Chapter 6: A guy, a woman, and a betrayal.
As Dian sprinted with every ounce of strength he could muster, desperation fueled his legs and adrenaline surged through his veins. The cacophony of chaotic growls, snarls, and screeches echoed in his ears as the demon hares and gorillas closed in on him from all sides. Their predatory instincts honed in on his fleeing form, driven by the territorial fury that consumed them.
Though the demons were momentarily preoccupied with their own vicious skirmishes, Dian knew that their attention could easily shift back to him at any moment. He had to reach the campsite he had spotted earlier, a glimmer of hope amidst the encroaching darkness. With each pounding step, he willed himself to push harder, ignoring the burning ache in his muscles and the sting of fear gnawing at his mind.
As the sun's crimson rays painted the horizon, casting an otherworldly glow over the landscape, Dian's determination surged. But something bizarre was happening at the campsite which Dian didn't know about.
A tent stood tall, its fabric billowing in the gentle morning breeze, as if it held its breath in anticipation. The first woman, tall and slim, stood in a defensive stance, shielding a small, frail girl who lay motionless on the grass behind her. The child's once vibrant complexion now bore the grim hue of purple, a clear sign of the poison coursing through her veins.
Fury and accusation dripped from the woman's voice as she lashed out at her opponent. "You Bitch! You poisoned us!" She said as she looked towards the wooden bowls of food that were wasted on the ground.
Her accusation hung heavy in the air, charging the atmosphere with tension. Clad in a tight black dress adorned with delicate purple rose patterns, she exuded an otherworldly aura that defied the notion of her being purely human. Her pale, slender arm slowly succumbed to the poisonous affliction, turning a sickening shade of purple. In her hand, she tightly gripped a wooden staff, its pinnacle adorned with a gleaming crystal that shimmered with a mysterious energy.
Facing off against her, stood another woman, draped in long flowing red robes that trailed behind her like a fiery inferno. Her presence commanded attention, her gaze fixated on her opponent with unwavering determination. The weight of responsibility and power radiated from her, evident in the resolute set of her jaw and the fiery intensity in her eyes.
Between the two women, the stakes were high, their confrontation poised on the precipice of chaos. The campsite itself seemed to hold its breath, as if aware of the pivotal moment unraveling before it. The crackling flames of the campfire mirrored the intensity of the situation, casting a reddish glow that danced upon their faces, highlighting the stark contrast between light and darkness, good and evil.
"Oh, please, you'd do the same thing if you were in my position," retorted the woman in the red dress, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. She held a long, intricately designed smoking pipe in her hands, seemingly materializing out of thin air. With a swift motion, she pressed her fingers against the pipe's opening, causing it to ignite. Wisps of fragrant smoke infused with medicinal herbs filled the air, carrying their scent towards the poisoned woman cloaked in black.
Confusion and disbelief painted the face of the woman in black as she struggled to comprehend the situation. "You... you poisoned yourself as well?" she questioned, her voice trembling with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
A smirk danced across the lips of the lady in red as she took a deliberate puff from the pipe, exhaling a small cloud of smoke. "Well, it's hard to deceive someone as perceptive as you," she admitted, her tone tinged with a touch of amusement. "I highly doubt the poison is lethal enough to claim your life. However, it is potent enough to weaken you significantly and put an end to that hellish creature behind you."
The woman in the black dress's eyes widened with a mixture of fear and concern as she pleaded on behalf of the child lying helplessly on the ground. "No! Why do you want to harm my pupil? She's just an innocent child who hasn't done anything to cause harm to anyone!" Her voice trembled with a heartfelt desperation, her protective instincts flaring.
Meanwhile, the lady in red continued to smoke from her pipe, seemingly indifferent to the gravity of the situation. She took another casual puff, the smoke curling around her as she nonchalantly responded, "We didn't pay much attention to her at first. But then we discovered her true nature as the spawn of Areiti."
The mention of Areiti's name struck the woman in black like a thunderbolt, causing her to stagger back in disbelief. Her gaze flickered between the child and the lady in red, a mixture of shock, anger, and sorrow etched on her face. "But if that's true, if she truly carries the blood of Areiti, then killing her would be an unspeakable crime within our clan! How could you be willing to destroy the very future of our people?"
The woman in red exhaled the last tendrils of smoke from her pipe, a cold smirk playing on her lips. With deliberate disdain, she discarded the pipe, crushing it under her shoes. "Well, since you and your pupil are destined to die together, I might as well enlighten you on my motives. Can you imagine what would happen if the spawn of Areiti is brought back to our clan? The elders would shower her and her teacher with special privileges, while my Manava family would be pushed further into obscurity until we're cast out entirely. I'd rather eliminate my competition now than risk the future of my own family."
As her words hung in the air, charged with a ruthless determination, the woman in red raised her hand, summoning an imposing illusion of a flaming hand above her own. It mirrored her every gesture, ready to unleash its destructive power. With a swift and merciless movement, she struck the woman in black, sending her sprawling backward.
The sound of impact echoed through the air, followed by the pained voice of the small girl, barely audible in her weakened state. "T-Teacher..."
The woman in red approached the little, a twisted delight dancing in her eyes. "Aww~ Don't fret, my dear. You'll soon join her in oblivion, I could end you right now, but where's the fun in that? A painful and slow death is much more fun… to me of course." she taunted, relishing the despair she was inflicting. "Now then, I would love to play around, but duty calls, I'd rather finish this before my own pupil finds out about what I'm going to do. Don't want him to doubt me in the future."
She closed the distance between herself and the wounded woman in black, her steps deliberate and menacing. The woman in black, her body weakened by the poison coursing through her veins, struggled to regain her footing, but her efforts were in vain. Blood trickled from her mouth, staining her dress, a haunting testament to her deteriorating state. Yet, despite her own suffering, her focus remained on protecting her young pupil.
Amidst the tense confrontation, the woman in red reveled in the sight of the woman in black's deteriorating condition. The sight of blood spilling from her lips brought a twisted satisfaction to her face.
However, her sadistic pleasure was short-lived as she seemed perplexed, the woman in red halted her advance and turned her attention towards her back. "What is that noise?" She said, a mixture of curiosity and concern flickered in her eyes, momentarily erasing the malevolence that had taken hold. She strained her ears, trying to discern the origin and nature of the unfamiliar sound that intruded upon the unfolding scene.
"A stampede? But this isn't the Demon ape's territory?" She said with a hint of worry in her voice. Reacting swiftly, she conjured a pair of flaming goggles, their fiery glow casting an eerie light upon her features. With the goggles securely in place, her senses were heightened, granting her the ability to see and hear with enhanced clarity over long distances. As she scanned the horizon, her eyes pierced through the veil of smoke and haze, aided by the magical properties of the goggles.
As the woman in red observed through her fiery goggles, her initial concern grew into bewilderment. The sight before her defied logic and left her questioning the circumstances that had led to such a perilous situation. A lone figure, seemingly pursued by a relentless stampede of Demon hares and demon apes, emerged in the distance. The sheer number of enraged creatures chasing him was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Curiosity mingled with a tinge of caution as the woman in red tried to comprehend the actions that had provoked such a ferocious response. She wondered what transgressions this individual had committed to incite the wrath of both demon species simultaneously. It was a rare occurrence, one that spoke volumes about the severity of the situation.
"HEEELLLP!" The desperate cry for help pierced through the air, causing a sharp discomfort in the woman in red's heightened senses. It was Dian, the very same person she had observed, who was now hurtling toward their campsite in a desperate bid for survival. His voice carried the weight of fear and desperation, reverberating through the surrounding landscape.
Dian's heart raced with both exhilaration and desperation as he sprinted towards the campsite, his voice echoing through the air in a desperate plea for help. Dian wouldn't be able to run this fast and this far before, and Dian had finally realized the potential of increasing his stats, A mere 0.5 increase in agility increased his stamina and speed by a whole 20%, which was an impossible feat back on earth and he realized why his system kept telling him to level up to get two free stat points he could put in whatever he wanted.
With each stride, Dian felt the newfound strength within him, the result of his increased agility and honed skills. The realization of his enhanced abilities fueled his determination to survive, to push his limits and defy the odds stacked against him. The world he once knew paled in comparison to the raw power and potential he now possessed.
As he closed the distance, Dian's breaths came in ragged gasps, his body straining with exertion. The stampede of demon hares and demon apes remained hot on his heels, their thunderous charge threatening to engulf him. Yet, the sight of the person in red far away at the camp site ignited a spark of hope within him, a beacon of salvation in this desolate and dangerous realm.
"HEEELLLLP MEEE!" Dian's voice echoed once more, a plea filled with desperation and a glimmer of trust in the person he hoped would extend a helping hand. His eyes remained fixed on the figure, his belief in their potential to turn the tide of his fate unyielding.
I'M SAVED!
Dian thought to himself not knowing what trouble he was going to fall in.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone