Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty-Seven: The DuskBorne

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The DuskBorne

A resounding boom erupted, sending tree trunks flying in every direction.

Dusken paused his battle with the creature, glancing toward the source of the commotion.

There stood Lillian, her finger pointed outward. The beast she had been battling lay mangled on the ground, twitching as blood flowed from its many wounds.

The winds whipped chaotically through the area, their harsh howls mixing with the cooling scent of nature that permeated the air.

Dusken didn't need to be a genius to understand what had happened. Even so, he was deeply shocked by the revelation.

'Did she just… blast that huge monstrosity away with just a finger?'

His brows shot up, disbelief flickering in his eyes, but he maintained his composure.

If Lillian possessed such a devastating ability to congeal and release air with pinpoint precision, Dusken wasn't confident in his odds against her in battle.

'No, this isn't normal for a newly ascended level one. Maybe she's already close to a breakthrough to level two.'

Surprisingly, this thought eased his nerves. Still, doubts began crawling in his heart.

'Is she really what I suspected her to be?'

A grim unease arose as he stared at the shattered tree trunks and the broken creature.

The black-haired beast Dusken had been fighting stopped its low growls, turning to Lillian with visible dread.

Dusken scrutinised the blasted creature as it tried to rise, only to collapse again. Its four huge legs shook under the fading reverberation of Lillian's ability.

The beast's three tall, thick horns had been reduced to two - one broken, likely from the blast.

Two sharp, glistening, blood-dyed fangs protruded from its upper jaw as it shakily tried to stand.

Yet, despite its injuries, the monster once again charged at Lillian, murderous and bloodshot eyes fixed on her.

Dusken turned his attention back to his own opponent, who watched him with wariness reflected in its dark, narrow eyes.

'It seems that it thinks I have the same powers as Lillian,' Dusken thought, a dark smirk forming on his lips.

Monsters possessed a basic intelligence, but they couldn't compare to humans. At their core, they were still creatures driven by instinct.

Dusken's sword whipped out in a rounded arc, slicing the air with deadly precision as it closed in on the beast.

"Woooooo," the creature cried out in an odd tone. To Dusken's astonishment, his sword's speed faltered almost to a crawl, allowing the beast to narrowly escape a fatal blow.

'This can't be possible, right?' Dusken thought, taking a step back, retreating from the inexplicable reality before him.

This was because he realised that his own shadow had… seized his foot.

---

While Dusken faced peril, Lillian wasn't having an easy time either. It wasn't that the creature she fought was too strong - she could kill it effortlessly if she chose to.

The source of her trouble was her chaotic thoughts.

'Damn it, what's going on?' she thought, sidestepping the monster's furious charge.

She stabbed forward with her claw weapons, the attack landing with overwhelming momentum and leaving a deep gash in the creature's side.

Red blood dripped onto the forest floor. The wounded monster screamed in anguish and, blinded by pain, crashed into a tree, snapping it in half and leaving itself immobilised.

Yet Lillian didn't seize the opportunity to finish it off. Instead, she stood frozen, a dazed look blazing in her dark brown eyes.

'This isn't supposed to be part of the events. From what I remember, something like this didn't happen,' she thought, her eyes reflecting the weariness of a long and burdensome life.

She glanced at Dusken, who seemed to be locked in a staring contest with his opponent.

'Is this really him?' The question lingered in her mind even as the monster before her stood once again, preparing to charge.

'Hmph, a wild fool like you will never learn.'

She remained motionless as the creature barrelled toward her, its rage-filled eyes alight with madness. When it was mere steps away, she reacted.

This time, she didn't rely on a single finger. Both hands rose, and her magical energy drained rapidly as she coalesced the surrounding air into a concentrated force.

A second later, the force rolled outward like a shockwave, vibrating the ground, toppling huge trees, and launching the monster skyward.

The chaotic winds swept through the battlefield like unruly children given freedom to play.

Lillian remained unfazed as the massive creature crashed to the ground, fatally wounded.

Her gaze shifted to Dusken's back, an old memory threatening to resurface. She suppressed it, her thoughts raging.

'Are you really him? Why are things different from what I remember? Dusken… the same name. But why are things different? Are you truly him… the DuskBorne?'

---

Dusken trembled in shock. No, it wasn't his shadow holding him in place - it was the beast's.

The creature's shadow had transformed into long, black chains that grabbed his own, rendering him immobile.

Though the chains didn't physically affect him, the connection between his shadow and his being made resistance futile.

'Shadow affinity. It isn't even a cursed creature, and it has an affinity? A rare talent, even for a monster,' Dusken thought rapidly.

'If I kill it, how many Abysmal points would I earn? Its affinity clearly revolves around shadows, so it must be more.'

The creature wasted no time. It lunged, aiming to capitalise on Dusken's temporary vulnerability.

Yet as it neared, a card flew toward it, slicing through the air with precision.

Spell Card Activation: Nightfall Whisper.

Mid-air, the card warped, releasing faint, incoherent whispers into the surroundings. Dusken's and the creature's shadows rose, forming an obsidian shield that smashed into the beast, sending it hurtling backward.

Freed from his binds, Dusken dashed forward, the winds whistling in his wake. His blade arced in a sharp, horizontal strike, aimed directly at the creature.

Panic flashed in the monster's eyes as it sacrificed its remaining wing to evade death.

A shrill cry echoed as the creature distanced itself, but Dusken noticed something.

'It seems the creature can't use its shadow ability again, at least not immediately. There must be a cooldown.'

Seizing the moment, he surged forward once more, leaves rustling like a melody of action.

Dusken kicked a nearby tree, propelling himself off toward the beast with breakneck speed.

A cacophonic boom erupted from Lillian's location, its sheer force scattering the winds and blowing both Dusken and the creature away.

He turned to see the monster Lillian had been fighting, now lifeless on the ground.

But that was not his battle. Pushing himself up, he lunged at the creature again, using this chance of invulnerability.

"Wooooooo," it cried, its eerie song returning. Yet its shadow was now part of the shield - powerless unless Dusken dismissed it, which he didn't plan on doing anytime soon.

His blade sliced through the air, finding its mark as the creature, exhausted and defenceless, let out a final, mournful cry.

"Woooooooooooooo." This time, the sound clawed at Dusken's mind. Gritting his teeth, a memory surged into his thoughts:

---

¬'Dusken, you must remember: when you fight, your goal isn't just to kill. Destroy their spirit. Shatter their will. If you can't outsmart them, kill them. If you can't kill them even after using all your strength, become a blade - a blade that cuts all binds and finishes the fight. This is the essence of a battle. You either kill or be killed.'¬

---

Roaring with resolve, Dusken pushed himself to his limits.

'I'll become a blade that cuts all binds.'

His sword fell with deadly precision, cleaving the beast apart and ending the fight.

[You have slain a Level One Awakened Creature: Hairy Mind.]

[Your Abyss within grows darker.]

A surge of energy coursed through him, cold and chilling, yet invigorating. His strength rose to shocking levels.

'It actually has a name? Hairy Mind?' Dusken thought, his heart shaking. The lack of negativity confirmed his suspicion - this creature was abnormal.

Typically, only cursed creatures, at level two or higher, bore names and affinities. Yet this beast defied common sense, nearly making him drop his jaw in astonishment. This creature alone almost made Dusken lose his composure.

A temperament that had been molded from his experiences in his previous life.

But the Codex wasn't done. Its next words made Dusken lose all sense of composure.

[You have received a DeathNote.]