Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 92: Friendly Fire

Chapter 92: Friendly Fire

Upon arriving at their destination, the duo of Striders paused and glanced up. In front of them was a black mass. More specifically, it was a tall hill, towering around 200 meters tall. Jagged rocks protruded from its side, and the earth beneath their boots felt unnaturally still, as though even the wind hesitated to approach. Apart from the faint, strange sensation that it seemed to exclude, the hill seemed like the perfect spot to dwell before they continue their so-called journey to the northeast.

Klaus glanced upwards, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face. Shifting his gaze, he looked at Adrian, who seemed to sense his attention and turned to meet his eyes.

Suppressing the excitement that churned in his stomach, Klaus asked,

"What do you think? Do you think this place will work?"

Tilting his head, Adrian focused on the dark mound. For a brief moment, he hesitated then said:

"It seems fine, I suppose. I’m not getting any unusual vibes, and from the wind flow at the peak, it doesn’t appear to be disturbed. It looks empty. Anyway, let’s head back and inform the others."

Klaus nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, let’s go back."

As the two turned to head back to their camp spot, Klaus found his thoughts drifting to the situation up there. Had Briar tried to establish some kind of bond with Seraphim? Knowing that succubus, it seemed unlikely, but not impossible, right?

There was no way those two would actually start fighting... right? That would be ridiculous.

If anything had happened, she would have sent a message through their connection. Yet so far, there was nothing. That had to mean everything was fine. Unless... she couldn’t send a message. That was only possible if her brain couldn’t send a mental message, and that meant... she was either unconscious, restrained, or even worse dead.

’No. That can’t be it!’

A sudden sense of unease gripped him, sending a shiver down his spine. Urging Adrian forward, he quickened his pace.

† †

’Tch. How many bloody hills do I have to climb?’ Klaus grumbled inwardly, swallowing his growing frustration.

Climbing a towering hill was far from a walk in the park, especially when the incline was steep. Sure, the summit offered a perfect vantage point to evade the monstrosities that roamed the chaos-filled realm below, but getting there was a grueling task in and out of itself.

Looking to his side, he saw Adrian climbing the hill with ease. The younger Strider didn’t seem to be struggling at all. In fact, his pace was much faster, even outpacing Klaus. Was he lightening his body by manipulating the wind vectors around him? Theoretically, it was possible; after all, Adrian could already increase his running speed with it. So, logically, he could also use the technique to climb more swiftly.

Once again, Klaus was reminded just how fortunate Adrian’s wind manipulation ability was.

’How lucky.’

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself upwards and continued the arduous climb. Fortunately, they didn’t have to climb for much longer.

Upon reaching the peak, Klaus hauled himself over the final ridge and paused, taking a moment to catch his breath. Adrian, having already arrived before him, was doing the same. The two of them remained in silence for a few seconds, gathering their strength, before finally pushing onward toward the campsite.

In the distance, Klaus spotted both Briar and Seraphim sitting by the campsite, as though waiting for their arrival, with the Stalker lingering nearby. However, the atmosphere between the two girls was... off to say the least.

He narrowed his eyes.

Neither of them spoke. In fact, it was more than just silence; they were glaring at each other, and it wasn’t subtle. Their eyes were locked in a quiet but intense tension, obvious to anyone who looked. If someone had told him these two were bitter enemies who had been at odds for years, Klaus might have believed it if he weren’t aware of their nonexistent history.

Yes, it was definitely strange.

’Huh? What’s going on? Why are they staring at each other like that? Did a fight break out between them?’ He blinked, then tilted his head, with a confused expression forming on his face.

Glancing sideways, Klaus noticed Adrian wore a similar expression of bewilderment, clearly just as confused by the situation. Without saying, anyone would be surprised in this situation.

Klaus stepped forward cautiously, trying not to draw immediate attention to himself, though it was far too late for that. Briar’s eyes flicked toward him for a second, barely a twitch, but Seraphim didn’t even glance his way. Neither woman acknowledged his presence.

In such a situation, Klaus wondered if he should say something. He opened his mouth a few times but ultimately closed it.

Luckily, Adrian stepped in. Clearing his throat, he addressed the two women with a light, almost playful tone:

"Yo, we’re back. Did something happen? Why are you two just staring at each other?"

For a moment, neither responded. Then, Seraphim slowly turned her head from Briar to face them like a watchtower.

Witnessing this, Klaus suddenly recalled the night he had met Yuki, standing in front of that stray cat, now named Lucky.

A few seconds later, the white-haired Strider hesitated, a slight frown crossing her face before she shrugged.

"Nothing important. Just a minor disagreement."

Hearing that, Adrian raised an eyebrow but simply replied, "Ah, is that so?" while scratching his neck. Seraphim gave a small nod in response.

As if to steer the conversation elsewhere, she then asked:

"Were you able to find anything?"

This time, It was Adrian’s turn to answer:

"Yes. "We found a suitable resting spot about 200 meters tall, plenty of vantage points, and no signs of disturbance. It’s quiet, maybe too quiet, but nothing seemed off. In other words, it should be relatively safe."

Klaus added:

"It’s got solid ground, good cover, and enough space for all of us to settle in. Should work just fine. So what do you think?"

Seraphim nodded in approval, her gaze flicking briefly to Briar before returning to the others.

"Good. Then we should move first thing tomorrow morning."

Adrian smiled at the suggestion and opened his mouth to speak.

"That’s great! Sounds like a solid plan. But how can we prepare for tomorrow on an empty belly? Help me out and let’s set up the campfire."

She gave a small nod.

"Alright."

Despite her words, Klaus couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted in the air. Whatever had transpired between Briar and Seraphim earlier hadn’t completely settled. The tension was still there, just buried beneath a thin layer of indifference.

As Adrian and Seraphim prepared the camp fire and meat, Klaus leaned toward Briar, lowering his voice.

"Hey, you sure everything’s alright?"

She barely glanced at him.

"What, why are you worried about me?"

Klaus shook his head.

"Not worried, I’m just cautious. If that is what you would call it. In any case, did anything happen between you and Seraphim?"

Briar’s expression soured slightly, and she fell silent, weighing her next words. Then, with a quiet sigh, the disguised succubus replied:

"It’s just like she said, nothing happened. We just had a minor disagreement."

Klaus arched a brow.

"Right. A minor disagreement. That’s why you two were throwing daggers with your eyes like you were seconds away from brawling. Come on, I wasn’t born yesterday. Something definitely went down."

This time, Briar really looked annoyed.

"I said nothing happened so drop it."

He opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself. There was a flicker in her expression, too brief for most to catch, but Klaus had known her long enough to recognize it; A glimmer of anger, frustration, weakness and guilt, maybe.

What exactly had happened between them, Klaus wondered. Maybe Seraphim had asked about the succubus’s past, which could have triggered some kind of reaction. Come to think of it, he didn’t know much about Briar’s past, especially her time in the demon realm. But judging by how negatively she reacted whenever the topic came up, he could only assume her experiences were far from pleasant.

He had a few theories among countless possibilities, but if Briar refused to speak about it, there wasn’t much he could do.

Then again, the same could be said about Seraphim. Aside from the destruction of her clan, he knew almost nothing about her. Perhaps the two had tried to talk, and something had gone wrong somewhere in the exchange.

Still, he backed off, offering a small nod.

"Alright. But if you ever want to talk about it... just call me, okay?"

She gave a noncommittal nod in response and looked away, watching the fire as it began to catch.

By then, Adrian had already begun cooking the meat. The savory scent of roasting flesh drifted into the air, carrying with it a momentary sense of peace. Seraphim worked beside him in silence, passing supplies without needing to be asked or told anything.

Klaus sat back with his arms resting loosely on his knees. For now, the atmosphere had cooled, but he couldn’t help feeling like a storm was still brewing somewhere just beyond the flicker of firelight.

Glancing sideways, he saw the Stalker looking between Briar and Seraphim. No. To be more accurate, the creature seemed to be eying Seraphim with with a degree of wariness.

’Ah, that’s right. That creature was also here. Perhaps it would know what happened between them. Ugh. If only it could talk...’

Thinking so, he sighed.

Eventually, at some point, Adrian broke the silence.

"So, assuming tomorrow goes smoothly, we head northeast at first light. We’ll hit the ridge by midday if the terrain holds. After that, we’re back in the deep zone."

Seraphim nodded without looking at him.

"Understood. We’ll need to stay alert. The creatures out there are more aggressive the further in we go."

Klaus muttered with a crooked smile:

"Perfect. More monsters eager to tear us limb from limb. Can we just start calling this place the ’Chasms of the Wilderness’ already?"

Silence followed — but not the usual kind. It was pointed, heavy.

He glanced up to find everyone staring at him. Seraphim, Adrian, even Briar had paused what they were doing to fix him with blank looks.

’Why are they all looking at me like that?’ he thought, suddenly aware of how loud his voice must’ve been.

After a beat, Adrian finally broke the silence.

"Klaus?"

"...Yeah?"

"Your sense of humor sucks."

"...."

Klaus said nothing. What was he even supposed to say to that?

"Thank you, I guess?" Not like he was trying to be a clown.

He sighed and looked away, muttering under his breath,

"Philistines, the lot of you."

Then Seraphim stood and turned away from the fire.

"I’m going to scout the perimeter. I’ll be back shortly."

Briar’s eyes flicked to her back as she walked off, but she said nothing.

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"At night?"

"I won’t be long," Seraphim replied without turning. "Besides, I can see well in the darkness so I’ll manage."

Klaus exchanged a glance with Adrian. The younger Strider just gave a small shrug and went back to flipping the meat.

Perhaps interpreting the silence as a sign of approval — or more accurately, do whatever you want — Seraphim cast a final glance at the group. Her gaze lingered on Briar for a few seconds longer than the others before she left the campsite.

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