Chapter 155: The Light at The End of The Bush

Three days after the test, a woman can be seen running in a forest in the dead of the night, her breathing heavy and erratic.

"Don't let her get away!"

Drops of blood were falling from her arms as she ran with all of her might. The blood glimmering whenever the moonlight seeps into the forest.

No. It wasn't a woman. It was Jiff, one of the three dark-skinned foreigners that took the test for Explorer registration 3 days ago.

His face was desperate, but at the same time, full of rage. The citizens of this world are ruthless, he thought as he grimaced.

They just killed his brothers, Fareed and Ibrahim, and now they were chasing him endlessly.

"Shit...shit!", he cursed as he begged his feet to move.

"She's right there! Don't let her get away!", a voice resounded from deep inside the forest.

With the shouts of bloodlust filling the air, there was now only one thought in Jiff's mind. He must go to him. Find him and ask for help!

He was the only one who could help him to save his sister now. And so, Jiff continued to run, and run. The soles of his booth were already torn, and his feet were already bleeding.

'Are they still following me?', he thought. He has been running for almost a day now. How were they even able to follow him?

He could still hear multiple rustling noises behind him, he was clearly still being followed. And so, once again, he forced his feet to run and run, until the forest grew lighter until he saw the gates of Taizhou city from afar.

'Finally!', he screamed in his mind as a smile appeared on his face.

"Gah!"

Unfortunately, his smile was short-lived as he felt a pain in his leg. He rolled on the ground, with each turn of his body, the pain in his leg intensified.

'N-no…', Jiff's breathing stuttered as he released numerous loud gasps. He looked at the pain

on his right leg, only to see a huge spear lodged through it.

Jiff could not help but grit his teeth as he winced in pain.

Was he… going to die here? But the city is only a kilometer away now. Why, why would the gods allow him to reach this far, only for him to die!?

No, this wasn't the end for him. If he dies, then everything they have done will be in vain. His sister, at least his sister must be freed.

And so, with every and last strength he could muster up, he shouted the only name he could.

"Sir Viel!", he screamed. The blood from his mouth gushing out as his voice cracked.

"Oi, shut him up! The guards from the city might hear him!"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him as the leaves rustled and parted ways. Revealing three men whose faces were covered with masks.

"From this far? Kakaka", another one of the men spoke, "Who can even hear her calls? Anyway, did you hear that voice? That sounded like a man to me"

"That doesn't matter, this will be over soon", said the man who was the farthest from Jiff, he then focused his eyes on Jiff, "You guys have caused us a lot of trouble yesterday, drifter scum"

One of the men then slowly approached Jiff and grabbed his braided white hair, "Keke, such a waste of beauty. It is almost a shame that you have to die no- Oh, what's this?"

As the man was talking, he noticed something glistening hanging beside Jiff's waist.

"This is… an Explorer's badge?", the man's eyes widened, "An illegal drifter like you is an Explore-"

Before he could finish his words, Jiff spat his saliva towards his face, causing the man to back away and wipe his face in disgust.

Jiff took this chance to throw his weapon towards the man, a bladed ring. And as soon as it left his hands, it grew exponentially in size.

"Woah!", unfortunately, the man bent his body backwards, completely avoiding the bladed ring. The three watched as the ring continued to fly in the air, only slowing down when it had cut its 6th tree.

"No!", the man stomped his feet. If that ring would've hit him, he would have surely died. And so, with a frustrated expression, he rushed towards Jiff with his weapon drawn.

"Sir Viel! Please help!", but once again, Jiff shouted before the man could approach him.

"Wait!", one of the men could not help be curious. This was the second time that this drifter has called for that name… could someone be hiding here?

"Who are you even calli-"

But before he could finish his words, a loud whistling noise echoed throughout the dark forest, almost deafening them as their breaths suddenly faltered.

And after that, the man was nowhere to be seen.

"W-what the!?", the other man near him could not help but twitch in surprise, "W-where did he go!?", he shouted as he also unsheathed his weapon.

"Cao!? Where did you go!?", he shouted once again as he looked around.

"What's going on!?"

While looking around, he suddenly felt something wet and squishy under his feet, "Hm?", but before he could look at what it was, a rustling noise could be heard from one of the bushes.

"C-Cao, is that you?", the man said as he pointed his sword towards the bush, "Cao?"

The man squinted his eyes and focused looking at the rustling bush, and slowly, two red dots emerged from it.

"What in my grandmother's titties is tha-"

"!!!"

But before he could finish his words, the two red dots suddenly grew larger. The man then felt a little tinge of pain on his stomach, he wanted to scratch it. But when he noticed that he wasn't touching anything or feeling anything, he looked down. Only to find that his stomach was no longer there.

"Oh", was the man's final word as he folded towards the ground.

"W-what's going on!?", the only masked man left, the one near Jiff, started to panic. His hands were shaking as he pointed towards the rustling bush.

'C-could this be the rumored Spirit of the Forest!?', he thought, "D-did we offend her!?'

And slowly, a silhouette sluggishly appeared from the bush. It was dark, so the masked man couldn't see clearly, but the silhouette's golden hair was enough to be seen as the moonlight shone on it.

Its golden hair reflected the moonlight, causing the leaves and the trees to look as if they too, were glimmering in gold.

"Who… are you!?"

***AUTHOR's ANNOUNCEMENTS***

I have another book called "My Hermes System" which is in a contest. I would very much be glad if you could vote for it if you have the spare powerstone! Please, and thank you! I really hope to win a contest once in my life. lol