Riley jolted awake. Tremors similar to the roar of cannons shook the tree they were resting on.
He looked across the branch towards Lucy and Yara. Both had cast their gazes down at the source, equally afraid.
Eventually he looked down, to his surprise, the creature seemed to be no taller than his waist. The issue laid in the fact that something so tiny could shake the mighty tree so roughly.
'If it's more than an awakened monster I'm going to be in a little bit of trouble.'
But just as he summoned his [Twisted Scissors], the creature wandered off. Its waddling resembled that of a drunken old man as it went to the next tree and continued the battery.
'That is wholly strange, a monster like that had never been mentioned in Shadow Slave.'
While discovering new beasts was greatly interesting, it just showed how little he can rely on simply knowing the story. A story that would soon change once he injected himself in the lives of Sunny and his friends.
He sighed and sat back down. Judging the rate at which his soul core replenished, only five hours had passed. During his sleep it appeared that they switched their shifts on keeping watch.
It made him feel proud that his team could function even when he was unconscious. Well, it was to be expected. They were all mostly adults, with the exception of Lucy, but she had been trained by the Valor Clan.
'Actually, how come she is acting scared when we are in a safe location while confidently fighting the beasts?'
He had grown curious. Indeed, Riley had noticed that she was much more capable after leaving the dark city. At least compared to the scaredy cat she was within the Bright Castle's walls.
He looked back toward the beast who had yet again switched trees. Behind it left a dent, almost an identical imprint of its face.
'Disturbing.'
He paused and crawled toward the girls.
"You two should get some rest, I'll keep watch for a bit."
There were no complaints, and they quickly headed to sleep. As promised, he kept watch, but there was something else he wanted to do.
So he crawled down the indents of the tree he had created before and jumped onto the ground. Riley didn't enjoy the soft feeling of the soil. The hard bark of the tree was quickly missed.
Eerie shakes of dried leaves lingered in the air, its sound masking his footsteps.
It had never been a problem that he couldn't remain hidden, his aspect could very easily do that. But he wasn't willing to pay the price, not unless his life was truly in danger.
The small forest was not inherently deadly, what dwelled within its shrubbery walls was a different story.
A part of him wanted to kill the little white creature to figure out its rank and name. After all, there was plenty of information to be gotten from killing nightmare monsters.
That was how he knew that Riley and his party would be bound to meet the hounds again.
"Hounds of the Progenitor huh. Sounds rather scary."
A trickle of essence filled his dread core at the thought.
Regardless, he pushed on a little bit further, choosing to take the risk of wandering too far from his cohort.
A small bit of temptation crossed his being, turning the lamp on would help him get a better idea of the surrounding area. Of course, it also carried the risk of being found by a nightmare monster.
'There better be something useful around here.'
Riley knew that he wouldn't find a similar key to what Sunny had while escaping the Dark City. But anything at all would be better than nothing.
A small breeze tickled his nape accompanied by a distant howl he recognised fairly well.
'Has it come back already?'
Fear wasn't what he felt. It was a sort of confusion that clouded his mind.
'Surely it wouldn't come back yet, we had massacred its pack not too long ago. Unless...'
A sudden shiver ran down his spine.
It might actually not be the hounds, at least not the ones he fought. But...it might be the Progenitor.
He didn't know what rank it would be, but a being that ruled over monsters was sure to be stronger than him. And there weren't many monsters of a higher rank that could be beaten by cunning tactics.
As if impersonating lightning, he bolted back to the relative safety of the tree. Everyone was still sleeping, to his delight.
While he leaned back, he looked at the dense head of leaves above him.
"I wonder if someone will come to save us."
He sighed. While he himself was [Fateless], the others were not. And it could truly be their fate to have died in the Forgotten Shore. By those thugs, or by leaving the city in search of food.
An annoying thud began filling his ears again. The little white creature had returned to smack its head against nearby trees. This time though he wasn't so white. Its fur was covered in crimson across its ugly face.
'Insistent little parasite. Wait, monster blood is black right? Why is it red-'
As if the world read his mind, an agonising scream echoes through the forest.
"AHHHHHHHHH"
Riley's brows furrowed and he summoned the [Twisted Scissors].
The scream grew closer, and just as it passed under their tree he dropped down and fell onto the white creature's head. Black blood spewed like a fountain from where the scissors pierced and its body fell to the ground.
Riley stepped back, but the beast wasn't done yet. Slowly it rose to its feet again, its eyes hollow and empty. Fur covered in crimson and black tar. It stumbled forward charging with its head for a vicious blow.
It swung wide, missing and stumbling forward towards another tree.
Riley lunged, cutting its neck with the scissors.
[You have slain a Fallen Beast, Child of The Mist]
'Strange name.'
[You have received a Memory]
'Forgive my insolence.'
But before he could inspect it, he looked across the bark of the tree. A body trembled as it watched Riley.
"Come here. Now."
He wouldn't take no for an answer. Priorty number one was to protect his teammates.
"Y-Yes."
The figure emerged and Riley's eyes bulged. His voice was familiar in the worst way possible.
'Its the henchman of that thug leader who was chasing Richard.'
He practically dragged the man up the steps dug into the tree and they had finally reached the top. Safety once more.
Riley had chosen to wake up everyone, three of them woke up groggy while Lucy was buzzing as she summoned her weapon.
The perpetrator's eyes widened, looking at the very man they were trying to kill earlier.
Riley had noticed the man's realisation and flashed him a warm, taunting smile.
"So, is there anything you want to say?" Riley brandished his scissors. "Before you tell me why you were screaming in the dark like a lunatic?"