I slowly left the vicinity of Rowan and Alexa, the world around lulling into the sound of wind sweeping the grass and the sounds of the insects within that grass.
The only light sources were the occasional lamps on the path.
It didn’t make lower my guard. Not even a little. My eyes remained firmly on the skinwalker’s position on the map. It was still moving.
’I should’ve probably brought a weapon.’
It was only back at the top that I’d realized that oversight. First-year students didn’t typically carry weapons, not unless they were artifacts.
My glasses weren’t anything close to a weapon.
’It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just scouting after all.’
Sighing, I kept heading downwards. Due to the slope, I’d already lost sight of the other two.
’Roughly two minutes now.’
The slope evened out as I reached the bottom. The grass remained the sa, yet shrubs and trees sprouted up here and there, forming a sparse forest.
They all swayed in sync with the wind.
I checked the location again.
’Still moving. But much slower now.’
I slowed down as well, glancing nervously into the grasses and the tops of the trees for any signs of movent, or figures.
’Nothing.’
I shivered a bit. The cold was getting to . The drumming of rain against the invisible barrier wasn’t making things any easier, either.
I couldn’t help but check its location again.
’Wait...’
It had barely moved from its last position. While I, on the other hand, had moved much closer to it.
’Did it stop?’
But if so, at the distance between us, I should’ve at least seen its figure sowhere in front of .
Yet there was nothing, just more swaying trees and grasses, with the barrier looming above them all.
A chill crawled up my spine as I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t the cold this ti.
I scanned the grasses and the trees frantically. Yet they were still the sa, giving no notions of hiding a beast within.
’Alright then. That’s enough.’
Slowly and carefully, I began retreating, tracing my steps backwards while keeping my eye on the environnt before .
It was right as I left the range of the nearest street lamp beam that I heard it. It was faint, beneath the swaying and rain.
A rustle in the grass. Dirt crushed beneath feet.
Imdiately, I activated my glasses. The world slowed down before my eyes, grasses and trees moving in slow motion, sounds of the world reaching in distinct waves.
I could feel my essence flowing into the artifact, hungrily devoured by its effects. Yet I paid no mind to all that, and moved to jump right beneath the lamp, deactivating the artifact as I did so.
A crash sounded out in the grasses. Right over my previous location.
The mont my back hit the floor, I ignored the sharp pain that spiked, reorienting myself as quickly as possible and activating the artifact again.
The world slowed down once more, and in the grasses, I spotted a figure.
Dirtied uniform, shaggy dark hair, pale skin, and a lean physique. It was Chang-min, or rather the skinwalker.
It was already moving again.
I rolled. The sound of sothing slicing through air passed by. It was only after two rolls, when I was just at the edge of the streetlamp’s range, that I saw it.
Glinting under the light of the street lamp was a shortsword. ’Chang-min’ held it like he was familiar with using it.
He gave no ti to rest.
Imdiately, I moved to activate the artifact again, barely noticing the trajectory of his blade in ti to get out of the way.
Even then, I wasn’t fast enough. The blade flashed, and a sharp pain tore through the side of my abdon.
I clutched it as I threw myself out of his way, into the grass.
There was no ti to waste, so I stumbled back onto my feet once again.
My breath ca out in heavy puffs. The sensation of my own warmth seeping right through my fingers made dizzy.
Luckily, for whatever reason, the skinwalker stopped, looking at as though considering sothing.
I wasn’t stupid enough to waste the opportunity and imdiately moved to activate [Eyes of Eternity] again. Yet, I was t with a massive headache for my efforts.
’Essence.’
The artifact had already used most of mine up.
’Still...’
I had to do sothing. Anything.
The monster was beginning to move again, yet before it could close the distance, I tossed my glasses in its face.
It sidestepped, easily dodging the object. That was all I needed.
Using the montary distraction, I moved in to close the distance, seeking to wrestle his weapon from him.
But my body betrayed ; the pain from my side flared up the mont I shifted weight, my leg suddenly weakened in response, and I stumbled.
This mistake was punished imdiately. Sothing heavy slamd into my chest, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending flying beyond the range of the street lamp.
The sensation of multiple things violently snapping at contact was enough to send my mind into shock.
I barely felt myself land onto the grass.
By the ti I ca to, I found myself on my back, hacking, coughing out blood that had swelled up to my throat. My mouth tasted like tal, and my chest lay in utter agony.
The pain was so great that I had trouble processing anything besides it.
’D... rank. Fuck.’
Through my bleary eyes, I could see a blurred figure beneath the streetlight. It was approaching slowly, machete in hand.
It was right then, perhaps for the first ti in this world, that it hit .
’I’m going to die.’
Like a hand reaching from the abyss, that thought grasped , dragging and seeking to pull down with it. I struggled against it, fighting like hell to make myself move, to do sothing, anything against that inevitability.
Yet it was all for naught; I was choking on my own blood. Any attempt at moving only made cough more blood.
Right then. As the creature was about to swing its machete at . As the hand was about to drag to the abyss. As I was on the very edge of despair.
I felt it.
The sensation of steel pressed against my neck. Entirely lacking the ferocity of the monster’s machete. An elegant blade. One I couldn’t give form to. Yet it was one I instinctively knew could cut through anything. An almost fundantal truth.
Like the very concept of being cut was pressed against my neck.
Then ca the sound of a blade being drawn.
And in that blurry, hazy vision of mine, I saw it.
The monster was split in half.
Reviews
All reviews (0)