The Soldier Shouted Save

Chapter 5

I followed the unsettling presence, my skin prickling with the eerie energy that lingered in the air.

Finding it wasn’t difficult.

The darkest part of the village—where even the moonlight failed to reach—was where I knew it would be.

“Hey! When are you going to pay up?”

A voice echoed from a secluded corner of the village.

I stopped and pressed myself against the wall, carefully observing the scene.

The bandit leader was shouting angrily, while a group of men in black robes were bowing toward something on the ground.

―Bang!

The bandit kicked a wooden crate on the ground and shouted again.

“You crazy bastards! Stop worshipping that thing and tell me when you’re going to pay!”

Who were these men in black robes?

‘Dark mages?’

It wasn’t just their dark robes that made me suspect them. There was something sinister about the energy radiating from their hands. If they weren’t Dark mages, then who could they possibly be?

Black smoke coiled around it—a small, dog-sized creature made of shadows.

―Grrr…

A low growl, like a beast.

Hearing that sound, I was certain.

In my previous life, this creature had swallowed me whole.

“For the great one!”

“For the great one!”

“For the great one!”

The black-robed men chanted in unison, while the bandit leader grew increasingly frustrated.

“Ugh, these idiots don’t even listen! Why did I take on a job from these lunatics?”

He grumbled, drawing his sword and holding it in reverse grip, pointing it toward the shadowy creature.

“Listen, you deranged lunatics. I don’t care what this little freak is, but if you don’t pay up soon, your precious little dog is going to—”

The bandit leader’s words trailed off.

He had sensed it—the same chilling sensation I felt.

The black-robed men began to laugh softly.

The ominous energy that had been swirling in their hands dissipated as they bowed low.

“Behold, our great Shikgui’s first meal. Please, begin with the one before you.”

The bandit leader’s face twisted in horror.

Realizing they had no intention of paying him, he attempted to stab the black dog in desperation.

But his sword passed right through it, as if striking smoke.

“W-what the hell is this?!”

The creature’s form wavered like mist, and the bandit leader’s arm was sucked into its body.

“Shit! What the hell?! Get it off! Get it off!!”

He tried to pull his arm free, but it was slowly being drawn deeper into the creature’s body.

“F-fine! Forget the money! Just stop it—tell it to stop, please!!”

But the robed men simply smiled, offering no help.

“Dammit! No, nooo—!!”

As the bandit leader’s head was consumed by the creature, the area fell silent.

―Grrr…

Was it satisfying?

After devouring the man completely, the creature’s body began to swell and distort.

“Oh, oh yes! Finally!!”

Dark smoke billowed from its body, spreading outward in thick, heavy clouds that began to engulf the black-robed men.

It was an eerie sight.

Even as they were swallowed by the darkness, the men smiled, their expressions filled with bliss.

Their grotesque demise reminded me of my own death.

Had I looked like that when I was consumed?

―Gurgle.

After the last of them was absorbed, the creature’s unstable form solidified, transforming into a larger beast—about the size of a wolf.

But it wasn’t just its size that had changed.

Its red eyes had sharpened, and it seemed to be looking directly at me.

No, I realized. It wasn’t a mistake.

The creature’s glowing red eyes were locked onto me.

―Grrr.

It exhaled a cloud of black smoke in my direction.

‘Damn it!’

I couldn’t let that smoke touch me.

If it did, I’d be swallowed by the darkness, just like the robed men before me.

I darted out from the shadows and sprinted toward the village entrance.

―Grrrr!!

The creature, excited by the chase, bounded after me like a predator hunting its prey.

If I slowed down even for a moment, it would catch me.

I kept my eyes forward, focusing solely on running.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

I could feel its presence growing closer, its eerie energy crawling up my back.

Even without looking, I knew it was gaining on me.

At this rate, it would overtake me.

“Hey, isn’t that the palace soldier? Wait… what the hell is that?!”

Three bandits appeared, blocking my path.

But instead of stopping me, they turned to stare in horror at the creature pursuing me.

“Is that a… Dark Wolf? No… it looks… different.”

“Hey, boss! We should catch it, right? Something like that could fetch a high price!”

Even in the face of such a monstrous being, they were thinking about profit. Unbelievable.

They drew their weapons and moved to confront the beast.

The large one in the center advanced first, with the other two flanking it on either side, trying to encircle the creature like they were hunting a wild animal.

“Yeah, this thing could be worth a fortune!”

The big man smiled, approaching the creature with his sword raised.

But as his blade touched the creature’s face, he realized something was wrong.

“W-what the…?! Why isn’t it—?!”

His sword passed through the creature’s body, and before he could react, his arm was sucked in.

“Get it off! Pull me out!!”

The other two bandits rushed to help, grabbing the large man and trying to yank him free.

“It’s not coming out, boss!”

“Shut up and pull harder!!”

As they struggled, black smoke slithered out from the creature’s body, slowly coiling around them like a snake.

―Gulp.

And then, they were all swallowed whole.

―Grrrrrr!

The creature’s body swelled even further.

The black smoke—it was no longer accurate to call it smoke.

It was a deep, suffocating darkness—the kind of blackness that seemed to devour all light.

The darkness spread wider, consuming the village, snuffing out all traces of light.

“S-save me!!”

Someone screamed.

Whether it was a bandit or a villager, I couldn’t tell.

All I saw was the whip-like tendrils of darkness wrapping around them, pulling them into the void.

The darkness was coming toward me as well, creeping ever closer.

―Gurgle.

The creature focused intently on me, its gaze never wavering.

The tendrils of darkness reached out for me, getting closer by the second.

But just as they were about to touch me, they stopped.

The creature turned away, its attention shifting.

―Gulp.

It opened its maw wide, like a crocodile’s jaws, and began devouring the bodies of the fallen, swallowing them whole.

‘Damn it…’

I bit down on my lip so hard that blood began to seep from it.

I had figured out why the people in the village had disappeared.

That creature had devoured them all.

But that was all I had discovered.

I had no means or method to stop it.

As I stood there, lost in thought, the creature finished its meal.

It had grown to a massive size, now towering over me at two meters tall, its crimson eyes once again fixating on me.

I knew I needed to run, that I should already have been running, but my legs refused to move.

‘You idiot! Do something!’

Hadn’t I learned this lesson from my time as a palace soldier?

In war, the ones who survive are those who struggle to the very end.

Slap! Slap!

I smacked my thighs and then my face with my palms.

“…Ptu.”

I spat the blood from my mouth.

I widened my eyes, forcing myself to focus.

I couldn’t let this go.

In this life, I would not die.

Even if it was just a small thing, a trivial detail, I would find something to cling to. I would fight until the end.

Whoosh.

It was a small, almost insignificant moment.

A light breeze stirred, and a torch—dropped by someone earlier—flickered in the wind.

Grrrr…

As the flame moved toward it, the creature recoiled, stepping back.

Its reaction wasn’t normal.

Its ethereal body trembled, becoming unstable and erratic.

‘Is it afraid of fire?’

I saw a glimmer of hope.

The paralysis that had gripped me melted away, and I felt energy return to my limbs.

I dove to the ground and grabbed the torch, thrusting it toward the creature.

Grr! Grrr!

The creature recoiled, its body pulling back in fear.

Seeing its reaction, I was sure of it.

The crackling flames—the creature feared the torch.

‘Use fire to subdue the darkness,’ the message from after my death echoed in my mind, and a grin spread across my face.

But I needed to be certain.

Was it the light that scared it, or the fire itself?

I doubted it was the light.

There were still sources of light in the village, street lamps illuminating parts of the night, and the creature moved within the light’s reach without issue.

So its weakness wasn’t light—it was fire.

Clutching the torch tightly, I kicked off the ground.

I lunged forward, aiming to thrust the torch into the creature and burn it.

But just then, an eerie voice emanated from the creature’s body.

―It’s okay… it’s okay…

“…Did you just speak?”

It wasn’t the beastly sound it had made before. This was a voice, distinctly human.

―Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid…

The soft, soothing words, like someone comforting a child, echoed around me as the creature moved.

It reached out with its paw, cautiously, like a cat testing water, moving slowly toward the flame.

Its paw touched the fire.

Grrrraaaahh!!

The creature screamed in agony, its cry filled with pain, but it didn’t stop.

“…No.”

The once unstable body of the creature grew calm, steadying itself.

It slowly stepped onto the torch, its demeanor no longer troubled.

But I had to believe in it.

I couldn’t lose faith in the idea that fire was its weakness.

I couldn’t let my belief be shattered.

But with frightening ease, the creature’s paw snuffed out the flame.

“Ah…”

A groan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

The torch had been too weak.

It wasn’t enough.

The small, fragile flame of the torch had been no match for the creature.

‘If the torch won’t work…’

In battle, weaklings had no place.

What I needed was a fierce warrior, not a feeble child.

‘I need a bigger fire!’

So, without hesitation, I threw the torch away.

Thud.

The torch flew in an arc and landed on the roof of a nearby house.

In moments, the fire spread, engulfing the building.

Fwoooosh!

The flames roared to life, burning with an intensity that dwarfed the torch.

Grrrrrr!

The creature’s reaction was immediate and far more intense.

The raging flames overwhelmed its massive body, forcing it to retreat.

‘It’s working.’

I turned away from the creature and sprinted through the village.

I found another torch and set more houses ablaze.

There were still villagers left, but I ignored that fact.

I hurled another torch into a nearby home.

Some might curse me for what I was doing.

But even if they did, I couldn’t afford to care.

I had made my choice: I would sacrifice the village to destroy the creature.

This monster couldn’t be allowed to survive and make its way to other villages, to Tallin, where Rian and Croa were.

I picked up another torch.

But I didn’t need to throw it.

The village was already ablaze.

Neigh!

A horse’s cry caught my attention.

I looked toward the stables, where the horses were tied up.

I had no plans to save any lives, much less that of a horse, but I decided to free the strongest-looking one.

I untied the reins and mounted the horse, grabbing its reins tightly.

“Hyah!”

Clop! Clop!

I spat on my sleeve, covered my mouth, and rode toward the outskirts of the village, away from the flames.

Once outside, I calmed the excited horse and brought it to a stop.

I turned to look back at the village.

Even though I had spent eight years in the royal palace, this village held my fondest memories.

But now it burned, the entire place consumed by a massive inferno.

No, it wasn’t just burning.

“Impossible…”

Something was rising against the fire.

At first, it was just a small part of the village.

Then it covered half of it.

And soon…

The darkness swallowed the entire village whole.