Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 31.2: The Monster in my Head

"Agamios-sama!"

A scout's shout pulled Kashi away from the flames. The daeben turned to see a centaur gallop up to he, Darian and Agamios with urgent strides.

Agamios looked at the centuar and sensing the situation's urgency, said, "Report."

The centaur took a moment to catch his breath then reported, "We've spotted traces of a massive monster army headed this way."

"How many monsters?"

The scout swallowed hard as he looked at the daeben and said, "We couldn't make out their full numbers, but we're sure they're at least double the number that attaked us."

"How far?"

"About thirty minutes out?"

Agamios' eyes twitched and he looked at Kashi with respect. "Looks like your predictions were right. The enemy has indeed launched a final offensive. What do you propose we do now?"

Kashi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the scout. "Where you discovered?"

"No," The scout refuted with a shake of his head. "We left before they could."

Kashi released a sigh of relief at the scout's response. "Good. The enemy cannot know about the Longma tribe's presence here. It might cause the headquarters to raise their guard." Kashi looked at Agamios. "You and Darian will take the tribe and my people and circle around the army. Take as wide a berth as reasonably possible. We can't risk you getting seen."

Darian's brows furrowed in concern. "What about you? How will you find us?"

"Do not worry about me," Kashi reassured with a heartening smile. "Shadow and I have prepared for moments like this. He'll leave marks on the trees for me to follow. It will not be difficult for me to find you."

"I understand, but why are you staying behind?" Darian asked. "Do you intend on wiping out the entire army by yourself? If so, why do we need the infiltration plan?"

Kashi shook his head with a wry smile. "I cannot possibly take on an army of that size by myself. It doesn't matter how fast I regenerate mana or ki, my stamina will bottom out eventually. Besides, there'll definitely be a few marilith class monsters in this final army. A battle of attrition is far too detrimental."

"Indeed," Darian nodded. "But if that's the case, what do you intend to do?"

"If I were to be altruistic, I would say, I wish to thin out the enemy's numbers and stronger threats before they reach the village," Kashi said with a wry smile. "But, if I were to be truthful, then the truth is, I need to vent."

Crrrack!

A flash of lightning pealed through the night sky, accompanied shortly by a sharp clap of thunder. The light illuminated the daeben's features. His gruesome smile and blood-red eyes shone against the backdrop of his dark skin, and sent shivers like none other down Darian and Agamios' spine.

Suddenly, Darian and Agamios felt like they no longer spoke to a daeben, but the personification of death itself. They could feel the deathly cold touch of the grim reaper upon their necks when they looked into the daeben's eyes.

Luckily, the phenomenon only lasted for a brief moment, before Kashi's aura returned to normal. "I've got a monster inside me you see," Kashi explained. "Very few things in existence can trigger that monster, but once it has been awakened, it can only truly be sated with blood and pain."

"Blood and Pain," Agamios murmured with a hollow expression. This was something he was all too familiar with. The Longma tribe's powerful bloodlust would often consume them during battle, and they would not regain their faculties until they had shed enough blood or suffered enough damage to pull them out of the trance.