Rowan and the soldiers were working diligently when, without warning, a loud shriek blasted across the forest. It was not just loud; it seemed to vibrate through the very air, echoing from somewhere dangerously close.
Following the bone-chilling shriek, small animals fled the area in panic.
Rowan's eyes widened, and he quickly alerted, "Everyone, move away from the trees! Fast!"
Even before his sudden call, the soldiers had already begun backing away from the trees out of fear. Brandon also moved with them, the fear on his face was evident.
The captains stopped removing the fallen trees, grabbed their swords, and sprinted towards Rowan.
"Lord Rowan!" they called out in unison as they arrived beside Rowan, who was backing away while looking at the forest.
Blaze was still on his shoulder, letting out terrified shrieks and clinging to him.
"A monster is nearby, and it's already been alerted by our presence. It should be coming towards us as we speak," Rowan said with a frown on his face.
As Rowan was discussing the current situation with the captains, loud, heavy steps suddenly sounded from within the forest—the monster was already nearby!
"Damn! We didn't even go deep into the forest!" Rowan cursed through gritted teeth.
Though he had been warned beforehand about monsters, he still didn't expect that one would truly come, even without venturing deep into the forest. The only valid explanation was that the noise had awakened whatever monster was coming towards them.
But now wasn't the time to think.
Rowan took out the two swords left in his inventory and held them in both hands. He took an assertive stance, clutching the swords, ready for battle.
"Everyone, grab your weapon and prepare to engage in battle soon. Remember all the sword techniques you have been practicing? This is the time to put them to use and defend yourselves. Is that understood?" he announced.
The soldiers gulped nervously, grabbed their weapons, and began stepping back, eyes fixed on the forest, ready to see what enemy they would be facing. Even Brandon clutched his axe, preparing to fight for his life.
The atmosphere around them was serious, and the tension was palpable.
The steps from within the forest grew louder every second, causing the soldiers to panic even more.
Rowan and the two captains standing in front of the one hundred plus soldiers kept their eyes focused on the path ahead of them. Due to the tall trees and the large amount of harsh grass, seeing what lay beyond the first row of trees became impossible, they could only see darkness.
Rowan received many messages about the terrified state of his soldiers, but he ignored them. Then another window opened, containing a challenge—his first challenge since he transmigrated.
[ A challenge has been triggered ]
[ CHALLENGE: Defeat the threat without losing anyone ]
[ Reward - 20,000 Evolution Points ]
'I wasn't planning on losing anyone in the first place,' thought Rowan.
"Blaze, get ready, your Fireball will be needed in this fight, alright?" he whispered to Blaze while his eyes remained fixed on the forest.
Blaze let out a low squeak, accepting his words.
Thirty seconds passed, and the steps grew even louder and stranger—it was as though there was more than one monster coming towards them.
The soldiers gulped, sweat dripping down their faces—since they joined the army, for most of them, this was their first intense moment, the first time they ever felt that if they didn't fight, they would die.
As the steps drew closer, their heartbeats became even faster.
However, all of a sudden, the steps halted, plunging the area into a short moment of deep, awkward silence.
'What's happening? Why did the steps suddenly stop? Is it over already?' Rowan wondered. His thoughts were the same as everyone's at that moment.
Following the ear-piercing silence, the rustling of bushes spread across the area, drawing their attention toward the thick bush at the edge of the forest, which seemed to be shaking violently.
Rowan's grip on his swords tightened as the rustling grew louder. His eyes narrowed, scanning the trembling bush ahead.
Then, unexpectedly, a small rat darted out of the bush, squeaking frantically as it scurried across the ground. It was a tiny creature, harmless and insignificant in comparison to the fear they had just experienced.
The soldiers gasped in surprise and even began to chuckle in amusement—was it just a rat causing all the commotion? they asked themselves.
"Just a rat?" Brandon muttered, he couldn't believe what he had just experienced.
But before calmness could fully settle, the ground began to tremble again. This time, the sound of heavy, thudding footsteps was much louder and more menacing than before. Rowan's eyes widened in alarm as he realized the true danger was yet to come.
"Get ready!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the soldiers' fleeting amusement. The urgency in his tone brought everyone back to full alert.
From the very spot where the small rat had emerged, the bushes suddenly exploded outward as a large group of gigantic, rat-like monsters surged forward, their red eyes glowing with malice. Each of them was around the size of a large dog, their fur matted, and their teeth bared, dripping with saliva—they all looked hungry for flesh.
The soldiers' faces turned ashen as the horde bore down on them. The brief moment of relief vanished, replaced by sheer terror as the reality of the situation hit them like a tidal wave.
"Damn it!" Rowan cursed loudly, his frustration and fear mixing as he prepared to confront the oncoming threat.
Blaze looked at the monstrous rats, each one at least seven times its size, with wide, terrified eyes. Its life hadn't even lasted a day, and already it was facing a battle against terrifying monsters. How cruel could fate be?
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