* In the tunnel area
"What are we waiting for? The majority of us have already moved to the next area. Why are you still here?" one of the few survivors asked a man trying to find someone across the battlefield.
"I am waiting for them. You go; I will join you soon," he replied, still standing in front of the tunnel. "This place is not safe. They cannot hold such a number for long. We have to run, do you understand? We have to RUN!!" That person tried to convince him, but he somehow knew his answer.
"Okay, if you have a death wish, let's die together," he said, standing beside him. "If you have such fire in your heart, then why not go and fight on the front line? Die in battle if you have such a wish, but I don't have one. I am only waiting for them," that person said, mocking him, but he had a smile for a second while talking to him but quickly turned normal. His friend didn't see that and stood by his side.
* Returning back to the battlefield.
A few minutes before Tlenion shouted for Carciyan to run…
"Do you feel this strange pressure?" one of the people on the edge of Carciyan's group asked the person next to him. "You are imagining things," he replied without thinking much. He looked towards his hand holding a rusted item, which was barely emitting any light or energy, just like the person behind him.
"I think my energy reduced a bit, or maybe I am imagining things," he thought while moving.
As they walked forward, the corpses behind them were releasing black smoke like earlier.
This was happening in all three groups, but the strongest people among them were killing more and more beasts and felt nothing. However, people on the edge were having a hard time walking.
"What happened? Why are you…" one of the people walking in the middle of Carciyan's group asked the person behind him but was shocked, and his words were swallowed by him. "Why… why are you sweating so much?" He moved his hand and saw everyone was in the same situation. The more he looked, the more shocked and afraid he was.
They all were covered in sweat like they had jumped into water. They all were drenched in their own sweat, but their eyes were the main concern; they were filled with red lines.
He turned to tell the people in front of him, but suddenly his eyes closed and split blood, but none of them noticed a thing.
* Meanwhile, this was more or less the same in the other two groups as well; however, in Tlenion's group, everyone was still fine.
"Have you felt that thing?" Tlenion asked the person behind him. "What thing?" that person said, killing a beast on his side. Tlenion ordered them to stop attacking and looked towards the beasts.
He made a small cut in that beast's face. He waited for any reaction, but after some time, when nothing happened, he looked disappointed and calm at the same time.
"Let's move in; I was overthinking, I guess." Tlenion moved a few meters away from that beast. "What was he doing with that beast?" one of the people who saw him doing something to that beast started talking about it while they were moving forward.
"Shall we kill it?" another person asked in confusion. "I don't think so. Since he didn't kill it, he must have a plan," that person replied. "Or maybe he was bored since they are all standing still. Do you think they are already dead?" that person said.
"Why are you two still standing there? Take your position!" the person in front of them shouted. "Why do we bring people like them? We only need a few people, and what is wrong with these beasts? Are they out of energy, or is there any matter? We should hurry; I am feeling very bad."
"We should hurry, otherwise, we will be left alone with such beasts," one of them said, looking towards them. "What is this?" that person said, looking towards the beast who had a cut mark on him. "What happened?" another person asked and was surprised to see the same.
"Does this mean…" They turned their heads and saw all the bodies of the beasts were emitting black smoke. In fear, they ran towards Tlenion.
Within a few minutes, they rushed towards him and told him everything they had witnessed.
"What? How many beasts have we killed?" he asked. "23 to 25, and the central group has the largest number of members, but still, they are moving carefully and slowly. They have reached only 30 meters inside the herd of beasts as compared to Carciyan's group, who have already reached 98 meters, and their estimated beast count will be 135 to 148."
"What!" Tlenion shouted and looked towards the area from where the black smoke was appearing. He checked the black smoke in his area with the other two.
Carciyan's area was choking with black smoke, but he hadn't noticed it yet. Wlier's group had the thinnest black smoke, barely visible, and then he looked at the edge of his group, which had thin black smoke compared to Carciyan's group but still a good amount compared to Wlier's group.
"We have found her!" Carciyan's voice echoed in the area, and Tlenion grew afraid and shouted, "Carciyan, run!"
Next time…
I will fight… I will fight, so run away. Please free her… We will…
Chapter 18: Beast for a beast: Peak battle of Yava Viskans