16 Caravan

There were 900 villagers in front of Derrick, including 100 soldiers. After killing the remaining two chieftains, he hadn't met any resistance. The soldiers had rounded up their villages and gathered at the first location under the necromancer's orders.

They were now awaiting further instructions. Derrick was happy with his harvest, even though he only got three more undead soldiers, bringing his total to 36.

Everyone in front of him was terrified, as if they had met the devil himself. Derrick couldn't really blame them, as they were indoctrinated since birth that Necromancers were the scum of the earth. With Io by his side, he started his speech.

"If you become my subjects, I'll treat you well. If you oppose me, you'll die. There isn't any room for debate. I killed your chieftains to send a message, but I'll not lay a hand on you if you submit"

There were sighs of relief in the crowd, but some were throwing glances filled with doubt. What type of invader would let the conquered have a free life? At best, they were thinking that they would become slaves. At worst, sex toys that would be abused to death.

Derrick couldn't really blame them. It had been this way since the beginning of time. The strong conquered the weak, and the victors had every right to do whatever they wanted with the spoils.

"You'll see for yourselves. We'll now head to the Okko village up north. They'll be waiting for us there. I'll tell you the rest when we arrive"

Everybody started marching with haste. People were throwing glances behind them, wondering what kind of life awaited them...

***

After a few hours, they arrived at Okko. The outskirts were like a ghost town. Everyone started worrying. Had the village been massacred? What was happening?

As they progressed towards the center, they finally calmed down. They saw a group of villagers waiting for them, like Derrick had said.

Io landed next to Atta and Derrick saluted the man. Atta was still not used to Io, and he started sweating bullets. Why was such a creature allowed to exist?!

"I hope all the preparations are over?"

Derrick didn't waste time as he wanted to leave for Akata right away. It was already mid-day and if they hurried, they would be able to set camp in a relatively safe part of the forest.

When the group had left for Okko, Derrick had done some recon over the forest with Io. He didn't find powerful creatures in the first leg of their trip. He recognized that there were elderly people and that they couldn't endure a trip directly to their destination.

As such he needed to find a suitable camp site, which he had. It was a small hill that hovered above the vegetation. It would be perfect for their group now boasting 1300 heads, including 140 soldiers.

"Great! We'll be departing right away. I've found a camp site that'll allow us to rest for the night before completing the trip tomorrow"

Atta couldn't help but grimace. He was already at wits end and this fellow didn't allow for any rest. Derrick turned to the crowd and used his loud voice to start explaining his plans.

"I'm sure you all have questions, but they'll have to wait! For now, I'll be relocating you to the Akata village. You don't have to worry about housing and food. I've already made plans to that effect. To those who don't know me, I'm Derrick Tarlin. I'll be the person leading you all to a better future, a better life! If you pledge yourself to my cause, you'll be rewarded tenfold, and that's a promise!"

Young and old, men and women, they couldn't help but wonder if he could really deliver such an absurd promise. However, there was one thing they knew for sure : the man in front of them was their best shot. Even if they were leaving everything behind, it couldn't be worse than death.

"We'll be departing right now, before camping for the night. We should be arriving tomorrow, barring any encounters"

The group started moving. Nobody looked back because even if they wanted to stay, they had no choice in the matter. It was either live or die. The options they were given were pretty straight forward.

***

When the sun was about to set, they finally arrived at their destination. Derrick ordered everyone to set up camp. The small hill they occupied was surrounded by trees, but it had the best vantage point.

The path they had taken was surprisingly easier than expected, considering the size of their caravan. They barely met wildlife on their way as well, which gave an eerie feeling that Derrick didn't like.

To alleviate his worries, he decided that he would explore the remaining part of their journey alone. He had been in a cave for months, so he was actually more comfortable with the cover of the night.

When everyone was settled and went to bed, Derrick proceeded in the depth of the forest. This part was way thicker and the carriages would have a hard time going through. They should be able to arrive at Akata during tomorrows' evening.

Suddenly, Derrick felt his entire body go cold.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

Drako suddenly hurled in Derrick's mind, and his instincts took over. He dove forward in a split second, which allowed him to barely see the creature that was attacking him. The sight of the beast made his blood go cold.

It was a gigantic half-bear, half-deer monster that stood on its two back legs. It had shining green eyes and gigantic claws. Its rib cage was also exposed, giving it a nightmarish vibe. It was at least 15 meters tall.

It had managed to sneak behind Derrick without him noticing, which was an incredible feat considering its size.

The area in which Derrick previously stood was barely recognizable. The claws of the beast had torn through everything in its wake.

"System, use Appraisal on that bastard"

[Leshi (Forest Spirit)]

[Strength : 23]

[Agility : 15]

[Endurance : 14]

[Vitality : 15]

[Magic Power : 14]

[Trait : Bear Strike (The claws of this beast allows it to lacerate everything in its path), Deer Charge (Charges with its razor-sharp antlers. Unstoppable)]

[Weakness : Darkness]

"So you're the reason there's barely any animal in this region... Drako, you've been hiding for a while, want to stretch a bit?"

"Human, don't push your luck... Although, I really want to test out my strength..."