The Poet's System
Chapter 68: Bits of Truth

Chapter 68: Bits of Truth

The ghoul stood three times taller than the tallest human. Its giant, elongated front limbs brushed the ground, bulging with muscle and veins, and its hind legs were no different.

It was overwhelming. Had it made its way to the city unnoticed, it wouldn’t have needed help with the walls—it would’ve shattered them with ease.

"I thought giants were myths... How is she doing this?" Medora asked, their head slightly tilted upward.

"I don’t care... Let’s kill it." Rhea said, looking happier than ever.

They all nodded in unison and dashed toward it. It was a giant, alright—clearly radiating enormous physical strength at a glance—but in the end, it was still a ghoul: the weakest demonic monster of them all.

The ghoul’s strikes were fast—for a giant—but luckily for them, it swung without purpose, like a blind, senseless creature lashing out aimlessly at the sky.

Daylan moved around it like mist itself, striking the same spot on its neck repeatedly to break through its tough skin, while Medora scorched its legs with flames—intensifying them over and over—dodging its aimless attacks.

Rhea, on the other hand, waited patiently—watching for the exact moment the ghoul would lose its balance and fall backward. With her metallic gloves, she was ready to deliver the final strike.

It didn’t take long for the giant to start falling. Its throat was slit—though not completely—and the flames had begun to eat through it, making it impossible to stay upright.

Rhea waited patiently for her cue, a smirk on her face. The moment the ghoul was within reach, she gathered every ounce of strength and drove a powerful strike into its spine—tearing all the way through to its belly.

Its entrails splattered everywhere along with the blood, drenching them as Rhea stood atop the corpse, a smirk on her face and cheerful screams escaping her lips.

"How did she lose to Asta?" Daylan’s glance made her eyes widen with sudden realization.

"Oh, I get it now."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Reminder: [97] kills still pending. Please complete this task soon.

Are you now embracing teamwork?

"Oh. Shit."

Before they could let the moment settle, more ghouls and hellhounds came charging their way. Just a glance from Daylan and Medora was enough to show their irritation.

However, Rhea wanted more giants to kill. She danced through them, her eyes blazing with excitement. That excitement seemed to fuel her strength—she was like a beast among monsters.

She crushed their skulls effortlessly, dismantling them limb by limb like a kid playing with toys. But the blood soaking and trickling down her body made it clear this was no game for children.

"Does she get stronger the more she fights?"

Daylan shrugged as they both stood still, watching Rhea carry out the killing.

Though Daylan had a task from his system, he didn’t care. But that wasn’t why he didn’t fight—the sight of Rhea in battle was too amazing, too captivating; it made him a willing spectator.

How strong does this girl think I am? She’s more of a monster than any of the demonic beasts.

Before long, most of the monsters lay lifeless on the ground, but a few fled. Clearly, fighting something more monstrous than themselves wasn’t their thing.

"You guys, let’s go for more... we can let them run away."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Daylan and Medora joined her as they finally made their way into the forest.

They had little knowledge of the exact location of the Phantom headquarters, but the forest was divided into three stages. The first was the mist—the one they were currently facing.

Next came the light mist, which covered a larger area and was less dense; this was where the demonic monsters lived and roamed.

Finally, there was the third mist—the densest and thickest of all, where breathing was difficult and visibility near impossible. Its reach was deadly; even a single step into it was enough to kill a human.

So they knew the headquarters was usually somewhere within the second mist. Now, they just had to find it.

As they walked, all the nearby monsters fled from them. It was a bummer for Rhea, but she had no choice—they had to make their way to the second mist.

"I thought the aura was from the ghoul... but it’s still there." Rhea’s words snapped them to attention, eyes sweeping their surroundings.

Just a short while into the forest, Rhea shouted in excitement—they were about a mile from the second mist. But they weren’t alone. They were welcomed... by Imps.

Before Daylan and Medora could catch on to why Rhea was so excited, an imp archer had already loosed a few arrows in their direction.

They narrowly avoided the arrows and took cover, while the imps hovered above, their wings flapping relentlessly.

"You guys should cover your ears."

Without wasting a second, both Medora and Daylan covered their ears. Rhea stood in the open and clapped her gloves together, sending sharp, echoing sounds ringing through the forest.

The imps instantly dropped to the ground, blood trickling from their noses and ears. They clutched their heads, screaming in agony.

Daylan and the others had no intention of letting them recover. They dashed forward and cut them down, one after another, leaving lifeless bodies in their wake.

Despite their weakness, the imps were persistent. They didn’t go down easily, attacking with their bat-like wings, clawed legs, and sharp teeth. Even so, all seven were killed in no time.

"Are imps smart enough to make bows and daggers?"

"No. Clearly, Giselle’s doing."

Hearing people mention her mother’s name so casually, without a hint of respect, stung him. But he understood—he would’ve done the same if she were someone he didn’t know.

Without any further delay, they began making their way into the second mist. To their surprise, the farther they walked, the more light they saw—and the less mist.

And when they finally reached the second mist, they found a vast expanse of clear greenery—no mist, and not a single monster in sight.

The land was supposed to have less mist—not be completely free of it. And the greenery? It was supposed to have been destroyed by the monsters.

They all stood stunned, staring at what lay before them. At that moment, the only thought in their minds was that the mist was somehow shifting away from the forest. But that didn’t explain the giant, sudden increase in the monsters’ strength.

As they stood there, it didn’t take long before they felt something swarming over their legs, crawling upward. Their eyes snapped downward—muddy black worms were climbing up their bodies.

Medora began burning them off immediately, but there was no end to them. They kept reappearing endlessly, even though they didn’t pose any real threat—at least, not yet.

However, they weren’t about to stand still and wait to find out what the worms could do. Without hesitation, they took off, running through the greenery.

Night was approaching, and dealing with those crawling pests in the dark would be trouble. One way or another, they needed to find a safe place—and fast.

They had no idea where they were running—only that it felt like the worms were guiding them. It started as a small swarm, but the farther they ran, the more the worms surged behind them, rising like an ocean wave.

Before they knew it, the swarm had grown—towering nearly as high as the ghoul giant they had defeated earlier.

Daylan and the others were panting heavily in no time. Medora hurled a few fireballs at the swarm, but it was no use—the worms consumed them almost instantly. Even so, they couldn’t afford to stop. Not even for a second.

"When did worms become bloodthirsty?" Medora muttered.

"Why are you asking me?"

They were thirsty, hungry, and worst of all—tired. The worms chased them relentlessly, all the way until nightfall. Even then, they kept following for a while before finally backing off.

By then, Daylan and the others had reached a place that looked like a desert—only the sand was dark. They stood at the edge of the last patch of greenery, gasping for breath and lost in confusion.

"Isn’t this supposed to be the worms’ home or something? I mean... the sand’s dark,"

Daylan said, panting heavily through his mouth.

"Why are you all asking me? I don’t know anything about this forest anymore. This isn’t the place I once knew."

Not a single worm was in sight where they stood. It was as if even the worms feared the desert.

What it came down to was this: Daylan and the others were tired and hungry. They needed to find food and rest before moving on.

Unanswered questions hung heavy in the air as Daylan retrieved some food supplies and mats for them to rest on from his dimensional inventory.

Medora and Rhea filled the air with jokes and laughter, easing some of the weight from their shoulders.

Daylan, though he chuckled here and there, couldn’t shake the anxious feeling gripping his chest—worry for his mother. He had failed once before, and now that Giselle was stronger, could he do it this time?

The thoughts clouded his mind as the others slipped into deep sleep. He stayed awake, eyes fixed on the stars above.

Why do I feel like I’d be more confident if Astara were here?... would she have asked me to take peace instead of revenge?

It was an undeniable truth. Seeing Astara as the strongest among them—and someone he had to surpass—always gave him hope.

He believed she’d save the day, or at least her presence would make him whole and fight better.

But now, there was no Astara. Though Rhea was there, he didn’t feel the same— not because he didn’t trust her, but because it just wasn’t the same.

As he stared up at the stars, he finally surrendered to sleep.