255 The Mountain of Corpses in the Fores (2/2)
…
”Your Majesty?”
A high-ranking soldier looked at the Queen questioningly, while the rest looked around with alert, thinking her Majesty's sudden pause was due to her having detected nearby enemies.
Elizabeth was looking back but could not see anything but mist and tall trees. She shook her head afterward.
”It's nothing. Let's continue. I can sense a dense smell of blood up ahead. Be on alert.”
”Yes, your Majesty!”
The Queen and her army followed along the Azure River running through Extreme Misty Forest.
Soon, the shadow of a bridge was seen, and Elizabeth narrowed her eyes into slits, but not because of this bridge.
The bridge was something she had already anticipated after receiving information that the enemy would be sneaking through the cover of the forest.
What caused her to narrow her eyes were the large shadowy mountains and the sudden pervasiveness of blood in the area.
”There's something up ahead. Be careful of an ambush.”
”Yes, sir!”
As the army drew closer, the shadowy mountains became clear. They were mountains of corpses. Strings of webs also tied numerous dangling corpses in the air and blood soaked the ground like running rivers.
”What in the world… happened here?”
”This is the enemy army that secretly tried to invade us? Who could have done this? Or rather… what could have done this?”
”I'm sure everyone would also like to know that.”
”No… not really…”
The army broke into a commotion immediately. Many gulped with shock and fear as they had never seen such a more gory sight.
It was like they had just stepped in the lowest level of icy hell and could not help but shiver with chills running down their spines and in their hearts.
An army of 20 thousand Durham soldiers was wiped out just like that, and no one knew the answers to how they died.
This was an army led by a Transcendent!
Everyone's instincts were practically screaming 'danger' and 'get out' immediately. Their nerves were tense and felt like any sudden movements would scare the shit out of them.
The howling whispers and screams of the vengeful spirits of the forest only served to put them further on edge.
Anyone who grew up in the northern parts of the Crawford Kingdom would know about Extreme Misty Forest and the stories surrounding it, ghosts!
They can fight beasts and enemy soldiers without fear because that was what they had trained for, but no one had taught them how to fight ghosts!
Who do you even fight something that was intangible to the physical touch?! Unless you were Awakener, the words 'you are fucked' could not be said enough times.
Elizabeth could sense danger, but not to the level that her own life was threatened.
”Check the corpses. Make sure they aren't pretending to be dead.” She said grimly, although the chances of this being the case were practically zero.
”Yes, your Majesty!” the soldiers complied with gulps of fear.
The smell and rivers of blood cannot be faked, and the mountain of corpses would crush those beneath.
”Dead…”
”They are all dead.”
The soldiers confirmed.
As if sensing one of the corpses suddenly moving, one of the soldiers nearby flinched.
”Hahaha! Look at your scared look! You are so paranoid, brother!” A soldier teased.
The surrounding soldiers joined in and laughed, but laughed nervously.
”I wasn't paranoid! I swear something just moved!” The paranoid soldier refuted.
”Something just moved? Are sure it wasn't one of us moving?”
The surrounding soldiers began to laugh harder like it would ease their tension and nervousness.
”Hahahahaha!”
”Hahaha… aaaAAHHHH!”
Midway through their laughter, one of the soldiers suddenly screamed with fear after a half a body belonging to one of the corpses dangling in the air suddenly dropped on him.
The laughter soon died down completely, and the place was filled with nothing but silence. Only the distance howling and wailing of vengeful spirits were heard, and a greater fear gripped their hearts.
Finally, growls were heard and the mountain of corpses began to move... even the dangling corpses began to struggle from their bind.
”The corpses… The corpses are coming to life!”
”Ghouls!”