Jinn BLADE
Chapter 54 | Make Camp

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 | Make Camp

*crunch *crunch *crunch

The group kept running through the dark forest, staying close behind Biyo, who followed right behind Garan.

*Shriek!

The sounds of the beasts—shrieking and growling—were still close behind them. Their footsteps crashed through the underbrush, fast and loud. Everyone ran as fast as they could, hearts pounding with urgency.

"Where are we even going!?" Verhedyn shouted, his voice breaking through the noise around them.

"Just trust the Drakkar!" Verkaryon yelled back, throwing a quick thumbs-up and flashing a grin, still calm even with danger right behind them.

They kept running until the forest suddenly opened into a large cliff. Across the gap was more land, a flat edge that looked just close enough to jump across—if the person uses their eidra or is somewhat strong enough.

Garan, who was far ahead, growled as he stopped at the edge. He crouched low,

*BANG!

then jumped with all his strength. His body flew through the air and landed safely on the other side.

"Come on!" he shouted.

He turned to a nearby tree and raised his claws. With fast, powerful strikes, he slashed at the thick trunk again and again.

*Crack! *Crack! *BANG! *BANG!

Bark flew with each hit. After several deep cuts, the tree creaked—then fell across the gap with a loud crash, forming a rough bridge between the cliffs.

"Go!" Biyo called out, slowing down and letting Jinn and the others pass him.

"What’s he doing!?" Kain asked in a shout as he rushed past Biyo, his tone laced with worry.

"I don’t know," Jinn said as he stepped onto the tree-trunk bridge, moving quickly, "but if it’s Biyo—we should trust him!"

"Now let’s go!" Jinn beckoned the rest of his friends to cross.

The rest of the group followed one after another, crossing fast but careful. Behind them, the beasts were still coming—closer than before—their shrieks getting louder and louder.

As Jinn and the rest of the group stepped onto the giant tree, using it as a bridge to cross, Biyo stayed behind.

He took a deep breath and began to channel his eidra.

Cold air started to swirl around him. His body grew colder and colder as the power built up inside him—flowing through his arms and legs, filling him with the same energy the warriors of Skjöldheim were known for.

Permafrost.

With a sharp grunt, Biyo raised his arm, now wrapped in freezing winds. Then, with all his strength, he slammed it down into the ground. The impact shook the very cliff he stood on. A loud crack echoed through the forest as the ground split open.

From the broken earth, a wall of sharp, jagged ice shot upward, forming a thick barrier of frozen spikes. The icy wall completely blocked the path behind them, cutting off the monsters—at least for a little while.

Wasting no time, Biyo burst forward with speed. He reached the edge of the cliff and leapt across the gap, landing hard on the other side.

Upon reaching, he then turned and slammed his foot down on the tree-trunk connecting the cliff.

*Crack! *SNAP!

With a loud snap, the trunk cracked—then gave way. The massive tree fell into the darkness below, crashing down out of sight.

Just as the tree vanished, the beasts climbed over Biyo’s ice wall. Some reached the edge—but it was too late. With nothing left to cross, they tumbled off the cliff, screeching as they fell into the abyss.

The rest of the horde growled and remained at the edge, but none dared to jump. After a few moments, they turned back—disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

For now, Jinn’s group was safe.

"Well, that’s taken care of," Verhedyn said with a relieved sigh. He then turned to Biyo and continued, "Now let’s find that ’suitable camp’ shall we?"

"Mhm," Biyo grunted, gripping the strap of the heavy supply pack slung over his shoulder. Without another word, he began walking again, leading the group deeper into the forest.

They walked for a while—minutes turned into hours as the sun dipped lower behind the thick canopy above. The forest remained dark and quiet, but tension still hung in the air.

*Scrape!

Eventually, Garan dropped down from the treetops with a loud thud. His claws scraped the bark as he landed in front of the group.

"I’ve found a place fit for camping, large meat," Garan said with a short snarl. He pointed a claw westward, then turned and started walking.

The group followed closely behind him until they arrived at the spot.

It wasn’t perfect—but it was flat enough, and though trees still stood around—there were fewer than before.

Biyo stepped forward and gave a slow nod.

"This should do," he said, before letting the heavy supply pack fall to the ground with a thud.

"What should we do?" Jinn asked as he looked around.

Biyo chuckled as he turned to face him. "You don’t need to do anything, Jinn-boy."

He then walked to the center of the clearing, then knelt and pressed one hand to the ground.

"I’ve got this handled."

As soon as he said that, a cold wind started to swirl.

His hand glowed faintly as cold eidra crackled to life. Thin cracks formed beneath his palm, then suddenly burst outward in a wide circle.

*BANG!

From those cracks, jagged ice erupted and grew fast—forming crystal walls around the group. The walls shimmered with cold energy and stood tall, reaching about halfway up the towering trees that surrounded them.

These will definitely hold off the beasts, Jinn thought as he ran a hand along the smooth, cold surface.

"Now then," Biyo said with a small smirk, "let’s pitch the tents from our supplies."

The group got to work. They set up their tents, built a campfire in the center, and organized the remaining gear. The ice walls stood strong around them, glowing faintly with the power of Biyo’s permafrost.

By Biyo’s experience, these walls could stop even a frost giant.

For now, this would be their resting place—their camp, until the forest forced them to move again.