushed over, took in everything that was happening below.
Seeing the ferocity that Krall unleashed in his desperate situation, and seeing him use his new life as a breakthrough to break through, Hick's eyes showed no surprise, only an even colder killing intent.
"As expected... as tenacious as a cockroach."
He muttered to himself, a cruel smile curving his lips.
He gently patted the eagle-headed bats kept in the wizard tower beneath him.
"Lower the altitude and lock onto him."
Hick's voice was as cold as ice: "The prey is badly wounded and can't go far. Notify all teams to leave no survivors."
Knowing how terrifying the "protagonist" was, Hick didn't want to make any mistakes; he just wanted him dead!
The red light from the rhombus-shaped crystal in his hand flickered more and more rapidly as Clara moved.
The climax of the killing is about to begin.
Clara struggled through the bushes, blood seeping from the wounds on her severed arm and leg, leaving indelible marks with every step.
He could hear the shouts of the pursuers getting closer and closer behind him, and he could feel the cold gaze locking onto him from high above.
The howling wind emanating from the underground cave could be clearly heard by Klar.
The ring remains silent, and the seal is still a hopelessly long time away from being broken.
Faced with the Silent Forest's infamous death zone, he had no choice!
"Hick..."
Clara let out a low, hoarse growl, his eyes burning with a mad flame.
"You want me dead? I'll show you I'm alive! This isn't over between us!"
He no longer tried to completely conceal his tracks, but instead frantically channeled his remaining magical power into his legs, recklessly charging towards the deadly, dark cavern.
"Stop him! Don't let him in!"
Having discerned Krall's meaning, Hick shouted the order from the air.
Hick had seen countless stories of protagonists escaping from dire straits and turning misfortune into good fortune, and he couldn't tolerate such a thing happening in front of him!
If the third-level apprentice had fought back with all his might when the new apprentice was attacked, Krall would have been dead without a doubt.
Unfortunately, it was too late!