The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak Chapter 1240: Fadu Rulman

"Flee right away, Fadu!! I'll keep them at bay!!" yelled the elder man.

"Uncle Wiptar, what will happen to you?" Fadu inquired, his tone quivering while his frame shook from terror.

"No need to fret over me. I'll join you soon enough. I can't battle without restraint if you're nearby, so hurry!! Fadu, get going!!" The elder man's shout grew even fiercer, the panic in his words exposing the dire straits they faced.

"I..." Fadu faltered, tears clouding his sight. Following a short delay, he compelled himself to agree with a nod. Spinning on his heels, he dashed off, tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

Fadu's fleeing form went unseen by the elder man. Glancing back might have caused him to waver. He kept his eyes locked ahead instead, his face hardening into a steely determination. Mana churned wildly inside him, surging like a furious storm, building and pounding, poised to burst forth in an instant.

"Fadu... head back to your kin. Inform your mother about the betrayer among us," he whispered to himself.

Swoosh!!

Multiple silhouettes materialized and halted abruptly at the sight of him. Their murderous aura fixed upon his form, dense and oppressive, while their mana expanded and covered the whole region.

"Come on!! Let me see your strength!!" the man bellowed, lunging ahead without a second thought.

Mana burst from him explosively. Water droplets gathered in the surrounding atmosphere, whirling with ferocity. He ignited his elemental force, fully aware that restraining himself against so many foes would merely speed up his demise.

"ARGHHH!!" he roared while delivering a crushing blow.

BOOM!!!

...

Far off, Fadu sensed the earth shaking underfoot. The atmosphere vibrated from intense mana ripples. He realized his uncle was now clashing with the adversaries.

Though sobs wracked him, Fadu pressed on with his flight. His limbs weighed him down heavily, yet he refused to slacken. All he could do was beseech the heavens repeatedly for his uncle's survival... for some miracle to overcome the hunters after their lives.

Fadu sprinted at full speed.

A cry longed to escape him, but he clamped it down, terrified that his pursuers might detect the sound.

Abruptly, a silhouette blocked his path.

Fadu collided with the shape and tumbled harshly to the dirt. Clenching his jaw, he peered upward swiftly. Yet, as the figure came into focus, his gaze bulged in horror. Icy dread seeped into his core.

The individual towering over him reached almost three meters in height. Razor-like fangs protruded from his mouth, his hide was ashen, slits marked his throat like gills, and his bottom half mimicked a whale's tail.

Fadu instantly recognized one of his hunters.

"Found you, Young Master?" the figure chuckled deeply while peering down at Fadu. Gradually, he lifted his arm, his nails extending into deadly talons.

"Young Master, kindly perish for me!"

Suddenly, a horrifying power exploded from within him. His talons thrust out, cutting the wind as they targeted Fadu’s throat directly.

Whoosh!!

Terror had already paralyzed Fadu, his form unresponsive. Certain of no getaway this round, he squeezed his eyelids shut.

’I’m going to die.’

Thoughts of his uncle flooded him. Deep down, he hoped fervently that his uncle had triumphed over the foes.

Fadu sensed an oddity. The strike never connected.

Bit by bit, he pried his eyes open. The attacker lay senseless on the soil.

"Huh...? W-What happened?"

It was then that he spotted a diminutive form nearby.

That tiny presence belonged to Souta’s clone.

Souta eyed the fallen foe and stated evenly, "He grew overconfident. He believed no assault would come. Before he could react, I’d already struck him unconscious."

"W-What do you mean? Have you come to end me as well?" Fadu questioned, his words quaking.

Souta turned his attention to Fadu. Gesturing toward the downed assailant, he remarked, "End you? If that were my intent, I wouldn’t have felled this one. He was on the verge of slaying you, after all. It would’ve spared me effort."

The reasoning clicked for Fadu, yet panic still clutched him. Unable to resist, he pressed, "T-Then... who are you?"

"I’m Atos. I happened to be nearby and chose to intervene upon witnessing your peril," Souta answered, then pivoted away.

Fadu's pulse raced as he watched Souta preparing to depart.

"Wait!" he called impulsively.

Souta glanced back at him.

Fadu gulped, his Adam's apple shifting. "D-Do you... have time? If so, might you guide me home? My mother will compensate you generously."

Souta offered no reply. He merely regarded Fadu with an inscrutable look.

This matched precisely what he’d anticipated.

He’d roamed the vicinity, hunting for a chance. Spotting it, he positioned himself strategically. Rather than emerge immediately, he lurked in the darkness, biding time for the ideal strike.

He lingered briefly, eagerness glinting in his stare.

Moments later, a subtle letdown emerged. He’d hoped for a quest activation, but it appeared unlikely. Nevertheless, he nodded faintly.

"Really?!" Fadu’s eyes bulged in astonishment. He hadn’t anticipated Souta’s consent.

"Yes. But not immediately." Without letting Fadu reply, Souta flicked his wrist casually.

Gravity warped.

Fadu’s frame rose powerlessly skyward.

Whooosh!

Souta advanced through the heavens like it was firm earth, then blurred into motion, hauling Fadu with him. Their velocity ripped the breeze, generating a thunderous boom that resounded along their trail.

Before long, they reached a territory transformed into a warzone.

Thick smoke filled the atmosphere. Fierce remnants of power sparked and flickered like fading bolts overhead. The terrain lay in ruins, with pits merging together, rubble strewn everywhere, and massive plants and timber ripped savagely from the soil.

"This is...?" Fadu’s eyes expanded. A shiver raced along his back.

This location was familiar to him. He’d visited it previously.

"The mana lingering in the air remains thick," Souta noted steadily while alighting softly on the scarred earth, Fadu floating at his side. "The clash probably concluded just a minute or two prior."

His sight moved onward. "There’s a corpse up front."

"B-Body...?" Fadu’s tone quivered.

An oppressive terror constricted his torso.

He compelled his limbs to advance.

One stride.

Followed by the next.

And then,

His respiration hitched.

His sight hazed.

"N-No... This can’t be..."

His legs buckled to the dirt.

The remains sprawled ahead were his uncle’s, the one who’d sacrificed himself to halt the chasers.

"Uncle!!" Fadu’s cry shattered as he scrambled closer. "You swore you’d follow me... You vowed it! Why? Why?!"

Tears poured down his cheeks while he drew the inert form to his chest, gripping it fiercely as though life might return. Yet the chill confirmed otherwise.

Souta observed from nearby, silent.

In a fleeting instant, memories surfaced of Eilish’s two young ones, Anzu and Aina, who’d always stuck close.

Though aware of the skirmish, Souta had prioritized. Rescuing the youth took precedence.

Several minutes of quiet passed before he uttered, "Cease the tears. We must depart at once."

"W-What of my uncle?" Fadu wept, grasping empty air.

Souta’s gaze stayed icy. "We abandon him here. Carrying him isn’t feasible. We need to go. They might return."

A mere gesture from his hand warped gravity anew, yanking Fadu from the body like a mere plaything.

Fadu’s wails intensified, yet Souta remained unmoved.

As a mere duplicate, his powers were constrained. Confronting strong foes unprepared would spell doom.

"Where to?" Fadu queried, his voice shaky.

"Nowhere specific," Souta responded. "We’ll dash through the woods."

"I wish to return to my mother..." Fadu sniffled.

"Your mother?" A mocking curl formed on Souta’s mouth. "Do you believe it’ll be so easy? Should they seize you, they’ll wield you as leverage against her."

Dread squeezed Fadu relentlessly. Visions of capture and exploitation against his loved ones haunted him.

"Then... what’s our course?" he stammered, voice fracturing.

"We remain concealed. Until they’re gone. Obey my guidance, and capture will elude you."

Across the Twisted Forest, Souta and Fadu fled, threading through colossal, displaced foliage, perpetually evading their trackers. Souta possessed the ability to battle or vanish outright, but not on this occasion. Another scheme guided him, preventing any clash.

When quiet finally enveloped the woods, Souta surveyed the surroundings. Fadu had succumbed to slumber at last, drained by sheer fright.

Souta delved into the ground, his form blending with the dirt. With precision, he concealed the burrow, masking their hideout. Their sanctuary would escape detection.