Delilah could feel her pulse racing as Roy suddenly scooped her up into a bridal carry. Afraid that she would fall, she clung to him as they made their way toward the exit.
Despite her lack of sight in the cave, the thrill of being carried by her crush consumed her. She tried to hide her excitement, but her rosy cheeks and loving expression gave her away. Delilah attempted to address the situation, "Is it acceptable to pick up an unmarried woman whenever and however you like?"
Roy looked at her, taking in her beauty, from her nose that was red like wine to her rosy cheeks. His eyes danced with amusement, and he knew she couldn't see it. "Don't you like it?" he asked, not holding back his smile.
Delilah hesitated before answering. "Should I?"
He grinned. "If you feel embarrassed, I can carry you like a rice bag."
She imagined it and found it more embarrassing than being gently carried by him, "I suddenly think this position is quite comfortable."
"Actually, you don't need to be carried by me or feel afraid," Roy said as they reached closer to the mouth of the cave.
He saw her blink her eyes in confusion.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Did you forget? I can use fire magic." Roy said as he conjured several giant fireballs in an instant. They flew around, illuminating the cave with their glow.
"Why didn't you do this before?"
Roy couldn't help but smile at her annoyance. How could he admit that he remained silent to take slight advantage of her vulnerability and eat some tofu?
When he smiled, he looked more charming. The first thing she saw after regaining her sight was his smile, and she felt her heart skipping a beat.
Delilah demanded that he put her down, and he complied. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, with jagged rocks jutting out at odd angles.
After some more steps, they stepped out of the cave and saw the true face of the Ashen Land!
It was a vast expanse of misty gray skies with a dry, barren landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was thick with a palpable sense of death and despair.
The ground was littered with ruins and old gravestones. Roy took them as the remnants of a forgotten civilization.
Strange, twisted trees loomed in the distance, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands.
They found it desolate and eerie.
"Where to now?" she asked.
"Straight ahead. The place I am looking for is somewhere in that forest." Roy said.
Delilah rolled her eyes, "Can that even be called a forest?"
The only sounds were the whispering of the wind and the soft footsteps of Roy and Delilah as they navigated through the ruins to reach the Ghost Forest.
Roy suddenly stopped when they passed through a building-like structure. Delilah looked up at him, wondering what was wrong.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"I sense something," he replied, his voice low and serious. "Be on guard."
Delilah tightened her grip on his hand, feeling her heartbeat quicken. She trusted Roy with her life, but the unknown always made her anxious.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in the distance. It was humanoid, but its movements were jerky and unnatural. It was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to make out any distinct features.
"Who are you?" Delilah demanded, her voice strong and commanding. But it was all a facade. Deep down, she was afraid. That thing appeared out of nowhere and was acting creepy. Was she encountering a ghost in real life?
The figure didn't respond but instead began sprinting. It was coming closer rapidly. Delilah could feel the fear rising in her throat, but Roy stood tall and unwavering.
As the figure drew nearer, its form became clearer. It was a man, but his skin was a sickly grey color, and his eyes glowed a menacing red. He had long fingernails, and he smelled horrid, like a rotten corpse.
"Stop if you value your life!" Delilah warned as she activated her powers, and two daggers appeared in her hand.
"It's useless to talk to it. It's a zombie. It can't understand you." Roy said as he prepared to confront the grey-skinned zombie.
When it reached 100 meters away from them, the zombie lunged forward, its decayed limbs clawing at the air. That unusual act filled the area with wind blades that moved as fast as bullets.
Whoosh!
The blades cut through the air with a sharp whistle before landing on the ground where Delilah had stood only moments ago. The force of their impact caused the earth to split, creating a deep rift in the ground. Seeing the aftermath, she felt glad to have teleported to the roof of the nearby building in time.
Meanwhile, Roy moved as fast as lightning, deftly dodging the wind blades while closing in on the zombie.
However, it did something that caught him by surprise.
Unlike the typical brain-dead zombies he was accustomed to seeing in the movies, this one was different. It was agile and cunning, and it attempted to kite Roy and evade his grasp!
"I am not your average guy. It's not going to work."
However, Roy was too quick and too skilled to be outsmarted and outplayed by the fleshy undead. With every step, he drew closer until he was within striking distance.
Despite its best efforts, the zombie failed to escape Roy's relentless pursuit.
Roy landed a direct hit on the zombie's chest. The force behind his fist was immense, and the impact caused the zombie's body to explode into a shower of rotting flesh and bones.
He thought that was it, but then the weirdest thing happened, taking him by surprise.
The remains of the zombie turned into whirlwinds of smoke and darkness that moved away from him and assembled back into the grey zombie with long nails.
"What the heck?!" Delilah's jaw dropped. "Is this thing called "zombie" immortal?"
