My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 338: New Dawn

"What?" Lilly looked at Kace with an expression of disbelief plastered on her face.

Meanwhile, Grugda sat to the side with a frown on his face as he digested Kace's words. A few days had passed since he had spoken alone with Rysa, and he had taken her words to heart. The airship hummed in the background as Gyn steered them back towards Stonefall. He had filled them in on what he planned to do. He wanted both of them to join him and Sophia as well if he could convince her.

Gyn was out of the question, as they would need him to help with the war. He could not afford to go missing, for God only knew how long. Grugda was the first to give his answer. It did not take him long to decide at all.

"I will. Join you." The eljein hummed as he nodded his head.

He understood Kace's fears of them being manipulated by their leaders just to get to him. So Grugda had no concerns about abandoning the chain of command within his race. After all, his master had set the task to him to aid Kace in his mission. A subtle expression crossed Grugda's face as that memory surfaced. He had almost forgotten that Kace had eaten his master, but that memory surfaced once more.

Lilly, on the other hand, seemed to struggle with the revelation. She wanted to join him, but it was most likely painful for her to consider abandoning her grandfather. Kace gave her a gentle smile to show that it was fine, no matter what decision she made.

She stared back into his golden eyes before her emotions got the better of her. She let out a long sigh as she studied his face. "I'm definitely coming I can't leave you alone with that vampire. By the time I see you again, she might have gotten her fangs stuck into you"

Lilly's face turned red as she realised she had said more than she meant to. But Kace just shook his head with a helpless expression. 'All that's left is Sophia and Josh then Sophia will definitely agree I think. And Josh will join us anyway, though it remains to be seen for how long.'

Kace felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That both had agreed so readily meant that he could rely on them. In all fairness, he had expected Lilly to decline. She had seemed to be getting close to him under Elderbeard's orders. But perhaps that was only part of the reason.

Kace could not help but cast an appraising eye over her alluring figure. 'Maybe in the future' Kace let out a sigh as he suppressed his desires. It was too dangerous to act on such things until the council fully accepted that none of them would be used as pawns in their games.

"Thanks. I'm glad that you both will be coming. It might become boring otherwise." Kace let out a chuckle as the others rolled their eyes.

Boring? Dream on! You are a magnet for trouble!

Lilly and Grugda shared a knowing look as they both thought the same thing. Kace smiled before getting up to leave them alone with their thoughts. He was sure that although they had agreed, there would be some things that they would want to plan for the journey. 'I wonder where we'll end up next'

Kace mused over what fresh adventures would await them as he made his way towards the top deck. He felt the need to stand in the open air and feel the breeze. Although he planned to go west to check out some ruins in search of the Gates, he did not know what would be waiting for them when they went there.

'Will we meet new monsters? Or end up fighting heroes? Will it be peaceful and full of amazing sights?' Kace could only shake his head in wonder as he imagined what he might get to experience. However, he could not help but feel as though some additional trouble was already making its own way towards him.

'Maybe it's just my imagination.' Kace frowned as the fleeting feeling disappeared.

His gaze turned towards the horizon as he set foot on the top deck. The sky was dyed in shades of orange and red as the sun chased away the blanket of night. A new day was dawning, and he felt as if it were a signal to the new chapter in his life that he was about to embark upon. The bright colours clashing against the darkness bathed his mind in a serenity that he rarely felt.

He stood there for several minutes with his eyes closed as he let his worries wash away. 'I wonder we'll be able to pull this off'

A subtle frown appeared on his face. If he wanted to recruit Sophia, he would have to return to Stonefall first. Which would make it harder for him to mask his leaving. Especially if Josh picked them up on the Freedom. 'Where is he, anyway?'

Meanwhile, deep in the northern countries, beyond the city that the monsters had seized just a few days before

"Stop him!" A hero captain yelled as a fresh batch of recruits attempted to get close to their assailant.

Terrell flashed them a sympathetic smile as their attacks passed straight through him. As they stood there, dumbfounded, he tutted at them before slashing their throats. 'Shame, I don't want to take too many lives. It would be for the best if we can bring an end to this war quickly.' He sighed lightly as he squinted at the captain, who was ordering the recruits to their deaths.

"Stand down and I won't kill anyone else." Terrell kept the bloodlust from his voice as he stared past the heroes who were standing between them.

"Why would I do that! You're clearly a hero yet you're entering a restricted zone without replying to any orders!" The captain turned red in the face as she screamed at him. She could not make sense of what this stranger had done to get this far.

There were entire legions of heroes in the direction that he had come from. The entire border was on high alert to prevent the monsters from travelling deep into their territories. Yet this man had casually traversed the distance, alerting no one! Usually, word would be sent from the front lines if they were to expect someone.

Just a few miles behind her was a secret training camp for the reinforcements that had just arrived in this world. So it was of the utmost importance that its location remained a secret. She could not easily step aside and let this stranger pass! Who did he think he was, anyway?

Terrell cocked an eyebrow as he watched her emotions play out on her face. 'I see There's something nearby that she doesn't want me to discover.' His eyes swept over the new heroes, and the answer dawned on him. 'Sacrificing new recruits to protect new recruits. How pathetic' Terrell felt the captain was being cowardly. If she truly valued the new rank and file of the hero army, then she should have been the first to try to stop him.

Instead, she was just hiding behind them, using them as a meat shield. A sensation of disgust flowed through Terrell as he decided the captain had to die. 'It looks like I won't be able to get anything more from her anyway. Shame. I was hoping she might know something' Terrell's mind turned towards his weapon that he was searching for. He did not know where Zornok may have hidden it after his imprisonment. But his strength would not be complete until he wielded it.

"Where did he go!" The captain screamed in fury as she looked around in a panic!

Terrell had vanished into thin air right before her eyes! The heroes could not believe their eyes and even began to swing their weapons blindly at any space that was large enough for Terrell to be standing in. Yet this did not reveal his location at all! Some of the recruits backed away from the edges of the formation. They were ready to abandon this lost cause at a moment's notice.

"How does it feel to be afraid? To have no power? To just accept death?" Terrell's voice whispered in the captain's ear, causing her to jump in fright!

Yet, when she spun around to face him, she only saw confused looking recruits still searching for Terrell amongst the crowd. 'Is he invisible? No It's as if everything about him is gone' An icy chill slithered down her spine as the feeling of impending doom snaked across her mind.

"I'm afraid this is as far as you go in life" Terrell whispered to the sleeping figure standing in front of him.

He stood in a field of heroes who were unmoving, with their hands on the hilts of their weapons. The moment that they had become aware of him, he had trapped them in an illusion that prevented them from moving their actual bodies. Not a single one of them was injured, but that was about to change.

His fist met the captain's face before passing through it to crush her brain. "Don't worry The others will live."