The Dark King

by Steffen Schmidt

  Dudian also looked at them waiting for their choice. There was fear in his heart. If they do not choose to participate with him, what he should to?

  He did not dare to go on thinking about what he would do in a case such as that. A door in his heart has been opened and a devil has inserted itself. It was whispering evil thoughts.

  There were few things that Dudian took as a bottom line. He didn't want to cross them now.

  Roar~~

  At this moment, a low roar echoed from the previous location where they were.

  Dudian and others took a peek. They were horrified as the blood on their faces was drained.

  Chapter 61: Level 9 monster

  The top of the tall building was dilapidated as it was baptized by radiation and rains for the last three hundred years. Top two or three layers had collapsed and were in ruins. Brian leaped up through the gap of the wreckage of the broken wall instead of walking around and use stairs. It was the highest ground of the building. He was extremely satisfied with the broken wall cover which was very suitable for ambushes. He felt the hunt will be very smooth.

  Roars echoed out which surprised Brian. "Did it came over so quick?", Brian thought. He quickly adjusted the bow in his left hand with a firm grip. Two arrows were taken out by his right hand with a smooth backhand motion. Arrows were silver in color and reflected his cold eyes. He looked down through the crevice of the cracker wall and saw his prey.

  The buildings that Brian saw were half-broken and covered with vegetation. From the corner a behemoth sized black monster came over. Its body length was about five meters. There were black loose hairs stuck to its body. Its head was similar to wolf's as its mouth was prortuding outwards with two large sharp fangs. Saliva was flowing down through its fangs, dipping the hair on its chin.

  "Finally! It came out!" Brian's eyes narrowed as bloodthirsty excitement flashed past, "A rare level 9 monster. After I kill you my magic marks will be able to evolve again. Finally I will master a new ability!"

  He put the arrow onto the bow and his eyes glanced away. He looked at the previous open space where he had left Dudian and the rest. But no one was there. His face changed and his eyes became cold: "Bastards! Damn little bastards! If you had struggled a little in front of it you would have created more output even if you would be killed on spot!"

  He shook his head as he looked at the street. It seems the monster was smelling to trace the location of preys. Brian's face was livid: "This thing is not a mindless low-level undead. If I shot at it because of temerity, it will certainly be aware of my location. Moreover, it will also arouse its suspicions."

  He clenched his teeth in vain as he thought of the matter in hand, "These little bastards said that they were seperated from other scavengers. If they lead it to that large force there should be a chance to kill it!" As he thought more his eyes brightened with hope. He quickly opened his backpack and pulled out a bottle of yellow vial. He opened the cap and sprinkled a bit of it on himself.

  "This amount of vial should be enough to cover up my smell. As long as I'm not too close to it then I'm safe. It should go after those little animals. " Brian secretly thought out.

  ...

  ...

  Dudian and the rest were frightened when they saw the monster jump out of the corner of the building. They had heard stories about such terrifying monsters. They would have never expected them to actually exist!

  Dudian said in hurry: "Run! Go up the stairs!"

  Mason, Sham and Zach reacted and quickly followed Dudian and walked up the stairs.

  "Quick! Hide! Hide!" Sham stammered as he was anxious and almost cried out. Previous undeads in comparison to this black behemoth were like cute little kittens.

  Dudian's face was pale too. As he heard Sham's words he hurriedly said: "We can not hide! We have to go to the roof to find him!"

  Mason whispered: "He, he will not save us! We violated his words ... ..."

  "It is not for help, we are going to kill him! Or we will lead that thing to him. Even if we die we will pull the hunter with us!" Dudian clenched his fists. His heart was filled with fear and a very strong anger. His speculation was right on spot, that bastard really wanted to use them as a bait. They had helped him with the bandage and wound. They even gave him their food and water. Instead of thanking them he acted ungratefully!

  Moreover it was not about being ungrateful, but sending them to their death!

  Animal!

  Dudian had never been so angry.

  ...

  ...

  On the top of the building, Brian watched through the broken wall. He saw the monster suddenly look at the direction of the high-rise. It was clear that it had found the smell of those little bastards!

  Brian's eyes flashed with a hint of the coldness. He secretly thought: "Damned, little bastards. Instead of obedient death you have chosen to run. Do you think that you will be able to save yourself if you flee in to the building? Small pieces of garbage! Bastards! "

  He knew that Dudian and the rest would die. There were no vials on them to cover their smell. They will be found by the monster. He was not happy but angry. They would be of little value to him if they died in the building. In the building he could not find the angle to attack. The former open street was perfect as a hunting ground for him. Cramped places such as the building was the worst terrain for a hunter who specializes in the long-range attacks such as himself.

  He could imagine the fear of those kids who had went into the building. He began to calculate few odds about them. If it is from the moment that they entered the building when he left the street then they should be located somewhere around 4th to 6th floor. The monster shall catch up to them maximum by the tenth floor.

  And he was on the 23rd floor.

  He has long noted down the layers of the building as he climbed to the top of the high-rise. As an experienced hunter, his observation and copying abilities were out of ordinary.

  "If the battle happens on the 10th floor...hmm... The distance between this floor and 10th is very far. But I don't know if it will be able to locate me." Brian frowned. He was little uneasy in his heart. After all, he only saw a simple message in the hunting manual describing the monster as 'extremely sensitive to the smell'. But there were no specific details about the range.

  Because of this he took out the yellow bottle, poured the vial over his body and evenly applied to all parts of his body. He was thinking and calculating at the same time: "Now, they should be on the eighth floor while the monster should be on sixth floor. I estimate that it won't take long until they will be eaten by the monster. In case the monster can feel my presence then the only option for me is to jump from here!"

  He began to think about the retreat plan. After all he can not pin all his hopes on a monster and four bastards!

  Time went by. Brian's muscles had tightened up. He was simulating the process while calculating the time: "Those little bastards should be dead by now. I have to wait to see the monster leave the building. I can catch up to it!"

  He took a deep breath and waited. He heard a sudden roar coming from below and a giant shadow jumped out towards him.

  Brian's pupils shrank as he jumped back in hurry. The claws of the monster hadn't reached him.

  He saw the fragments of the backpacks hangings on its fangs.

  Chapter 62: hunt in the high-rise

  Whoosh!

  Brian had distanced himself with the gap on the floor. At the same time as he fell backwards, he saw the monster's claws had touched his former position. The walls were already corroded so after the attack few bricks fell down. The monster growled a few times, turned its head and disappeared from the gap. Most probably it was going to search for a place from where it could come over to get Brian.

  Brian was relieved. With a fast move his hand reached the quiver and he took out another arrow. This one was twice as thick as the other arrows. There was a rope knotted on its back. He wiggled his head and aimed at the side of the anot
her four-storey building. He pulled the bow string and released it.

  Arrow shot down from the top of the building and pierced the solar water heater which was on top of the four-storey building. Brian tied the rope over a concrete and went downwards. As his body was falling, the rope immediately tightened.

  The concrete was already corroded. Moreover Brian's body weight was pulling it as he slid down the rope. When Brian was about to reach the top of the four-storey building the concrete broke up. The feeling of free fall came up the next moment but Brian didn't lose himself and grabbed onto the rope. He swinged and hit the second floor's windows. Glass instantly broke and he smashed into the building. He grabbed his dagger and head back to the front side of the floor.

  It didn't take long for the monster to reach the top of the building. But Brian had already run out of its sight. It lifted its nose, sniffed, looked around for a moment and finally locked ontp a direction.

  About four or five minutes after the monster left, four figures quietly walked out from under a pillar. Their bodies were dirty and covered in blood.

  "It should have gone," Sham whispered.

  Dudian looked at the direction where the beast went. His eyes flashed as he whispered: "We have to catch up. We must find that hunter!

  "Are you crazy? You want us to catch up with it? It can find the bastard on the roof. It is extremely sensitive to the smell. If we are not careful...". Mason who was close to him said in a low tone.

  "There is this layer of blood cover. Temporarily it won't be able to smell us." Dudian glanced at his body which exuded stench of blood.

  As they were walking up the stairs he happened to see bodies of undeads in the corridor. It took a whim for him to come up with this idea. That is, they smeared the blood of undeads all over their bodies to cover up their smells and pretended to be dead.

  They pulled out the deep blue balls from the undeads heads and their body temperature returned to normal and began to rot. The taste and smell of the blood mixed with the rotten flesh was very strong.

  Dudian noted that the monster had ignored the corpse of undead which was on the roadside. So he bet on it and took the risk.

  In order to disguise completely he made all of them to smudge the rotten blood all over their bodies. Including their faces which was not an exception. However, taking into account the toxicity of the blood, Dudian didn't directly applied it to his face but used a fabric. The blood was spilled onto fabric which covered their faces. Although the blood would penetrate through the fabric but their life was on stake and there was no better option.

  Moreover, in order to attract attention of the monster and reduce the weight, they had put all the four backpacks in the first floor. The backpacks was stained with their sweat which was way too dangerous to be carried on or close to them.

  Originally, it was a desperate last attempt but they didn't expect it to succeed.

  They were not in mood to celebrate their escape from the clutches of certain death because of the bold words that Dudian said. Because of sudden shock they shook their heads.

  "We were lucky this time. If we go after it a small accident will lead to our death." Sham also tried to persuade.

  Dudian looked at them and said: "If you don't want to then just stay here and wait for me. You may go and find Scott and others. The hunter must be killed or else there won't be peace for us!"

  This monster had confirmed his speculation, but his understanding of the hunter's cruelty had become more profound. He did not think that such a cold-blooded and cruel person will easily let them disrupt his plan. The next time when they fall into his hands, a simple death would be what they would wish for. Most probably he would torture them to death alive!

  Instead of pinning their hopes on each other's compassion, it was better for them to cut off the hidden danger!

  Mason and the other two were stunned. They saw Dudian who was leaving to catch up to monster. Mason even said: "I have told you before. We four are together in life and death!"

  Dudian looked at him deeply, nodded slightly.

  At this time, as Zach and Sham heard Macon's words also stood out and followed after Dudian.

  They had got along and helped each other in the last three years. However, as he witnessed them ready to follow him in such a critical moment, Dudian's heart was filled with warmth. He nodded and said: "Let's go!"

  "You little animals are still alive? " A cold and chilling voice echoed out in their ears.

  Dudian's pupil shrank as he looked up and saw the hunter who appeared in the shadow on the second floor near the broken window. He ... ... did not even leave? .

  Brian was more surprised than Dudian. He didn't expect them to be able to escape from the monster. But when he saw the blood covering their bodies, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated them: "Small little bastards! I will kill you today even if the God himself came up to beg for your lives!"

  He lifted the bow and instantly pulled the bow.

  Dudian's face changed as quickly ran into the building.

  Whoosh~ Two arrows stabbed onto Dudian's previous position.

  "Run, run separately!" Dudian got into the building and shouted.

  Mason and the other two were ignorant. They didn't want to kill the other but the hunter had appeared in front of them. As they heard Dudian's words they went towards the second floor.

  Dudian saw them running in the same direction and quickly shouted: "Run separately or he will catch up with you guys! He is only chasing after me!" From the previous two arrows shot by the hunter he knew that the hunter's hatred was most concentrated on him.

  Mason and the other two shouted back: "There is hope if we fight against him together!"

  "Listen to me!" Dudian cried.

  All of them were confused. But they had to bite the bullet. So they separated and ran in three different directions.

  Dudian looked back at the hunter who had jumped from the second floor. He quickly turned and ran. He knew that if the other side caught up to him, he will die a miserable death. That side parried the horror of the undead, not to mention a mere scavenger!

  "The cunning little bastard! You have been undermining my plan!" Brian has long seen through that the other three were listening to Dudian's arrangements. Even an adult scavenger would stand wherever Brian would order. They would stand without tampering! The thought of Dudian destructing his plan of hunting the monster made him subconsciously clench his fists.

  "Run, Run! I will peel off your skin !" Brian's inner devil was reflected on his face. He quickly caught up to the stairs. Taking into the account the undeads blood's smell coming from Dudian and the other three's bodies, Brian knew that the monster won't come back for a while. A strong desire to slaughter was ignited in his heart.

  He wanted the other side to feel the pain!

  Whoosh~

  Soon, he came up to second floor. He heard footsteps coming from not far ahead. "Should be on fourth floor." He sneered and went upstairs.

  Soon he came to the fourth floor. The previous rapid footsteps had disappeared. He smiled coldly: "Hide and seek! I haven't played this game in a long time. Hide! I will let you taste the despair! You will know what it looks like when footsteps of death are coming towards you step by step ... " He pulled out his bow and raised it. He put the arrow and shot it. The arrow passed through windows that were covered in glasses which crashed in that instant. Then a muffled sound echoed.

  Chapter 63: immortal hunter?

  Brian's brows wrinkled. Quitely he went over to the office's door. He slowly pushed open the vegetation covered door. It was not locked but it issued a slight squeky sound as it moved. Brian enter the following office and looked sideways. He saw that the arrows he previously shot were nailed on top of the wooden table in the room.

  He frowned slightly. At this time, he heard subtle sounds of a movement from the opposite office.

  His eyes flashed. Suddenly he took out another arrow from the quiver and it instantly shot p
ast the slim wall. It took less than a breath of time between him reaching the arrow and shooting it. Suddenly a suppressed whisper of pain came from the other side.

  "Little bastard!" Brian slightly sneered as he said. He put away the bow and pulled out the dagger. Step by step he walked towards the next office. He kicked open the door. It couldn't withstand the force so it fell the next moment. The dimly lighted room with everything inside was present in his sight. His vision concentrated on the desk that was on the other side of the office. The arrow had penetrated Dudian's ribs and nailed him onto the table. Dudian seemed like a little rabbit which had been caught and struggling to escape.

  Brian's eyes were colored red. There was a bloodthirsty feeling reflected in them. He was very confident of his archery skills. The arrow shot by him could penetrate the stone, not to mention soft armor of the scavengers.

  "Little bastard! Struggle! Struggle more! Are you feeling desperate now?" Bricked licked his lips as he slowly, step by step went towards Dudian. He wasn't not in hurry and was enjoying the moment.

  Dudian was sweating and looked at him in horrorified manner: "Do not! Do not! Don't come over!"

  "Scream! Continue to scream!" A chill flashed by Brian's eyes, "I will destroy you! I will peel you alive! I will eviscerate you!"

  As he approached Dudian face's showed more and more horror. However, when Brian was about 5 meters away from him the panic on Dudian's face disappeared. Instead a determination was reflected on them. A strong determination to kill the Brian was revealed as he suddenly stood up and throw the dagger which was hidden near his chest under his arm.

  Brian was stunned for a moment at sudden attack. But he was, after all, an experienced hunter who has survived through many life and death battles. Instinctively he raised his dagger to block the on-coming dagger.

  Brian saw that the arrow which he had shot previously haven't Dudian at all. Instead Dudian had deliberately caught the arrow with his armpit, resulting in dislocation effect that made Brian think that he was successful.