Chapter 300 162: Starting the Journey Home

"This... this is the end of the line. Why aren't there any Undead?"

"Did the Undead leave?"

"Impossible! I don't believe it! I came all the way to Komeilan City just to hunt Undead. They can't just leave!"

"Why don't we go up and take a look?"

"We don't know what's up there. What if all the Undead are waiting for us? That's just a suicide mission. You can go if you want, but I'm not going."

"Whatever. I can't just give up. If you're afraid to die, you can stay down here. I'm going up to take a look."

"Wait for me!"

The Demonized Creatures who were unwilling to leave empty-handed shot their companions a disdainful look. They formed a new party and headed for the pit, following it until they reached the surface.

Many of these bold Demonized Creatures had lived in the Underworld since birth. It was their first time on the surface, and they stared at this new world with curiosity.

'Oh, so that's the sky. It's so vast, with no stone ceiling in sight.'

'Oh, and that's the moon. It's so big, so round, and so bright.'

'Oh, and those are the stars. They're so small.'

'It's a shame it's not daytime. I've heard that during the day, the sky is blue, the moon vanishes, and a great Fireball called the sun hangs in the sky. White clouds are supposed to drift slowly through the air.'

'The world outside isn't as great as I imagined. There are no vast green forests, no hordes of Wild Beasts.'

"Where are the Undead? Why aren't there any Undead!"

The frustrated roar snapped the Demonized Creatures back to reality. They remembered—right, they'd left the Underworld and come to the surface to find the Undead. So where were the Skeletons?

They retracted their gazes and looked all around. Having spent so long in the Underworld, the vast, open expanse of the surface was disorienting. 'You can see so far... this feels amazing.'

Amazing as it felt, they still couldn't find any trace of the Undead.

"There were so many Skeletons. It's impossible for them all to have vanished. Did they not come up from below after all? Are they still hiding underground?"

One Demonized Creature voiced this theory, but a more observant companion couldn't agree. This companion had noticed something unusual about the ground.

There were jumbled footprints, soil packed down flat and unlike the surrounding earth, and deep ruts from wheels.

A behemoth had been here, but now it was gone, and it had taken the Undead with it.

He shared his observations with the others.

"So you're saying if we follow these tracks, we can catch the Undead?" one Demonized Creature asked, his eyes gleaming. He crouched down, touched the ruts, and looked up expectantly.

"Maybe," said the one who had noticed the tracks, "but I can't tell how long ago they left."

"Either way, we have to try. Someone tell the others below. The rest of you, with me." The Demonized Jackal Wolfman stood up. After a glance in the direction the ruts led, he spoke casually and then took off running, following the tracks.

The other Demonized Creatures exchanged glances. Some of them followed the Jackal Wolfman, while another group headed back underground.

The Underworld has rules against leaving for the surface. This is to avoid attracting the attention of the surface Races, which could bring devastating disaster upon the Underworld.

'But they were Demonized Creatures, after all. On a normal day, they might follow the rules. But now? There were Undead to hunt, a chance to get stronger! To hell with the rules. Aren't rules made to be broken?!'

The Demonized Creatures who returned told the news to their companions waiting below. When they heard the surface was safe with no ambush and that there was a lead on the Undead, many more were tempted. 'An opportunity like this won't come again,' they thought. 'Chase them!'

More Demonized Creatures came up to the surface and began following the ruts.

The remaining Demonized Creatures felt they should wait. They decided to head back to Komeilan City first.