Chapter 20: Night Knights!

It had been a few days since the drowning bear incident. Harmony was still a bit shaken up about it and was more cautious about their surroundings as a result.

She had also developed a deep hatred for bears now. Eunice actually shared the same sentiment. If they encountered another during their excursions they always made sure there was no water around before ambushing it.

Thanks to their many outings for medicinal herbs, she had now reached level 7, and Vault level 10. They had also developed their abilities a bit more. Vault was slowly using his crafting ability to make leather materials out of all the animal pelts they gathered. He was planning on using them to make clothes.

The clothing would definitely have better durability than the rags they appeared with when they first arrived in this world. He was using the deer antlers and wolf fangs to create new weapons for them as well. It was taking some trial and error. Most of which turned out poorly, or he ended up breaking them during the crafting process.

He was hoping to have something ready when they started their journey at night, but he needed more time, and they couldn’t afford to delay it. They decided to use the same spring as their destination instead of wandering around aimlessly in the dark. Worst case, they could use it to heal themselves if things got too intense.

The two survivors took a peek outside the cave once it became dark enough. Outside the entrance to their home, they saw fireflies buzzing around in the air. It almost looked beautiful, the flickering lights in the faint glow from the moon.

They didn't feel any sense of danger in the air. Altem had warned them that there were creatures of the night wandering around that could pose a huge threat to them. They couldn't let their guard down, and most importantly they needed to avoid being separated at all costs.

Harmony took Vault’s hand in hers. He was admiring the beautiful lights of the night, but snapped out of it by the sudden gesture. If things were different, the act would have made his heart skip a beat.

This time he was able to focus a bit more on the task at hand. They still had some more preparations to do and they couldn't waste too much time with distractions. They set out into the night, hand in hand.

As they got closer to their destination they noticed a white fog rolling in. There was this eeriness in the air, and they swear they could hear the sound of metal. Sounded almost like armor clanking along with chains rattling.

It all seemed like the signs of a horror movie. The smart person would have just stayed home, or immediately turned in the other direction. Vault already had second thoughts about doing this, but he felt a bit more confident having someone with him.

If it was just him out here alone, he never would have risked his own safety like this. He didn’t want to risk Harmony’s safety either, but he had to keep reminding himself of the greater danger the golems posed.

The fog got much thicker and made it seem like the world around them was censored out. They were starting to have trouble telling which way they were going. Eunice chimed in. “<Be careful not to get lost. This fog is a sign that creatures of the night are lurking nearby. Stay on guard.>”

Harmony held on tighter to Vault’s hand and he nodded back. They didn't need to exchange any words. He was also starting to feel the dark presence ahead of them. They both stopped when they reached the spring.

What they saw left them speechless. They had discovered haunted suits of armor standing in two opposing rows facing each other right in front of the pond. Each one was made out of dark silver armor being controlled by a ghost. There were blue flames coming out of parts of them and a black cape draped from their backs.

They all had swords at their sides along with a shield. At the center of the two lines was a single haunted suit of armor. It was an Iron Maiden, also with blue flames and a black cape. Judging from their positions, she must have been their leader.

Just looking at them, they could tell that they were powerful monsters. Much more powerful than anything that they had ever faced before. If they fought that Iron Maiden, they would definitely not survive.

Fighting all those knights was also not an option for them. They were most certain they would get overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Even if they could keep healing from the spring pond, there would be no point if just a single hit from their leader could take them out.

They turned to each other and both shook their heads. Only one thought went through their minds “Nope!”

They started to back away in order to make their way back home. They knew they were way too under leveled for this and stood no chance. The moment they took a single step back, the Iron Maiden turned in their direction.

She blatantly stared right at the spot they were hiding in. They were both sweating profusely, not daring to even breathe. She stroked her chin for a moment as if pondering what to do. She tilted her head as she processed an idea.

She pointed at one of the knights and he stood at attention. She jammed the thumb in their direction as if saying “Get them.”

The knight saluted her and began walking over to them. They were definitely spotted. They broke into a full-on sprint. They knew they were doomed in every sense of the word if that thing caught up to them.

They could hear its clanking metal getting louder and louder. It had also started running in order to pursue them.

Don't look back…They continued making their way in the direction of their home, or at least what they hoped was the direction of their cave home. The fog made it too difficult to see, but they were certain they needed to just keep running.

Don't Look Back…The clanking got much louder as the knight was closing in on them. if it made contact with then the battle would be unavoidable.

Don't look back…For a brief moment, Vault spared a glance behind them. He saw the haunted knight’s armor reaching for Harmony, just a few inches away from her head. He instinctively pushed her out of the way, and the suit of armor wrapped him up in an uncomfortable hug.

He let out a scream as black fog exploded out from their contact and smothered the area. A battle had now begun.