A series of thunderous booms came from the direction of the Twisted Woods. They sounded like roars, thunder, or simply the cracking of the earth. The booming seemed almost tangible as it chased after the group. Even battle-hardened elite soldiers were trembling with fear, and could only flee desperately along the mountain road.
Everyone dismounted and proceeded on foot. They drove the warhorses ahead of the group or scattered them whenever they encountered a fork in the road. The terrain ahead was steep, and startled warhorses would pose a tremendous threat. Given the terrifying sounds behind them, there was no way the horses could remain calm.
Even though they had already left the reach of the Twisted Woods' roots, the earth beneath their feet continued to tremble violently. The entire Beinz Region had been built above a vast underground world, and that underground world had now collapsed. The resulting force was nearly enough to tear the Dragon Ridge Mountains apart. Hearing the constant sound of rocks splitting among the surrounding cliffs, Ofra knew they had not yet reached safety. She raised her sword again and rallied her soldiers. "Keep moving! Don't stop! We'll be safe once we cross the ridge!"
Elson ran at the front of the group, using his wolf-sharp eyes to stay alert for falling rocks. Every rock that fell here might turn into a Stone Giant. In a place so far from the Twisted Woods, Stone Giants could not distinguish friend from foe. They were just as dangerous as the Terror Beasts and tentacles, and an encounter with them would have disastrous consequences.
Quite a few soldiers had been injured during the final evacuation. Nearly all the mages had exhausted their magic power, and many others had been infected by the Terror Beasts' poisonous blood and miasma.