Chapter 26: Chapter 25
I did raise a fucking flag.
But oh well, we'll have to find out whether it will be dangerous or just another challenge in my path.
Stripping me out of my head was two carapace scavengers, however these two were different. They're stronger, way stronger than the normal ones.
There stature was taller and more robust than the normal scavenger, their body was clad in dark, ancient bloody armor. Unlike the weaker ones. Their arms didn't end up with massive pincers, instead it was in the shape of sharp, deadly Scythe like protrusions.
An aura more warped and darker emitted out from the two of them that'll immediately sprout fear in the hearts of any other sleeper.
But not me.
A grin of challenge crept up my lips. Taunting them to attack me, and with such an obvious provocation. One of them roared out loudly, eyeing the two transcendent soul shards with a fiery hunger lighting up across its eyes.
It vanished from its place in a burst of speed that instantly caught onto me, its sharp, Scythe like arm already in the air over its head. Ready to bring down a clean slash, with the intention of getting rid of me once and for all.
I of course took the challenge willingly, an excited grin on my face as I striked with my own attack, intercepting it's downward pressured swing when it was an inch away from splitting me in half. And as a result of our clash, a forceful wind popped like a balloon all around us. Sending out a very annoying screech.
*Clang!*
As we were in a stand-off. It didn't take a second more for me to go into action by kicking it straight in its torso with all my strength while it was distracted, its body combed around my feet as I could feel my kick going through a bit of skin before it was stopped by the monster's natural body defences.
A crunching sound rang out in all of our ears along with the pained whimper of the creature. It feebly tried to bite me with its razor, sharp teeth, already forgetting about using its arms as a vicious madness clouded its beady eyes.
I dodged the questionable bite by using its torso as a spring and bounced off of it in a flip, carrying along with me the sword into a small, blurry strike that severed of its jaw from its face flatly.
Landing a few feet away from it, I got hold of my composure again as the other creature dashed towards me, likely noticing that it's friend alone couldn't take me on in a battle of attrition.
So it made the best choice by rushing towards me with a calculating, intelligent glint in its eyes. Immediately cutting of my way to the injured scavenger, staring at me in a challenging silence. Waiting or rather inspecting its prey with clear eyes.
I raised an eyebrow in amusement, twirling around the sword in my hands skilfully as I muttered in a matter of fact tone….
"You're a clever one aren't you? But even if you're clever and knowledgeable, If you don't have enough strength to back it up, then you're as good as dead."
I blinked before letting out a dry laugh In ridiculousness at my state of mind.
"Why the fuck am I talking to a nightmare creature? Have I really gone down that far into the rabbit hole?"
I shook my head in silent disbelief as I blurred and vanished like a ghost, appearing like a sort of mirage in front of the focused nightmare creature with my sword in a horizontal stance.
The creature responded surprisingly fast, as if it was expecting my future action. It raised its scythe like arms into a guard, directly blocking my sword. However it had no effect on the trajectory and force behind my sword as it went through its arms like a hot knife slashing through butter, immediately reaching its neck and lodging itself deeply into it.
The creature's mouth spittled out a good amount of black, oozy blood in a silent gesture of suffering. Then it began putting pressure on its neck with its only one remaining hand awkwardly, due to its sword like protrusion of a hand.
I wasted no time in delivering the final blow while it was busy with its wound, going for the opening in its jaw that I made in a fast paced stab that pierced through its jaw up to the back of its head.
A second later, it's body became completely limp on the hilt of my sword. While the other one was getting its bearings from my powerful kick. This time I severed its head with a single slash. It was too distracted by the dent in its torso to actually have its guard up, so I took every advantage of that while I had the time to do so.
I then proceeded to carve out the soul shards of the two stronger scavengers, and of course to my expectation. Their soul shards had a more refined glow to them, which meant that they were a class or two higher than the normal ones, and I'm guessing it's one class higher.
The normal ones that we see everyday, are Awakened beasts. As for these two, there's is a high chance that they're probably Awakened Monsters.
The difference between the two classes is that an Awakened Monster. Is a bit more powerful compared to an Awakened Beast. And an Awakened Monster has a warped form of intelligence that makes them consider their action. Albeit on a primary level of instinct.
So it was not surprising when one of them lost themselves in a fit of madness, due to the pain they were experiencing. Their source of madness was probably me because I inflicted such a horrible pain upon them.
But again, they weren't enough to stop me. And they won't be when I face more in the future.
I looked up at the bright sky in thought. The area was finally drowned in silence, besides the breeze of wind or two going around. It was very quiet and peaceful for the mind to the point that I closed my eyes to take in a deep breath before turning my attention to the desolate, corpse filled space.
'I better call Sunny and Nephis to come down here and help me with getting all of these guys soul shards.'
With that thought, I climbed up the statue in a much fater way than I first had becuase of the weightlessness of my body, easily reaching the top. Only to be met with a very weird sight.
Sunny was to the side stress eating while Nephis was waiting for me at the ledge with calculating eyes that pierced me the moment I came back up onto the platform.
Oh and Cassie was sitting alone in the middle of the area, like a lost child. Hugging her knees and doing what she's best known for…..
It was to be quiet and silent.
"You guys didn't eat without me? Did you? I'm fucking starving for a good meal."
My loud voice brought them out of their miserable and dark thoughts as Sunny and Cassie both stood up in surprise before trying to come closer to me in a hurried walk.
I raised my hand into the air to stop them in their place as my voice rang out once again "There will be time for discussion once we are done. And we aren't, so Sunny, Nephis get your asses down there to grab the soul shards. There's like fifty to sixty of them, I don't really know, I lost count after a while."
A stunned silence was the answer to my order, as the only reasonable person asked me a question of their own "What happened to the transcendent soul shards? Ariel."
I grinned in excitement as I summoned my sword and started to carve out my left arm's skin, painting a horrifying portrait of a man butchering his own skin. After a bit more forceful slicing, for my skin was a bit tough to get through. My arm ended up in a mess of flesh, blood and skin. Shocking the observing people due to how calm I was while making my arm unrecognisable.
I started to dig around in the cavity I created in my arm with my fingers going deeper and deeper by the second. Letting out sussy squelching sounds that should've been recognisable for anyone who has 'That' kind of experience.
I was dying in laughter inside when I saw their incredulous faces. But in the case of Sunny, there was a bit more emotion than he was actually letting on. Making me wonder whether he was just scared or just surprised at how crazy I am.
Man, I have really gone down the rabbit hole way deeper than I ever thought.
There's probably sides of me that I haven't even faced yet, I just wonder every time at how much the first nightmare fucked my mind up.
Who knows? Maybe someday I will just lose it and start massacring people on a whim or more terrifyingly in amusement-
*Slap!*
I slapped myself for having such dangerous thoughts. However my fingers still continued their search for the soul shards, undeterred and determined. It was like they had a mind of their own.
Not surprisingly after a few more seconds passed, my fingers collided with something rough and hard. Prompting me to immediately latch onto them before pulling them out in a forceful manner that caused bits of flesh to fly around. Hitting the ground with a wet, disgusting noise.
When I fished out the bloody but translucent soul shards, Both Sunny and Nephis recovered their bearings to gaze at the blinding aura it was radiating out, with Beady, glittering eyes.
I smiled an innocent smile that looked not-so innocent with the amount of blood smearing my face. I probably actually looked like a homeless, maddened man that was on the verge of breaking down into a fit of crazy laughter.
"Now if you want to hold this in your hands, then you better get to work before more of those fuckers show up to take our rewards, don't you think so too?"
Sunny and Nephis absentmindedly nodded to my words. Immediately going into action and sliding down the statue in a hurry, their attention span still focused on the shards on my hand.
I shook my head in amazement at what a few rocks could make you do but there will be a price for this, a price in the form of nightmare creatures being attracted by the tantalising aroma the soul shards emitted. And I could do nothing to hide it nor could I think of an effective way.
Hah… This is going to suck, I just know it.
A/N: was the fight scenes good? I wanted to detail it as much as I can and I found out that I love doing so. So if you enjoyed it pls send stones!!!.
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