Chapter 112 - Perished

Joan and Joan's duplicate went deeper into the forest then collected dried branches. Dried leaves for making up the fire were placed after piling up the dried stems. Upon making a fire element just as small as a match, Joan then lighted up the small sticks and it soon went to smoke.

After setting up some campfire. Isaias then grabbed his ukelele and sang like a bard. Joan then grabbed his grill and placed some embers inside. Grilling some chicken legs after putting salt and spices like pepper and chilli powder. Joan duplicate and Isaias was cooking the food and Joan was inside the carriage. Legs crossed and were in the lotus position.

He was cultivating his mana well while waiting for the food to be cooked. He felt tired but his growth has to be his priority. After challenging the Nightmares, his stats have risen but it was only a few points. Still, he needs to push himself to the limits to make his stats rise..

Just as Joan was cultivating, the two was talking outside. Grilling the food that they need to eat. They felt hungry after all the troubles they have made through. Joan has to eat as he was tired enough after battling those monsters. He has to eat meat too so his muscles will grow and he will turn into a muscular man. Not wanting to be seen as a famished ragged boy that looks like he belonged to the countryside that was said to him by his other fellow adventurers.

Joan then ascended to the third stage after numerous minutes that it took. It was then, they finished grilling the food. The food's aroma permeated the surroundings and then Joan felt hungry. More than before he started cultivating.

He exited the carriage and the voice of crickets assaulted his ears. It became louder as he swiped the curtains of the carriage. Joan then sat at the campfire beside the two to warm himself up. Wanting to eat together with them.

"So Joan, you made it to the third stage now?" Isaias asked.

"Yeah, it is still not enough though. You may want more realms if you wanted to unlock the Master and Grandmaster skills. In reality, I am still in Advance and I still can't handle the burden of Master skills. Burden aside, my stats still lacked. Still, I managed to pull off some Grandmaster skills but they are just triggered in pure luck. Some will destroy your body if you forced yourself to initiate the skill," Joan explained to them.

"Ah I see, so you have to continue your cultivation?" Isaias asked.

"Yeah, I guess I have no choice do I?" Joan said to him.

"Joan, I absorbed essence too but I can't cultivate like you. So I need to vanish this instant," Joan duplicate said to Joan.

"Nah, let's eat first. We have to celebrate after surviving the nightmares. To victory!" Joan shouted.

"Yeah, at least we have survived that. Do you know they were neutral monsters? But they were discovered that they give huge essences. There came mass slaughter, killed for their essences. Humans did that to them. But what can we do about the past? It was then, the Demon Lords and gave them power. They grew another pair of arms and their strengths shoot up. They are named Nightmares by the Demon Lords and they were instructed to attack only at night. They bathed with blood and so their skin became red up until now," Isaias said to the two. Stroking his mane again.

"Ah, so they have a story too? Creepy," Joan duplicate said in his surprise.

"You see, they will vanish in the night after attacking the villages like they didn't exist at all. Only the survivors testified of their existence," Isaias said.

"So they didn't leave tracks?" Joan asked.

"They do, it was just their presence disappeared in just seconds after their attacks and it was utter silence after that," Isaias replied.

"Ah I see, let's eat! I am hungry," Joan said.

"Yeah, let's eat," Isaias said to the two.

Joan and Joan's duplicate ate without a sound. They felt so hungry after the battle.

"By the way, I have seen some of the kingdom's forces up above here," Joan said. The two paused their eating and stared at him.

"What?" Joan duplicate blurted out.

"Kingdom's forces, you're deaf?" Joan said.

Meanwhile, a little earlier than before, there was a scout that was watching the great numbers of enemies from where he was sitting. He was on the top of the tree and was watching the battle that rages on. Cloaked in robes and his armour was made of leather. A bow and a quiver of arrows were on his back.

With his skill [Snipe], he can see the multitudes of enemies that were attacking. From what he can see who was their enemy, it was none other than summons of mixed job classes. From Lycan's beast call, Druid's and, Necromancer's summons. There are also four Rouges that were mixed in the fray.

He observed some more and saw that there was a Mage up above the sky that unleashes spells and a Holy Knight that was battling multiple enemies.

"Adventurers? How come they can battle toe to toe with the Nightmares? I must report this to the commander," The Ranger said to himself.

Dashing towards their camp, he ran like wind inside the forest. Like a snake on the grass or a fish on the sea. Manoeuvre on the obstacles on the way was evaded and he also jumped from tree to tree if the population of the trees were dense. He exited the forest and immediately entered the commander's tent. He reported to the commander what he has seen.

"Commander, I have seen Nightmares ahead the forest. Battling the adventurers while they are on the road. I speculated that the Nightmares will head to our camp or the kingdom if not for them. Their march has stopped and they are battling up until now," The Ranger said to him.

"Ah, adventurers. They are probably dead by now. We should prepare to fight them head-on. Thanks to them, we will have time to prepare. Captain! Assemble the army! We will stop the Nightmares if we need to! And bring candles!" The Commander said to his men.

It was then, they marched towards the road. They stomped their feet and moved synchronously. Their movement rumbles the ground and then shakes them in the process.

The scouts then saw that the adventurers have disappeared. They reported that the adventurers probably perished while they battled them. It was then, the Nightmares appeared in all directions. They were surrounded and so they attacked them. Candles were out and they placed them inside the lantern. Battling the enemies until morning.

Meanwhile, Joan absorbed Joan Duplicate's essence. Cultivating it and his stats has risen. Also after absorbing it, his stats came to arrive at two hundred and fifty. He cultivated his mana well until morning and has ascended several times. He didn't sleep at all and he was spent.