Hao approaches the temporary camp near the office building. Four military trucks are parked in a line, their electric engines silent. Annie kneels close by, tending to someone. Hao drops Erley into the back of one of the trucks, his body limp and bloodied. In the corner, Selth rests quietly, his breathing shallow.
Hao rushes to Annie and Moen, who are working on Myora. Annie bandages Myora’s leg while Moen presses down on the wound, trying to keep the bone in place.
Annie barks, her voice sharp.
"KEEP THE BONE IN PLACE, MOEN!"
Hao interrupts, his tone urgent.
"WE GOTTA GO."
They both look up, confused. Annie asks, not stopping her work.
"Why?"
Hao responds, hurry written all over his face.
"The sergeant we were fighting awakened."
Annie doesn’t flinch.
"So what? just kill him."
Hao’s face darkens.
"That's the problem. I don't think i can."
Annie pauses, glancing at Hao’s expression. His fear is palpable. She nods, her voice steady.
"Bring Myora with you, Moen. Hao, help me."
Hao hesitates, then gestures to Erley.
"Sorry but i gotta tend to Erley, he barely survived that fight."
Annie doesn't respond, instead she moves quickly towards the truck in front of the convoy.
"Hmm."
Her eyes scan the control panel, searching for something. She finds a button labeled Convoy Mode and presses it. The panel beeps in response.
"Ugh."
She hops out and heads to the second truck, where Myora and Erley are being tended to.
Getting inside she tells them.
"It might take me a bit to figure this out. For now, focus on healing them. I don’t think that thing will find us anytime soon."
She rushes back to the front, leaving Hao and Moen to tend to the wounded. Hao’s face is troubled, his usual grin absent. Moen notices and asks,
"Why do you look like that?"
Hao glances up, forcing a small smile.
"Look like what?"
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Moen tilts his head, confused.
"I don't know?"
Hao sighs, his voice low.
"Sigh... It's just that thing."
Moen stares at him.
"Whatever it was… it felt like a beast staring straight at me."
Moen frowns.
"But we've fought plenty of beasts."
Hao resumes tending to Erley.
"Not like that one."
----------------------------------------
Minutes pass. The trucks remain silent, their occupants resting.
Suddenly, the vehicles come to life. Lights flicker on inside, and the hum of electric engines fills the air. Annie approaches the second truck, her expression focused.
"It took me a bit, but i managed to figure it out. All the trucks should follow the lead vehicle. Hao, get on top of this truck. You're on lookout first. Switch with Moen every couple of hours."
Hao raises an eyebrow, a grin creeping back onto his face.
"Didn't know you were such a good leader!"
Annie rolls her eyes.
"Just do what i told you."
Hao climbs onto the roof of the second truck, settling into a cross-legged position. The convoy begins to move, the trucks gliding smoothly over the ruined landscape. Hao scans the horizon, his greatsword resting across his lap. Moen handles obstacles in their path, while Selth occasionally joins as a lookout, though his injuries keep him from doing much.
The cars were fast enough to leave multiple imps behind and were also quiet enough thanks to their electric engines. Few imps managed to catch up and ambush the convoy but none managed to do any significant damage.
Hours pass. The convoy moves quickly, leaving most Imps behind. The electric engines are quiet, and the group takes breaks to rest and eat. The familiar landscape rolls by, a grim reminder of their journey.
Hao yawns.
'Annie is surprisingly good at driving.'
Stretching as he climbs down to switch with Moen. He settles next to Myora and Erley, both still unconscious. Selth lies in the corner, staring at the ceiling, his face unreadable.
The convoy stops. Annie steps out of the lead truck, her face tense. She approaches the second vehicle and shakes Hao awake.
"Hao, wake up."
He sits up, rubbing his eyes.
"What happened?!"
Annie looks at him, in her face a hint of nervousness.
"Somebody's been following us."
Hao sighs, covering his face.
"Whatever. Let's just speed through the rest of the way. I'm tired of fighting."
Annie glares at him.
"So we just let whatever is following us find the base? Whatever it is. It's doing a good job at hiding so i don't think it's an imp."
Hao groans, his expression tired.
"Fine... We'll kill him"
As Annie returns to the lead truck, Somebody speaks up from the corner, his voice weak but clear.
"She's right, the guy following us is with the military."
Hao turns to see Selth resting on his back, his eyes open.
"He can turn invisible, but you can hear him."
Hao grips his greatsword, his grin returning.
"Good to know."
----------------------------------------
An hour later, Hao is back on lookout. His eyes catch a flicker of movement—dust rising from the ground on the roof of an apartment complex.
"Found you..."
He leaps off the truck, landing in the rubble of a nearby building's roof. His eyes scan the area, his grip tightening on his sword.
A faint step echoes behind him. Hao swings his greatsword, but it hits nothing. He looks down, blood seeping from a shallow cut on his torso.
"Ouch."
A voice taunts him.
"Finally found me?"
Hao turns to see a blonde man with a bowl cut, two daggers gleaming in his hands. Hao grins, swinging his greatsword. The clash of steel rings out.
Annie hears the noise and stops the convoy. Coming out of the truck, . She steps out, her eyes narrowing as she realizes Hao is gone. She rushes to the second truck, finding the others still asleep.
"Ah, this piece of shit!"
She's annoyed.
'Don't really want to fight but we can't afford to lose Hao...'
She grabs Myora’s second sword and sprints toward the sound of battle, her face set with a mix of determination and anxiety.