Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 88: Situation

Chapter 88: Situation

Klaus jolted awake, his ears catching a strange noise. Despite his drowsiness, he had already donned the Purgatory’s Shroud and on his hands were the gaunlets, Fang of Wrath, in case he needed to attack or defend his body.

Looking around, the groups were still fast asleep. He did not understand what was happening.

Why did he suddenly wake up?

As if to question that question, he suddenly heard a ’clicking’ sound. It was certainly sickening like the sound of bones being pushed together painfully.

’Shit! Is it a Shadow Creature?!’

Fearing the worse — the possibility of a unknown monstrosity crawling to their hidden location — he quickly rushed outside the cave and looked around the vicinity. There was no illumination above the blackness of the horizon. Despite having the ability to see in such darkness, he didn’t see anything.

Truly, there was no nothing that would warrant caution or exclude a sense of danger.

Finally, he saw it.

"!!"

Overwhelmed by a sense of dread, Klaus instinctively fell to the ground and remained low. A second later, a towering monstrosity moving across the void below finally appeared.

The creature was as large as a house, with its eight segmented legs bending unnaturally and each joint twisted against each other producing a sickening ’clicking’ sound. Its form was an twisted combination of insect and specter, draped in tattered, shadowy tendrils that slithered and coiled like living mist. Its elongated torso was emaciated but unnervingly rigid, resembling a grotesque marionette bound by unseen strings.

Instead of a solid shell, its body seemed composed of shifting obsidian plates. The plates did not connect seamlessly; rather, they floated slightly apart, revealing glimpses of a swirling rotton fresh beneath the surface.

As for its arms, they were unnaturally long, ending in three-bladed claws that curved like sickles. Its head was a craggy, elongated mask of bone, with empty sockets where eyes should have been. Even so, within those void-like hollows, countless tiny ember-like glows flickered, which were simultaneously repulsively monstrous and bestial.

Inadvertently, Klaus glanced to the side and noticed the Blackmane Stalker, which had been assigned to keep watch, now crouched low against the ground. Its entire body seemed to be trembling.

This wasn’t an illusion or hallucination.

The ghoul was really trembling all over as though sensing the arrival of a predator beyond its understanding. That was a creature that could tear apart Nightmare Carapaces as they were nothing. But now, it was paralyzed — not with rage or hunger, but sheer terror.

Klaus swallowed hard and held his breath as he pressed himself lower against the uneven ground.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out everything but the relentless clicking of the monstrosity’s twisted limbs. The sickening sound echoed through the void as if it had no need to rush, gliding across the landscape with unbelievable weightlessness.

A flicker of movement caught his eye. Tendrils of shadow slithered beneath the creature’s form, curling outward before dissolving into the air like dissipating smoke. They stretched and recoiled, probing the ground as though sensing or rather seeking something.

’Is it looking for something?’

Perhaps that was the main reason why the abomination suddenly thought it was appropriate to make an appearance, but he certainly wasn’t confident enough to try and find out.

The monstrosity lingered. It suddenly halted its movements, which drove Klaus into panic mode and trembling all over in fear. It remained stationary for a long time, and at some point, the young Strider even thought the monster would turn its gaze and find them. However, the creature started moving in the next moment, without glancing in his direction, not even once throughout the ordeal.

Still remained frozen in place, he watched as the towering monstrosity drifted further into the abyssal darkness. His lungs burned from holding his breath, but he dared not make a sound.

Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity before the last flicker of its ember-like eyes vanished beyond the horizon. Only then did he allow himself to exhale.

The Blackmane Stalker stirred beside him and its trembling finally subsiding, but its posture remained low and wary. Even after the creature had disappeared, the atmosphere still excluded a primal sense of danger and dread.

Witnessing the sight of that hideous monstrosity, Klaus finally realized that the claws of his obsidian-black gauntlets were sinking into the pale flesh of his palm, drawing blood. Feeling a sting of pain, he gritted his teeth.

’Damn it. Just what the hell is with accursed place is this?’

If this wasn’t a universal sign that his luck was terrible, then what was?

† †

Waking up some time in the morning, Klaus felt incredibly sore and exhausted. The problem wasn’t with his physical body; after several hours of sleep, he was filled with energy, and the wound on his palm had already healed. The true issue was his mental exhaustion. The cause was painfully obvious.

No matter how he tried to forget, he couldn’t completely expel the terrifying image from his mind, and as a result, it had drained his mental strength far more than he realized.

According to medical researchers, the human body required a considerable amount of rest preferably eight hours. This was perhaps due to the strange phenomenon where the brain would begin to eat itself if deprived of sleep for too long. Some people were still skeptical about that, but it was generally accepted that the body needed rest when tired. This was simply common sense.

But who exactly could sleep peacefully in a Shadow World filled with nothing but lurking monsters?

And recalling what happened last night, how was he supposed to sleep with a calm mind?

’Tch. Let’s not think about that.’

Scratching the back of his head, he slowly stood up. Looking around, he noticed the cave was empty. The rest of the group had already awakened before him, perhaps even getting a good night’s rest. Klaus envied them. He wished he could have been oblivious as well, spared from the knowledge that such a creature roamed the night.

With a sigh, he pushed himself upright, wincing as his body ached all over. His mind was foggy, but staying still would do him no good. He needed to clear his head.

Stepping outside the cave, he was met with the cool morning air. The sunless sky above regained its grey hue, bathing the world below. Klaus took in his surroundings and swept his gaze across the horizon as though to reassure himself that the nightmare had truly passed.

The Blackmane Stalker was crouched near the entrance, with its dark fur bristling slightly. It turned its crimson eyes toward him, and in that fleeting moment, Klaus saw something he never expected — weariness. The monstrosity that had always been so fierce and composed, looked just as drained as he felt.

Klaus smiled wryly.

"I see. So, even you are shaken by that thing, huh?"

The humanoid ghoul did not answer. It just huffed and shifted its gaze elsewhere.

’What a strange creature.’

With that thought, Klaus turned his attention forward. Standing near the edge of the hill, he spotted Adrian, Seraphim, and Morgan (Briar). Their expressions were grim, with their eyes fixed intently on something below, silently.

What are they looking at? He wondered.

Curious, he stepped forward to investigate. Strangely, even upon his arrival, no one turned to acknowledge him. It was as if they hadn’t even noticed his presence.

What could have them so absorbed that they failed to realize someone was standing right behind them?

After a moment, Klaus tilted his head and asked,

"What’s going on? Why are you all just standing here?"

Only Adrian turned to face him.

"Oh, Klaus... You’re awake? That’s good. We were actually thinking about waking you up."

Klaus frowned.

"What’s up? Did something happen?"

Adrian exhaled and gestured ahead.

"It’s better if you see for yourself."

What did he mean? Thinking that, Klaus followed Adrian’s gesture and looked down the hill.

A few seconds later, his eyes slowly widened in horror.

Dark dots littered the landscape below.

Monsters.

Countless monsters.

More precisely, several Nightmare Carapaces roamed across the terrain of the dark labyrinth.

"Wha... What the hell? Were they always that many?"

Seraphim glanced at him and shook her head.

"No. When we woke up this morning, their numbers had already swelled to this. It’s likely they’ve emerged in search of food. Whatever the reason, I doubt they’ll be thinning out anytime soon."

Simply put, by tomorrow, the labyrinth would probably be teeming with these ghouls, making any progress nearly impossible. Their best option was to leave today to put as much distance between themselves and the horde before their numbers grew even more.

However, without scouting a path in advance, they ran the risk of not reaching safety in time.

That left them with only two choices, and both were incredibly dangerous.

She must have already realised this as well because she frowned and clicked her tongue.

’Is this because of that creature?’

Inadvertently, that thought oozed its way into his head.

Monsters which could control other monsters was rare, but it wasn’t an impossibility. In such a situation, they would be placed in a terribly disadvantage if they stood idle. A dark cloud floated above his head as he considered their options and next course of action.

The silence stretched on until Briar opened her mouth.

"So what’s the plan?"

Seraphim sighed.

"Ideally, we’d scout ahead and find a safer route, but considering the numbers down there..." She trailed off, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Rubbing his chin, Klaus opened his mouth and said:

"We can’t afford to sit around. If those things are searching for food, there’s a chance they’ll spread out. But if they gather instead..."

He didn’t finish the thought, but everyone understood. A swarm of that size could wipe them out if caught off guard.

At that moment, Adrian spoke up:

"Speed is our best option. We need to move before they pinpoint our location. But first, we have to scout a path and replenish our food supply. Hmm... tricky."

He paused briefly, then made a suggestion:

"Klaus and I will scout ahead and hunt for food. Once we return, we’ll dry the monster meat and leave first thing tomorrow."

Seraphim met his gaze.

"Are you sure? It’s dangerous."

Adrian offered a faint smile.

"Don’t worry, we’ll be as careful as possible. Besides, if we don’t return in five hours, assume the worst. But at that point, does it even matter? We can’t exactly get any deader, right, Klaus?"

’Damn it. Did he really have to throw my own words back at me?’

Klaus stifled a cough and asked,

"Alright, I get it. When are we heading out?"

Adrian tilted his head, as if the question puzzled him.

"What do you mean? We’re leaving now, of course."