(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 485

Chapter 485: A Boss in the making

With a final look back at the two ’sleeping’ figures, Kellen, Gwen and Bree made their way into the denser forest. Kellen was prepared for when the density of the poison hit his clothes, his suit and his mask but he could tell that the girls tied to him from behind struggled a bit.

They had decided on a flipped formation since Kellen knew this area better compared to Gwen and Bree. They were also quite tight to each other, unlike before. Gwen was just supposed to get through this, as was Bree.

Kellen was fairly certain that once they got through the forest they would be able to breathe with relative ease. He was viewing the forest itself as a deterrent from coming into this area. The ’rough terrain’ before a boss battle.

The first little bit while everyone adjusted to how to breathe and what had to be the new normal was rough, but after about an hour of walking through the eerie silence, everyone adjusted.

Bree was quiet, reserved. Kellen kept glancing at her to make sure she was still there as Kellen could pick out Gwen’s stomps from anywhere. He was worried that she’d either cut herself free or disappear on him, even though he knew the second thought wasn’t possible with how they were tied.

He just chalked it up to the poison that was filling his system and moved on.

By hour two, they were still following Kellen’s marks but they were getting near to where he had to stop the day before. The breathing behind him was becoming more laboured, but there was nothing Kellen could do. They could turn around, but Kellen just knew that they were getting close to the end. Still, as a good leader, he turned and offered them the choice.

Turn back, or keep going.

The girls both got this determined look on their face and declared that they were continuing. Kellen didn’t ask again.

He marked every third tree as they continued on, slowing down their progress but he was fast, efficient. Kellen could tell by the way that Bree watched him do it that she was a bit envious of his speed, but that came with years and years of practice. She would get there eventually.

It was at the four hour mark that the forest began to thin out for the first time. Kellen went onto high alert. He turned to the girls, who were stumbling over their feet, their gazes a little distant. He needed to speak to them before they continued.

"We are getting to an edge." Kellen told them and they straightened immediately at hearing that.

"What? Are we?" Gwen asked, her voice a little too loud. Kellen glared at her.

"Quiet, Gwen! We don’t know what’s on the other side." Gwen looked a little upset at Kellen’s harsh tone. His own anxiety was getting to him, and he felt bad immediately. He gentled his tone when he spoke next. "With that being said, hold on just a little bit more." Kellen told them and Bree nodded her head once, like she was drunk. It would have been cute in any other situation. Gwen wasn’t far off. When she raised her arm and gave Kellen a salute, he knew that he’d seen her do that when she was out drinking before, and was pretty sure she’d done that a few times at his apartment too. Kellen sighed.

He turned, getting grim as he became cautious. Out of protection, self preservation, and experience. He was half expecting a bunch of monsters to jump out, attack as soon as they came near the edge. Like a bunch of minions for the Boss.

He’d seen it happen in lesser gates, it wasn’t completely off the table.

What he wasn’t expecting was how nothing happened. As if the forest itself couldn’t believe that he had gotten close enough to get to the boss. Like it was holding its breath, shocked that the annoying little humans had gotten close enough to get to the core, to the Boss.

If the gates could communicate with each other, Kellen was sure that this gate type would have that kind of confidence. That kind of cocky attitude where it believed nothing could harm it. The reality of the situation was that they had Carlos, and without him, they would have declared the whole city dead and would have evacuated everyone at this point.

Kellen gulped as they broke through the tree line and came face to face with a blank, grassy area.

The night sky glistened above them, bright, beautiful, and covering an area that looked undisturbed. Unbothered.

Kellen held his breath. If this was what he thought it was, they were in luck. They were so fucking lucky that Kellen wanted to cry.

His guess for a Boss monster had been two fold. It could have been something big, loud, abrasive. Something that would crush the forest around it in defense of its home. There were plenty of Boss monsters like that. So many that the book had two volumes chronicling all of them.

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