章 7: The predicament and rescue.
Dian's optimism wavered as a wave of skepticism washed over him. He couldn't ignore the reality of this treacherous world filled with demons lurking in every corner. The possibility that the figures he saw in the distance might not be benevolent humans but disguised demons loomed heavily in his mind. Trusting them blindly could be a fatal mistake.
"EITHER HELP ME OR START RUNNING!" Dian's voice reverberated through the air once more, tinged with a mix of desperation and defiance. He demanded a response, urging those in the campsite to make a choice - to either extend a helping hand or to flee for their own safety. In his heart, he knew that his survival ultimately rested on his own abilities and instincts.
Unbeknownst to Dian, the woman in the red dress clenched her fist in frustration, "Damn this little Boy!" she screamed, her anger palpable.
With a mixture of surprise and frustration, the woman in the red dress spun around, fully intending to carry out her grim task of eliminating the woman in the black dress. However, her plans were abruptly disrupted as she laid eyes upon a shocking sight. The woman she sought to eliminate had employed her own magic, transforming herself into one of the approaching demon apes.
"Damn it!" The woman in red exclaimed, her voice laced with a blend of anger and annoyance. In her hand, a fiery sword materialized, ready to strike down her adversary. Determined to carry out her mission, she lunged forward, intent on driving the blade into the transformed woman. But fate had other plans.
As she charged forward, her movements were abruptly impeded by the sudden growth of tiny vines that emerged from the ground, entwining around her feet. The unexpected obstacle caused her to lose her balance, stumbling and falling to the ground. Her fiery sword slipped from her grasp, clattering against the earth before disappearing into the ground, leaving behind blackened grass.
The woman in red turned her gaze towards the unexpected source of resistance, only to find the weak and struggling little girl pointing directly at her, a glimmer of defiance in her eyes. With each labored breath, the girl uttered words that carried a surprising weight, "Don't underestimate me." And with those words, her strength waned, and she collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
A surge of fury and frustration coursed through the woman in red as her carefully laid plans unraveled before her eyes. The unforeseen intervention of a seemingly insignificant variable had thrown her entire scheme into disarray. Both of her intended targets now had a chance to escape, and her once ironclad grip on the situation was slipping away.
In a desperate attempt to regain control, the woman conjured a blazing knife, intending to sever the vines that entangled her foot. But time had slipped through her fingers, and her actions proved futile as the woman in black, now transformed into the likeness of a demon ape, swiftly made her way towards her fallen pupil. With a protective embrace, she cradled the girl in her arms and wasted no time in joining the stampede of demon apes and hares.
"Oh no you don't!" The woman in red, consumed by a mix of fury and determination, unleashed a powerful blast of fire, aiming directly at the woman-turned-demon ape who held her fallen pupil. The ball of fire exploded upon impact, engulfing the demon ape in a searing inferno. The creature let out a piercing scream of agony as its back was scorched by the intense flames. Yet, despite the pain, the demon ape continued its relentless sprint, refusing to be deterred from its course.
Meanwhile, Dian, a mere bystander in this chaotic scene, could only watch from a distance as the person in red desperately fought against the demon ape that had infiltrated their camp. In his eyes, it appeared as though the demon ape had kidnapped the woman's daughter, stirring a sense of empathy and helplessness within him. However, he knew all too well that he lacked the power and means to intervene. As a level 1 with no weapons, skills, stats, or knowledge of this treacherous world, his only option was to continue running towards the camp, hoping that by doing so, he could somehow lose the pursuing stampede and find safety within or out of the camp's confines.
Dian's observation of the demon ape's behavior intrigued him. Despite its agony and the danger it faced, the creature appeared to be protecting the girl it held in its grasp, handling her with unexpected care. This revelation made Dian question his initial assumptions and consider the possibility that there was more to the situation than he understood. However, lacking concrete evidence, he couldn't be certain of the true intentions of the demon ape.
To avoid a potential collision with the pursuing creature, Dian decided to make a slight detour in his path. Yet, no matter which direction he chose, the demon ape seemed to possess an uncanny ability to adapt its course, relentlessly pursuing him.
Oh shit is it aiming after me!?
As Dian braced himself for what he believed would be his final moments, he was taken aback when the demon ape unexpectedly opened its mouth and spoke to him in his own language. The words echoed through the air, penetrating Dian's bewildered mind. "Don't worry, I'm a friend!" The declaration echoed, leaving Dian momentarily stunned and causing him to slow his frantic pace, attempting to process the astonishing turn of events.
However, the respite was short-lived. Seizing the opportunity presented by Dian's momentary hesitation, the talking gorilla swiftly grabbed him under its powerful arms and propelled itself with great force, leaping onto the nearby trees. Dian found himself whisked away from the stampede and into the canopy, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and curiosity. The unexpected alliance with a talking demon ape offered a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos, leaving Dian both astounded and unsure of what lay ahead.
Unbeknownst to Dian, the lady in red, seething with fury and desperation, unleashed her final gambit. With a swift motion, she hurled a blazing spear towards their location, aiming to disrupt their escape. The fiery projectile struck the ground with a resounding impact, unleashing a destructive explosion that engulfed the surrounding area. The explosion caused chaos among the nearby horde of demon hares and apes, diverting their attention away from Dian and the transformed demon ape.
The lady in red, her mind ablaze with frustration and rage, felt her temples pulsating as if they would burst. The unexpected arrival of this mysterious individual had not only disrupted her carefully laid plans, but had also become the catalyst for her failure. His mere presence had the power to alter the course of events, potentially thwarting her objectives and jeopardizing the future of her family.
Caught in a treacherous predicament, the lady in red faced an impossible dilemma. The oncoming stampede drew closer, their furious wrath now directed towards her, the instigator of their pain. She knew that engaging the stampede would drain her strength, leaving her vulnerable to the merciless onslaught of the trio she had failed to eliminate. Yet, ignoring the stampede and pursuing the trio would expose her to their combined vengeance. And if she retreated, leaving the trio unharmed, the wrath of her clan awaited her, a fate more fearsome than any stampede.
With a firm resolve, the lady in red chose the path of strategic retreat. Swiftly analyzing the situation, she calculated that distancing herself from the stampede would allow her to regroup and return later with the support of her family, ensuring a more favorable outcome in her quest for vengeance against the trio.
The transformed gorilla, sensing the lady in red's retreat, breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they had bought themselves some time. Agilely, the gorilla maneuvered through the dense foliage, using its powerful hind legs to traverse from one tree to another. Within its grasp, Dian found himself both relieved and bewildered. He couldn't contain his curiosity and sought answers from his unexpected savior.
"Wait! What is happening? Who are you, and how are you able to speak English?" Dian's mind raced with questions as he was carried away by the gorilla. Grateful for his rescue, he couldn't help but be perplexed by the unfolding events. The sight of a dying child cradled in the arms of a creature who looked like it eats kids for breakfast.
As they continued their rapid escape through the treetops, the transformed gorilla responded, its voice carrying a hint of femininity that caught Dian off guard. "I'm taking us away from the enraged mobs of demon hares and demon apes, but I must admit, I'm just as confused as you are. What did you do to provoke such anger from them?" the gorilla inquired, genuinely curious.
Dian, still processing the chaotic events, recounted his encounter with the demon hare and the unfortunate act of self-defense that ensued. "I umm, you see, I was attacked by a demon hare's baby, and in the heat of the moment, I had to defend myself by... um... killing it. This seemed to infuriate its mother, who initially left me alone. However, she returned with her family, and then the demon apes noticed their incursion into their territory, In the end, I was caught in the middle of it all," Dian explained, scratching his head in bewilderment.
The gorilla's expression shifted from confusion to a mix of concern and determination as she listened to Dian's explanation. The sheer absurdity of the situation threatened to make her burst into laughter under any different circumstances, but her focus was solely on the well-being of her dying pupil and aiding the stranger whose peculiar predicament had inadvertently come to her rescue.
Finally, they had put enough distance between themselves and the raging mob. They were now in a momentary haven of safety, away from the immediate threat that had pursued them relentlessly.
However, the gorilla suddenly coughed up black blood, Dian's thought for a moment if the gorilla was also poisoned like the child she was carrying. But before he could react, the gorilla, lost her balance swinging on the trees and with her remaining strength, tightly embraced both Dian and the ailing child, shielding them as they plummeted toward the ground. As the trio landed, a cloud of dirt billowed around them, obscuring their vision. Dian could feel the force of the impact reverberate through his body, but the gorilla had borne the brunt of it. The ground beneath them trembled from the force, and for a moment, it seemed as if everything had come to a standstill.
As the dust settled, Dian's eyes widened at the sight before him. The gorilla, still cradling them both, had absorbed the impact with incredible resilience. She lay sprawled on the ground, her massive form partially buried in the earth, her fur matted with dirt and sweat. It was evident that the fall had taken a toll on her, yet she remained steadfast, determined to shield them from harm.
As Dian regained his footing, his eyes widened with astonishment as he surveyed the gorilla's transformation. The massive creature, once covered in fur, had now shifted into a stunning woman. Her form was delicate, accentuated by the flowing black dress that adorned her and smooth long black hair. Unconscious and vulnerable, she lay before him, her hand and leg tainted by a deep shade of purple, evidence of the poison coursing through her veins.
"What in the world is going on?" Dian questioned himself.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット