Chapter 44: Kind-Hearted Senior
Half an hour later, Chen Haunt stumbled out of the dense mountain woods, his body battered and bloodied, but his spirit alight with a fierce, desperate triumph. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his teeth crimson as he grinned through the pain. The vast valley stretched before him, its open expanse a beacon of hope. He was so close—just a dozen miles more, and he would cross into the range of the Nether-Slaying Demon Array. If the Man-Faced Spider dared to follow him there, it would be reduced to ash in an instant.
"Bwahahahaha..." Chen Haunt's laughter echoed through the valley, a manic sound that mingled with the rustling of leaves and the distant screech of the spider behind him. Though the beast still pursued him relentlessly, its crimson eyes blazing with unrelenting fury, Chen Haunt's heart swelled with a twisted sense of victory. He had outsmarted it. He had survived.
"That little bastard Lordi Payne nearly ruined years of my work," Chen Haunt muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with venom. He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the spider's grotesque form as it barreled through the trees, its massive legs tearing through the underbrush. The sight of its rage-filled eyes only deepened the cruel smirk on his lips. "Once I'm back in the city, I'll chop Lordi Payne into pieces and feed him to the banner. Let his soul scream for eternity."
But even as he cursed Lordi Payne, a flicker of dark amusement crossed his mind. "This punk's sheer dumb luck might've done me a favor," he thought, his grin widening. "The demon spider's too enraged, its madness blinding it to the danger ahead. It might just charge straight into the range of Lothgar's protection array. If it does..." His eyes gleamed with greed. "The body of a Foundation Stage demon beast, even if obliterated by the grand array, would leave behind valuable scraps. Enough to repair my banner and then some."
The thought of such a lucrative haul filled him with glee, dulling the sharp sting of his wounds and the exhaustion that threatened to overtake him. He pushed forward, his steps faltering but determined, each one bringing him closer to safety—and to revenge.
Just as he was about to break into a sprint, a sudden breeze sliced through the air, cold and sharp as a blade. It swirled around, coalescing into a familiar figure midair. Chen Haunt's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the man before him—Jarl Drainwood.
"Jarl?!" Chen Haunt stiffened, his mind racing. His hopes of looting the demon spider's corpse were now dashed, but as he felt the weakness in his limbs, the toll of the Blood-Burning Technique sapping the last of his strength, he realized that encountering Drainwood might not be such a bad twist after all. Even if he reached the protection array, the spider might still unleash a final, desperate attack—a venomous strike or a crushing blow—that could finish him off. With Drainwood here, the risk was significantly reduced.
Grinning through the blood and pain, Chen Haunt veered toward the Jarl, his voice rising in a desperate shout. "Jarl, help! That Man-Faced Spider left its nest for some reason and has been chasing me all the way here. It's exhausted from the trek—this is the perfect time for you to take it down!"
Drainwood's gaze swept over Chen Haunt, lingering for a moment on the Summon Soul Banner clutched in his hand. A faint smile played on the Jarl's lips, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. But then Drainwood nodded, his voice calm and measured. "Very well."