"Argh, damn it...What in the world was that?!"
"S-stop that bleeding first, you bastard!"
One tall, one bald, and one lanky. There were a total of three pursuers.
Julian stared at the tall one, who was also the owner of the necklace. Compared to his other two companions, he was way calmer. His sharp eyes warily observe Julian.
[Emphry Nox(Peasant)][Eye of Owl]
State: Unawakened.
Fate: 40
[Grinz Nox(Peasant)][Rock]
State: Unawakened.
Fate: 20
[Jring Nox(Soldier)][Pheonix's Father]
State: Unawakened.
Fate: 20
"... Kid, you'd do yourself a favor if you returned that necklace this instance," the tall man said, eyes following the necklace.
"And what comes after, bandits?"
"...That's up to you."
Emphry spread his arm, sword pointed to his side. Strangely, the tip of the sword was not directed at Julian. Instead, it pointed in the direction where Julian first appeared.
"Go on. I would love to see if we treasure things the same..., Julian said, wearing the necklace around his neck.
"Glory to the Voice," he continued.
Not bothering to see what those bandits were going to do, Julian turned around and ran off.
"..."
"Oi, Emp, we have to get out of here, fast. Grinz might bleed!" the bald one said warily, pressing the wound on his friend's shoulder.
"Get him."
"Wha- Get him?! Get him?! Are you not listening to me?!"
"Just do as I said!"
Rustle.
The short clashes early confirmed Julian's assumption. Those men were trained. From the lanky man who reacted fast enough to avoid his arrow from piercing his chest, and the tall man who was quick enough to understand his Fold, he was certain that he could not take them directly.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Almost immediately, loud steps began to follow him.
Julian knew that those men would certainly come after him. He had no business trusting what those bandits would do, but at the very least, he trusted their loyalty to the necklace. As disgusting as the necklace felt around his neck, he could not deny its usefulness.
'Hold on, legs...'
Julian, who had continued walking for several hours, forced himself to run deeper into the forest. With the help of Arcana, he slithered skillfully through the forest, pulling ahead of the bandits. But he was not fast enough to shake off the bandits.
"Emp, he is leading us somewhere," the bald bandit warned through his labored breath.
"So what? We have to get that necklace back."
"...I will need your explanation after this."
"Of course, brother. Of course..."
Kting.
"It's no use, kid! You are just going to make it worse!"
With another one of his arrows was split apart, the concern on Julian's face could not be hidden anymore. His eyes kept scanning his surroundings, searching for the yet-to-appear opportunity.
'Still too close...'
Their small game of chase lasted for a few minutes, stopping only when Julian did. Standing on top of a boulder, Julian waited with arrows already nocked in his bow. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his eyes were in a daze as if he was about to faint.
"Haah...Are you tired already...? Haah... same here, kid, cough-cough-"
Emphry had both his palms resting on his head. His breathing was also unstable. If there were even a tint of moonlight in that forest, everyone would be surprised by how bloody red his eyes were.
"Bandits... why... why are you here?"
"...Here? That necklace. This forest? You already knew the answer," Emphry answered only after taking several deep breaths.
"I guess you are right."
Julian bent his body forward, bow aimed at the injured bandit.
"Jring!"
"I know."
Jumping right in front of the lanky bandit, Jring readied himself for the incoming attacks. His eyes locked not at when Julian stood, but where he predicted Julian would be.
"..."
"..."
Silence filled the clearing. There was only one person there who could initiate the clash. So, everything could only start when that person moved.
"..."
"..."
'Fold'
Jring slashed upward the moment the boy vanished.
Swish.
His sword hit nothing other than air. Unlike what he expected, Julian did not appear before him.
Twang.
'Damn it.'
He cursed. Not out of frustration, but more or less because he was baffled. He heard the sound of an arrow being released. Not from in front, not behind, not his left, and not his right. It was from right above his head.
Swish.
He felt the breeze brushing his hair. Eyes shut. A fairly large regret for following his brother into the tainted land.
Kting!
"Open your eyes, brother, it's not yet done!"
Slashing the arrow in half, Emphry landed firmly on his feet. His eyes followed the boy who was still falling down. He shot forward, waiting where the boy would land. Their eyes met. His smirk met with a deep frown.
Suddenly, the boy vanished.
It was indeed sudden, but it was by no means surprising.
Exploding upward, Emphry appeared just a shy away from where Julian blinked. One's sword flew fluidly, while one's arrow released hastily. But, one is clearly faster. Julian's arrow was cut under its head, not even a second away after it was freed.
The sword did not stop there. It twisted, and its side struck Julian right on his jaw. With a loud thud, Julian fell heavily on the earth, kicking up leaves into the air. Seeing the cold steel coming to his head again, Julian rolled away and quickly pushed himself up.
"I told you, kid. It's no use."
"..."
Looking at less than a dozen arrows left in his quiver, Julian's hand hesitated before continuing to pick up the next arrow.
"Sigh... Jring, help me here, would you?"
"...Right, let's fini-"
THUM.
Jring's words stuck in his throat.
THUM.
In that clearing, everything and everyone seemed to be frozen in place. Their unsteady breaths. Their trembling legs. Even their thoughts, everything froze.
THUM.
The ground shook loudly like a war drum.
Swish.
The first one to move was the boy. He slid behind the tree closest to him.
Swish.
As if that tiny movement snapped the rest out from their daze, the bandits scattered and found their own covers. Soon, the clearing where swords and arrows clashed was void of any sound.
THUM.
They held their breath and made themselves small, trying their hardest not to peek at whatever was heading towards them.
THUM!
The tremor was far away, but it approached rapidly. Each time the earth shook, they felt it was getting closer.
THUM!!!
It was already there.
Curses and prayers in their hearts were heard only by them. The clearing, where they had just held their short battle, was flattened down. The towering trees and the unmoved stones all crumbled and shattered down.
'Ah, should not have come here...'
In that instance, that was the only thought crossing their minds. Right in the clearing, a black, flowy thing stood in silence. Its shape can't be made out, but it was tall enough that its other end could not be seen. It seemed not to reach only the sky, but stretched far up.
From their hiding places, it was as if an extraordinarily large pillar had fallen from the sky.
'NO!'
Emphry looked to his side. There, he saw the boy slowly picking himself up. He could tell that the boy was about to do something stupid. He could tell, yet the only thing he could do was warn the boy with his eyes.
'DON'T.'
Swish.
Unfortunately, his eyes were ignored entirely.
'Please, O' Great Voice!'
Emphry unconsciously grasped his chest, only to be reminded that his necklace had been taken away. His toes and fingers curled tightly, and breathing had long been forgotten. He prepared himself to run, too.
THUM!
Another thunderous sound rang out. But for the first time, it started to get farther away.
Nonetheless, those bandits stayed in under their trees until no more drumming sound was heard.
"...Br..,Brother, let... let us leave...," Jring spoke through trembling lips.
"...No, we can't. Not yet."
"I-I... please, brother. Don't make me leave you here."
"I know, but the neck-"
"What's up with your obsession with that necklace?!" The lanky bandit screamed, holding his shoulder in pain.
He had been staying silent, focusing on keeping his wound closed. However, it had become unbearable.
"After this... I will tell you about it after this," Emphry said, breathing also unstable.
Kting.
"To hell with your after this. I am not doing this anymore!" Grinz retaliated, swinging his stone-turned fist toward Emphry.
Jring and Grinz glared at Emphry, hands tightly holding their weapons.
"Are you really doing this? Now of all time?"
"...We are done following your stupid orders. We are not risking our lives for a stupid necklace," the bald bandit spoke up.
Through his long experience in that world, he had known between what was dangerous and what was not. In his eyes, the tainted land was already as dangerous as it gets. For him to run blind into that land, there were not many reasons that could get him to do so.
And most certainly, a weird-looking necklace was not one of them.
"Sirs, do you want to know what this necklace is?"
Through their suffocating silence, a young voice called out.