Chapter 47: Chadwick’s Return
On the outskirts of the Thornedark Forest, amidst dense thorny underbrush, Chadwick and Archie were running at full speed, fleeing from a pack of feral monkeys.
The state of the two veteran soldiers was miserable, scratches and bruises covered their bodies, their faces were deathly pale, and dark circles hung heavily beneath their eyes.
"Damn it! Is there no end to these beasts?!" Archie shouted loudly, barely holding back tears.
"Shut up, you coward! If you hadn’t dropped my sword, I could’ve fought them off. They’re just E-rank beasts!" Chadwick pointed a furious finger at him, veins bulging on his forehead. He hated every second he’d spent with Archie.
"Then fight them yourself, you ungrateful bastard!"
Without slowing down, Chadwick punched a small monkey that had leapt at him from the side and cursed, "What did you just say, you little shit? I’m a swordsman, not a martial artist—I can’t fight them barehanded! And how dare you scold me when this is all your fault?!"
Archie’s forehead tightened as he kicked a monkey beside him and shouted, "You bastard, screw you! If we survive this, I’m going to kick your ass!"
The two continued running and arguing for several kilometers. After nearly two hours, they finally managed to shake off the pursuing monkeys. Both of them collapsed onto their backs, panting like madmen from exhaustion, yet neither of them shut up.
Through ragged breaths, Chadwick mocked, "You talk big, but you’re just a little girl hiding inside a stone shell. I’m going to tell everyone you cried during the beast attacks."
"You asshole!" Archie tried to get up and punch him but couldn’t muster the strength. Instead, he settled for cursing. "You bastard, don’t think I forgot you pissed yourself from fear. Say one more thing and I’ll ruin your pathetic reputation!"
"I pissed on you, to be precise."