Free Web NovelChapter 287: Chapter 287: The Red-Eyed Archer
The silence that had once haunted Yue Yue was now replaced by the sound of three pairs of footsteps and the occasional chatter from Lin En.
For someone who had been alone for so long, having companions felt like a dream. Together, the trio began to navigate the ruins and vast, gray plains.
Lin En’s mysterious husband was full of violence. Whenever a Zerg appeared, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He moved like a blur of black shadows, killing every monster before it could even get close to the two females.
Because of him, Yue Yue and Lin En barely had to lift a finger; they could walk through the dangerous wasteland without a care in the world.
However, as the hours passed, Yue Yue noticed something strange.
Why are there so many now? She wondered, her eyes looking everywhere with anxiety.
When she had been wandering alone, she had hardly encountered any Zerg...perhaps one or two every few hours. But now that they were traveling together, the monsters seemed to be pouring in from every direction.
It was as if a silent alarm had been tripped, calling the swarm to their exact location.
Suddenly, the situation turned from strange to deadly.
From behind the dunes and ruined buildings, a massive wave of Zerg emerged. There were hundreds of them far too many for even the mysterious man in black to handle alone.
He fought with all his might, his movements becoming more frantic as he tried to keep the circle of protection around the girls, but the swarm was relentless.
"Yue Yue! Yue Yue! What do we do? I don’t know how to fight!" Lin En screamed, her voice high with panic. frёewebηovel.cѳm
She lunged toward Yue Yue, grabbing her hand and gripping it with terrifying strength. Her fingernails dug into Yue Yue’s skin, her hand trembling violently.
Yue Yue looked at her friend. She thought Lin En was simply paralyzed by fear. Gently, she patted Lin En’s hand, trying to calm her down.
"Don’t worry, Lin En," Yue Yue said, her voice firm despite her own racing heart. "I can kill at least a few of them. I’ll protect you."
Yue Yue reached for the silver hilt at her waist. As she pulled it out, the artifact immediately sensed the overwhelming killing intent surrounding them.
With a sharp clack, the silver metal liquidized, extending into a long, glowing whip-blade that hissed through the air.
As the first Zerg lunged, Yue Yue swung her arm. The dagger changed shape mid-air, turning into a curved scythe that neatly decapitated the monster before shifting back into a flexible blade to strike the next one.
The gray battlefield was a mess of green slime and clashing metal.
Lin En’s face twisted with a hideous jealousy that she could barely hide. Every time Yue Yue swung her artifact, which had now shifted into a sleek, glowing Dragon Sword, Lin En felt like her heart was being poked by needles.
The sword was too beautiful. It moved with a fluid, liquid grace, parrying claws and severing heads as if it had a soul of its own.
How could they give such a priceless treasure to this bitch? Lin En screamed in her mind. When I take everything from her, I’ll make sure she watches me use this sword to cut her into pieces!
While Lin En was drowning in her own malice, the situation for Yue Yue was becoming desperate. The Zerg weren’t just attacking; they were multiplying.
For every one she cut down, three more skittered out from the dark crevices of the ruins. Her breathing was becoming ragged, and the weight of the sword felt heavier with every swing.
Suddenly, a high-pitched buzz erupted just inches from Yue Yue’s right ear. The sound was so close that the hair on her neck stood up. Her blood ran cold. She was too slow. She couldn’t turn in time.
Swish!
A streak of light whistled past her cheek. There was a sickening thud, followed by a heavy crash. Yue Yue spun around, her heart hammering against her ribs like a drum.
A massive Zerg scout, its mandibles wide open and ready to snap her neck, was pinned to the gray earth. A long, silver arrow was buried deep in its skull, vibrating with residual energy.
"I... I almost died," Yue Yue whispered, her hand trembling as she touched her chest. She felt a wave of self-loathing. She was truly too dumb, too distracted. If not for that arrow, she would be a corpse right now.
Yue Yue looked up, searching for the source of the shot. In the distance, standing atop a pile of shattered black masonry, was a man who looked like he was made of fire.
He had blazing red hair that fluttered in the toxic wind and eyes the color of molten rubies.
In his hands was a magnificent, ornate bow that glowed with a faint ember heat.
As Yue Yue watched, the arrow that had killed the Zerg suddenly pulled itself out of the monster’s head, floated into the air, and flew back into the man’s waiting hand.
The man leapt down from the ruins, moving with the heavy, powerful grace of a predator. He walked toward them, his gaze scanning the area before settling on the two females.
"You two," his voice was deep and resonant, like the rumble of distant thunder. "Are you alright?"
Yue Yue nodded quickly, still trying to catch her breath. "Yes... thank you. You saved me."
The man gave a short, sharp nod. "This place is crawling with swarms. It’s no place for a female to be wandering." He looked at them more closely. freeweɓnøvel.com
"I am Lu Huoyan, from the Blazing Lion Clan. I was thrown here when the portals collapsed. Have you two also fallen into this wasteland?"
"Yes," Yue Yue replied, her voice soft. "We’ve been wandering for days."
Lin En’s eyes flared with a sudden, sharp delight. She looked at Lu Huoyan, his broad shoulders, his wild red hair, and the raw power radiating from his body.
Another one, she thought, her heart racing. This man is a masterpiece.
But as she studied his face, something clicked in her memory. Her expression became even more smug and triumphant. She recognized him.
