Chapter 48
“Hey, what’s your deal?” Benjamin shouted at them with a tinge of annoyance.
They seemed oblivious or uninterested in responding as they advanced towards us, their steps unhurried. Their intentions were crystal clear.
“Benjamin?” I called out, my voice tinged with unease. “What’s up with them?”
Even from a distance, I could tell that something was amiss. Their appearance was disheveled, as if they hadn’t encountered a proper bath in ages. However, it wasn’t just their unkempt appearance that unsettled me; there was an eerie aura emanating from them, as if they were plagued… and dangerous.
“They resemble outlaws,” Benjamin remarked, positioning himself by my side defensively. “You should make your way out of here.”
“Are you kidding me?” I retorted sharply. “I can handle myself in a brawl, Benjamin. What do you think I’ve been doing all this time?”
However, their explanation actually made sense given their appearance. Normally, if someone left a pack, they could join another pack after going through a proper process and screening. So, the remaining individuals who weren’t accepted, those who had failed that process, were usually criminals who were banished. They became known as rogues.
But these days, rogues were quite rare because territories had expanded so much. There wasn’t really a specific place where they could stay for long without being chased away by the dominant pack. This made me wonder how they had managed to make it so far into the Golden Blade territory without being noticed, and why they had decided to reveal themselves and target us.
“Why aren’t they shifted?” I asked cautiously, observing them as they circled around us.
There were a total of four fully grown males among them, yet none of them were in their wolf forms. I also noticed that one of them was noticeably more muscular than the others, indicating that he was the most dangerous. They were carefully assessing us, observing our every move, just as we were doing the same to them. Each side waited for the other to make the first move.
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“If I were to guess,” Benjamin replied, scanning the area, would say they’re trying to conceal their scent to have made it this far. Running past the boundary in their wolf forms would have been detected more quickly by the patrols. The fur leaves a stronger scent trail.”
I hadn’t realized that was a legitimate strategy, but then again, I had never encountered rogues before, nor had I paid attention to the subtleties of scent potency when my sense of smell was stronger.
However, something about the whole situation felt off. There was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I was missing something obvious. Nevertheless, I had to put it aside and focus on the immediate threat in front of me if I wanted to survive.
“The moment you see an opportunity, you have to leave,” Benjamin warned.
“Benjamin!” I bellowed in frustration, my voice filled with anger. “That’s it, I’ve had enough!”
And finally, one of them mustered the courage to step forward, charging towards me. I swiftly positioned myself, ready to confront him, but Benjamin acted even faster.
With incredible speed, he lunged forward, swiftly overpowering the rogue and bringing him down to the ground with a mighty blow to the head.
Benjamin’s movements were unwavering and full of confidence. Every action he took exuded strength. As he forcefully tackled the rogue to the ground, the impact of the man’s head hitting the floor was so intense that it was clear he had met an instant demise.
The sight of their comrade’s swift death infuriated the
remaining assailants. They swiftly closed in on us, catching us off guard. Two of them targeted Benjamin, with the larger one leading the charge. The third assailant made a beeline for me, but I was prepared.
He swung his arm, aiming for my face, but I gracefully evaded it, effortlessly sidestepping the attack. His movements were sluggish compared to my father and Bash, but his physique was more imposing, more muscular. I knew that landing an effective strike on him would be a challenge, so I focused on exploiting his weak points.
Beside me, Benjamin was engaged in a battle against the other two attackers. His primary focus was on the larger adversary, but he also had to defend himself against the
second rogue. He appeared to be holding his ground, showing no signs of trouble, but it was evident that he wasn’t making much headway in terms of launching offensive attacks against either of them.
Meanwhile, the man in front of me continued his aggressive advance. However, I wasn’t about to let him get anywhere near me. Suddenly, I leaped backward, catching him off guard and throwing off his balance. The momentum from his flying fist propelled him forward, giving me the perfect opportunity. With a powerful kick, I struck his face, and the sound of a crunch confirmed that my foot had connected, presumably with his nose.
He fell to the ground, and I pounced on him eagerly,
determined to finish him off. But no matter how hard I struck him, he remained elusive and resilient, refusing to be defeated.
Then, a glimmer caught my eye. His hand twitched towards something by his side, and in that brief moment, I glimpsed the moonlight reflecting off a metallic surface. It dawned on me instantly what he had in mind.
Still straddling him, I swiftly reached for what he was trying to grab. However, he had a firm hold on it and wouldn’t let go. Undeterred, I released my grip for just a moment, delivering a powerful punch to his nose. The impact loosened his grasp, allowing me to swiftly draw the concealed dagger he held.
Without hesitation or pause, I plunged the dagger directly into his chest… and at last, his movements ceased.
Relieved, I let out a sigh, knowing I had stopped at least one of them and could now assist Benjamin in his fight. But then
events unfolded rapidly, far too quickly for me to intervene.
As I rose to my feet, scanning the motionless body beneath me, a voice of panic called out from behind.
“Winona!” Benjamin shouted.
I spun around instantly toward his voice, only to realize he was much closer than I had anticipated. In fact, his back was right in front of me, obstructing my view of the unfolding scene completely.
All I heard was a grunt, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being sliced open… and then Benjamin’s forceful. movements, producing a bone-snapping noise.
I immediately comprehended what had transpired. Acting swiftly, I pushed through, desperate to witness the sight myself.
Benjamin stood frozen, a knife lodged in his stomach, while the lifeless body of a rogue lay before him, their head twisted at an unnatural angle.
And I let out a piercing scream.
My scream echoed through the air as the truth finally dawned on me. It wasn’t solely about the presence of the rogues or their purpose here.
It was because this was the exact scene from my visions-the treeline, the dimly lit path-everything.
This was where Benjamin met his demise.
