Chapter 5: Awakening 2
Translator: - - Editor: - -
They must've been walking for an hour when the black man could no longer take another step. They decided to rest on the middle of the road. For some reason, the shadows of the forest gave them a creepy feeling, so they decided to keep their distance. While they rested, the black man spoke first.
"Michael."
"Michael? Junhyuk Lee."
JunHyuk pointed at himself and spoke, making Michael smile. Junhyuk looked at the man's white teeth shining through his mouth and smiled back.
Junhyuk's English level let him introduce himself, and even that he didn't speak well. Junhyuk pointed to Michael's leg. Michael looked down at his leg and then took off his armor. Then, he showed Junhyuk his swollen ankle. It was hard to believe he had walked for an hour with that leg. Junhyuk then looked at their surroundings.
It would be better if he could find some wood to tie it against the leg, but, looking at the forest, he did not dare to go in. Junhyuk thought for a moment, and remembered his sword. He pulled the sword out, and began cutting Michael's pants. When he was done, he placed the sword against Michael's leg and wrapped it. Michael was surprised and gave his own sword to Junhyuk, but Junhyuk shook his head sideways and picked up his shield.
"This will be enough."
He never thought about cutting someone up. In a dangerous situation, a shield would be better. Junhyuk looked at Michael and asked:
"Should we get going?"
He got up and made gestures for walking, which got Michael to nod his head. His right leg was hurt, but he could support himself on his left. Junhyuk went to Michael's left, giving him support. Junhyuk picked up his shield with his left hand, and Michael placed his shield on his back and picked up his own sword.
Together, they started to walk again. If they were to catch up with the lead group, which was moving fast, they would have to walk for a very long time. They had walked for a while when Junhyuk suddenly felt a chill and stopped. At once, Michael looked at Junhyuk. Realizing something was happening, and he looked around.
Swoosh! Something moved through the leaves.
Making little noise, a wolf the size of an ox came out from the trees. Seeing its size made Junhyuk disheartened. However, still nervous, he picked up his shield.
He could feel Michael trembling. Junhyuk grabbed Michael's side tightly and said:
"Don't be scared."
"What?"
Junhyuk lifted up his shield.
"I will shield us, and you will thrust."
Michael looked at Junhyuk's shield and lifted up his sword. Junhyuk nodded and spoke again:
"I will shield, and you thrust."
"You defense. Me attack?"
Maybe because he enjoyed playing video games, he could understand this type of English.
"OK!"
Junhyuk let go of Michael and held his shield with his both hands. He took a few steps forward, which made the wolf lower his body. Being the size of an ox, even though it lowered its body, the wolf was still as tall as Junhyuk's waist. Michael placed his hand on Junhyuk's shoulder and held on tightly as Junhyuk stepped forward.
Clang!
The wolf pounces on top of Junhyuk, who shielded himself.
Thung!
The wolf stepped on the shield with its front paws and tried to bite Junhyuk. Junhyuk could feel the weight of wolf's body on his shield. That's when Michael struck.
Chink!
As Michael swung his sword, the wolf got a hold of it with its teeth. Michael held the sword with both hands, but the wolf was obviously more powerful. The wolf took away the sword in its teeth and jumped back. After the shock, Junhyuk rolled on the ground and looked at Michael.
Michael's armored hand was torn and bleeding. He must have held onto that sword with all his might to tear it like that.
Junhyuk swallowed the saliva in his mouth. He needed more than his shield to kill the wolf. Nervously, Junhyuk lifted his shield.
"Run away."
"What?"
Junhyuk knews that he was not an altruistic man who risked his own life to save another's, but he couldn't just leave a wounded man behind. He dug in deep and got all fired up. He ran toward the wolf holding his shield and shouted:
"Run!"
After that, it was up to fate. The wolf also lunged toward Junhyuk, aiming at his head. Junhyuk lifted his shield.
Clang!
He could feel the wolf's weight against the shield, making his legs shake, but Junhyuk rested his shield on his shoulder and held off the wolf's attack.
Snap! Snap!
The wolf got on the shield and again tried to bite Junhyuk, but he was holding tightly to his shield. He knew that even if he continued to buy time, in this situation, it wouldn't help the outcome of things, but it was all he could do at the moment.
Holding his shield, Junhyuk looked at Michael, who was standing still. Michael looked at Junhyuk and ran forward. He pulled out the sword against his leg while still running and drove the sword downward on the wolf.
The wolf's head was too high up. Junhyuk remembered that the wolf had good reflexes and lowered his shield. Michael let go of the sword while wolf was not quite ready for it.
Stab!
Michael's sword struck the wolf on the shoulder. Before they could celebrate the hit, the wolf stepped forward and bit Michael's neck.
Chomp!
Lowering his shield, Junhyuk could see the wolf holding onto Michael's neck. Michael shivered and shook. The whole situation was surreal. Then, Michael looked at Junhyuk and said:
"Run away."
Michael was barely able to utter those words, and his neck was severed by the wolf. While watching Michael's head roll on the ground, Junhyuk realized what they had been dealing with. The wolf was something that could be not be handled by humans.
Drip. Drop. Drip.
The wolf turned slowly, blood dripping from its mouth. Looking at the wolf, Junhyuk was filled with fear. Wounded beasts were the most dangerous things in the world.
Junhyuk stepped back ever so slowly. The wolf looked at him and readied to pounce. It lunged to follow Junhyuk.
"Ahhhh!"
Junhyuk ran fast out of fear, but the wolf was faster. If it had not had a sword stuck to its shoulder, it would've run faster.
While running away, suddenly, he felt a chill and turned, lifting his shield.
Clang!
He was not in a good position to withstand the weight of the wolf's attack. Soon, all of that weight pushed Junhyuk to the ground. The wolf was on top of Junhyuk with just a shield between them. The wolf opened its mouth dripping with blood toward Junhyuk. Looking at Michael's blood, Junhyuk was gripped by fear and closed his eyes.
Grrrr!
He could feel the wolf's breath on his face. Thinking that he would die just like that, Junhyuk bellowed:
"By no means!"
Thump!
Junhyuk heard a sound that didn't make sense and opened his eyes. He could see a field of ivory-colored light, and, outside of the force field, the wolf was trying to tear at him, but the light field did not break easily.
Junhyuk could not figure out what was happening, but thought he could make it out alive and picked up his shield with both hands.
The wolf distanced itself from Junhyuk, and he got up slowly. Junhyuk was covered by the ivory-colored light field. It was protecting him from the wolf's teeth.
Junhyuk breathed deeply and lifted his shield, looking at the wolf as it lowered its body. The wolf took a position to pounce at any moment. Junhyuk stepped back.
The ivory light field thinned and disappeared. The wolf slowly covered the distance while Junhyuk quickly stepped back.
Bump!
Junhyuk felt something against his back. It was the big man from before.
"Did you activate your ability?"
Before Junhyuk could ask him what he meant, the wolf lunged forward. Looking at the lunging wolf, the big man pulled out a giant rib and swung it.
Slash!
The lunging wolf was split in two. The wolf's body was sliced exactly in half and bled profusely, splattering Junhyuk all over. The big man had sliced the wolf easily and walked toward Michael's cadaver.
Michael's dead body was turning translucent.
After Michael's dead body completely disappeared, a shiny gold coin appeared in its place, and the big man picked it up. The big man tossed it to Junhyuk.
Junhyuk caught it. The big man laughed and approached him. He stood in front of Junhyuk, who was covered in blood, and stared at him.
"Congratulations, minion."
The big man walked by Junhyuk, and thought of something. He turned around slowly, and walked back.
"I'm Artlan."
Junhyuk wasn't curious about the big man's name. Michael had died right in front of him, and the body had disappeared. Also, what about the ivory-colored force field? He did not understand what the big man meant by activating his ability, but Artlan had nothing more to say, and walked off.
That's when the body of the wolf disappeared, leaving behind two gold coins. The big man picked up the coins.
"Follow me."
Junhyuk was standing still on the same spot, looking at Artlan's back and said:
"Please, explain all of this."
"Explain?"
Artlan turned and looked at Junhyuk quietly. He did not speak. Junhyuk thought about the dead man back when Artlan gave the same look and picked up his shield.
Clang!
The shock was enough to break the shield and make Junhyuk fall to the ground. Artlan jumped high in the air toward Junhyuk. He must've jumped ten feet in the air with his eight-foot stature.
Junhyuk hid himself under the shield and closed his eyes. He could not die like that. He had just survived the wolf, and could not die like that.
Something moved inside his chest. He couldn't figure out what it was, and then he heard an unexpected sound.
Thump!
As Junhyuk opened his eyes, another ivory-colored field was around him. Artlan tapped on the field lightly and laughed.
"You've activated your ability, for sure."
Artlan took a step back. Junhyuk got up as the force field disappeared. As if he had been waiting for that moment, Artlan stepped forward toward Junhyuk and grabbed him by the neck.
"Argh!"
Artlan lifted Junhyuk, with one hand, level with his eyes.
"You are just a minion. Do you think you are qualified to ask me a question?"
Blood wasn't flowing right in his face, making Junhyuk's veins stand out. Artlan looked at Junhyuk and threw him on the ground.
"Follow me."
Artlan's eyes were filled with madness. Looking at him, Junhyuk didn't challenge him again. Artlan did not think Junhyuk would ask another question, and turned around and started walking.
Junhyuk checked out his neck and picked up his shield. His sword remained where the wolf had disappeared, and he picked it up. He sheathed it in the scabbard on his waist.
Artlan belittled him, but he still saved him from the wolf. If he wanted to stay alive, he should definitely follow him.