Chapter 81

Chapter 81

The frenzied movements of the rampaging undead halted abruptly with their blue eyes flickering unsteadily.

"What's going on? Why are they acting like this?" Thesaya tilted her head in confusion.

Crunch—

Having smashed one undead's skull, Charlotte turned to look at her, "What does it matter? Just finish them all off—"

Screech— Aaargh—

Grrroooar—

That's when the undead began to scream, the clattering of bones echoing from all around.

Snap!

After a brief pause, Charlotte resumed smashing their skulls without hesitation. The undead charged again shortly after, but their movements seemed more driven by confusion than madness. Charlotte, unfazed, continued her onslaught, and Thesaya did the same.

Crunch—! Snap!

The once ferocious undead, now clumsy in their movements, stood no chance against the two. In no time, a dozen undead were reduced to piles of bones. Only a few remained.

Crunch!

One was obliterated by a punch from Charlotte.

Snap—!

Another’s skull was crushed between the hands of the charging Thesaya. Charlotte took down another one in the meantime.

Snap—

The last one fell, its head punctured by a dagger that pierced through the back of its skull.

Fssst—

Its blue glow evaporated, and its body crumbled down to bones.

Charlotte and Thesaya were already not paying attention to the undead. Their focus was on the man who had thrown the dagger, standing at the entrance of the village.

"You've all worked hard," Ian said, surveying the scene of the ruins.

Thesaya flashed a peculiar smile, "It seems Ian, you did the most work."

Ian's appearance bore witness to the dangers and intensity of the battle. Mud mixed with snow clung to his body, his hair was disheveled, and blood smeared around his mouth. His leg armor was torn, revealing blood-soaked underclothes beneath.

"...That's true." Ian, limping, then turned to Charlotte.

"I'm going to rest. Make sure Thesaya doesn't come near me. She'll find it hard to resist with all the blood I've lost."

Charlotte's gaze shifted sideways. Thesaya was already fixated on Ian's thigh, her thirst and desire tangled in her glowing red eyes. Charlotte's fist clenched tightly.

"Understood. I'll make sure of it."

With purposeful strides, she swung her hand, striking Thesaya across the face.

Smack—!

"Aah!" Thesaya flung to the ground, then quickly regained her posture and glared at Charlotte like a furious beast.

"What the hell? Are you insane?"

"If you make that face at Ian again, I'll pull out every single one of your fangs. And keep doing it every time they grow back."

"It's an involuntary reaction, okay? Because you were lazy, I used too much power! Why don't you catch a rat or something and stop fussing!"

Ignoring the bickering duo, Ian walked over to the campfire and spread out a blanket. He crawled into the blanket and soon lay motionless.

"Ian! This beast's actions won't go unpunished... Ian?"

"...?!"

The vampire and the beastfolk, who had been sniping at each other, finally turned to look at him, their eyes widening in realization. He had fallen asleep as if knocked out, and a fleeting moment of relief crossed their faces.

Charlotte then took a position with her back to Ian's blanket, glaring at Thesaya, ready to guard him. With a challenging gaze and a casual flick of her sword, Charlotte conveyed a clear message: "Come at me if you dare."

I wonder if I should just use up all my points.

After a moment of internal debate, Ian shook his head. Like keeping a buffer in one's bank account, it was essential to reserve some skill and attribute points for emergencies, such as facing an unforeseen powerful foe like Charlotte or being sucked into the void. He was reluctant to increase any stats aside from Intelligence and Mental Fortitude, but unexpected crises might force his hand.

This also applied to his skills; who knew when he might encounter resistance or combat prowess that his current abilities couldn't overcome? He had to be meticulous in expanding his skill tree, especially since he'd decided to master multiple elemental skills.

For now, his strategy involved using red for offense, blue for defense, gray for support and versatility, and arcane for miscellaneous purposes. Yet, the need for neglected areas like gray magic's firepower, and blue magic’s offensive capabilities or even brown, which he had mostly ignored, could arise unexpectedly.

If only I'd specialized, I wouldn't have these worries.

Too much had been spilled already to consider scooping it back up. Ian swallowed the last bite of his jerky, acknowledging that he couldn't forsake swordsmanship either. His skills were inexplicably improving.

He had felt it during the fight with Ascold and again when facing the Gatekeeper. There was a fleeting thought that he might deflect the Gatekeeper’s greatsword. He didn't attempt it, but the possibility was there. Close combat would remain an indispensable skill area, given the resources already poured into it.

Unlike other classes, he lacked almost any combat skills beyond the basic physical attacks, necessitating ongoing real-world practice to enhance his prowess. So he could eventually go against not only named monsters but also boss monsters.

Makes for a lot of things to worry about.

As Ian reached for more jerky, Charlotte approached briskly.

"You were awake, Ian."

She was carrying a deer on her shoulder.

"So you actually went hunting."

Ian set aside the jerky as Charlotte dropped the deer with a thud onto the snow.

"You've lost a lot of blood. Fresh meat is the best for recovery."

Ian's expression grew complex.

"I didn't expect both of you to take such good care of me."

"Of course. You defeated the strongest monster. I saw the aftermath of your battles. It's unbelievable."

"So Charlotte, what about me?" Thesaya interjected.

With a grimace, Charlotte tossed something small her way, "A cute rabbit."

Thesaya caught it with a smile. The rabbit seemed barely alive, breathing but just barely.

"Keep it alive until tonight."

"Of course. It tastes best when it's fresh. Anything else is frankly terrible."

Thesaya gently stroked a rabbit with a soft touch. Meanwhile, Charlotte, who had drawn a dagger, was busy butchering a deer. It was clear this wasn't her first time; the process of skinning, eviscerating, and sectioning the meat along the joints and muscles was done swiftly and smoothly.

"I won't drain the blood. It will be better for your recovery."

"That’s up to the hunter, you are a mess at cooking but a good butcher."

"It's something learned from my tribe. Beastfolks teach hunting first to their young, including how to handle the catch."

Ian nodded and stood up, gathering a few sticks and tying them together to create a makeshift grill for the meat. Charlotte skewered a large piece of thigh meat and one organ, which was the liver, onto the sticks.

"These are the best parts for recovery."

Soon, the meat sizzled over the fire. Charlotte began to eat the heart and other pieces raw on the other side. Ian had thought she only ate cooked food, but apparently, she wasn't picky.

"Aren't you worried about parasites?"

"They'll be digested."

“Well...."

Ian made sure to thoroughly cook both the meat and organs. They were a bit gamey and had a strong smell, but they were still edible. There was a bag of rock salt among his supplies, but he didn't bother with it. Even the gamey smell was a luxury compared to preserved rations.

"There's plenty of meat left. Should we take it with us on the carriage?"

"Good idea. It won't spoil quickly in this weather. Load it up."

"Then, are we resting another day before leaving?"

"No. We'll prepare and leave at once now. We can rest while moving."