"Ah…that…isn't a good banner, is it?" Daru muttered upon spotting the white flag that the small abomination army was using.

It looked like they were surrendering as they charged.

He couldn't help but chuckle slightly, amused at the thought.

In the next moment, he shifted his focus back to the Accursed Soulcatchers to see what they would do.

Rushing at them was a lot of Lost Damnedlings.

'Should I take this chance to escape?' Daru pondered.

If he was going to flee, then he might as well do it now, while the armored wraiths were distracted.

Only…

'But I don't want to, though…'

How could he not be curious at the sight of an army of Damnedlings?

He had definitely never seen one before, and he wanted to see how seventy of the abominations would fare against four elites who were strong enough to capture them by the neck in a duel.

After all, catching someone was definitely far more difficult than simply killing them.

That was how huge the gap was between a Lost Damnedling and an Accursed Soulcatcher.

Still, a little over seventy was too numerous, and Daru was somewhat certain that four would be far from enough to deal with the approaching army of wretches.

'Should I team up with them?' he pierced the armored wraiths with his gaze, then glanced at the nearing army.

They had all the time to flee.

Even now, making the decision wouldn't be too late…

Daru sighed.

A faint smile then emerged on the corners of his mouth as he made peace with a decision.

He would stay and fight with the wraiths, even if they didn't consider him an ally.

Wasn't this similar to the moment the golden-haired hero in his dreams held back billions of dark-purple abominations?

The scale of the entire thing wasn't even close.

However, it's the thought of facing more numerous enemies valiantly, despite being vastly outnumbered, that lit a fire within him.

He was lost in his own crazy narratives again.

He and the Accursed Soulcatchers were the forces that were defending the strategic location, while the Damnedling Army was the invaders.

"Haha!" he suddenly laughed, snatching the attention of the armored wraiths for a moment. "Come, invaders, I–"

However, before Daru could get deeper into his absurd role, his comrades…turned tail and fled, dampening his mood a bit.

He could only watch in disappointment as the elites bolted like bandits.

"Tch…these cowards…you won't even defend your lands?" Daru clicked his tongue, sobered by the unexpectedly logical decision of the Accursed Soulcatchers.

He turned to face the abomination army again.

Then, another idea easily entered his mind, bringing his grin back.

'Maybe this is better?'

After all, the current situation resembled his dreams more.

One versus seventy. How glorious would his death be even if he fell here?

Believing he was perfectly fine despite the glint of madness in his eyes, Daru charged, his reinforced steel armor clanging as the tip of his tachi scraped the ashen ground slightly.

He looked every bit as heroic as he thought he did at that moment.

"Come, invaders!" he roared, erupting into an even faster dash as the distance between him and the charging abominations closed.

It was then he noticed something strange.

First was their nameplates. It only displayed "Damnedlings", not "Lost Damnedlings", and their levels varied.

The highest one he spotted with a quick scan was a level 55 one, who was also at the forefront.

Second was that their flagbearer

…was waving the white flag, as though really surrendering.

The abomination army began to slow, skidding into a rather comical, clumsy halt a distance away from the perplexed, disappointed, and bewildered Daru.

Still, he continued his heroic charge, lunging at the level 55 Damnedling and crossing swords with it.

His straightforward attack — a product of the swirling storm of emotions in his heart — was easily blocked.

Daru would've been more creative and bold, had it not been for the confusing occurrence.

None of the Damnedlings attacked him after he jumped back, and naturally, the flames of his imaginary narrative were completely snuffed out, to his utter displeasure.

"Why did you stop?" He asked with a heavy scowl.

To his surprise, the weird wretches actually responded…or at least they tried to.

All Daru heard were rasps, howls, hisses, and other unholy sounds, but strangely, they didn't sound scary at all.

It was as though…as though the Damnedlings were explaining?

Due to the level 55 waving its bony arms around, he noticed the white ribbon tied in its right arm.

Daru's brows curved upwards.

He had seen the same one on the headless Damnedling watching the cemetery from outside, the one he believed to be Nando, though Daru wasn't really sure.

He still couldn't understand a word they were saying.

However, he at least understood their gestures as the lower-leveled Damnedlings tried to help their leader, pointing somewhere west with their bony arms.

Daru found their desperation slightly adorable, though a bit grim at the same time.

Then it happened.

The level 55 Damnedling extended its arms, as if telling him to trust it.

He stared at the extended bony arms, but he didn't grab them, only nodding as if to say he understood.

The wretches didn't stop pointing to the west, and slowly, they moved in that direction.

Daru hesitated for a bit.

Then, with a deep breath, he began to follow from a safe distance.

He naturally remained vigilant, observing the small army of abominations as they turned their ugly heads at him from time to time, as though checking if he was still there.

Daru had a lot of questions in his head.

Why are these Damnedlings not "Lost"?

Why were they so friendly, and why did they look so excited to meet him that they abandoned their fierce invasion of the cemetery?

While they looked like every bit the other type was, there was something different about them, as well.

It was as though they were sentient…

Like so, Daru followed the abomination army to whatever wretched corner of the ashen domain of despair they were headed to.

Perhaps he would obtain a few hints there?

===

Please read the Author's note again, my dear readers, for an important update regarding the bonus chapters.

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