The figure materialized behind Jack with eerie silence, its appearance chilling and otherworldly. His face was an expressionless mask, as if carved from alabaster, with eyes as dull and lifeless as a dead man's. From the corners of those eyes, thick streams of black matter oozed downward, resembling tears of darkness. His pallid skin caught the dim light, making him appear less like a man and more like a specter pulled from the abyss.
He didn't move, didn't speak—rely waited, an empty shell of obedience awaiting a command.
"Is this…?" Alisha's voice was barely above a whisper, the words catching in her throat as she took a cautious step back.
"Yes, it's him," Jack replied curtly, cutting her off before she could fully voice her question. His tone was cold, devoid of any sentint.
He turned his attention to the figure. "Shoot."
The single command hung in the air, sharp and resolute. Jack's eyes fixed on the location Gurat had pointed out, a glint of expectation flickering in his gaze.
Like a puppet responding to its master's will, the figure—Kurt—moved. Slowly, deliberately, his hands rose into the air. The ring on his finger pulsed with an unnatural glow, its light bathing the forest clearing in an eerie radiance. As the glow subsided, a bow appeared in his hands, its form sleek and nacing.
Alisha's sharp eyes caught the change imdiately. 'The color—it's different from before,' she thought, recalling the weapon's appearance during their encounter back at the academy. This new bow was a stark contrast: a chilling fusion of black and white, its dual tips honed to razor-sharp blades that glead like the edge of death itself.
Kurt's lifeless gaze locked onto the path before him, his pupils narrowing as if piercing through the dense fog. His body moved with precision, his posture unnaturally steady, even as chaos raged around them. Jack and Alisha were locked in a desperate struggle against the fog beasts, their injuries evident in the labored way they fought. Blood dripped from shallow cuts, and the exhaustion etched on their faces told the story of a battle that had gone on far too long.
'If this doesn't work, we're done for,' Jack thought grimly, slashing through a beast that lunged at him. His blade sliced cleanly through its neck, the creature dissipating into the mist. He could feel the weight of their predicant bearing down on him like a suffocating shroud.
As if sensing Jack's despair, Kurt drew the string of his bow. The motion was fluid, almost chanical, and as he pulled back, an arrow began to materialize. It was no ordinary arrow—it was a lethal creation of light and shadow, its shaft gleaming a pristine white while its edges shimred with inky black. The arrow's tip was as sharp as a spearhead, exuding an aura of raw, destructive power.
*Twiiing!*
The arrow shot forward, cutting through the air with a sound that seed to tear the very fabric of reality. It moved like a predator, slicing effortlessly through the fog as it hod in on its target. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire
*Thunk!*
A high-pitched squeal echoed through the clearing, followed by an eerie stillness. For a brief mont, the fog seed to part, revealing a small figure struggling at the arrow's point of impact.
"There!" Alisha shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
Jack's eyes locked onto the figure, his heart pounding as he activated his skill.
[Dash]
He moved like a shadow, his form blurring as he closed the distance in an instant. His mind raced with a mix of fury and disbelief as he reached the source of the sound. What he found stopped him in his tracks.
'What the hell is this?!'
The figure wriggling at the base of the arrow wasn't a monster or demon—it was a tiny humanoid creature, no larger than his palm. Its translucent wings, pinned by the arrow, fluttered helplessly as it struggled to break free. Black ichor dripped from the torn mbrane, yet even as Jack watched, the wound began to close, the creature's regenerative abilities working at an alarming rate.
"Get off !" it squeaked, its voice high-pitched and frantic. It yanked its wing free with a painful rip, only to dart toward a glowing crystal embedded in the ground nearby.
"Oh no, you don't," Jack growled, his hand darting out to snatch the creature mid-flight. He squeezed, his fingers wrapping around its fragile body like a vice.
The creature let out a choked gasp, its tiny hands clawing at his fingers. "A-ah… let go!"
Jack's grip tightened, his eyes blazing with unrestrained rage. 'This pathetic thing drained my entire mana pool, nearly cost my life, and now it's trying to escape?' His annoyance boiled over, every ounce of his frustration channeled into the force of his hold. The creature's head began to swell unnaturally under the pressure, its translucent skin stretching like a balloon on the verge of bursting.
"A-Asriel, stop!" Alisha's voice cut through the haze of his anger, sharp and commanding.
Jack didn't loosen his grip. "Why? This little freak caused all this. I'm ending it."
Before he could act further, a searing sting flared on the back of his hand. A ball of light struck him, forcing his fingers to release. The tiny creature darted away, gasping for air as it clutched its bruised torso.
Jack turned, his glare dark and unyielding. "What's your problem?"
Alisha ignored his question, her expression softening as she bowed low. "Guardian Nephris, please forgive us. I apologize for the vile actions of my companion."
The creature's eyes widened in recognition and relief. "Alisha! Oh, thank the heavens!" it squeaked, its voice trembling.
Jack froze, his mind racing. 'A guardian spirit? Of course. That explains the crystal and its insane power.' His annoyance deepened, though he made no further move to attack. Instead, his system pinged.
[Guardian Spirit: Nephris]
[Soul Essence: 100,000]
Jack's eyes narrowed, calculating. 'That's enough soul essence to summon an army... but killing a guardian spirit would bring its angel down on us in an instant.'
Before Nephris could respond, a distant shout echoed through the cavernous forest. "Over here! They can't have gone far!"
The voices of the pursuing demons grew louder, their footsteps drawing closer. Jack's gaze darted to the glowing crystal. Without hesitation, he grabbed it, ignoring the system's cryptic ssage about its elental blessings.
"Jack, what are you—" Alisha began, but he cut her off.
[Endless Fogs of Tornt]
Fog erupted from the crystal, flooding the clearing with an impenetrable wall of mist. Cries of confusion and pain echoed as the demons stumbled blindly, their ranks thrown into disarray.
Jack turned back to Nephris, his tone cold. "Talk. What are you doing here, and where's your angel?"
Nephris hesitated, glancing at Alisha for reassurance before replying. "I... I'm not the one you need answers from. Soone else will explain everything."
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