Chapter 18 - The Demons Are Active

"Alright. Enough dilly-dallying. 

It's time to go to work."

[The Guards]:...

Everyone pouted in both fear and helplessness.

'Young Master. What work? 

This is our first time on the job here, so how are we supposed to know what to do?

Moreover, why did it seem like you're happier than usual?'

Everyone looked at those loudly praying before finally settling their gazes at the sky above.

Maybe if they prayed too, then all this would go away?

"Stay close to me, or you might not survive."

"Yes, Young Master!" They replied while stocking around Dorian like glue.

Even though their thoughts had flown away earlier on, they weren't stupid.

To them, if the young Master had known of this all, then he had a way to save the day.

That's why staying by him was the best possible outcome here.

They followed him so closely that they didn't even notice when they began sandwiching him.

Butler Sheng stood on the left, sidestepping ever so slowly with his hands close to Dorian's waist.

Haro also did the same on Dorian's other side, while Bewoh was at the back, hugging Dorian too.

What a joke!

No matter who it was, seeing demons or underworld creatures pop out would make one terrified to the bones.

So they weren't ashamed of their behaviour at all.

Hmph! This was manly!

.

Dorian chuckled at their behaviour.

Back in his former world, he had never seen such a situation before.

From birth, people were made aware of Underworld beings and constantly fought them out in the open.

So almost no one was scared of them.

To this former world, it was the same as going to the hospital for treatment.

Of course, just like the hospitals that issued the severity of the degrees of illnesses, the same could be said for Exorcism.

The issue only becomes frightening depending on the grade of the underworld creature.

So people knew about these creatures for centuries and centuries. 

That's why getting this scared was unheard of and somewhat amusing to him.

He didn't feel that their behaviour was disgraceful.

This world's settings to him were too wrong.

So it was understandable.

Nonetheless, they were beginning to close in too tightly, making it hard for him to take further steps.

Their bodies trembled the closer they got to the hideous monsters, as sweat trickled down their faces and backs like crazy.

Everyone was so scared to the bone that they dared not look at the underworld creatures before them.

~Gulp.

"Y-y-young master, c-c-can we not get too close?"

"Sure... You can stay behind. After all, it's understandable why you would think that."

Everyone sighed from relief while looking at Dorian gratefully: "Thank you, Young Master."

"Hmhm. You all can stay behind if you want. But if you do, then you'll be doing so on your own. Oh.. and a word of advice, the fog below isn't ordinary."

"_"

...

Everyone felt their heart sink, with their faces growing visibly paler by the second.

The more they looked at the fog covering their legs at ankle-level, the more anxious they became.

They seemed to have imagined a scene where other demons would pop out of the fog.

Dammit!

They knew it wasn't normal!

What sort of fog stays low, refusing to rise?

Could it be alive?

Their chests grew tighter, and their knees quaked the more they stared at it.

"Young Master! We will go with you!"

"Yeah! Better around you than alone here!"

"Young Master, have I ever told you how good-looking you are?"

"Yeah! Young Master, you are the most handsome person I've ever seen before!"

[Dorian]:...

Dorian paused and looked at his burly, broad-shouldered guards in amusement.

The power of fear was truly a miraculous thing.

He chuckled and swiftly removed himself from their tight grip: "Alright. Let's go."

"Yes, Young Master!" They replied while walking close to him.

And even though the Young Master didn't say anything, they knew that if he were going to face whatever was ahead, he needed fighting space.

So they couldn't cling to him again as they did.

At the same time, they dared not stand too far away.

Sigh... The story of their lives.

With that, the gang advanced steadily through the massive, panic-stricken crowd.

In fact, the chaos in the crowd was so great that it could put the fear of God in one.

.

"No! No! I have to get out of here! I can't die like this!"

"Quick! let's leave this open field, run through the woods and flee!"

"Yes! if we all flee at the same time, we would have a better chance of escaping than waiting here to be required by some demons!"

"I-I-I-I think you're making sense here. Yes! Out in the open fields, they can easily soot us, but in the woods, we have a chance!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Let's Go! Let's go!!"

With that, countless people dashed in all directions towards the woods with all their might.

And the closer they got, the happier they became.

"Hahahhahaha!

Almost there! Almost there!

This is it! This is our time to escape!"

Their expressions turned drunk with glee as they leaped with big steps forward.

Some fell and stood up again, while others pulled those around them behind, trying to overtake them.

Their hearts pumped loudly, and their eyes bulged crazily while advancing as fast as they could.

Just a few more steps and that was it.

Hahahahah! it was that simple...or so they thought.

Because in the next second, something miraculous happened.

~Bam!

Several loud sounds echoed across the fields, bringing everyone's attention to the scene.

-Silence-

Time seemed frozen in time as many tried processing what just happened.

This...This... 

Everyone had seen the first people who tried to head towards the woods suddenly fall as if they were slammed against a wall and were utterly terrified by it all.

A certain distance away from the perimeter of the field, those who tried to escape fell.

Eh?

They grunted and wiped off the blood trickling from their foreheads, feeling no pain at all.

With bigger problems at hand, what pain could they feel?

Very quickly, they jumped from the creepy, foggy ground and frantically placed their hands against the open space anxiously.

Some even rushed up against the space with more might, before once again dropping to the ground with sprained shoulders.

Everyone who saw this scene knew the truth at a single glance.

Their faces grew grim as they rushed to the scene, trying to break free too.

~Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Let us out! Let us out now!"

"This can't be. This can't be.

How could they get trapped with the Monsters?"

...

Everyone anxiously did their best to flee.

And as if this shock wanst enough, the Demons decided to finally make their move.