Chapter 91 The Nightmare Hunt I [Dark Forest War II - Part VII]

-- POV General --

As the humans began to run towards the mountain, they could all hear the cold, sinister voice of the Ice Empress rising behind them.

"Run for your lives and pray to your Gods that they grant you the right to see a new day rise !"

The soldiers of the Elysium Empire who were participating, could no longer keep their patience as they flailed with excitement. No one wanted to disobey the Empress so no one had moved yet, watching the humans disappear into the forest. Freya was on her ice throne, elbow on the armrest and her hand under her chin. She was particularly pleased with the turn of events and looked away with a small smile on her face.

"Your Highness, the minute will soon be up."

Ynir bowed at Freya's side indicating that it was time. Her section, like Caipy and Luna's, had no soldiers participating. The 20 soldiers were 5 from Nixia and Naïa's section, 5 from Ralph's section, 5 from Emilia's section and the last ones from Thorunn's section. The others did not want to participate and preferred to follow the events that their respective Commanders would tell them.

The Empress of Ice still sitting on her throne raised her arm as the noise stopped instantly.

"Soldiers ! It's time to have some fun !"

"LET'S GO ! LET'S HUNT DOWN THESE HUMANS !"

Among those 20 soldiers, there were beasts, half-humans of all races and all of them dashed off as one as Freya lowered her arm. The hunt had really begun and the humans had the whole night to manage to escape the soldiers, the fatigue and the madness. In the deep black skies lit by a white crescent moon, Trioa's section hovered following the adventurers in their race against death.

____

Those running through the forest had split into groups, showing how little trust they had in each other. Claire and her group on the left, Sarah's group in the center and the twins on the right.

June and May had very little mana and running around in a forest was not really recommended to get it back. Despite having their lives in danger, only one thing was on the minds of these girls.

"May...you...did you see like me before you were captured ?"

"Y...yes I think...that it was Luna and Vig with those half-humans..."

For the first time in their lives, they had witnessed the impossible. Humans working side by side with half-humans. The same races that had been hated since the beginning of time were...together. How could this be possible ? What was going on in this forest ? All their lives, June and May had lived mired in all those beliefs that described other races as evil and inferior. Naturally, the twins had not been spared, but unlike most humans, they did not trust their fellow humans more. Since their birth, June and May had relied on themselves and no one else to survive in this world.

That night, as they ran through the forest towards the mountain, their thoughts were elsewhere. Who were Luna and Vig really ? Were they half-humans in human disguise ? The twins searched for explanations that matched what they had been taught, but nothing fit. Everything was clear and yet so confusing, logical and yet so incomprehensible.

Since they had arrived in the forest, so much had happened that challenged much of what they had learned. Vig and Alayna's first intervention had already challenged them, but they were convinced that they were headed for certain death among the half-humans. However, to see them again, unharmed, alongside these despised races opened up the prospect of a much larger world. The twins lived in a world they thought they knew, but it was full of secrets, things to be discovered and understood.

"June..."

"May..."

Without saying any more words, the two young women accelerated at the same time, carried by a new energy. June and May wanted to know more, they wanted to understand. Where in their lives had they gone wrong ? Who was right and who was wrong ? The beliefs of a whole life were collapsing, leaving only two identical and lost souls.

"We're going to live no matter what it takes and..."

"...return to the clearing before dawn !"

The twins wanted to survive. They wanted to face this terrifying Empress again to understand and know the truth. Even at the cost of their lives, June and May were determined to return, even if they had to crawl to get there. For the first time, the two young women running in the night, realized that there was not only one truth in this world.

____

On Sarah's side, only two men were left because John was locked in his ice cage, just like their leader. The two men's names were Jet and Loyd and they were level 28 and 29 respectively. These two humans were running around like the twins in the forest cursing Freya with all their beings.

"That...that damned woman ! Never before have we experienced such humiliation !"

"Lock up Leader Sarah and John ! We...we must be dreaming, this is all a nightmare and we will wake up !"

They were out of breath but kept moving toward the mountain without stopping. As Jet jumped a large root in his path, he saw a huge hole on the other side.

"Look out !"

Loyd had pushed his companion out of the way in time, keeping him from crashing into the wooden spikes that lined the bottom of the trap.

"...t..thanks !"

"Those trash warned us that there would be traps. Be vigilant and try to anticipate places that might hide more traps."

Loyd was the oldest and most experienced. He was in his forties and stood out with his bald head despite his boyish face. Jet was 20 years old and had short black hair always hidden under a bandana of the same color. They were both swordsmen and companions of Sarah's who shared her vision of the world. Jet had been in love with her for years without ever daring to admit it and Loyd had been seduced by the confidence and charisma of their leader at their first meeting. For them, seeing the Sarah they knew in such a state and reduced to a pet drove them crazy. Unlike John, they had had the presence of mind to say nothing and keep everything to themselves until they could make the she-wolf and her subordinates pay.

As the young man got to his feet with Loyd's help, they could hear screams and hisses coming towards them in the distance. The Empress's soldiers were in full force to make up for the difference in level and were catching up to them. The death game had only just begun and the two humans were already being stalked by an unknown number of individuals.

"Jet, time is running out ! If we want to make it through the night and get back to that damn clearing, we need to get as much of a head start as possible while we still have some energy left !"

"Yes !"

Resuming their run, the two adventurers went deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless forest. With each step they took, Loyd and Jet felt as if the mountain was moving away from them. Like an endless race, in an ominous atmosphere that might end up becoming their graves.

"Loyd ! We...we've been here before haven't we ?"

"...."

For humans, it was very hard to find your way around the forest at night especially when someone was pulling the strings. Empress Freya had mentioned traps but she had never mentioned death traps. What the two adventurers had come across earlier was only a trap designed to catch game and nothing else. The real problem was not there, but elsewhere.

When Luna had left, she had taken Ynir and her soldiers so that she could disperse an illusory mist all along the path to the mountain. The half-panther woman had meanwhile temporarily taken the control of the Guardian's section to make them erect small walls throughout the forest. These walls, coupled with Commander Ynir's mist, no longer made the hunting ground a straight line full of traps, but a moving labyrinth. The soldiers of Elysium knew this and decided to play along, excited by such a challenge.

In the end, there was no real danger to the humans except those who were chasing them, but not knowing that made it more fun. Would they succumb to madness ? Fear ? Or to their darker-than-night human instincts ?

"I...I don't understand ! Yet we run straight ahead without stopping and we always end up in the same places ! That tree, I swear I've seen it before !"

To the left of the humans was a tree marked with a cross by Luna so the humans would notice it more easily. This way, the feeling of going in circles and always being in the same place was further accentuated. This idea came from Alayna who knew all too well the psychological pressure of feeling locked up and manipulated without a way to escape.

The noises in the distance were still getting closer and Jet was starting to panic and shake as Loyd thought as fast as he could.

"Jet ! I think we have to face them. As long as we are being chased, we can't do anything peacefully. Acting hastily could kill us before we even have time to meet a single soldier.."

"But...what if the 20 fighters are after us ?"

"Impossible, they must have split up ! We have at least 10 more levels, if they are not many we can make it. Don't you want to come back alive to Sarah and get revenge for those humiliations ??"

The young man was silent but at the mention of the name of the one he loved, he had stopped shaking. With a determined look, he drew his sword before facing the approaching footsteps. The bald man did the same as they both counted on their victory to continue this race against time.

____

The group of adventurers dressed in red led by Claire had gone to the left and unlike the others they were not running. The three humans were hiding in the trees and were making a plan to get out of here. The young woman was accompanied by her two cousins Dave and Paul and in no way wanted to participate in this game where their deaths were guaranteed.

"That...that horrible woman said something about walls but we haven't seen any so far. I think we need to head for the sides and not the mountain. Hope...hopefully her words were not true."

Claire didn't know what to do, her voice was low and her eyes betrayed immense fear for the Ice Empress, whom she did not want to see again under any circumstances. Paul nodded as Dave spoke up, unsure of her statements.

"Claire, do you really think that crazy woman would have given us a real chance to escape ? It's...it's impossible ! If I had developed something like this, I would have left nothing to chance. That half-human is a monster and I'm pretty sure there really are walls around us."

The young woman and the young man listened to Dave's words and couldn't help but realize that he was right. They were the weakest of the humans and were planning to flee in order to warn the nearest town of what was going on. Unfortunately, they had no idea how to do that and the more time passed, the more their spirits sank.

"Dave, Paul, we have no choice. We...we have to try my theory. It's either that or play by that psycho's rules ! I...I don't want to meet her eyes again...I...I couldn't bear it. We...we have to get out of here and fast !"

"Sigh...okay. If there's a wall, maybe we can climb it, so this idea isn't totally bad."

Sighing, Dave nodded as he answered because he knew there was no other option. The others were unthinkable as the three adventurers had no desire to participate, nor to face those half-humans who had dominated them earlier.

"Very well ! We'll go that way !"

Jumping from tree to tree to avoid detection, the humans led by Claire, left towards the west ignoring the mountain.

____

The game had already started for more than half an hour and Empress Freya was sitting comfortably on her ice throne like an unruffled celestial goddess. She followed every detail Commander Trioa told her and couldn't help but smile mischievously.

"Looks like they all chose a different approach. Interesting ! However, three of them seem to want to fool me..."

Her piercing violet eyes pierced through the night as she stood up to the surprise of the Commanders and soldiers left behind.

"Your Highness ? If you need anything you only have to ask us !"

Ynir had rushed over to Freya to offer her help, which she refused.

"Thank you Commander Ynir but I'm just off to train some dissidents"

"Forgive me for asking but...where...where are you going ?"

The she-wolf smiled making her fangs glow in the moonlight as she answered.

"I'm simply going to teach a few cheaters the purpose of our little game kufufu~ stay here, watch the two prisoners and enjoy !"

"Hai your High...!"

The butterfly woman didn't have time to finish her sentence as Freya had already disappeared leaving behind a small cool breeze. The hunt had barely begun when the Empress had already left to meet the three fugitive humans.

[N/A : Wolf of the Elysium flag (without the sun, moon and star)]

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FULL STATUS

Name : Freya

Age : 0 years / Mentally : 25 years

Sex : Female

Course : Ice Demon Wolf of chaos - Adult

Race : Major Demon

Titles : Blessed by Titania, Goddess of endless Chaos and eternal frozen Hell.

Dragon tamer

Ruthless slayer

Level : 33/70

Exp required for next level: 100 / 34 000

HP : 90 000 / 90 000 MP : 45 000 / 45 000

Strength : 425

Defense : 421

Agility : 435

Stamina : 428

Speed : 427

Intelligence : 425

Charisma : 410 (imperial she-wolf)

Attribute points to allocate : 0

Married to: Gaya

Daughter : Shiro

Empire (menu)

Subordinates : 387

Humans killed : 148

Elements: Ice / Chaos

Skills (all):

Attack - Demon Claws (Lvl 5)

- Bite of hell (Lvl 5)

- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)

- Fighting techniques (lvl max)

- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)

- Demonic aura of the empress (lvl 5)

​ Defense - Ice demon wall (lvl 6)

- Demonic cloak (lvl 5)

Pain Resistance (lvl 3)

Attack/Defense - Domain of the Ice Empress "frozen wrath" (lvl 1) - (under condition)

Others - Humanoid form

- Ice creation (Lvl 5)

- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)

- Devouring chaos (Lvl 5)

- Analysis

- Second soul (Lvl max) - unique

- Telepathy

Mana detection (lvl 1)

Passives - Commander (lvl max)

- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]