I rushed forward rapidly as the surrounding scenery blurred. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew that I couldn’t stop.
The Melanchonies weren’t beings that I could simply just outrun.
No matter where I went, I knew they’d track me down. So, I had to figure out a way to escape their notice. But how?
How exactly was I going to do that?
“There’s no information about anyone ever escaping a Melanchony’s pursuit. In that case, is my only option killing them?’
I bit my lips tightly, feeling the sting on my lower lips as I pressed forward.
That was easier said than done.
Whole the Melanchonies specialized in pursuit, they were still Terror-Ranked creatures. It would take a bit of time for me to kill them. By then, the other Melanchonies would catch up, alongside the ones who had set them to chase after me.
I just couldn’t afford to tangle with them.
Swoosh!
All of a sudden, the space before me warped, and a long white clothing emerged from behind it as a slender hand reached out for me.
My heart pounded as a cold finger brushed against the tip of my nose, sending shivers down my spine. The air grew colder, and an eerie whisper echoed in my ears, making my blood run cold.
‘Shit….!’
I pressed my foot against the ground and twisted my body, in an attempt to change direction. Unfortunately, the momentum carried me forward and I continued to slide in the direction of the Melanchony. Unable to stop myself, I hastily lowered my body and just barely managed to avoid the Melanchony’s grasp.
My hair fluttered as I just barely managed to avoid the Melanchony and gritting my teeth, I shot away.
Just barely, I had managed to avoid the Melanchony.
….Or at least, I thought.
Swoosh, swoosh-
The space before me warped once more and several hands emerged from out of nowhere, reaching out to me in an attempt to stop me.
My heart pressed at my throat.
‘I can’t dodge.’
My forward momentum was too great.
In that instant, I envisioned a purple orb in my mind, and the hands that were nearing me suddenly swept through my body.
“Ukh!”
I stumbled forward a few steps as a cool sensation seeped into my bones. The cold made my head feel light, and for a brief moment, I lost my bearings.
By the time I recovered, cold sweat poured down from the side of my face as the space in front of me warped once more and several Melanchonies appeared before me.
“Ah, shit…”
I hastily looked around me as my chest trembled.
Looking up, I could only see a thin strip of gray sky above me because of the massive cliffs on either side.
This gash in the earth extended several hundred meters.
I was within the insides of a large gorge.
Quickly scanning the cliff faces, I found seven or eight caves leading into the rock.
‘Perhaps there I might be able to target each Melanchony individually…’
I couldn’t deal with multiple Melanchonies at once. By narrowing down the surroundings, I could create a way to confront them one at a time.
My entire thought process was quick.
The moment the idea sprouted in my mind, I was quick to act.
Pressing my foot against the ground, the world around me suddenly turned dark as purple hands began to sprout from beneath the ground. They shot toward the Melanchonies in an attempt to grasp them.
I felt my mana drain rapidly, but this was a necessary action.
Without looking around to see what the result of my actions brought, I shot out of the domain
and rushed towards the dim cave in the distance.
I had a total of five seconds to reach one of the caves.
‘One.’
I made a mental note in my mind.
My foot pressed down on the brittle ground and a green orb appeared in my mind.
Electricity ran down my lower half as my calves started to spasm.
‘Two.’
I released all the tension and shot forward.
Swoosh-
The world around me blurred.
‘Three.’
The distance between me and one of the caves narrowed down.
In just a fraction of a second, I was halfway there.
I was just about to reach it…
‘Four.’
Right then, I felt my domain collapse behind me and I felt something cool press against my back. It sent a shiver down my neck, but I gritted my teeth and continued to press forward.
“Haa…”
The cold breath of one of the Melanchonies brushed against my neck once more, nearly causing me to lose focus as my surroundings started to turn dark.
…Without a second thought, I pressed harder against the ground and shot forward at an even
greater speed.
‘Five.’
“Haa-!”
My surroundings turned completely dark as I managed to enter the nearest cave. I could hardly see, but that wasn’t important as I slowed myself down and turned around to see several shadows looming ahead of me.
The air grew colder and denser as I fought to control my breathing. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, a smile crept onto my face as thick roots emerged behind me, weaving together
to form an impenetrable wall.
Squelch~ Squelch~
With this, no Melanchony could attack me from behind and as I looked at the narrow passage
around me, I knew that they could no longer gang up on me.
This place was narrow enough for me to fight each one individually.
‘Thanks…’
Secretly thanking Owl-Mighty, its soft voice rang in my head.
‘…I feel several presences in the distance. I’ll keep a lookout for now. Defeat them before they arrive.’
‘Okay.’
I didn’t expect Owl-Mighty to help me deal with the Melanchonies.
The Owl wasn’t a good match for them. While they couldn’t harm him, he also couldn’t harm them as they were immune to illusions and the [Mind] path.
Considering I also specialized in the [Mind] path, this also put me in a difficult spot, but I
wasn’t completely helpless.
Swoosh!
Dodging one of the Melanchonies’ attacks, I saw several hands reach out from behind, their
fingers clawing through the air. The creepy sight sent a chill down my spine, but to my relief, they were all halted by the frontmost Melanchony.
‘Good.’
My plan worked!
Without hesitation, I clenched my fist tightly, and several dark chains burst from the ground.
A thin layer of purple coated them as they slithered around my body and entangled the first Melanchony, binding it completely.
I raised my hand immediately afterward, now fully coated in a deep purple hue, and pressed it
against the Melanchony.
Sizzle~
A piercing sizzle filled the air, accompanied by the clanking of the chains tightly wound around the Melanchony.
Although I couldn’t see the Melanchony’s health, I knew it was slowly dying.
While they were immune to [Mind] magic, they weren’t immune to [Elemental] magic.
With my hand still pressed against the Melanchony, several threads emerged, wrapping tightly around its neck. In an instant, light purple blood spurted from the Melanchony’s neck as its head was severed.
The sight was both horrifying and strangely satisfying as I focused on the next Melanchony.
Most importantly, right after killing the Melanchony, I saw a notification flash across my vision.
Given my situation, I had no choice but to dismiss it.
Thump!
With the first one falling, the next one followed and I repeated the same process.
Clank, clank-
The chain shot towards the next Melanchony, wrapping around its body and immobilizing it.
With a swift motion, I pressed my hand against its head, feeling the mana within my body
drain yet again as I used (Hands of Contagion].
Sizzle-
Threads emerged shortly after, and another one fell.
Thump!
Before I knew it, of the seven Melanchonies, two were already dead.
‘Yes, I can do it…’
I breathed a sigh of relief and focused on the next one.
This was doable.
Like this, I could defin-
‘Be careful, I can feel several presences fast approaching you. I can delay for several minutes. They
seem to be aware of my presence so I can’t keep them busy for long.’ Owl-Mighty’s words doused my fleeting joy, bringing a rush of cold reality back to me. Anxiety began to creep into my mind as I swiftly turned to the next Melanchony and repeated
the process, determined to press on despite the mounting dread.
Thump, Thump-
One Melanchony fell after another as I swiftly dealt with each one that came at me.
I became faster with each one that I dealt with, and I also became more proficient with my
skills. I could see their experience slowly rising in spite of it only being marginal.
I suddenly lost sense of time and just shifted towards the next Melanchony. This time, as my hand pressed against the nearest Melanchony, the chains shot toward the
one behind. That wasn’t all.
At the same time, the chains shot back, and even more, threads emerged from my hand, filling
the entire cave with them as a layer of purple coating pulsed out of them.
I felt my mana draining faster than ever, the exhaustion setting in as the next Melanchony crumbled before me. Just as I was about to press onto the next one, I suddenly stopped.
“….What?”
Looking around, I didn’t know how to react.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…
“They’re all dead.’
Since when?
I could’ve sworn that-
Bang!
A muffled explosion echoed in the distance and the wall behind me crumbled. I hastily looked
ahead and felt a powerful wave of mana in the distance.
Without a second thought, I turned around to dash away when…
“Get this body, human!”
I was suddenly stopped by a familiar voice. As I turned around, I saw Pebble standing on top
of one of the fallen Melanchonies’ bodies.
Bang!
Another muffled explosion rang in the distance. Without even asking Pebble for an explanation, I quickly dashed over the body, placing it within the ring as I hurried deeper into the cave.
Owl-Mighty appeared shortly after, settling over my shoulder as its head looked back.
“Be careful, they seem to have artifacts designed to deal with your emotive magic. It is best if
you don’t confront them directly.”
“…Haa… I get it…”
I didn’t need to be told to know as I imagined a green orb and squeezed every muscle in my
body.
Swoosh!
I didn’t know where I was going but the cave seemed to be one continuous path forward. I just
ran and ran and ran until…
“I see something!”
A gap emerged, and I sprinted through, the air immediately becoming more breathable than
it had been moments before.
“Ha… Haa…”
Despite my rough breathing, I hastily looked around.
Eventually, my gaze settled over a distant forest, filled with dead trees. The thin branches
reached out towards the sky like twisted fingers, casting eerie shadows on the ground and obscuring the inner parts.
Hastily scanning my surroundings, I realized I had no other option but to venture into the
forest. The dense foliage and twisted branches seemed to stretch toward me, as if beckoning
me into their embrace.
Just a glimpse and I felt my stomach churn, and yet…
With a deep breath, I steeled myself and plunged into the dark, foreboding woods.
I knew I had no other choice but to enter.