The convoy pressed on, their path lit by the eerie glow of the blue moon. Gale could see the trees thinning ahead.

  "We're almost out of the forest! Go, go, go!" Rachel shouted as she punched another fireball at an oncoming ghoul.

  A ghoul bursted from the dead dry underbrush at the left side of the convoy. Rachel was too far, and Gale was at the back fending off the brunt of the oncoming horde.

  Before the ghoul could reach its target, Annet, still carrying the sick survivor on her back, had positioned herself between the ghoul and the middle of the convoy. Her left hand glowed, slowing the ghoul down while her right hand thrusted the bone spear. The tip found its mark into the ghoul's skull.

  "Nice! Keep going!" Ollie shouted from the front.

  No time for celebration. The ghouls kept on coming. And now, the forest beast that had been distracted by Elliot before was now spilling over to where the convoy was.

  The cries of children and screams of women were now mixed with the frantic shouts of the men that ran along the path the convoy took. Even the older members of the convoy found a new energy, literally running for their lives.

  As they neared the clearing, the tree density became thinner and thinner. It made running easier but also made it easier for people to look back behind them and see the carnage for themselves. Children being pulled by their mothers screamed even louder.

  "Everyone, stick together! We're almost there!" Rachel shouted throughout the vicinity.

  Gale sliced off another ghoul's head that pounced his way.

  [Essence: 40/100]

  Using Alter and Phase Touch constantly in this battle of attrition put his reserves dangerously low, and they couldn't even see the exit yet.

  To Gale's left, a beast charged through a tree, snapping it half. Another swooped in low from his right.

  Alter, Phase Touch activated, Gale spun his body with his sabre out. Flesh and bone flew from the lower beast's front shoulder. Its front legs only hung by a small thread of muscle.

  The larger beast from behind had run into the spin by itself. It dropped to the ground as half of its neck was sliced open. Bubbles still gurgled from its windpipe. Blood spilled out.

  [Awakened Forest Beast felled.]

  [Awakened Forest Beast felled.]

  A smaller beast came from above. Not like other predators. This one had needles as legs. However, a ghoul pounced on the smaller beast. It bit into the flesh on its flank. Skin ripped apart from the bite. The beast shook off the ghoul and punched a hole into its skull, but three more pounced on the beast, their maws immediately biting into the beast's flesh.

  The beast desperately jumped at a tree, boring holes with its needle like feet into the bark. Ghouls followed. Each one met a needle right into the skull. Yet the ghouls were relentless. A flood of them jumped onto the same tree the beast held. Too heavy, the beast fell on the ground and the ghoul's claws dug at the belly, scooping out its innards and eating immediately.

  Gale gulped. Goosebumps. What the hell is even all of this? A ghoul pounced at him. Sabre swung through its path. Body split right in the middle. Before he could run back to the convoy, the heavy presence walked casually through the chaos.

  Elliot walked through the carnage as if he was doing an enthusiastic walk through the woods where beasts and ghouls ate each other all around him. The same pope-like garment had no visible stain from all the blood flying around. He ignored the carnage, his manic gaze fixed only on the female survivors within the fleeing convoy.

  "Gale!" Rachel shouted.

  That was his sign to dip. Gale ran through the carnage. Multiple beasts and ghouls jumped at him. Dodged easily. He could see the clearing up ahead. The convoy had already burst into the clearing. A meadow stretched out. A vast expanse of withered grass filled their eyes to the horizon. The sky above was a muted grey with a hint of blue, and the blue moon at the top of the dead forest blinked as it watched their desperate flight.

  In the distance, a massive castle dominated the horizon beyond. Its walls built with stones darker than the night sky. Its jagged silhouette and pointed roofs ripped through the sky. Beyond even that castle was the ever growing sensation of multiple eyes watching.

  The sounds of battle still raged behind them. A cacophony of bones ripping apart, skin torn, trees snapping, dying breaths of both ghoul and beast.

  Gale finally caught up to the convoy. As he stepped out, he felt a different presence grow weaker the moment he stepped out. The blue light the blue moon cast was weaker than when he was in the dead forest.

  Rachel stood at the front of the convoy that met towards the onslaught of the mixed creatures chasing the convoy. Her whole body, engulfed in flames, looked like a fireball that cast a bright light over the whole meadow.

  Suddenly, from the border of the dead forest, a wave of forest beasts emerged. Their massive garbage truck sized forms were now in full display. None of the convoy members dared to look back. Ghouls followed. Some were even on the backs of the beasts, biting into their flesh.

  "They're coming!" Gale shouted.

  "We need to buy the others more time," Rachel shouted back.

  Then, Elliot emerged from the tree line, still walking casually. He strode forward. Beasts and ghouls made way for his presence even as they fought each other. Behind him, more unturned Blue Haven thralls followed.

  "Ollie!" Rachel called out. "Lead the convoy to the exit! Go!"

  Ollie replied, "It's still a long way off! Are you sure?"

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  "Just go!" Rachel insisted. "We'll hold them off!"

  "Everyone, get to the edge of the meadow!" he shouted, voice rising above all the chaos.

  Gale and Rachel stood their ground behind the convoy. They were the last lines of defence. The forest beasts reached them first.

  Phase Touched Bone sabre met the skull of a beast. It fell and slid behind him.

  Next one. A beast charged at him, head down, aimed to ram him. He jumped, spun once mid-air. The beast passed him. Neck sliced through from the back. Gale landed back on his two feet.

  Beside him, Rachel became a whirlwind of fire. The fire around her engulfed everything nearby. Any ghoul that came close ignited into flames. A beast reached her. Its hide was too thick to burn fully through. Punched to the forehead downwards. Knocked down onto the ground and ignited into flames.

  No ghoul could reach her inside her flame engulfed state. However, Gale could tell from her wincing face that she couldn't hold on much longer. If she even missed her concentration once, she herself would be hurt by her own flames.

  More beasts came. For every beast they felled, two or even three more took its place. A neverending beast and ghoul horde. Gale's bone sabre became a blur, slicing at anything that moved around him.

  It was then he noticed something strange. The ghouls were slower than before. They had been more difficult to deal with back in the dead forest. Compared to before, they were sluggish and would even trip over the dead body of their comrade.

  "Rachel!" he called out, breath ragged. "Focus on the ghouls with larger fire! The ghouls are weaker!"

  Rachel immediately spun and prioritized the beasts, but ghouls came at her regardless. She exploded the fire around her, causing the ghouls to be knocked back. None got back up again.

  "Gotcha!" Rachel shouted. "You focus on the beasts then!"

  The both of them fought with renewed vigour. Gale targeted the larger beasts with thicker hides that couldn't be burned easily. Rachel sent bigger fire throughout the meadow though weaker in strength.

  A particularly large bulky beast rampaged through the horde of both beasts and ghouls. The smaller beasts moved out of the way while ghouls were knocked away on either side.

  Gale saw it. He pounced, sabre aiming for the neck. A ghoul jumped into his trajectory. Sabre easily dispatched the offending ghoul. But his trajectory changed slightly as he reached the large beast.

  His sabre aimed at the neck. Sliced through the thick hide of the neck. Too shallow. Its shoulder bumped into Gale, knocking him downward. Breath escaped his lungs as he landed hard on the ground.

  Rachel reacted instantly. She sprinted forwards. A trail of fire behind her. She jumped onto the large beast's neck and sent fire inwards at the cut that Gale had made. Its leathery skin instantly sizzled from the inside. The beast roared, bucking wildly to get her off. But not for long. It dropped down after a couple of seconds. Burnt flesh permeated through the whole meadow.

  "We can't keep this up forever!" Gale said as he panted.

  Rachel shouted, "We just need to buy them enough time! That's all!"

  "You can't escape! Just give up!" Elliot's voice took over the whole clearing. "The princess will have her sacrifices!"

  They both exchanged a grim look. Gale was always backed into a corner by adults. A gnawing feeling came back to him. Survive. Don't sacrifice yourself for these people you don't even know.

  But he does know them. Rachel beside him fought with him together. Ollie and Annett also relied on him.

  Like hell would he break that trust again.

  Gale and Rachel threw themselves back into the fray. Gale's bone sabre blurred. Through its descents and ascents, his bone sabre whistled like one continuous sound. Rachel's flames grew even bigger. Brighter. Hotter. Enough so that beasts that came near her tried avoiding her.

  Efficiency was key. But for all their skill and power, they were just two against a tide of beasts and undead. Fatigue had already set in. They were now mustering up their last bits of willpower into strength.

  [Essence: 19/100]

  Essence dangerously low.

  A ghoul's claws raked across Gale's arm, drawing blood. A forest beast's paw caught Rachel, sending her stumbling.

  Still, they fought on. The convoy's survival depended on them, and they refused to let their companions down. Every second they held the line was another second the survivors had to reach safety.

  As the battle continued, the horde gained ground. The defence line came closer and closer to the convoy. The castle behind them loomed larger than before.

  And still, Elliot advanced, his eyes fixed on the women survivors that Gale had rescued as well as the larger convoy. Whatever madness drove him seemed to give him strength beyond that of a normal man.

  Gale decapitated another. A paw hit him in the back. Beast neck sliced once again. His body bruised and battered. Blood dripped from his back.

  Run away. Just blend in with the forest. Survive.

  Beside him, Rachel unleashed another burst of flame, incinerating a group of ghouls that had gotten too close. Her exhausted eyes showed she also wasn't going to last much longer.

  It'll be all too easy to run away from this impossible situation.

  His bone sabre once again became a blur. Heads flew. Large bodies slid down. A ghoul's nail cut across the left side of his forehead, a shallow cut. Blood dripped down to his eyes, impeding his eyes.

  Run away.

  A ball of blue fire floated towards Rachel. All the ghouls and beasts avoided the fire. Rachel tried to hurl her own fireball at the blue fireball. However, all her own fire did was feed it.

  She dodged it, and the blue fireball exploded, causing fallen ghoul bodies and dead beasts to fly everywhere. Gale saw a large crater where it had landed. If it had hit Rachel, she would’ve definitely died.

  Run away? I don't want to.

  Let life break his body. Life would never be able to touch his mind.

  "This should be enough!" Rachel shouted, her voice gravelly and coarse from the constant battle. "Fall back!"

  Gale nodded. His eyes scanned the battlefield. The convoy was now distant enough. They had made steady progress across the meadow.

  "Go!" he shouted.

  They turned and ran. The dry withered grass rustled and cracked as they pounded the ground. Behind them, the sounds of pursuit grew louder. Ghouls shrieked and forest beasts roared, fighting each other and pursuing the convoy at the same time.

  Gale glanced over his shoulder. The horde of ghouls and forest beasts was gaining on them. At its head, Elliot's form stood out.

  "Keep moving!" Rachel shouted.

  He ran right beside Rachel, hand in hand, pushing himself harder. His muscles wanted to give up. Not now.

  Sabre swung at an oncoming ghoul from behind. Ghoul decapitated. Rest, he needed rest. His body screamed at him for rest. He couldn't even feel his legs anymore. Just run.

  Suddenly, a strange yet familiar feeling befell him. There was nothing around other than the withered grass, ghouls, beasts, and Elliot.

  That was when he caught sight of the exit rift just ahead of the convoy. It looked like a break in reality. A shattered glass in the shape of a triangle. Beyond that shape was an all so familiar view of buildings all around. Objects moved in fast forward inside it. Cars zipped by. Pedestrians looked like they were running.

  "Rachel," he called out between breaths, "do you see that?"

  "The exit," she followed where he looked, "it's close!"

  Their renewed hope gave them a burst of speed. They reached near the rear of the convoy where a ragged line of survivors ran for their lives, led by Ollie and Annett.

  "Gale! Rachel! Hurry!" Ollie shouted. "It's unstable. It could close at any time."

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