Jinn BLADE
Chapter 56 | Another Day

Chapter 56: Chapter 56 | Another Day

The rays of the sun pierced through the canopies from up above, casting scattered beams of light across the camp.

The warmth of morning began to push away the cold air from the night.

Jinn slowly opened his eyes.

He sat up, reaching for Fangeryth at his side.

The familiar weight of the blade gave him a sense of comfort. After gripping it briefly, he stood and stretched his back, then walked over to the tent flap and unzipped it.

*ZIP!

As soon as he stepped outside, he stopped to look what was in front of him.

A drone hovered directly in front of him—clear bodied, sleek in design, and almost silent.

Its translucent frame shimmered faintly in the light, and its lens focused straight on him—unblinking.

Jinn narrowed his eyes.

They’re watching us . Probably the drones that was said by the announcer.

He took a step forward, expecting it to move out of the way. It didn’t.

Instead, it floated just slightly back, still staring at him.

He moved left—it followed.

Right—same result as well.

He stood still for a moment, watching it. It hovered only a few feet away, tracking him like a predator watching prey.

The quiet hum of its flight was barely hearable, but it made the skin on his neck tighten in annoyance.

Jinn clicked his tongue.

"Tch."

He turned his back to it and walked forward toward the campfire, ignoring it completely.

Still—It kept following him, matching his pace exactly.

He could feel it behind him, always present—like a shadow.

But he pushed the feeling away.

Not the time to get pissed over some floating junk. They’re just doing what they were sent to do.

With resounding footsteps, Jinn walked toward the center of the camp, where one by one his friends began to exit their tents,

*ZIP! *ZIP! *ZIP!

the sounds of zippers cutting through the morning stillness.

"Had a good night’s sleep?" Jinn asked, his voice calm as he looked around at his friends.

"More or less," Verhedyn replied with a shrug, yawning as he stretched both arms to the side, his shoulders cracking slightly.

He then stepped over to Kain, placing an arm over his shoulder casually.

"What about you, Kain?" Verhedyn grinned. "You weren’t trembling in fear last night because of the giants, right?"

"Haha!" Kain chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I trusted Biyo, so no way I was scared," he said, with a firm sound of his voice—though his eyes darted a bit.

Verhedyn raised a brow, smirking but said nothing more as dropped the matter.

"Still, it looks like we’ll be moving again soon," said Ophelia as she approached, holding a small bundle of ration bars.

She handed them out to each of her friends, her expression both calm and alert.

"No point in getting too comfortable here."

"Thanks," Jinn said as he took his share—ripping the wrapper and taking a bite off it.

Orin stepped up next, her steps quiet.

Around her neck, she now wore Nevi’s necklace, the small gem catching small bits of morning light.

She looked up at the towering trees above them, their massive trunks stretching endlessly into the sky—figuratively of course.

"This forest really gives me the creeps," Orin muttered.

"It’s like... I don’t know. Like something’s watching."

"You’re not wrong about that," said Vox as he stepped forward, already munching on the ration bar given to him by Ophelia as his hair sticked up wildly in different directions.

He adjusted his glasses, which had fogged slightly.

"There’s definitely something odd about this place. The way sound moves, how dark it stays even during the day... It’s unnatural."

The group went quiet for a moment, considering his words.

Then Verhdeyn squinted as he noticed something unordinary.

"...Wait, Vox—what the hell happened to your hair?"

Everyone turned to look.

Orin burst out laughing first. "Hahaha! What the heck!?"

"Did you sleep inside your tent or got dragged through it?" Kain grinned.

Even Ophelia chuckled softly behind her hand. "It’s like your hair’s trying to escape your head."

Vox blinked, confused. "What?" He looked up as if he could see his own hair.

"Is it that bad?"

Hector, already grinning, walked over. "C’mere, genius."

He placed both hands on Vox’s head and tried pressing down. "Hold still."

Vox flinched. "Ow okay, okay—gentler!"

"It’s like trying to tame wild grass," Hector muttered, flattening it again.

Vox groaned. "It’s useless... I told you. It won’t stay down."

"You need a helmet more than glasses," Verhdeyn said, cracking up.

Vox’s face turned red as he quickly brought his hands up to shield his hair.

"I’ll just wear my hood. Problem solved."

"Nope, too late," Orin said with a teasing grin. "That image is burned into my memory forever."

"You all laugh now," Vox muttered, tugging his hood up, "but when I invent something that saves your lives, I’ll make sure it gives you all terrible hair days! I will remember this moment!"

"Keke! I’d like to see that," Garan snorted from a branch above, apparently eavesdropping.

The laughter continued for a few more seconds until it was interrupted by the sound of firm and heavy footsteps echoing through the clearing.

*Thud *Thud *Thud

Biyo approached from the far side of the camp, his arms crossed and his fur coat shifting slightly with each step.

"Looks like all of you got some decent rest," Biyo said with a satisfied nod.

His gaze moved toward the towering ice walls surrounding the camp.

"And it looks like the giants from last night have finally given up."

As if waiting, a cheerful voice chimed in.

"That’s because your ice walls are truly unbreakable, sir Biyo!" Verkaryon said, walking into the group with a sly grin and a dramatic bow.

"But of course!" Biyo replied, puffing his chest as he let out a deep, resounding laugh that echoed off the crystal walls and air around them.

"Walls born from the frost of Skjöldheim don’t fall so easily!".

With a scrape against the bark and a loud thud, Garan landed near the group.

*THUD!

His claws dug briefly into the dirt as he straightened himself.

He yawned wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp canines—teeth that looked like they could tear through even reinforced armor without effort.

He took a step forward, sniffed the air, and then speaked.

"Looks like we’ve got company a few miles off."

"Company?" Jinn asked, crossing his arms in intrigue. "Enemies?"

Garan shook his head slowly, his snarl fading. "Nay. Other slave meats."

The group exchanged glances, silent for a moment as they processed what that meant.

More survivors. Will it be a blessing or will it be a hindrance?

Jinn’s eyes narrowed as his expression grew cold.

"Who cares?" he said firmly, his tone without hesitation.

"We don’t need to meet with other slaves. We’re strong enough on our own."

Garan’s snarl curled into a grin.

He pointed at Jinn with a clawed finger—his eyes gleaming with savage pride.

"Keke! Damn right!" he snarled. "That’s the kind of thinking I like, boy. Like I’ve said before—the strong don’t need the herd!"

"You haven’t even said that before..." Verhedyn whispered to himself, looking away.

"So where are we heading now?" Orin asked, glancing around the thick woods before turning her gaze to Biyo.

"Every part of this damned forest seems to be crawling with wretched monsters."

Verkaryon raised his hand and pointed toward the horizon, where a jagged mountain loomed in the far distance—barely visible through the trees and mist.

"What about that mountain over there?" he said with a grin, almost too casually—given what they’d been through.

"Looks like a high ground. Maybe less beasts up there?"

The group turned to look.

The mountain was sharp and grim, like a claw tearing through the sky. Its peak was covered in clouds, and from its base, the trees grew denser, darker, and wilder.

Biyo stroked his beard in silence, clearly deep in thought.

His eyes studied the distant range for a long moment. They could choose to keep moving without direction, like they had been—following instinct and avoiding threats where they could or they could take the risk and approach the mountain.

It might be dangerous... or it might be the only way to reach a less monster infested location.

Before he could say a word, Garan stepped forward, cracking his neck with a grunt.

"If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in the wild," Garan said with a low growl, "it’s that mountains like those? They’re always the source. The strongest beasts nest up there. That’s where they come from." His voice was confident, carrying the certainty of experience.

The group exchanged glances.

"Well that’s settled then," Biyo said without hesitation, as if the choice was made the moment Garan spoke.

He turned back to his tent and began rolling up his gear.

"We’ll avoid the mountain for now. Stick to the lower grounds, keep moving, and of course, stay alive."

The others followed suit without question.

*ZIP! *CLANK! *RUSTLE!

One by one, they began to pack—tents were broken down, bags were hoisted, weapons checked.

The cold morning air still hung over them, and the forest was quiet—but not in a peaceful way.

It was the quiet that came before movement... before something unseen stirred.

Jinn fastened Fangeryth on his sword belt—his eyes flicking between the shadows of the trees.

He didn’t say anything, but his mind was already preparing for whatever came next.

He could feel the eidra within him, pulsing gently like a heartbeat, steady but ready.

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