novelraw Chapter 314: I’m not Asking.
Chapter 314: I’m not Asking.
Listening to the voice, Thoren creased his brow slightly, wondering what exactly was happening inside the buried ruins.
Although curiosity surfaced within his mind briefly, he had no intention of involving himself in unnecessary trouble.
Right now, his primary goal remains unchanged.
He needed to locate the Carapace Clan and hopefully find someone capable of deciphering the ancient book.
Without wasting additional time, he prepared to continue his journey deeper into the inner region. However, he had barely taken three steps forward when the two undead Echo Scarabs hovering nearby suddenly began vibrating violently once again.
Hmm?
Thoren halted immediately before narrowing his eyes cautiously.
"Another beast?" he muttered softly beneath his breath.
At the far end of a deep crimson slope, a figure suddenly emerged rapidly.
A young man rushed upward from the buried ruins while escaping frantically across the bloody dunes. His movements appeared nimble and agile while his feet barely left visible traces upon the sand.
From time to time, the young man glanced over his shoulder repeatedly with a greedy grin plastered across his face.
Thoren froze briefly while staring at the approaching figure.
"A human?" he muttered with visible puzzlement before tilting his head slightly sideways.
Inside the dangerous inner region, encountering another human so suddenly naturally surprised him.
While Thoren remained puzzled, the young man had already noticed him standing ahead.
A deep frown appeared instantly across the youth’s face.
His eyes scanned Thoren rapidly before he continued rushing forward without slowing down whatsoever.
"Get out of my way!" the young man shouted loudly despite still being several meters away.
"Me?" Thoren pointed toward himself with confusion clearly visible across his face.
The surrounding desert remained enormous and practically endless.
The young man possessed countless paths available for escape.
Thus, Thoren genuinely failed to understand why the youth insisted stubbornly on charging directly toward his current location.
Unknown to Thoren, frustration and rage already boiled violently inside the young man’s heart. For more than an hour, he had been chased relentlessly like a rat across the dangerous ruins.
His lungs burned painfully while indignation consumed his thoughts completely.
To him, Thoren looked like nothing more than an ordinary awakener hunting weak beasts near the borders between the Crimson Dunes and the Scorched Outskirts.
Naturally, he paid little attention to him.
Suddenly, the furious male voice echoed loudly once again from behind the crimson slope.
"You damned thief!"
"Stop running immediately!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several figures rushed upward from behind the dunes shortly afterward. Four humans appeared while sprinting desperately across the bloody sands.
Their chests rose heavily while beads of perspiration covered their foreheads completely.
Some among them already gasped heavily for breath yet still refused to stop chasing the fleeing young man.
Inside their eyes, Thoren noticed intense hatred mixed together with burning anger.
Despite the unfolding situation, Thoren still had no desire whatsoever to interfere in their affairs.
He calmly prepared to step aside and allow the fleeing young man to pass freely.
However, before he could move away completely, the leading pursuer shouted loudly toward him.
"P-Please help us stop him!" His voice carried obvious urgency and desperation. "We are members of the Crimson Arc Guild!"
"If you help us capture him, we will reward you generously!"
The words came rapidly from his mouth as though he feared the young thief might escape permanently if delayed even briefly.
Hearing those words, Thoren widened his eyes slightly.
"You are from the Crimson Arc Guild?" he asked calmly.
Instantly, his gaze shifted toward the fleeing young man approaching rapidly.
"Please stop for a moment," Thoren said softly.
His voice sounded calm and almost harmless.
Unfortunately, the fleeing young man clearly thought differently.
Listening to Thoren’s words, the thin young man stared at him like someone staring at a complete fool. Not only did he refuse to slow down, but murderous intent flashed directly across his eyes.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, the dagger hidden within his sleeve shot toward Thoren’s neck at blinding speed.
Even with the cold blade only inches away from his throat, Thoren’s expression remained completely unchanged.
"I was not asking," he said calmly.
[Awakening Soul]
Boom!
An overwhelming pressure erupted instantly from Thoren’s body.
The terrifying aura descended violently upon the fleeing young man like an invisible mountain crushing downward from the heavens.
Ahhh!
The young man stumbled forward immediately while his face lost all color instantly. His body trembled violently as his heart pounded uncontrollably within his chest.
Fear exploded in his mind.
"What is happening?"
"Why does my heart feel like it is being crushed?"
"I cannot breathe properly!"
Before he could even understand what had happened, the undead Guild Captain suddenly appeared directly before him.
Its towering figure moved like a phantom emerging from darkness itself.
The young man attempted to struggle desperately while trying to activate one of his escape skills.
Unfortunately, beneath the terrifying mental pressure released by Thoren, every movement felt unbearably sluggish.
His limbs felt painfully heavy while fear threatened to tear apart his sanity completely.
Ahhh!
The next moment, the undead Guild Captain seized him firmly by the throat before lifting him directly into the air.
His feet dangled helplessly above the ground while his dagger fell powerlessly from his grasp.
"..Y-You...re...release...me...."
His voice sounded distorted and weak due to the immense pressure crushing his neck.
The youth’s face rapidly turned pale while bulging veins protruded visibly across his forehead.
His bloodshot eyes widened violently from lack of oxygen.
At that moment, true panic finally swallowed his remaining arrogance completely.
"If this continues, I am going to die," he thought frantically.
"...P-Please...don’t...kill...me..." he begged desperately while struggling weakly.
Thoren ignored him entirely.
Instead, his calm gaze shifted toward the approaching members of the Crimson Arc Guild.
The group finally arrived before him before stopping abruptly in shock.
Their eyes widened while staring at the young thief dangling helplessly like a captured animal.
Every one of them knew exactly how troublesome the thin youth truly was.
He specialized in stealth and agility.
That alone made him notoriously difficult to capture.
Many awakeners had attempted to hunt him before, yet he always managed to escape successfully.
And yet, before this silver haired young man, the thief had been captured effortlessly within seconds.
"How is this possible?" The question echoed silently in their hearts.
For several tense moments, absolute silence dominated the crimson dunes once more. Only the faint desert wind continued howling softly through the buried ruins.
Thoren finally spoke again.
"So, are you from the Crimson Arc Guild?" he asked calmly while staring directly into their faces.