Shadow Slave

Sunny's shadow swiftly glided through the darkness, climbing the steep slopes above the vast river of Nightmare Creatures. Sunny was trying to gauge the true size of the horde, but no matter how hard he looked, there was simply no end to it. All kinds of abominations were gathered in a tremendous mob which spilled over the cliffs, undulating and crawling over the landscape.

The horde was stretched into a long line, moving from east to west... toward the coast. The width of it was somewhat bearable, making the thought of trying to cut through the mass of Nightmare Creatures appear tentatively in his mind. However, the length of the horde was simply too oppressive.

The caravan was very large now, and even if Sunny managed to create a breach in the river of monsters, not all vehicles would be able to pass through before a tide of abominations ripped them apart.

...It was still an option, though. He had to think strategically.

To the east, the horde stretched for as fast as his shadow could see. To the west, there was still some space between the front ranks of the mob of Nightmare Creatures and the coastal highway. If the column of vehicles sped up while the abominations maintained their pace, there was a good chance that they would narrowly miss each other.

If not, the caravan would be caught between the horde and the ocean, potentially suffering even more casualties. That was not even considering that something could attack them from the water, as well.

Sunny sighed.

'...Crap.'

The first option all but guaranteed that people would die, but had a lower damage ceiling. The second promised a small chance that no one would be killed at all... but had the potential to turn really disastrous if things went wrong.

He hesitated for a few moments, then contacted Gere.

"Yes, Captain?"

Sunny gritted his teeth.

Full forward, and we will be taking a detour

escaping unscathed. He was not ready to callously send people to die yet, even if

end of it, Sunny would know that he at

escorts strained to keep up, but eventually adjusted to the increased pace. The military vehicles comprising the

'Do not break.'

charge, there would be no

the second option, so if anything, leaving the mountains for a bit should only lessen

toward the highway. As they approached it, Sunny tensely observed the horde and

there was still a

soon as they reached the highway, that window was

front ranks of the horde suddenly went into a frenzy and rushed forward, with the rest of the mob soon following in an avalanche of flesh. Sunny was sure that the Nightmare Creatures could not have sensed the caravan yet, so he did not know why their behavior changed so abruptly.

with the horde moving much faster now, any chance of passing by without a battle the column might

'Curses!'

least the caravan was only going to be assaulted from one side. Their left flank

the hell

forward to see the first abominations spilling onto the highway some

'...Oh.'

a colossal abomination towered above the highway. It looked like a monstrous jellyfish of mind-boggling proportions, some of its lifeless tentacles stretching for

dead dweller of the depths was torn and scorched, with large chunks of it missing. Strange organs could be seen beneath it, and a lake of freezing slime covered a long stretch of the highway around it.