I Reincarnated into a Single-celled Organism! - Chapter 194

“Another group?” Lot whimpered, still wrapping his hand after the injury he had received in the last group.

We had already defeated three packs of the fleshhowlers. After defeating the first pack, we continued for a bit only to encounter a second pack. This one was smaller, and we had managed to reach an open clearing so Felix’s marksmanship managed to take down most of the pack before they even reached us. However, the third pack came only a short time after that, and this group was the largest yet. Just about everyone ended up with an injury, and one of the younger guys had been significantly hurt, although I managed to keep him from dying.

Yet, this time, we hadn’t even managed to bandage everyone up and there was already a fourth group howling in the distance.

“This spot was miserable to fight, we should at least make some distance,” Fate told her uncle, limping over to him with a worried expression.

“Is there even a point? We’re not even halfway out of the forest. At this rate, we won’t make it.” Lot’s voice shook slightly.

“So, what do you expect us to do? Give up and die?” Fate snapped at him, causing Lot to look away shamefully.

“There is one option,” Felix spoke quietly, looking down at the ground.

“That’s not an option!” Fortune glared at him.

“What?” Lot looked at the two. “What is it?”

Fortune and Felix stared at each other for a moment, and then Fortune snorted and looked away. “Tell them if you want, it doesn’t change anything.”

“A few of us can stay behind… act as bait,” Felix explained. “Allow the rest to continue.”

The group turned quiet, all eyes on Felix. It was Fate that broke that silence.

“That’s suicide.” Fate hissed.

“Some of us will die in the next attack either way.” Felix shrugged. “We can either sacrifice a couple to allow the rest to continue, or die here. If it’s any consolation, I’m willing to be one of those to stay back.”

His words caused everyone else to grow startled.

“Felix, no!” Fortune stepped forward.

He held up his hand. “I don’t intend to die out here. The fleshhowlers can’t climb trees very well. At the least, we’ll hold them back as long as possible and then hide in a tree. You can request the next camp to send a party to retrieve us after.”

His words caused the group to relax a bit. At least, there was the potential for survival. That was enough for them. There was another howl, much closer this time.

“Anyone else?” He asked, glancing particularly at the four younger men.

There was no way it would be Fate, Lot, or Fortune would be on the chopping block. Two of them were the direct family line and the uncle was running the expedition. It fell to the youth to risk their life. This was another aspect of these paragon families.

“I’ll do it!” Lucky stepped forward, causing the other younger men to look at him with bright eyes.

Felix nodded. “Good lad. About one more will do it.”

The other three remained quiet. If they had the same guts Lucky had, they might all have already evolved like him as well. It seemed like this world belonged to those with the willingness to take risks. Well, there was also being born into a wealthy family. The number of risks you needed to take seemed directly proportional to the power you held in your paragon family. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward as well.

“I’ll go as well.”

Fate looked shocked. “Y-you! You can’t go!”

“Why not?” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ll miss me?”

She made an annoyed sound in her throat. “Of course not. However, I promised Abigail I’d return you safely. If you go and get yourself killed, I’ll lose my portion of the awards.”

“I’m glad you’re so concerned for my well-being,” I responded dryly. “However, Felix is pretty good with his arrows and I have a feeling that there are more dangerous parts in the future. This might be my last chance to bail out. Hiding from dogs in a tree sounds a lot safer than the death match in your upcoming future.”

“Y-you’re… copping out?” Fate’s mouth fell open.

“Didn’t you guys need someone to do it? I’m just fulfilling a role I’m good at?” I smiled, but the group was all looking at me with a variety of different looks.

Lucky appeared like he swallowed a bad egg. By acting like I was taking the cowardly way out, he suddenly looked like a coward too. The three younger men were now looking at us with a bit of regret like they wished they had volunteered. Fate looked disgusted, whereas Lot and Fortune had looks of disdain.

“We will catch up to you once we escape,” Felix spoke up shooting me a stone look. “Everyone who survives will complete the mission.”

I smiled back and nodded. “Of course.”

There was another howl which came incredibly close.

“There is no more time to argue. Stay alive.” Fortune looked at all three of us distinctly. “All of you.”

He then gestured and the rest of the group began walking away.

“Stick with me if you want to live.” Felix snapped at us before heading toward the howls.

I casually followed behind him, but Lucky bumped my shoulder. “Hey, man, what was that about? I was just starting to think you were cool, and now you’re acting a coward?”

“Is the only reason you stood up so that everyone thought you were brave?” I asked.

“Ah… I mean… it’d be nice… I don’t want to be seen as cowardly though!”

I shook my head and leaned closer to him. “They were under the belief that we were on a suicidal mission. They already had us written off as dead. Not only would the remaining party need to complete their mission while worrying about us, but they might even be filled with guilt that might affect their future choices. By giving them the impression that we were picking the easier choice, they will no longer be concerned. Understand…”

He looked at me with wide eyes. “You-you thought of all that? Are you sure you’re just a commoner?”

“No one is just anything,” I told him.

“This spot is as good as any.” Felix stopped at a tree and began counting out his remaining arrows.  I’m going to be in this tree. You two block the path but fall back. Just delay them as long as possible and draw their attention as I take out as many with my arrows as possible. We want to keep them on us. I’ll help you up the tree when there is no other choice.”

“I-I can do that.” Lucky nodded, but he looked nervous now.

I patted his arm as I headed out to the trail. Lucky joined me and the pair of us pulled out our weapons. This was the first time I was using Eternal Harmony since I had come into this forest. The low, rattling howls and the pattering slaps of bare feet came closer and closer. I stood in the middle of the path with Lucky by my side. My posture was loose and my expression was calm, but I could see Lucky was very tight and even shaking a bit. Although he was a brave man, bravery only could take you so far.

“Do you think they’ll make songs of this?” He asked, half joking.

“Not any good ones,” I responded, causing him to chuckle.

The first fleshhowler crested the bend in the path. It immediately howled as another dozen joined it. Lucky instinctively took a step back. Prior, there had always been Fate or Fortune standing at the front, blocking the group and allowing one or two past for the others to face. This was the first time Lucky was facing the charge himself.

Felix’s arrow sang with a twang sound, followed a moment later by a wet crunch as it slammed into the eye socket of the first creature. It immediately stumbled and fell into a roll. However, the fleshhowlers behind merely bounded over him and continued their charge without slowing down. I stepped back just a little, letting Lucky meet the charge first. He slashed at the closest one’s legs, severing a tendon. It dropped, thrashing, and I stabbed it with my blade, eviscerating its skull.

“Thanks,” Lucky grunted.

“Of course.”

More of them poured in, climbing over each other, crawling on all fours like half-born nightmares. Felix kept firing from above, precise and unhurried. Every few seconds, another howler dropped with an arrow buried in its neck or chest, but it wasn’t enough. We were being herded, step by step, down the path. Lucky was sweating now, with cuts on his arms, his blade dragging with exhaustion. I wasn’t even breathing hard.

My sword movements weren’t as fast as they could be. I even allowed the fleshhowlers to cause a few superficial wounds. If I was too skilled, then I would end up revealing myself, and now wasn’t the time. I managed to kill one more but allowed the others to keep pushing me back.

“We can’t keep this up!” Lucky was finally overwhelmed.

We retreated, Lucky limping. I helped him when he stumbled but didn’t draw attention to it. When we reached the tree, Felix dropped a rope.

“Up!” he called.

Lucky grabbed it and began to climb. As soon as he was halfway, I turned and cracked another howler’s skull with the hilt of my blade. The moment Lucky reached the branch, Felix hauled him up with one hand.

I looked up just in time to see Felix strike Lucky in the back of the head. The boy slumped, unconscious in his arms, and he carefully placed him down on the branch. He then finished rolling up the rope while looking down at me darkly.

“Felix?” I called a small smile forming on my lips. “So, it was you after all?”

“Your death was already decided.” He responded coldly. “I’m just speeding things along!”