ALL NOVEL Chapter 6 - A Being Beyond Human
Ted looked pale when they met.
“What the hell was that? Was it even human?”
He started complaining and then recounted the information he had gathered and what he had seen.
“Up until that point, everything was going according to plan. I mean, who in their right mind would mess with a party that heavily armed? But then, halfway through, these guys showed up, looking like bandits, but their equipment and movements were unusually refined. The plan was to draw their attention and attack from behind while they were distracted.”
Apparently, their equipment and movements suggested they were private soldiers employed by some noble. Perhaps they were trying to eliminate a potential rival for the hand of a noblewoman, or even a royal princess. But their plan backfired spectacularly.
“Everything was going as planned at first. It seemed like the perfect ambush. From that hiding spot, at that timing, there was no way anyone could have noticed. And yet, he reacted flawlessly, to a perfect ambush from behind. Even so, he effortlessly took down the one who attacked him. Honestly, it looked to me like he swung his sword without even seeing his opponent. It should be impossible, right? But he did it… A person was sliced in half as easily as a piece of paper… After that, it was completely one-sided.”
Ted shuddered, remembering the scene and the terror he felt when he thought he had caught the man’s gaze, even from a distance.
“If you say it’s that bad, then he must be something else…”
“Listen, Ghost, I hate to say this, but maybe you should stop. Maybe he’ll just end up dying in the ruins?”
She thought for a moment before shaking her head. “If what you say is true, then he’s likely to survive. There were signs of powerful monsters, but he might be able to defeat them. I can’t fail, so I have to do this.”
There was no despair in her voice. In fact, there was hardly any emotion at all. Ted sighed at her usual nonchalant demeanor.
“I figured you’d say something like that. Alright, I won’t stop you. But don’t push yourself too hard, okay? If anything happens to you, our organization will be finished.”
Ted looked worried for a moment, but then he forced a smile and winked.
“I’ll do my best. I think it’ll take about a week to clear the ruins… something that size, anyway,” Ghost said.
“Alright, got it. I’ll wait for you at the mountain hut. Let me know if anything happens. And please, don’t do anything reckless.”
After saying that, Ted headed back to town. Without looking back, Ghost turned and walked back into the forest towards the ruins.
A day later, they arrived. The companions looked exhausted, while Curtis seemed full of energy and excitement. Even from a distance, she could sense his vitality, his raw strength. He had the appearance of a knight from a fairy tale, with a handsome face, long brown hair tied back, and a well-maintained metal armor and longsword. But his eyes were different. They held a wild, savage ferocity.
Suddenly, Curtis seemed to look in her direction. Startled, Ghost quickly hid behind a tree. She was too far away to be noticed, and she knew she wouldn’t make such a mistake. She held her breath and waited, her senses on high alert. When she was sure he wasn’t coming toward her, she relaxed slightly.
“So, it seems the rumors were true,” she murmured.
She’d never encountered anyone quite like him before. His keen senses, his graceful movements, and the chilling aura that seemed to surround him were unlike anything she had ever seen.
“But he’s still human,” she said.
She could still kill him. As long as he was mortal. And she, a ‘Ghost’, was more than capable of hunting mortals. It was simply a matter of fact, not pride or arrogance. It was like breathing or walking to her.
A little later, he started moving again, and the chilling aura around him faded. Peeking out from behind the tree, she watched him head toward the ruins.
The real challenge was about to begin. As she followed him at a distance, she began to plan how she would take down this being beyond human.
**Next: The Tragedy Unveiled by the ‘Hero’**