Chapter 61 – Fallowing the tracks.
(Hm…. This path seem quiet long path by the look of things.) – though Phantasia while traveling across the tunnel.
(I have been already walking for quiet a while… Just how long is this tunnel?)
(Considering that they didn't wanted to get catched while making it…. How long it took to make this entire thing?!)
Phantasia began walking across the long tunnel while carrying the torch to light his path.
However, while walking, the player ended up coming at the dead end, so-
"Break it."
The chimera rabbit bear destroyed the wall, revealing a path.
(At least make not look as fake wall as much as possible for crying out loud…. I guess the culprit was in so big of a rush he didn't had time to properly cover his tracks.
Or maybe he only covered the both entrances of the tunnel so nobody would find before he or she starts its operation before then covering it and after they kidnapped the dwarf, they didn't had enough time to make a proper looking fake wall since they were in rush to get out and instead just planted those fakes walls…. Yea that would make some sense.)
(Anyway… I'm outside.)
(Specifically the forest.)
(I don't recognize this part of the forest… But if we take the distance in consideration… Does that mean I'm near the hunting grounds?)
(Still… This confirms few things.)
(The culprit as well as the dwarf are outside the city already.)
(Now… How the hell I will find them?!)
(Its all good and everything that I know that the outside may have been the culprit and the fact that both the culprit and victim are outside the city at the moment….)
(But where the hell will I find them?!)
(This is even worse than city!)
"…."
"No."
"Calm down."
"The culprit was visible in hurry and he left 2 evidences already that could be easily avoided if he took his time."
"There is good chance that there are some leads here."
(What should I look for?)
(A tracks left behind by a cart or a horse?)
(…The cart would definitely not do, since the terrain is too unfit for it.)
"…."
"Oh?"
(Hove tracks!)
(….)
(Hm…. The tracks edges are still good…. But they would have been completely lost if even bit more time passed.)
(BUT THOSE TRACKS CONDITIONS ARE WAY TOO GOOD!)
(That can only mean one thing.)
(They must have left only recently!)
(No fuking wonder that they were in rush.)
(The sooner they would leave, the sooner tracks would disappear on their own!)
(Still, there is a lot of monsters and wild animals going around as well as the fact that wind often comes and goes. I should hurry before the tracks disappear.)
Phantasia began fallowing the hooves tracks on ground, traveling through the forest located on the mountains while also occasionally encountering monsters along the way.
He did occasionally ended up losing tracks since monster may have ended up stepping all over them, slowing down his search multiple times in row.
However, Phantasia began noticing some…. Annoying problems.
(Damn!)
(I may have an extremely high stat total and everything, but I've been slowly encounter more and more higher level monsters.)
(Not only that, most of these monsters I had never encounter in here and some of them are strong enough to kill me if I let my guard down! The mountain panther are the only monsters I had encounter that I know of, but other fuckers are completely new and extremely strong.)
(Some of them did almost killed…. This area is too high level to me…. If the culprit really have its base here… Then how strong is that person?)
(Should I back away?)
(….)
(No.)
(This maybe my only chance to rescue the dwarf and receive all credit for it.)
(But if I encounter any stronger monsters, I would need to take it seriously. Meaning all the nasty weapons and stuff I have at hand will be used, including these arms full power and the chimeras.)
(As for plague… Yea I can't use it…. It will only bring problems.)
(Still… The I fallowed the culprit tracks for quiet long distance already. I'm nowhere near the city right now. Where the fuck am I right now anyway?)
(Not only that, traversing that terrain alone with those monsters isn't easy…. But considering the fact that I haven't catched up to the culprit yet suggest that he or she isn't a weakling.)
(….)
(Should I bring out chimeras?)
(I still have my tamed monsters and undead, but the chimeras, especially the bear rabbit are straight up strongest one.)
(I should be safe…. But if the dwarf I plan to rescue straight up sees them…. Then I will have no choice but to murder him.)
(…)
(Still, how long do I have to walk for?)
(The enemy seems to be using a horse or something, but he or she cannot run at full speed in here.)
(Horse is probably only meant to drag dwarf around, so-)
"?!"
Phantasia suddenly stopped and hid behind the giant tree.
Reason?
Phantasia saw a cave in the side the mountain.
"…."
(The tracks are heading to the cave…)
(Hideout?)
(Or maybe another passage inside?)
"…."
(Shit.)
(There is no way I can enter that cave without getting spotted…. But the tracks are straight up leading there….)
(Fuck it.) – though Phantasia before putting his wood mask on.
(The culprit wasn't delayed by the monsters here and even had made path or base here?! That guy isn't definitely not some sort of weakling.)
(Will I really have no choice but to use chimeras?)
(It would have been perfect if the dwarf was unconscious or locked up somewhere!)
Phantasia alongside his tamed monsters and undead began walking towards cave.
"…"
(The ground here is softer…. And there are foot marks?)
(Large boots…. Dwarf probably.)
(There are also several other boot marks…. Was there multiple culprits?)
"Undeads. You got at front."
Phantasia alongside his monsters had entered the dark cave.
"…."
(There is no way they won't find us out.)
(We are moving in a huge group right now.)
(We can start fighting at any moment or get ambushed by-)
"?!"
The group had suddenly stopped as the sound of somebody or something waking could be heard coming from the deeper parts of the cave.
(I guess they are coming to greet us.) – though Phantasia while preparing his crossbow.
"?!"
The unknown being finally got close enough for the Phantasia group to see the beings and as it turns out they were people.
Or to be more exact: Undead people.
(…They are not intelligent…. Necromancy.)
(AND THEY ARE HOSTILE!)
The armor wearing undead began running towards the group, forcing Phantasia to send his undead beasts to confront enemy.
The undead quickly clashed with each other and it was already visible that the enemy armor wearing undead were quite strong.
However, while the armor wearing skeletons were distracted with the zombie mountain panther, the horn wolves began using that opportunity to do sneak attacks against the monsters…. However, the wolf realized that the armor the undead were wearing weren't some cheap stuff since the undeads didn't suffered too much damage from the claw attacks.
"Fuck."
(These undeads have both high level and proper equipment.)
Phantasia aimed with his crossbow at the skeleton that was fighting the group of wolves, taking his time before then firing from his crossbow and hitting the undead right in the face before then shattering the undead head.
After destroying undead, Phantasia quickly got rid of his crossbow before then running towards one of the skeletons.
The undead noticed him and swinged its axe at him, but Phantasia quickly dodged to the side before then using skill [Punch] to increase his next fist type attack.
Phantasia swinged its arm from below, hitting the skeleton right in the jaw with upper cut.
Phantasia then fallowed up with [Jab] skill to boost his next arm type attack and speed before then punching the skeleton right in the chest, pushing it away and making it lose its balance before then falling on the ground.
"Beat him up!"
The horned wolves began ganging up on the fallen skeleton, attacking it and trying to finish off the undead.
1 more skeleton is left.
The sword wielding undead ended up badly damaging the undead mountain panther and it was about to finish it before then getting shot with a barrage of bone projectiles fired by Phantasia, stopping the monster in time and then allowing the red cobra to attack the monster legs, making it lose its balance, creating an opening for the Phantasia undeads to attack the monster alongside their master.
Before long, the two remaining armored skeletons have been dealt with by Phantasia group.
"…."
(Okay… They are dead… But fuck me. They were durable?)
(Were these skeletons some sort of evolved version of the normal skeleton? Or was it because of their equipment?)
(….)
(Anyway…. The culprit is a necromancer by the look of things.)
(And some annoying one at that if only 3 skeletons were straight up stopping us and even when they were outnumbered, they weren't straight up dying. Those fuking skeletons are not regular undeads…. This…. This will be quiet annoying by the look of this.)
(And I have yet to face the culprit himself.)