UNDER THE OAK TREE: IN ANOTHER LIFE

05 I Can't Sleep

Hordes of ghouls were coming fast from the southeast. They were like a swarm of bees, attacking the human who'd just disturbed their nest. No matter how many times Riftan swung his sword, the ghouls continued to emerge from the front.

Burned by the arrows of fire created by Ruth, the ghouls staggered to their feet and ran forward before the knights cut their bodies.

Then, the ground broke and the earthen wall soared high. Ruth had erected another barrier surrounding Maximilian and their horses.

Crouching with hands on the ground, her mana had spread like a spider web, making the magic formula on the ground glow with red light.

Then, the loud voice of the priest was heard amidst the chaos.

"Hurry up! Destroy it!"

"I-I am trying! Almost there!"

The day was getting dark. If they couldn't leave the area before the sun set, the chance to survive would be thin. Fighting in the evil forest during the night was definitely not an option.

Riftan tried to keep the spirit of the men up while slashing and swinging his sword and shield.

"Keep fighting until she destroys the formula!"

The monster's head split in half with a single slash. After that, he turned around and swung his sword horizontally at the creatures approaching from the right. More than a dozen undead were sliced at once by the air current wrapped around his bastard sword. He repeated the same moves over and over again.

At that moment, a bright light appeared behind his back. Riftan turned around and saw a sparking magic formula lost its energy and disappeared into the thin air. Maximilian succeeded in destroying the formula.

"I-I destroyed it!"

With her shout, Ruth released a high speed attack using the wind. The priest named Luke muttered a prayer in Roem language and a blue flame emerged on his palm. Then, he placed his hand on the ground, making the flame rose everywhere and the ghouls surrounding them engulfed in fire before turning into ashes. Riftan finished the remaining monsters, and so did Elliot and Lombardo.

When the battle was over, he scanned every nook and cranny of their surroundings to see whether they had missed any of the red-eyed creatures. Fortunately, the forest was shrouded in stillness.

He turned around with a sigh of relief. However, his eyes widened when he spotted Maximilian leaning against the tree, gasping for air. As a horrible wave of horror welled up in his stomach, Riftan quickly raced to her, impulsively grabbing her shoulder.

"Are you all right? Have you used up all of your mana? Are you hurt somewhere?"

Eyes widened, she shook her head hastily. "I-I am fine. What about you Sir.. and everyone else?"