Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 224: Alternative Measures

Chapter 224: Alternative Measures

Maurice’s brown eyes scanned their surroundings as they made their way through the muddy, coily path of the jungle. Giant ferns tower over them, their fronds stretching out like opened arms, as if inviting them further, but it was an invitation that promised many possibilities of encountering heaven knew what! But one thing was for sure, and that was the fact it won’t be a sight he’d foolishly anticipate for.

As they walked stealthily through the slippery moss earth, their environment became enshrouded in shades, cause when he glanced up, thick foliages and vines had obstructed the view of the sky. A symphony of vibrant flora awakened their senses, with colorful orchids peeking out from towering trees– their delicate petals proudly displaying nature’s artistry– but, however, an eerie silence filled the air.

No birds chirped, no insects hummed– only the distant murmur of a flowing river reminded them of the world’s existence beyond this magical realm they have been transported into. Bryn walked ahead with his sword unsheathed, his eyes cautious as he scanned the surrounding, as if ready to strike in case they get ambushed from the thick bushes. Maurice walked in the middle, and his fellow mate, Jack, walked behind him, his grip on his sword tightening incase they were any danger lurking and waiting for them to get distracted.

For a tropical forest to be this silent, nothing about it seemed right.

Maurice, who felt quite unsettled with the peacefulness of the jungle, glanced at Jack, and their gazes revealed an exchange of curiosity and caution.

"Isn’t it strange?" Maurice finally broke the silence after many hours of wandering through the jungle, his voice hushed as if fearing to disturb the forest’s mystique.

Jack nodded, his brows furrowing when one of the bushes alarmingly shook, but it was quick to stop.

"It’s like the whole forest is holding its breath, waiting for something." He whispered back to Maurice who also sensed the same feeling similar to Jack’s. Their wary attention was diverted when Bryn suddenly dashed towards a particular tree, and behind the growing shrubs were magical gemstones, all ranging from blue, red and green. A roguish smirk curved his lips as he placed them into his sack bag which he hung around his shoulder. He had noticed their glow from behind the shrubs and knew they had to be the required gemstones Helena lectured them about.

"Gemstones!" Maurice’s pupils dilated when he saw them glow. He wasn’t surprised when Bryn kept all those gemstones in his sack bag, he had hoped the vampire would spare him and Jack one of two of those multiple stones he found, but he absolutely did not, which could only mean it was every man for themselves.

As they continued to navigate the eerie, silent jungle, Maurice and Jack eventually spotted a couple of gemstones. Since they had seen it together, they decided to share the gemstones so the other won’t remain unarmed. As a team, it would be unadvisable to leave the other teammates defenseless, but that quote didn’t seem to hinder Bryn’s selfish thoughts, and he possessed more gemstones than the two of them.

In the end, night eventually met them in the jungle, and the three paired contestants decided to locate the river they had heard earlier and rest there. Maurice washed his face, getting rid of the effects of humidity, and he instantly felt like taking a bath when the coolness of the water met his face. They had spent a whole day picking gems, but strangely, there was no sign of monsters, not even wild cats or animals that linger in jungles like this ones.

"I wasn’t expecting the test to be this easy." Jack commented as he sat up on the rock where he laid, "if we can keep this up before the next portal opens, it’s as close as advancing to the fifth round which is the third portal. We’ve gathered enough gemstones that can boost our swords energy, I hope the portal opens soon before something shows up." He prayed, clearly looking unprepared and satisfied with the absence of beasts.

"If nothing shows up what’s the use of being here! This is way too easy for me! It makes me wonder if the others are fighting monsters or are confused about their destination as we are." Bryn voiced his disagreement, his tone loud and clear in the silent jungle. Maurice silently remained where he was, his eyes scanning the bushes that was just opposite the flowing river where he crouched.

A sudden chill went down his spine, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were being monitored now. No matter what, they simply can’t allow themselves to get too comfortable. Helena must have a reason for picking this particular realm, and her methods, as heard from senior warriors and soldiers, were always tricky. What if they get ambushed while asleep? He wouldn’t want to lose his life in a place as scary as a jungle.

Knowing he was getting unnecessarily worked up again, he stood to his full height and unsheathed his sword. Taking one of the purple stones he had found, he fixed it into the hollow space beneath the hilt of his sword, wanting to test it out, and in an instant, a vibrant hue of glowing purple rings danced around the blades. The sight had gained the attention of Bryn and Jack, but unbeknownst to Maurice, his actions just saved Jack from getting robbed off his precious gems.

Staring at the light that danced around the blade of Maurice’s sword, Bryn could recall their first time testing the gems on prince Alistair. While everyone made a perfect arc, the human was the first out of five of them to make double the arc with one strike in the air. He was jealous of that achievement, and he would have certainly given it another shot if the gemstones weren’t taken away from them after everyone had tried– but watching the human test the gemstones on his blade, Bryn had gotten another idea to keep him entertained.

Taking out a red gemstone from his sack, he fixed it into the hollow space in the hilt of his blade. Already activated, the gemstone instantly engulfed Bryn’s blade with an indecent glow of red fire, all the way to the tip. The sight had frightened Jack who wisely backed away, and to his relief, it wasn’t for him, but that relief was quick to switch to worries when Bryn lunged at the inattentive Maurice.

"Maurice!" Jack called alarmingly, "watch out!"

Instinctively, Maurice looked in Jack’s direction, but he saw was a blade engulfed in fire, about to strike him, and his reflexes made him react quickly as he blocked the attack with his own blade, whilst the sound of two blade clashing resounded in the quiescence of the jungle.

"What are you doing?!" Maurice asked Bryn who still kept his wicked smirk. He watched as the human struggled to contain his weight as he applied pressure to the blades that were still locked. To Maurice, it felt he was holding on to loads of rice sacks.

"If we can’t find a beast to deal with, I’m going to have find alternative measures to entertain myself." Bryn swiftly pulled back and retraced his attack, but Maurice was quick to evade it this time.

Before he could land another strike, they suddenly heard the sound of trees uprooting from the Earth, similar to the sound of fingernails scraping through a chalkboard from the distance. They didn’t need anyone else to tell them that their combat had awakened something, and frighteningly, to both Maurice and Jack, it was coming for them.