Ali was panting hard as he tried to catch his breath. He and two dozen others had just escaped underground and reached a tunnel entrance. One moment, they were told that they were a few minutes from reaching their destination. Next moment, a big explosion sent their minecart flying. Ali was dazed following the explosion and likely wouldn’t have survived if Kamis didn’t carry him to safety. It was at the tunnel entrance that he realized Kamis not only carried him but also Svenne out before the tunnel collapsed on itself. All the survivors, like him, were trying to make sense of the situation.

“We need to move to the nearest base before they catch up,” said a cart driver.

They? The ones wanting us dead, I assume.

Ali got up on his feet and took a few unsteady steps. When he looked up, the cart driver had already begun running. He looked back to see Svenne had gotten to his feet too. After the three of them nodded, they ran after the driver. The other survivors were also injured to various degrees but they were all running under their own strength. They were traveling through an open field but a forest was a short distance away. The group reached the edge of a forest when a tree nearby fell over. A quick glance behind him verified that they had pursuers who wanted them dead.

“I’ll cover the rear,” said Kamis. “Make sure to keep running.”

“We’ll do that,” said Svenne who placed his hand on Kamis’ shoulder. “Don’t play hero, alright?”

The trio headed deeper into the forest in the rough direction of where the cart driver went. It was clear that the driver was more concerned with his own life and they might serve as a useful distraction for the man to get away. Ali could hear the shouts and explosions behind him but he didn’t stop. He knew that, as long as he kept going, he wouldn’t slow Kamis enough for the bulky teenager to be caught by the pursuers. If they could keep moving, they could potentially get to safety. Then, a bird flew off a branch, nearly startling Ali.

Tian! Help me out! Keep my friends safe!

The teenager cursed himself for forgetting that he had the air serpent who could move more freely inside the forest. He trusted in Tian to distract the enemy or assist his companions long enough to help them all get away. As discussed during their training sessions in the summoner realm, he could continue summoning Tian as long as he had the mana. There was no reason for him to conserve his MP if they just needed to reach the base. After seeing what happened to the tree earlier, Ali was certain he would lose in the fight.

Serpent wings!

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Hoping the extra movement and defense could come in useful for the air serpent, the teenager resumed his running. Several minutes later, he heard the screams of several people, likely the other survivors. The screams were close enough to make him glance quickly in the direction but he failed to notice anything. Yet, he could still instinctively sense danger fairly close.

How are they so fast?

Ali paced himself as he listened for any pursuers. Despite the his inability to hear them, he sensed many presences closing in on his position. The fact that Tian hadn’t been defeated must mean both Svenne and Kamis were fine. With that in mind, he kept running, unwilling to be the only one to die in the forest. When he reached the edge of a swamp, a nearby explosion sent him flying and he plunged right into the water.

I guess this is the closest thing to a wash today.

The teenager waded towards solid land when he suddenly dove into the water. Placing his nose just above the water surface, the teenager waited as he stayed very still.

“I could have sworn someone was here,” said one of the soldiers.

The soldiers’ uniforms weren't what Ali expected. Usnana soldiers were known to wear brown uniforms with an insignia indicating the region they were from. The soldiers he observed wore bright red uniforms that covered heavy body armor. They all casted a flame in one of their hands as opposed to using torches. Every single one of them was studying their surroundings.

Are they mercenaries?

Mercenaries were fairly common due to the abundance of jobs in all the nations. For the right price, they would perform any task without questioning their clients. Since mercenaries were from all over the world, they could possess certain abilities that would make them better at certain missions than the local authorities. From what Ali gathered from Juraj, mercenary work paid quite well if one had a big enough reputation. The teenager wouldn't be surprised if the mercenaries before him were some of the best.

“Use your heat seeker ability again!” ordered one of the soldiers. “Our orders were to leave no survivors. We cannot allow another one of those monsters to make it onto the battlefield.”

Monsters? Does our side have monsters?

A soldier did as he was told. Seconds later, he pointed straight at Ali. The teenager cursed but he felt relief when he realized the soldier had pointed across the swamp. The soldiers then ran along the edge of the swamp to the other side and they moved faster than Ali had thought was possible.

Good thing they don’t have something called the heart seeker.

The teenager was too terrified to move as he feared the slightest movement would get their attention. He dared not to move until a full two minutes had passed after they left his position alone. Then, he hauled himself out of the swamp and took shelter inside a large hollow tree. He was soaked to the bone but he knew better than starting a fire. Sitting in the tree, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Tried as he might, he couldn’t stop himself from dozing off. As soon as he was asleep, he found himself back in the summoner realm.

“Ali,” said Tian. “Svenne is dead.”