Ghoul Evolution

Chapter 37: Even more dangerous?

The other two members of the squad didn’t even need to be told what they needed to be saved from.

The giant one-eyed serpent had just emerged out of the forest. Earlier it had been fighting the fire leopard, but now it was running for its life. Its scales were charred black and several places on its body had been burnt so badly that flesh was visible.

It had fought. It had resisted. But in the end, it simply wasn’t enough.

The serpent rushed in a direction away from them without even sparing the humans a glance. It likely didn’t want to get anywhere near them anymore. After being chased and burnt half to death by the leopard, all it wanted now was to survive.

Instead of attacking or trying to steal the pear, it desperately moved toward the riverbank.

’Seems as if it has similar plans like us.’

Then, just a second later, the forest behind it exploded into blue flames as the fire leopard appeared.

Its body was covered in wounds, and its breathing was rough and yet its aura didn’t seem weaker in the slightest. Blue flames flickered around its mouth as its eyes quickly landed on the fleeing serpent.

The leopard then jumped, crossing dozens of meters in an instant and it landed directly on top of the serpent. The poor beast began struggling as the last battle between them began.

Blue flames started erupting from the leopard’s mouth once again as they began fighting.

Oliver gulped as he looked at the dangerous beast.

"Yeah..."

"I’m not fighting that thing."

Nobody seemed to disagree.

"THE BOAT!"

Theo was the first to react as he repeated what Oliver and Korre had been screaming earlier.

Thanks to the serpent maintaining its distance from them and rushing toward the side of the riverbank farther away, and then fighting with the leopard, Oliver and the others finally got a chance to get the boat into the river.

’Thanks for your service, Snakey. May your wretched soul, rest in peace.’

Thinking this the four of them immediately rushed toward the boat and pushed it with all their strength.

As Oliver stared at the wooden boat his heart began pounding crazily.

’Please float. Please float.’

’Hey Goddess... please make this boat work’

For one horrifying second, nothing happened but then slowly, the boat slid into the water.

"It floats!"

Oliver almost cried and without wasting a single second all four humans and Goldie climbed aboard.

Ahreum already had the paddles ready while Theo and Oliver used their hands to push them away from the bank.

The distance between them and the shore began increasing and just then, the leopard finally looked away from the serpent, who it had just defeated and killed.

Its eyes landed on Oliver and then on Korre and then beast let out an angry howl as blue flames erupted from its mouth and shot across the river.

Oliver’s face instantly turned pale as he screamed,

"DOWN!"

As soon as, he had said that everyone immediately lowered their heads.

The blue flames flew over the water, evaporating the river surface into thick white steam and yet thankfully, the distance was already too large and his warning had been for nothing.

The flames later gradually weakened and then completely disappeared.

For several tense moments, the quartet simply stared at the leopard as they waited for it to jump into the river.

But thankfully, it remained at the riverbank and glared at them before letting out another furious howl.

Korre immediately sighed in relief as she gave her two cents on the matter.

"I really thought it would jump in."

She looked at the beast again and shrugged.

"Maybe those gills were just for show."

Theo nodded as he looked at the beast thoughtfullu.

"Yeah, maybe."

Oliver was about to agree too, but before he could, Ahreum quietly spoke.

"Or maybe..."

Everyone looked at her as she pointed toward the dark river beneath them.

"Maybe it hesitated because there is something even more dangerous in the river."

Silence took over, as Oliver too slowly looked at the pitch-black water below.

Oliver then gave Ahreum a weird look. freeweɓnovel.cøm

’Didn’t you say before all this that your sixth sense said it was safe to cross the river by boat?’

He stared at her plain expression for a few moments.

’Man...’

’I really liked you more when you just silently built boats all day.’

As they kept moving further and further away from the bank, the figure of the leopard gradually became smaller and even its angry howls slowly disappeared until only the sound of flowing water remained.

Only after this had happened, did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

For the first time in what felt like hours, he felt somewhat safe.

Somewhat, because Ahreum’s words still lingered in his mind.

’Or maybe it hesitated because there is something even more dangerous in the river.’

Oliver immediately shook his head.

He wasn’t going to ruin his peace by imagining some giant river monster waiting below them.

’Nope.’

’No thinking about that... Think nice...think about...about...’

He wasn’t even able to think anything positive as he had almost died several times today but then he suddenly remembered something.

The inheritance he had somehow managed to obtain by accidentally killing the Ant Queen.

As soon as he thought about it, the system’s cool voice emerged.

[Inheritance Acquired: Utility]

[Winter’s Hoard]

[Grade: Pristine | Rank: Ravager]

[An ant gathers stuff not because it is afraid.

Nor because it is greedy.

It gathers because the tomorrow is unknown.

A useless pebble, a broken branch or a forgotten treasure.

One day, any of them may become it’s salvation.

So be ready,

For winter is coming.]

[Effect :]

[Grants the user a hidden spatial storage called Winter’s Hoard.

The storage can preserve items placed inside and significantly slows their natural decay. Beast corpses, herbs, soul cores and treasures may all be stored safely within.

The current space is limited and cannot house living beings.

Current Storage Capacity: 2 Cubic Meters]

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End of Arc I: The Island of Five Moons