The Transcendent Godslayer

A familiar archer appeared at the foot of the hill, her eyes darting about, seemingly searching for something.

"I was sure he'd be here. Where could he be now?" she muttered to herself.

Even up till now, she hadn't bothered to put herself in order, still wearing her muddy dress and giving off the same faint aroma that made even the beasts they had been facing howl loudly in lust.

"Hmmm?" She noticed something peeking out from behind the root of a tree nearby, and when she walked over, she found a head.

The decapitated kobold's head had its eyes widened in horror.

"I'm right, he was definitely here!"

Suddenly, her expression changed as she felt faint tremors in the earth, then the distant sound of howls.

Following the direction of the sound, she slowly crept up the hill, and her expression changed again when she heard their howls and charge growing closer... rapidly.

Instantly, she retreated. She didn't need a soothsayer to tell her that more of these kobolds were marching in, and she knew in her heart that if they found her, she'd die in seconds.

However, her mind couldn't help but race in panic. What if they had Kallen? Something must have alerted them to even more trouble.

She became conflicted, unsure whether to retreat or stalk from afar and find her way to their territory, just in case they had him.

She didn't need to think for long before she vanished from the spot.

A few seconds after she vanished, a legion of about twenty kobolds passed through the area, not bothering to keep their voices low in the slightest.

At their forefront was one larger than the rest... like an alpha. He stood at least a head taller than others, his body rippling with tight muscle.

Strapped across his back was a massive sword, one more suited to be called a cleaver than a blade. He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, a faint scent catching his nose.

The others halted behind him, sniffing the air as they too noticed the strange odor. A few even whistled and howled, their eyes glistening with lust, before they were silenced by the oppressive aura of the kobold chieftain.

The chieftain's head suddenly snapped toward a certain direction, and the others followed his gaze, fangs bared and low growls rumbling in their throats, their ears twitching for the slightest sound of movement.

Breaking away from the group, the chieftain rounded behind a tree and picked up a head. It belonged to a young kobold, its eyes wide with horror, the neck mangled as if the flesh had been savagely looped off.

Judging by the deep slices along the wound, the youth had suffered greatly before death.

It matched the same kill pattern as the body found just meters from their village walls by the scouts. Which meant, it was the same youth, no respect paid to his corpse.

The chieftain's eyes glowed menacingly as he let out a loud, resounding howl that echoed through the forest. The others followed suit, their cries filled with rage and bloodlust.

Then, just as quickly as they had come, they left, rushing toward the chaotic battlefield where kobolds were already dying in droves.

From a little distance away, in the very direction the chieftain had glanced earlier, the female archer exhaled in relief as she watched them depart.

She had Kallen to thank for this narrow escape. If not for the young kobold's severed head, which had enraged and distracted the legion, she was certain she would have been discovered.

And yet, she wondered what exactly had triggered them. Naturally, she assumed it was Kallen, but she couldn't place how.

Perhaps he had been captured. But that didn't quite add up. From what she had seen of him, and his strange relationship with Zephyrus...

Her cheeks flushed faintly at the thought of Zephyrus. She quickly shook her head, trying to drive out the distracting thoughts. But like the fading traces of a drug, they lingered at the back of her mind, her body betraying her in ways she tried to ignore.

She forced herself to focus. She was used to such reactions whenever she saw him or even thought of him.

From what she knew of Kallen and his record, he wouldn't allow himself to be captured. Nor did he seem the type to seek death.

That much was obvious from the suffocating, almost terrifying killing intent he had released earlier.

And considering who he truly was, the fact that a child could radiate such frightening intent was, in truth, the least concerning detail.

How many had he slain to cultivate such a will to kill? Such a desire for slaughter?

But then again, what kind of nine-year-old child could play them all so thoroughly into his hands?

From the very beginning, when Kallen had jumped into the rift, they had thought the boy had chosen death. Although Zephyrus looked calm on the surface, she had never seen the orc so panicked and frustrated before.

When they chased after him into the rift and felt him blaring his location like a siren, she immediately saw through his actions and scheme.

It was quite an open scheme, but one they had no choice but to walk into. The best schemes were the ones where you knew you were being played, yet had no choice but to follow.

Their only option had been to get to his location... and, typical of him, he slipped away... again.

At this point, she couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration, finally understanding why Zephyrus was so enraged.

"This child is really a bastard!" she cursed under her breath.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, though it was difficult considering she had no idea where he had disappeared to now, or what other scheme he was cooking up.

"Wait... The head..."

Her gaze suddenly snapped toward the direction where the kobolds had been earlier.

Why was there only a head? Where was the body?

Her eyes glowed menacingly, and she felt honestly stupid for having overlooked such a glaring detail. But it couldn't be helped... it was Kallen she was dealing with.

She had been expecting one convoluted plan to use them as pawns until he felt strong enough to kill them off himself.

Unable to stop herself, she broke into laughter as she shot off toward the hill.

If her deductions were correct, then Kallen was most likely there... where the kobolds had come from.