Escape - Chapter 28.1
Chapter 28
“What are you?” 12 finally asked in a low voice, his head buried against her neck. The question echoed those previously posed by Eric and Shade, yet it felt fundamentally different.
“I told you before. I’m Adeline.” Different because the undercurrent in his voice wasn’t suspicion, but yearning.
Adeline swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand and forced a smile. It was an imitation of the playful, almost teasing smile a fourteen-year-old boy had once given her, a gesture far removed from clumsy comfort.
“Don’t worry. This time, I’ll stay by your side.” Even if it meant staying up all night, even if it meant sitting together in a pool of blood.
At her words, 12 stared intently at her. His cool, narrowed golden eyes, usually so sharp, shimmered with an unfamiliar hue, as if imprinting her image.
‘I’ve been thinking. What’s the best revenge against those who manipulate and observe other people’s lives? Perhaps it’s refusing to move according to their design. If they can’t understand your intentions, their manipulations become meaningless.’
“I may not know, but I know what they want from you.”
To be the master of District 12. To live as the Serpent’s guardian. To live as a mere character in a novel. ‘So, I will help you live as a human.’
“They’re coming.” 12’s hushed voice broke through her thoughts. Just as she turned her head, still held in his embrace, the stone door was thrust open with a resounding crash.
A man cloaked in a black robe strode into the hall, his steps measured and confident. The air crackled with tension, the atmosphere shifting palpably.
A low growl rumbled through the hall. Serpientes, alerted to the intruder, began to slither from the shadows at the edges of the hall into the light. Their dusky green scales shimmered in the illumination. Hissing sounds filled the air.
Countless serpents, unseen when Adeline had arrived, now emerged from hidden crevices, swarming the walls and ceiling like a living tapestry. They had been everywhere, unseen, waiting.
The hall resembled a chessboard, with 12 as its king, surrounded by his serpentine army. Among the familiar snakes were others: bipedal creatures walking upright like humans, broad-snouted ones resembling crocodiles more than snakes, and some with abnormally large legs.
“Hand over the Hero Guild members.” Shade walked straight toward 12, his voice sharp, ignoring the serpents entirely. A flicker of boredom crossed his features at 12’s silence.
“The players you captured using the Hydra. Where are they?” Shade’s voice rose, laced with barely concealed anxiety, his jaw clenched tight. His gaze darted around the room, searching.
12 looked down at him impassively for a moment, as if considering something, before murmuring, “Ah, that was fun.” Then, his voice devoid of emotion, he replied, “They’re all dead.”
Adeline stiffened, a chill running down her spine.
A chilling silence descended.
12 continued, his tone flat, as if reciting facts. “If you search the caves thoroughly, you might find a few heads rolling around. The Hydra doesn’t like heads.”
Had he sneered, had he taunted, it wouldn’t have sounded so unnatural. Had he spoken as if something precious had been taken from him…
‘No, it’s too late.’
As a wave of killing intent washed over him, Adeline bit her lip hard. From beneath Shade’s robe, a crimson light flared, a sinister omen.
[Skill: Shadow Legion Summon (Level 5) activated.
Skill: Skeletal Armor Summon (Level 5) activated.
Skill: Black Specter – Resurrection of Lost Souls (Level 5) activated.
Skill: Ghoul – Resurrection of Dead Flesh (Level 5) activated.
Skill: Skeletal Giant Summon (Level 5) activated.
Five skill combo activates ‘Declaration of War’. Attack power increased by 50%.]
An explosive surge of killing intent erupted from Shade, a torrent of raw power. He was losing control. Adeline gasped, choked by the formless darkness emanating from him.
‘He’s a Necromancer. He summons the souls of the dead to fight. It’s more than creepy; it’s terrifying.’
A grotesque rustling sound filled the air as hundreds of arms reached up from the ground. Adeline stifled a scream. The hands, emerging from the earth, clawed their way upward, pulling their owners from the depths. The sight of the dead rising was more than chilling; it was pure horror. ‘This is just a game, right?’
A heavy, rhythmic thudding echoed through the hall. Freed from the darkness was death itself.
Skeletal warriors clad in armor, shadows, zombies, specters… and…
“…Does that mean I could do that too?”
…a colossal skeleton, taller than the high ceiling of the serpent’s lair, twisted its neck grotesquely.
The thudding continued, accompanied by a chilling chant.
“[Memento mori! Memento mori! Memento mori! Memento mori!]”
The army of the dead stomped and shrieked.
