26 With great Magic, comes new ways to die...
Snarls and growls comes out of the room I'm squatting beside, my back is against the wall.
Breathing is in shambles, the once warm body is now ice cold.
My restless eyes are on Lili, following her as she pulls out nades one after another.
Reaching a certain number, she then looks up and nods. Her shivering fingers betraying her reassuring gaze.
This could only end in two ways- Either I get ripped to shreds, or I get the Runes with mere starches on me. But there's no way in hell I'm getting out of this unscathed.
This line between brave and stupid is a blur to me now. But what isn't a blur is my heart- I'm desperate and scared.
Not of the monsters in here but, of the monsters lurking on the surface.
So, to protect myself… her, I must bet it all, right here! Right now!
Following a loud thump in my heart, I snap my legs straight before peeking back in.
And there they were…
Dark vision shows nothing but orange silhouettes cluttering around.
A bead of sweat drips down the floor as I close my eyes, taking in what might as well be- my last peaceful breath.
Reactivating Dark Vision, I wait 5 seconds for the 'Mana Back' while I find the safest spot to Blink-Out.
The truth is… there is no safe spot in there, just a horde of hungry monsters, 9 strong enough to wrench open my skull with a pinky.
My deep breaths ceases and I feel all the pores in my body open, turning to Lili, I signal her to begin.
"Copy…" she mouths, picking the nades and smoke bombs up, she then hurls them all inside the room strategically.
-BISSSH! BISSSH! BISSSH!
-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! –GHIRRRYA! KREEECH!
The deafening booms and hissing smokes 'shunnns' my ears and I spring to action all between the agonizing cries of monsters. Timing has to be perfect- There can be no mistakes now.
Thick clouds of smoke envelops the whole chamber, but it matters not, everything is pitch black to me, anyway.
My advantage laid with nades, they gave me the perfect element to sneak past- the element of panic.
Every silhouette I see is screeching its throat out or thrashing its club or claws with no regard. Some hitting air, some their comrade's heads, while some are a mangled mess on the floor.
Facing this madness, my knees bend ready- no room for hesitations now.
-My dance with death has begun; let the monsters play the bloody symphony!-
And so my world pauses, time comes to a stop and I see a blue tornado 'shingin' in front of me, following my line of sight.
I move the Exit Point at the very limits of my Blink's range- 10 meters, and from there I choose a relatively safe spot to Blink-Out along with the one last hammer on my steely resolve.
Blinking-Out, I find myself in the middle of the blind slaughter while Blink goes into its 2-second countdown.
I can still see whose 5 meters ahead but, everything further is nothing but darkness, smoke, and snarls. Even so, my body shakes not in a panic, but adrenalin.
What gave the confidence was simple math.
Dark Vision sends out 3 pulses, 8 seconds apart to detect new life, and each pulse ripples out from my latest position. What it doesn't highlight, it shows me through a weak night vision.
Before I waited 5 seconds for the 'Mana Back' and took another second before Blinking in- That's 6 seconds. So, it's 2 seconds before the next pulse waves out, and that too just so happens to be Blink's cooldown time.
So, now I only have to survive here for mere 2 seconds.
But, well… Reality.
-WOUSSH! GHAYARRR!
All the pores in my body bursts open while my pounding heart attempts to break-out of its cage as five menacing claws tears the smoke away, revealing the hulking frame of Kobold but only for a second before the thick smoke covers it all up.
A second was enough.
Faster than I could think! A blood-dripping maw full of sharp teeth and red slime dives on my head from above, encircling my head the very next second; mere inches away from my neck.
My eyes closes by instinct - all this planning, this bravery, this stealth, hopes… It had all been for nothing but empty air.
And I wasn't talking about myself.
Re-Directive Blink comes alive, and the world stops moving, my neck only mere centimeters away from the maw full of blood, flesh, and gnashers. It takes every fiber of my being just to not move- time will resume if I did, and my head will be off my body before I even know it.
Even with eyes closed, I can still see the silhouettes, and silhouettes are all I need.
From one of the two '^' shaped gaps, I aim the Blink towards the next location, disappearing from the maws of certain death.
Was it dumb luck? Or my quick thinking? I don't know. I don't care–I'm just glad I'm still alive.
The moment I Blink-Out, my burning lungs suck in all the air they might hold while my body twitches as shivers after shivers races down my spine.
Last few seconds had been the most nerve wrecking seconds of my life.
The next part of the plan is the trickiest.
And yeah! SCREW YOU REALITY!
The next and the last pulse is still 8 seconds away, and I won't survive the darkness for 8 seconds.
But I have a little trick for that.
The spot I Blinked-Out appears to be safe and in line with the Runes. I just need to survive for 2 seconds.
And 2 seconds later, Blink comes back as I draw one last breath before stretching the exit point just a few meters away from the gap Lili mentioned. The gap I still couldn't see.
Relying on Dark Vision is no longer a privilege I have but, I have something else for its stead.
The Exit Point won't go through anything solid unless it's transparent. That means I cannot Blink at the spot someone is standing on, nor can I Blink through a wall.
So, taking advantage of this 'Flaw', I run the Exit Point around the area to detect any hostiles that might be there.
Finding none, I initiate Blink.
My heart accelerates further as I Blink-Out, grinning. That small gap is just before me, along with the 2 Runes 12 meters away.
There are still 5 seconds left till the last pulse waves out. But it was of no concern. The Runes are as good as mine.
The grin on my face widens the more I think about it.
But I guess I celebrated a little too early.
-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP…
Rapid-loud footsteps echoes in on me before I can even take a step, intensifying the trembles ravaging my body with each echo.
I don't even have to look back- a Kobold is headed this way.
Gritting my teeth, I break into the maddest dash.
Everything will go down in the drain if the kobold catches me. My life included.
-Da-Thump!
My heart thumps in a loud beat and I jump in a desperate dive into the gap. My hands shoots out and grabs whatever comes, while my still outside legs thrashes back and forth, trying to speed up my crawl, not caring about the cuts done in by the pointy edges inside.
Dust and dirt splinters all over my face, eyes, and body, but I care for nothing. I only have about a second before the monster catches up.
Just as I was only a push away from success… from safety. A big hand clutches my ankle in a death grip.
-JRRSSH!
-AAAHH-KLK-COUGH! AHH!
A force so irresistible… a force so mighty drags me away from it all as I scream between dusty coughs and utter terror while dirt shoves its way into my wide-open eyes, forcing them shut.
"Master Argus!" comes a distant cry as my body frenzies around while I force-open a crack in my dust-filled eyes.
-GHRRRAAA!
The reverberations of its roar quakes my body as it lets go of my leg before lifting up its own, it then plunges foot down on my chest.
-HAAYA!
-THAARD!
But just in the nick of time, my body flinches and rolls away, barely avoiding a crushed chest by mere inches.
-GHARRRRA!
Dust and stones rain down on me as the monster roars louder- Maybe for the first time, an ant had escaped its foot.
As much as I want to just lay here for a second and catch a breath, but…
-KREECH!
A piercing screech of a Goblin comes from the left, jolting my body into another frenzy.
But before I could even stand up straight, the Goblin jumps, its blood dripping club arched up-back for a skull-crushing slam.
-BAAM!
My body jerks- the club hits nothing but the dusty cold floor.
Rolling on my shoulder, I spin left-to-right with the Gladius 'Flickered-out' along with a 2-second 'nade.
-KLTRLISHH!
Using the spin's momentum, I slash the sword, ripping its skull in half while I fling the nade's pin out.
But it was more than enough time for the Kobold to close in.
And it did.
But I was ready this time.
-SWASSSH!
The thick veil of smoke tears open and the hulking frame of the bloodthirsty Kobold comes barging out.
"GO FETCH!" I shout as I hurl the ticking nade towards it before activating Re-Directive Blink, the moment the bomb leaves my hand.
Time once again stops, giving me 30 seconds to think but not catch my breath.
Dark Vision's 8 seconds are still not up and I've lost track of seconds, so I'm running as blind as I can be.
Aiming the Exit Point just in front of the gap, I Blink-Out.
-BOOOM! – GHIRRRYAA!
The nade explodes a second later, showering the monster in shrapnel as it lets out a dying scream.
While I once again begin withering my way into the gap.
The privilege of drawing breath is once again mine.
The sharp edges in the gap draw new wounds and scratches on my knees and elbows, but I don't have the time for an 'ouch'.
I just want to get away from this madness as far as possible. And to do that, I'll need the Runes or I'm not getting out of here alive.
I now realize what made this horde so nasty, especially for a Non-Leveler like me- It was the element of unknown.
No doubt, the smoke, and nades are the reason I could make it this far but, the element of unknown they created is just a step away from my daily nightmares.
Crawling in a little further, I 'Flicker-Out' my water bottle before splashing the contents in my dust-filled eyes.
"Light…?" My lips whisper, the moment my eyes fully open.
Strange ease settles in as I gaze into white light shining through the other end of the gap.
Maybe I've been in the dark for too long.
The more I crawl, the more those roars and screeches feel distant, and soon I can no longer hear them but my body never ceases crawling in, almost as if drawn to the light.
The more I crawl, the more the light shines brighter and soon it overwhelms my eyesight. But as if possessed, my body never stops moving forward.
And as I crawl in further, distant sounds of slow running water reaches my ear and my hand touches something I never thought would in here- Soft Grass.
"What th…" I mumble, stopping just before the end of the gap while 8 second passes at that very moment and Dark Vision sends out its last pulse, highlighting what's ahead.
And what it did, only amplified my confusion even more.
My eyes register a small orange silhouette of what appears to be a bird sitting in the middle of the small room, just below the Runes.
/You need to be as silent as you possibly can, Argus. We don't know if it's- /
[Yeah, I know… It's just a chicken!] I convey, emerging from the gap slowly and carefully with eyes not leaving the silhouette which seems to be sound asleep.
[Just what the hell is this?]
/A chicken. /
[What the fu- just shut up!]
I don't have time for this or this chicken.
Standing up straight, my mind instantly churns out a plan.
Taking out a Mana-Potion, I softly open the lid before gulping it down, all the while being as quiet as possible.
And just like I had expected, in less than a second, my mana regenerates back to full, while some heat begins waving out of my pores- maybe the extra mana?
Shaking unnecessary thoughts out of my head, I focus my eyes back on the target.
Now, it's time to deal with this… chicken. I've already wasted enough time as it is.
-KRDTANK!
The abrupt sound of the glass breaking into pieces snaps the little chicken's soul awake as it jumps in the air, going…
-PHKAK!
And at that very moment, I Blink-Out, catching it mid-air and off guard, before slashing it in two.
The chicken didn't even know what hit it.
And not even a second later…
-BUFFF!
The 'in-two-pieces' chicken bursts into a large cluster of ashes, starling my Rune-focused mind.
-Thud
A dull sound of a stone hitting the floor draws my attention down.
"An egg? Wow…"
/Now isn't the time, Argus! Move! /
'Flickering' the egg in, I touch the Runes floating above and watch them in impatient-excitement as they burst into sparkling white glitters before rushing into the Outsider's Mark.
The moment the lights go out, I will the upgrade interface out, then select Blink with a gleeful grin on my face.
Blink expands, showing its upgradeable aspects, from which I choose the upgrade I was most excited about after unlocking Re-Directive Blink.
.
.
{Blink Assault:-
*Allows Argus to keep a part of the momentum/inertia which is generated by Blink's traversal to transfer it to someone or something else via hit or a slash, increasing the strike's power exponentially but, only within the absolute limits of his body.
NOTE- Argus's body will sustain no injuries from the strikes inflicted using Blink Assault.
*Blink Assault also allows Argus to keep a part of the momentum/inertia which Blink's traversal generates to fling himself forward at great speed. (Imagine a bolt shooting out of a cross-bow.)
NOTE- The acceleration will always be within Argus's body's comfort zone. Argus will never be shot out at a speed where the air particles will hurt him.
NOTE- No sounds will be generated throughout the entire process.
TIP- To use Blink Assault for 'flights', Argus must aim the exit point in the desired direction and initiate Blink Assault.
How far or high Argus will travel completely depends upon the acceleration allowed by the Blink Assault. And the acceleration is directly proportional to the body's comfort-limits. The sturdier the body, the faster or longer the 'flight' will be.
CAUTION- The magic will take no responsibility for the injuries sustained AFTER the 'flight' is initiated. For example- Colliding with a wall after initiating Blink Assault, or getting dragged across the floor due to miss calculations.
*Blink Assault can be used in conjunction with Re-Directive Blink.
COST- 1 RUNE}
.
.
Finalizing the upgrade, I bolt back into the gap without a second thought.
-KURGH! SHING!
The cries and screeches of the monsters once again fill my ears, no longer of panic but of maddened bloodlust, and in the midst of the carnage, I hear a sound I wish wasn't there.
-HIIIYA!
-GHIYARRR!
My heart sinks and my stomach churns as my pace increases several folds the moment Lili's battle cry resounds amongst the monsters.
Something had gone wrong… terribly wrong for Lili to engage in combat.
Her job was to set-up a trap on the entrance!
"LILI! Hold on a sec! I'm coming!" I shout with all my might just as my head emerges from the gap.
The smoke had thinned out enough for me to see the pairs of glowing red and yellow eyes darting across the pitch-black room and towards the exit… towards Lili.
From the gaps between the clusters of monsters, I make out two pairs of yellow ferocious eyes dancing around some sparks.
They have surrounded Lili!
My heart pounds faster than ever, so does the adrenalin along with everything else as I activate Re-Directive Blink and aim the Exit Point at the pair of yellow eyes battling Lili, from the gaps in between the army of monsters before initiating Blink Assault.
-HOLYAAAHA!
Then everything becomes a blur a second later, swooshes of the loud winds are the only things I can hear now as Blink Assault shoots me screaming straight out of the room, and straight into the snarling Kobold. Bracing for the impact my body instinctively flinches my left shoulder up and closes my eyes, and then…
-THAARD!
-AHHHA! - GHIYRRA!
My body hits the Kobold like a cannonball with a weight of at least 60 KGs and force enough to send us both screaming and flying straight into the adjacent wall.
-BOOM!
–GHUK!
-FUCK!
The Kobold and I, both spit our curses together as our bodies fall on the floor with a loud 'thud'.
I feel nothing, courtesy to the pain-killer overdose, but the kobold wasn't so lucky.
A second later, it bursts into ashes and a crushed core drops on the floor.
And just as I was about to breathe…
-KREEECH! KREECH! KREECH! ...
The collective screeches of the Goblins snap my head towards the entrance and what I saw almost snapped my will to get up.
Hordes of monsters rushing towards the entrance, all drawn towards Lili's still ongoing battle with the Kobold. And in front are ten pairs of eerie glowing red eyes.
The last of the plan was to wire the pins of 6 nades with each other using strings after sticking them across the entrance, making a trap in case I was being chased by monsters on my way out. Those dumb monsters would've stepped on or walked through the strings, pulling the pins out of the nades.
The resultant explosion was supposed to kill whatever following me and collapse the entrance, sealing it off.
But the snag here is, the pins are not to be attached to each other, until the last moment. Preventing any monster from triggering the explosion while I'm still in.
So, with Lili being busy with the 2 Kobolds, no one was there to tie the strings up, so it was still inactive.
And right now, the entire horde is dashing towards the entrance with nothing there to stop them.
Other than me.
My body jolts up as I try to stand back up despite the heavy dizziness from the impact, but something feels amiss.
My eyes fling wide in horror the moment my neck cranes down- my left arm!
It dangles limply dead as if barely attached to my shoulder. I try to move it but nothing works.
[Ahh! Fuck it! No time!]
Flickering-Out a two-second nade, I toss it towards the inactive array of nades before activating Re-Directive Blink, the moment it leaves my hand.
Aiming the Exit Point at the back of the Kobold, Lili is fighting, 7 meters away, I initiate another suicidal Blink Assault.
Reappearing behind it the next moment, I shove my fist into its back as a loud crack crunches out of its back-bone or hopefully spinal cord, crashing the hulking monster down on top of the now dumbstruck Lili before…
-BOOOOMM!
