NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 - Silverna's Scouting Team (2)
✦ Chapter 22 — Silverna’s Scouting Team (2) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
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“Milady!” Anna cried out, running to Silverna’s side.
But Silverna, with a grunt of pain, quickly regained her footing.
“I’m alright!” She brushed off the impact, her grip tightening on her spear as if to prove a point.
“Sniff… Sniff…” The Yeti, oblivious to their predicament, continued to juggle the human skulls, seemingly amused by its gruesome toys.
And then…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaagh! Help meeee! Someone… Anyone…!”
Shauren’s scream tore through the chaos. The black liquid seeping from Pollux’s wound now covered her, its writhing tendrils coiling around her body, spreading like living tar.
“Shauren!”
Amidst the chaos, Isaac reacted first.
He pushed past the others, rushing towards her.
“Hold still!”
“I-Isaac! Isaac!”
Shauren grabbed at him desperately, her fingers digging into his arm, her pleas turning frantic as the black goo pulsed and writhed, creeping towards her heart.
“Help me! Please!”
“Ugh! Just calm down and let go of me!”
Even a seventeen-year-old Helmund possessed monstrous strength, strength far beyond anything Isaac could handle. He struggled against her grip, but Shauren clung to him, her face contorted in terror.
“I said calm down!”
*Whack!*
He swung his arm, his fist connecting with her jaw.
It wouldn’t hurt her, wouldn’t even leave a mark…
“I-Isaac?”
That blow, however, shattered her panic-induced paralysis. Her grip loosened in confusion.
“Hold still!”
Seizing the opportunity, he reversed his grip on his Falchion, pressing the blunt side of the blade against her neck.
*Riiiip!*
The fabric tore easily, revealing a sliver of pale skin beneath. He ripped the bodice of her clothes down, flinging it away. The black goo, clinging stubbornly to the fabric, continued to writhe on the ground, consuming itself.
“There! See? It’s gone!”
“Huh… Huh…?”
Shauren, stunned, looked down at herself, frantically patting her chest, relieved to find it clean. And then, she lunged at him, tears streaming down her face.
“Waaaaah! Isaac!”
“Get a hold of yourself! You’re hurting me!”
They didn’t have time for this, and besides, a Helmund hug, even an emotional one, could easily break a few ribs.
As Isaac dealt with Shauren’s outburst, Meldick Drakemoore’s gaze fell upon Pollux, who lay crumpled on the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
“Pollux?”
The black goo was still flowing from his wounds, his mouth…
Meldick stared at Pollux in horror, unable to tear his gaze away as the black goo slowly enveloped his friend’s body.
“Don’t get too close!” Isaac warned him, while struggling to pry away Shauren, who still clung to him. He then turned to check on the Yeti, only to find that combat had already erupted there.
*Clang!*
“…….”
Silverna, her face set in a mask of grim determination, parried the yeti’s bone club with a swift, powerful strike. Amid the rapidly evolving chaos, she appeared veteran-like in her composure, lips pressed into a tight line.
‘Damn it…’
Isaac, however, knew better. It was a façade, a desperate attempt to maintain control. She was fighting on pure instinct, fueled by adrenaline and anger.
She’d agreed to retreat, recognized the need to fall back…
But the moment she’d clashed with the Yeti, her resolve had crumbled. She was attacking relentlessly, her spear a blur of motion as she fought to bring the beast down.
“Anna! Grab Silverna and Shauren’s greatsword!”
“Y-yes! Understood! My lady, please snap out of it!”
Isaac scooped up the trembling Shauren, slinging her over his shoulder. Regrettably, they didn’t have time to worry about Pollux.
“Meldick, we need to leave Pollux and run-!”
“Isaac?!”
Meldick’s voice was tinged with dismay.
Isaac turned to see Pollux, now completely covered in the black goo, rising slowly to his feet, his movements jerky and unnatural.
“Forget it, just run!”
Isaac broke into a sprint, and the others followed.
Silverna, her lips bloody from biting back a frustrated cry, finally tore her gaze away from the Yeti.
Meldick, shouting apologies to Pollux over his shoulder, led the way.
“Humansssss!”
Unlike the fleeing group, the pursuing Yeti however didn’t pass by Pollux. Perhaps seeing Pollux as just another human, it swung its massive bone club in a sweeping motion; the black goo, like a sentient shield, rose to meet the attack, engulfing the club, its tendrils lashing out, grappling with the yeti.
A battle of monstrous proportions had begun.
Two threats, locked in a deadly embrace.
And Silverna’s scouting party… had been given a chance to escape.
🎕
*Slap!*
The sharp sound echoed through the frozen creek bed, startling a nearby rabbit, which quickly scampered away. Silverna’s head snapped sideways as the stinging sensation registered. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, met those of the man who had struck her.
“That was a disaster.”
Isaac’s words, sharp as a knife, pierced through her heart. A wave of anger surged through her, but she bit it back, unable to form a coherent response.
She was the leader,
and she had to admit… everything had gone wrong.
“……I’m sorry.”
“Lord Isaac! Milady did her best!”
Anna rushed to defend Silverna, but Isaac remained unmoved, his gaze unforgiving.
“We agreed to avoid a direct confrontation with the yeti. Silverna understood. But the moment we encountered it… she lost all sense of reason. She was so focused on killing it that she failed to notice what was happening to Pollux and Meldick!”
“I…”
“What if the fight had dragged on? That wasn’t just a random yeti, it was a named beast! If we’d stayed there any longer, we would have attracted more demon beasts from the mountains… And we would have been wiped out!”
“Anna, he’s right.”
Silverna had failed as a leader; the thought of her comrades, her fellow Malideen Wall soldiers, being slaughtered by that demon beast had fueled her irrational anger. She’d lost sight of the bigger picture, of the need to protect her remaining team.
“I was so focused on avenging those who died… that I forgot about the ones standing beside me, the ones still alive…”
“…….”
“I’m sorry. There are no excuses for my actions.”
She lowered her head in shame.
And silence settled over them.
Shauren, huddled inside her cloak, tugged at Isaac’s sleeve.
“I-Isaac… I’m… I’m c-cold…”
“…….”
Shauren had almost died back there.
If the black goo had fully consumed her… it would have been a different story; they’d been lucky she was wearing her leather armor.
‘If she’d been wearing her plate armor…’
The time needed to remove it would have sealed her fate, leaving her to be consumed by the black goo.
Isaac pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, trying to share his warmth. Her trembling subsided, and she burrowed deeper into his embrace, sniffling softly.
‘She’s just seventeen…’
She’d acted tough, tried to maintain her composure, but she was still just a girl who’d never faced true danger before, never experienced the chilling touch of death; the realization that she could have actually died… that had shaken her to her core. Especially since she’d been utterly helpless, her sword, a weapon she’d trained with her entire life, rendered useless.
‘That helplessness must have multiplied her fear tenfold.’
“I… I messed up too. We should have run towards the Wall, but I panicked, and…” Meldick stammered, his face flushed with shame.
It seemed they were having a ‘who messed up the most’ competition.
He’d been leading the charge, and in his panic, he’d led them… here; to this frozen creek bed, miles away from their destination.
If they hadn’t stumbled upon the creek, they might still be running.
“It’s alright. We just veered off course a bit. We’re not actually further from the Wall.”
Anna, consulting their map, offered a reassuring smile.
“Say… would it be possible to build a fire?”
“I’m afraid not. Technically, we’re still in demon beast territory.”
Anna shook her head at Meldick’s suggestion.
They couldn’t risk a fire, and they needed to conserve their energy for the trek back to the Wall…
But the cold was relentless.
Shauren’s teeth chattered, her lips turning blue as she tried to suppress a shiver. She was freezing.
Isaac unbuttoned his shirt and pulled her close again.
“Skin-to-skin contact will help keep you warm.”
“Isaac…”
“This is about survival. You’re our second-strongest after Silverna. We need you at full strength.”
Tears welled up in Shauren’s eyes, but she quickly buried her face against his chest, trying to hide them.
“Alright…”
They huddled together, their breath forming wispy clouds in the frigid air.
“How are you so calm, Isaac?” Shauren whispered.
Her question drew the attention of the others, their gazes shifting to Isaac; they couldn’t deny it – the man with the least combat experience was the one who’d remained calm and collected throughout their ordeal, making crucial decisions without hesitation.
If he’d faltered, even for a moment… they might have lost more than just Pollux.
“Perhaps because I’ve had my fair share of near-death experiences?”
He chuckled wryly.
He’d been unable to fight in his past life, because of his injured leg but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been on the battlefield.
The Transcendent’s onslaught had been relentless, their cruelty indiscriminate. Death had been a constant companion.
‘I’m just glad…’
He’d been worried that wielding a sword again might cloud his judgment, might make him reckless. But that hadn’t happened. He’d remained calm under pressure, able to think clearly, even when facing imminent danger. It was a small comfort.
“Achoo!”
Silvernna’s sneeze broke the silence, drawing everyone’s attention.
She blinked, looking around in surprise.
“Are you cold, Milady?”
“No, I’m fine -” She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze turning distant as she recalled Isaac’s words, the harsh truth he’d spoken about their disastrous mission.
“Actually… yes, I am cold.”
She acknowledged the truth – her well-being, as the strongest member of their party, was directly tied to their survival. She took a deep breath, then strode towards Isaac and Shauren, enveloping them both in a tight embrace.
“Mind if I join you?”
Isaac, seeing her disregard her pride, her willingness to prioritize their survival above all else, smiled softly.
“Of course.”
They huddled together, sharing their warmth, three bodies pressed together against the relentless cold.
‘Silverna…she learns quickly.’
Especially when it comes to taking action.
“Come closer, both of you. We need to conserve our body heat.”
At Silverna’s command, Anna immediately joined them, huddling close. Meldick hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly wrapped an arm around Isaac’s back; they huddled together, five bodies seeking warmth and comfort in the frigid air.
It wasn’t just the shared body heat.
A warmth, a feeling of camaraderie, bloomed in their chests, bringing a sense of comfort amidst the bitter cold.
But it was short-lived.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
“Sniff… Sniff…”
The yeti’s voice, closer than before, echoed through the frozen trees; it must have picked up their scent, the lingering traces of the repellent.
Silverna started to move, but Isaac stopped her.
“Silverna… can I trust your judgment this time?”
His question, tinged with a hint of challenge, hung in the air.
However, she didn’t hesitate to respond, “You can trust me.”
As the heavy footsteps drew closer, she calmly studied Anna’s map.
And then…
“We fight,” she declared, her grip tightening on her spear.
“Running is pointless. We’re in no condition to outrun a named yeti.”
They all nodded in agreement. Despite their brief respite, their bodies were still stiff and sluggish from the cold.
“We’ll kill it before it has a chance to call for reinforcements. It has to be swift, decisive.”
“Are you sure about this?”
She had already fought the yeti once. If it had been an ordinary yeti, she would have prevailed…
But this one was different. A named monster.
It possessed intelligence, cunning.
Beasts like that were far more dangerous than their mindless counterparts, far more difficult to kill.
“I’ll make amends.”
That was all Silverna said, gripping her spear tighter.
That was enough.
As the others prepared for battle, bracing themselves for the yeti’s arrival…
Shauren slowly disentangled herself from the embrace and took a deep breath.
“…….”
Isaac watched her, his eyes filled with worry.
Was she truly ready to fight?
“I… I will save you.” Shauren’s voice was soft, but her grip on her greatsword was firm, her resolve evident. “Because… Only then will I have a chance… to sort out these feelings to tell you… everything.”
It’s said that children grow up in an instant.
Isaac felt like he was witnessing that moment firsthand.
Shauren, facing a life-or-death situation, had experienced a shift in perspective, a change in her priorities.
“We have to avenge Pollux! ”
“Yes! We’ll make them pay!”
Meldick and Anna echoed her sentiment, ready to fight. And then…
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
From the direction of the approaching yeti…
“Khahahahahahahahahahaha!”
Pollux’s laughter, sharp and manic, pierced through the air.
END of CHAPTER
тяαηѕℓαтσя’ѕ ησтєѕ
Need our fav waifu Rianna to save her Husbando !!! Time to make an entry befitting the Helmund name
☩
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