Chaos Carrier With A Broken Talent-Chapter 40: Second Howl and Failure

Although all participants were on the same field, albeit a rather large one, they were not within sight of each other.

The reason for this was the tall grass that covered everything except for the center, where four tilted pillars stood.

Even a very tall person would not be able to see everything that was happening at the Desolate Meadow. Moreover, if you were spotted, you could easily crouch down and disappear behind the blades of grass.

For this reason, most participants were unaware of what the others were doing or how many were left. Sure, there were some like the bald man’s group, but there weren’t many rogues whose goal was to kill other participants.

After all, the Grim Knights were the only source of the grim shards.

So, Klaus and Ethan didn’t have to worry that anyone saw what they did. Sure, they defended themselves, but for many, it didn’t matter, especially considering how cold-bloodedly they killed the rogues.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Klaus patted the bald man’s companions, checking to see if they missed any shards.

In the end, they looked at the pile of shards in Ethan’s palms.

"That makes thirteen, right?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"If we didn’t miss any, then yes. They were two short, so they decided to attack us."

At the same time, the rumbling of thunder grew louder. It was the last warning.

Very soon, the second howl would strike, and anyone who hadn’t collected enough grim shards would disappear forever.

"Do you want six or seven?" Ethan asked.

In response, Klaus took only four shards, leaving nine with Ethan. "Nah, this will be enough for me. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to fight the next guards. I’m not going to hide and wait for others to do all the work."

"Good. Do you know how to use them?"

Klaus waved his hand.

"You don’t need to do anything. They activate immediately at the second howl. Well, at least that’s what I know."

Everyone who came to the Desolate Meadow today was here for the first time. The Thunder of Four Howls happened rarely enough that the survivors had no reason to return.

Thus, Klaus, like everyone else, only knew the rules but never experienced them for himself.

’Hmm, if he’s willing to take the risk, then so am I.’ Ethan nodded. ’Moreover, there are no instructions in the description of the shards.’

Thus, standing among the corpses, protected by tall grass on all sides, Ethan and Klaus waited for the lightning to strike the second pillar.

At that moment, a rustling sound came from the side.

Without hesitation, they prepared for battle, expecting that these were more rogues.

Instead, they saw a girl who looked as if she were lost. She had fiery red hair and green, trembling eyes. The right side of her pale face was covered in blood, as were her boots, but she had no wounds. It wasn’t her blood.

One thing was immediately obvious: she didn’t come here to fight, but to get help.

Neither Klaus nor Ethan could see a single grim shard on her. Sure, they could be hidden, but it didn’t seem like it.

’Is she running from someone?’ Ethan thought. ’Yeah, looks like it. Well, that’s not my problem.’

The girl’s eyes widened when she noticed the dead rogues at their feet.

But soon fear was replaced by hope when her gaze fell on the pile of grim shards in Ethan’s hand.

"Please! Share your shards!" The girl exclaimed, trying to get closer.

However, Ethan immediately pointed his dagger at her.

"Stay where you are. If you come any closer, you’ll be the fourth." He nodded toward the bodies on the ground.

Ethan was not a cold-blooded tyrant devoid of emotion. There were enough people in his life who helped him selflessly, and he didn’t mind doing the same.

But, considering past events, he couldn’t trust the girl in front of him. He had no guarantee that she wouldn’t stab him in the back at the first opportunity.

"No, you don’t understand, I won’t have time to collect four more shards! Just... I beg you!"

Ethan shrugged.

"Too bad. Go away, this is your last warning."

Still, the girl had no intention of giving up. In her haste, she tried to remove the bracelet covering her forearm. It was an artifact, possibly her connected one, just like Ethan’s dagger.

"If you don’t believe me, fine! Please, then sell them to me! I’ll give you everything I have!"

"Enough." Ethan’s cold voice rang out. "Leave or we’ll kill you right now."

Showing his consent, Klaus drew his sword. The wind swirled around him as his faithful ally.

The girl’s face paled. For a moment, she imagined her head falling to the ground. She knew Klaus could do it, quickly and easily.

Tears were ready to spill from her eyes, but she held them back and clenched her fists tightly. With one last glance at them, she turned and ran away, leaving a bloody trail behind her.

Thunder rumbled across the dark sky, gathering into a single orb. Less than a minute remained before the next strike.

Klaus turned around, about to say something to Ethan.

"Damn, I didn’t know you were such a tough guy..."

Klaus blinked.

"Agh?"

A moment ago, Ethan was standing next to him. Now, there was no one there.

At the same time, the girl stopped, raising her gaze. The orb trembled, gathering strength for a second howl.

"I’m sorry, father, I couldn’t..." she muttered, her voice trembling with both fear of death and guilt towards someone close to her. "We both ended up failures. Shit..."

At the same moment, a powerful rumble struck the second pillar, sending a shockwave across the field.

The girl’s green eyes reflected the approaching lightning bolts that would turn her to ash.

Then, someone hugged her from behind, pressing her against them and holding her wrists tightly, completely controlling her movements.

Turning around, she met Ethan’s cold gaze as eight grim shards trembled.

The shards flew around them, forming a protective barrier — the only defense against the thunder strike.