Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 219: The Howling Forest

The force of five hundred students and knights formed a temporary village despite treating the first years like pack horses. They finished before nightfall, but their misery didn't end.

"Jackson, you and all the first years will help to guard tonight."

A fourth-year knight who seemed connected to one of the royal knights announced. As he waited for the moment, the exhausted students lay their heads down to sleep.

A complete asshole.

"..."

"Yes, sir."

The knight named Simon soon left for his tent, leaving the first years devastated. Jackson looked around with an apologetic face.

"Let's split the hours between us so we get some sleep."

"You, Paul, Seth and Kate will take care of the first four hours. We will take the second set."

Clarice was a young noble who looked down on Jackson and the people he mentioned because they were all commoners—commoners who rose to the academy with skill, unlike him—a snake who gained the place through connections.

"Understood Clarice, rest well." Jackson took several extra torches and guided the others outside.

"Why did you accept it so easily? You are far more talented than that snake."

"Paul, even if I wanted to. There are many nobles within the Royal Knights and Official Knights supporting us. Do you think he has no sway here? Look at those two girls from the elite class, for example. They didn't have to help us."

"Jackson, that's different. Those girls saved their classmates and suffered for it. The pretty woman lost an arm. Now it's disgusting." The female Kate added, with her face scrunched up.

"Kate, if they didn't know that earl, then would the knights treat them so well?"

"..."

Over ten first-year groups were present at the camp, leading to around fifty watchmen. Jackson's group watched the walls near the dark forest. However, the forest seemed to hide a dark secret; something evil remained. In the centre of that place, howling with an eerie call.

The group stood on the wooden walls. Despite being made in a rush, it seemed stable even with twenty people patrolling along it.

Jackson and Kate took the north while he asked Seth and Paul to patrol the south with another two groups.

*Howl*

An eerie howl echoed throughout the woods. It caused Kate's body to tremble, her skin covered in goosebumps, while Jackson felt a fight-or-flight instinct. He shook his head and helped Kat stand while watching into the dark forest.

"I can't see anything, just shadows and darkness."

"It's going to kill us."

Even Jackson couldn't resist the fear of this monster completely. He felt something amiss. As if it evolved, its voice box created a single sound that could affect the mind of any knight. It wasn't an ordinary wolf, nor was it an ordinary magic beast.

Jackson and Kate sat on the ground, hugging their knees, and remained silent while listening to the other groups murmur about the source of that sound.

"What is that?"

"Everyone quiet!" Jackson shouted. "Do not speak under any circumstance."

The forest seemed to speak; grass rustled, and trees danced in the darkness and steps. The steps of the beast seemed audible in the soul-eating silence.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

Inside, deep into the forest, the footsteps came from everywhere. Even Jackson didn't know what to do. He couldn't defeat a monster like this. Somehow, its howl interrupted his mind, and his mana wouldn't listen to him.

How could he fight alone, much less protect all the students in front of him?

"Stay here and watch over everyone."

However, he couldn't let them die. Jackson wanted to see the monster's figure, at least. With his heart pumping, Jackson unsheathed his sword and jumped from the wooden wall, landing in the grass of the dark forest.

His hands trembled, and his knees were weak, but he tried to remember his sword training and took a step forward. The grass felt rough, like winter grass or dead leaves, with sharp edges slicing across his exposed skin.

Suddenly, a thud sounded behind him. He pulled his sword, ready to strike, only to realise it was Kate. She had followed him into the darkness.

"Go back."

"Jackson, I am also a knight. I cannot return."

Although her voice trembled and she seemed ready to run away, she also grabbed her sword and stood beside him with dilated pupils. Jackson realised that her reason for following must be different.

"Fuck, why did you have to follow me?"

Jackson felt a sense of connection with Kate. Thus, he couldn't deny his joy when she followed; now, with two people, they headed into the dark forest with two small torches guiding their path.

How could the beast not know that two humans intruded upon its territory? Jackson didn't know, but they neared its location as the eerie howl ceased, only to be replaced by steps.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

Two large glowing eyes shone in the darkness with a hungry stare.

Could it be their imagination? Kate felt her insides churning while sticking close to Jackson, who used her warmth to keep his fragile psyche from shattering. Yet the monster didn't strike, like playing with them.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *Step* *Step*

A twig snapped before a low growl sounded, and from this, Jackson's fight or flight activated.

Nonetheless, Jackson grabbed Kate's hand and ran as fast as possible towards the camp. Their shaky torches flickered, barely illuminating a path in the night. As their steps took them further, the noise of the monster didn't chase after them.

"Kate, run! Hurry!"

"Wait, it hurts! My hand Kya!?"

Kate's ankle twisted under an extended root, her body floating through the air as she screamed in pain. Jackson's haste caught her by surprise, and she couldn't keep up.

'No!'

That was the moment he saw the monsters for the first time. Yes, there were two of them, one pure black with long spikes upon his limbs and a ferocious face filled with sharp teeth. The other, white like the moon with long, exaggerated limbs and sharp claws, extended and grabbed Kate by the throat and dragged her into the darkness.

"Wait!"

"Ahh! Help, please, Jackson."

"Kate!"

Kate's hand extended, and horror filled her eyes. Tears flowed like rivers, and a desperate face caused a dull ache in Jackson's heart.

He couldn't help her. He didn't have the strength to kill such a beast, and so, with his sanity crushed, Jackson left.

*Snap*

The distinct sound of bones snapping echoed in Jackson's broken mind. He abandoned the girl he liked. Left her to suffer and die at the hands of those brutal monsters—each time her agonised cries echoed, another snap followed.

"Stop it! Don't!"

"Kya!? Help... Me... It hurts!"

'Why can't I run any faster?'

He cried and didn't stop running, only stopping at the walls, where the sounds of Kate's screams no longer reached him.

Jackson collapsed onto his knees with tears flowing from his eyes.

Like a newborn baby, he tried to look up at the walls; however, his neck wouldn't move.

"Oh my god, is that Jackson!?"

'Huh?' I can hear Seth's voice. What's wrong?'

"W-Where is the rest of his body!?"

'???'

Then, Jackson realised something warm had flowed down his stomach. A nauseous feeling crept up from his gut and made its way up his throat, and a sinister thought came into his mind.

'Why does it hurt so much?'

Jackson slowly glanced down, realising that his legs were gone. The monsters didn't tear or bite off, but something cut them away. Only a bloody stump remained as something red dripped onto the ground.

"A-AHHHHH!!!" Jackson let out a scream that pierced the heavens, yet no one came to help him.

Jackson couldn't support his weight, so his head hit the dirt, leaving him dizzy as he glanced back at the forest with hope in his eyes.

A massive white hand reached out for him; however, in Jackson's broken mind, that hand was Kate's.

"K-Kate, is that you?"

With his eyes dimming, Jackson stretched out his arm. For a moment, Jackson hoped Kate could save him, and as she reached for his arm, Jackson felt immense relief.

However, the cold hands grasped his neck and squeezed hard, restricting his breathing.

The people on the wall watched in terror, screaming as they watched the strange arm tear Jackson into pieces before dragging the meat into the forest, while some of the meat returned to the walls as blood and intestines.

It seemed like the monsters only ate the bodies. The pieces of organs and bones didn't attract their attention.

*Howl*

One monster howled again, but this time with the power that shook the entire village.

They tasted the flesh of two skilled knights.

A howl of pure bliss.

****

The morning after, various nobles and students enjoyed breakfast. Many people gathered, which caused a dozen rumours and stories.

However, the tale of the howling forest became the most terrifying tale for those tasked with guarding the eastern wall that faced the forest.

They didn't believe it at first, but they soon noticed their missing colleagues, with only the blood and internal organs left.

A demon remained in that forest; however, it didn't approach the village; perhaps, like a hyena, it waited for them to leave or to hunt someone weaker.

Using the human mind against itself could also be a terrifying feat. Soon, it became clear the rumour was true, and the royal knights finally organised a group to enter the forest. However, they would wait for the reinforcements.

Three days passed as the rumour became widespread, leading to fewer and fewer knights willing to guard the wall. Only the most passionate or strongest would remain, with a high chance of losing their lives.

What made many people feel shocked was the noble, who shunned the commoners, would volunteer to guard the eastern wall.

Clarice seemed to feel a sense of regret because he owned a mind-protection amulet. Although he spoke harshly, Clarice admired Jackson and, in secret, helped him overcome many obstacles to try to become friends.

A poor boy who didn't know how to interact with commoners well, now a monster stole his chance and first genuine friend.

"..."

Clarice sat on the wall, gazing into the forest. The silence before the storm, the atmosphere of a fox entering a chicken coop.

'Please...do not come here.'

"No, come, I must avenge Jackson."

He knew something bad was about to happen. Each day, several people went missing, day or night. The royal knights sent a party to search for those missing knights, but those people ended up never returning.

Clarice felt terrified, but he wanted to avenge his friend; with a trembling hand and goosebumps, a hand suddenly grasped his shoulder.

"Ahhh!!!"

"Woah, calm down, Clarice. It's me, your fellow student. Asura Fenix!"

"!!!"

With a bright face, Clarice tried to contain himself, almost urinating the moment he felt someone sneak up and grab his shoulder.

Yet this meeting would be one that he would never forget, even on his dying bed at two hundred.

He will always remember his meeting and friendship with this man.

His raven hair swayed from the chilling wind, red eyes were like orbs of blood peering through his soul. The man who would save him from this never-ending nightmare.