On the next day, we are about to leave the place. I grab my Iron Sword, and Alpha already stands at the livingroom waiting for Josh. Meanwhile, Josh and Kimberly are preparing a few bags of meals for our journey.

"Stay safe out there, bao," says Kimberly.

"I will. Take care of them while I'm gone, will ya?"

Both of them share hugs and kisses.

… The moment I wish I can have with Amy, but…

Not long after, Josh puts his fancy bow and a quiver of arrows behind him, walks toward us, and joins us.

"All set. Let's gather all the survivors and leave," Alpha steps toward the survivors' place.

We both follow Alpha and see the survivors getting themselves ready.

Galvana is there, distributing some supplies to the survivors.

"You're here. We're almost done."

"Thanks for the work, Gal," Josh waves toward her.

"It's nothing. Take care of those humans, will you? Especially that one over there."

She points at me. I point at myself, confused.

"Me?"

"Yes, you, the clumsiest human among the others. Don't die as soon as you leave the forest, won't you?"

Josh glances at Galvana, then he grins at me.

"Looks like somebody's got a crush!"

"W-we are NOT!!" Blushing, both Galvana and I shout in unison.

Alpha and Josh share a laugh, while Galvana's face turns red.

I shake my head after figuring out what Josh was talking about, feeling embarrassed.

We wave goodbye to the elves, and then we walk away from the village.

…

As we journey on for several hours, our path through the forest becomes quite eventful. Along the way, we encounter a menagerie of creatures, including rats and snakes that share the forest with us. To our dismay, we also cross paths with a group of wild goblins who, unfortunately, show nothing but hostility towards our party.

These new enemies are quite distinct, standing at no more than a meter in height. They sport slender frames, green skin, and possess distinctive features such as pointy noses and sharp, cunning eyes. Their elf-like ears give them an otherworldly appearance, and they wield wooden clubs as their chosen weapons.

Alpha remains his impulsive self, always at the forefront, charging ahead with determination. On the other hand, Josh prefers a more acrobatic approach, using the trees to gain a better vantage point for his attacks. At times, both of them seem to forget about my presence, leaving me to handle the snakes and rats on my own. It's challenging, but I can't help but feel that I'm improving my hunting skills, thanks to the techniques that Galvana taught me just the day before.

Continuing our journey, Rodger occasionally joins in our conversations about the daily life of the villagers before the unfortunate incident occurred. As usual, I find myself mostly observing their discussions, offering them the occasional brief smile.

After spending another hour on the trail, both Alpha and Josh abruptly come to a halt, sharing a significant look and nodding to each other in unison. It's clear that something noteworthy has caught their attention.

"Rai, Sir Rodger, you better get the villagers to safety," Alpha urges all in a sudden. His left hand grips the sword on his waist firmly.

I furrow my brow in confusion while staring in front of all of us. "Hmm? What's happening?"

Rodger nods in understanding. "I've got you covered, Rai. There's something ominous in the air." His eyes sweep over the remaining survivors, and he takes the lead in guiding them toward the nearby trees, urging them to rest.

Meanwhile, both Josh and Alpha seem on edge, as if they sense trouble ahead. I can't help but voice my concern. "Why are both of you acting weird?"

Alpha gestures for me to take a closer look, and I do. I notice the trees ahead have an eerie, unnatural appearance, with dark green and red vines coiling around them, unlike the woods we passed through earlier. Some of those vines even seem to move, or perhaps it's just my imagination playing tricks on me.

"Do you see those vines?" Alpha points out. "They're part of the [Guardian of the Forest], Leviah. Josh briefed the survivors about it before we reached this point. But in case anything goes wrong, Josh and I are prepared."

"[Guardian of the Forest]?" I query, puzzled. "Isn't it supposed to protect this forest or something?"

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Alpha nods, his expression grave. "Generally, yes," he confirms. "But for months, it's been acting strangely, as if something has taken control of it. If some of us can stealthily make it past without alerting it, we might avoid a confrontation. So, from here to that clear tree in the distance, we'll move ahead first. Afterward, we'll signal Josh to bring the villagers, dividing them into groups of four, each walking in succession. If they all move at the same time, we won't be able to predict when it might awaken and attack."

I nod and walk slowly with Alpha toward the clear trees without vines.

After deeming it safe enough, Alpha gives a wave to Josh.

Both Josh and Rodger divide the teams and slowly ask them to come towards us.

The first and second teams make it successfully, with confused expressions on their faces.

When the third team is about to walk towards us, one child gets impatient and starts rushing ahead running. Alpha and Josh exchange menacing looks in the distance as the vines start to move!

"LOOK OUT!!!"

The vines swiftly close in on the fleeing child, their movement becoming increasingly frenzied. In a desperate bid to protect the young one, an adult from our team shoves the child out of harm's way.

However, the villagers have little time to react as the vines pounce, ensnaring the brave adult. The tendrils wrap around them with a vice-like grip, and a horrifying, bone-chilling crack fills the air. Blood spurts from the entangled figure, marking a grim turn of events.

"Shit!!" Josh screams.

Upon witnessing the gruesome scene, a wave of panic engulfs the villagers, causing them to rush toward our group in frantic chaos. Pushing and shoving in their desperate bid to escape the encroaching danger, they fight to find safety.

“No… The villagers…”

I stand there, horrified, as I witness the vines slithering toward their panicked feet, coiling around unfortunate survivors and ending their lives in the same gruesome manner as the initial victim. A chilling fear courses through my body, causing uncontrollable tremors. My immediate instinct is to reach for my sword, ready to charge in and help, but Alpha, ever vigilant, calls out to me from a distance.

"Rai!! Let Josh and me handle it! We can still save most of them!!"

Alpha leaps into action, darting toward the survivors. Meanwhile, my trembling legs give way, sending me crashing to the ground. Josh, too, recognizes the urgency of the situation and pushes back the encroaching vines as he strives to shield the villagers closest to him. Simultaneously, Rodger takes command, guiding the survivors to a safer location.

With remarkable speed and precision, Alpha expertly wields his sword, slicing through the vines and freeing some of the children ensnared by the deadly tendrils. He gently sets the liberated children aside before resuming his determined charge toward the fleeing villagers, intent on saving as many lives as possible.

Amidst the chaos, some of the villagers struggle to escape, their bodies trembling, and their voices raised in desperate screams. Others valiantly attempt to free their bound family members, knowing they await a grim fate entangled in the lethal vines.

Fear holds me in its icy grip, rendering my body paralyzed. I can't bear to witness another tragedy unfold right before my eyes. The people I know, the ones I've grown close to, are being mercilessly taken by these relentless vines.

Desperation surges through me as I will my legs to move. "Move, damn it!! Move!!" I scream with every ounce of strength, pushing my body to obey. The villagers rush past me, some of the vines still in hot pursuit.

Driven by their terrified screams, I finally manage to stand. My legs tremble beneath me, but I clutch my sword tightly with both hands, ready to confront this nightmarish threat.

"Get. Away. From. Them!!!"

With swift and decisive motion, I execute a powerful slash from the lower left to the upper right as the menacing vines draw near. The blade of my sword bites into them, severing their connection and causing the vines to retract, halting their pursuit of the fleeing villagers.

"Crap!! They're heading towards... Rai!!" Alpha's voice rings out in concern.

"I'm fine!!" I shout back at Alpha, who continues to fend off the encroaching vines, safeguarding the remaining survivors.

More vines approach, and I realize that if I don't steady myself, I won't be able to protect them. Finally regaining control of my legs, I swiftly sidestep as the vines lunge toward me. With a slash of my trusty Iron Sword, I manage to sever some of the incoming tendrils.

Rodger and the few remaining survivors rush past me, finding safety beyond my position. I glance ahead and see that all the villagers have made it to the secure area behind me.

Alpha and Josh sprint toward me, but suddenly, the ground beneath Alpha begins to tremble. Reacting quickly, Alpha moves towards me, while Josh retreats to the other side of the emerging threat.

As the colossal figure rises from the ground, it unveils itself before us—a towering entity, ten meters in height, resembling a massive leafless tree covered in thick, winding vines. At the top of this bizarre entity, a colossal closed flower bud looms. The bodies of the unfortunate villagers hang from its branches, a gruesome sight that sends shivers down our spines.

"This is not good. Leviah has shown itself!" Alpha exclaims. "Sir Rodger, take Rai and the remaining survivors that way to exit the forest. We'll deal with it and make sure it doesn't follow the rest of you!"

"On it, everybody, follow me!!" Rodger takes charge, leading the remaining survivors deeper into the forest. He glances back at me. "Let's go, Kid!"

But I shake my head, resolute. "I want to join their fight. I can't afford to lose any more villagers."

"Seriously, I don't want to lose anyone else, Son!! Now come back here!" Rodger pleads.

I clench my fist and throw it away. "I promised Amy that I wouldn't die. Please go, Dad! Please take them to safety. I'll catch up later!"

"I can't change your mind now, kid. Alpha, Josh, I'm leaving him in your care!" Rodger declares before retreating with the survivors.

Alpha steps beside me, concern etched on his face. "Are you sure about this, Rai?"

"At least let me do something. I'm tired of watching lives being taken in front of me," I reply, raising my sword with my newfound bravery.

"Alright. Let's do this. Keep the vines under control. Josh and I will make a direct attack."

"Got it." With renewed resolve, I prepare myself for the impending battle. Alpha leaps forward toward Leviah, while Josh is already busy sending arrows flying toward the monstrous entity.

It's our very first battle as a team, and despite the danger, I can't help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through my veins.

…

End of Chapter 9