24 The Awakening!!
The spear went deep enough to cut my tongue. The intense pain, along with long due fatigue, clogged my consciousness.
"Where am I?" Next time, I opened my eyes I was in an unknown destination. There was hard cold stone under me and I couldn't see the top of it.
"Did I die again?" That man had said that it won't happen again, yet here I am reincarnating in a cave.
"This is confusing." I couldn't help but smile at my fate, "Isn't it the same, every time?"
The first time that man took over to save me from those inhuman experimentalists, but I had no idea how I become a child.
It was same at the second time too. Something supernatural was trying to take over my body and he saved me, leaving a trail of blood behind me.
Though the man had said to me that I turned into a child because he exhausted all my energy when he takes over the body but one mystery remains how can I move from one place to another?
But to ask that, the man have to wake up. I know he is inside me but I don't know how to communicate with him.
"But that is not important right now." I stood upon the cold white floor, but…
"It is not paining any more. There is no wound!!" I checked my body but there wasn't any wound. My cheek was ok, so was my right eye.
'I have died?! Again?'
[Skill check: [Subtle Movement] reached the third stage.]
[Agility increased by 2]
[Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] can be merged.]
[Does the Host want to merge the Skill?]
I was surprised, It was not like I have learnt the skill today, but the merging option didn't appear till now. There must be some hidden condition.
"Do I need to die to merge it? But if I have died, how can I retain the skills?"
[Merging condition:
Comprehension level of [Falling Leaf Dance]: >90% {91.7%}
[Subtle Movement]: Stage three
Hidden stats: Agility, Endurance
Dexterity >100]
"Oh! So I didn't die?"
[Time till death: 07:54]
Looking at the ever-changing notification screen, I didn't know how should I respond.
[Time till death: 07:47]
[Time till death: 07:46]
[Time till death: 07:45]
"What? I will die in seven minutes?" I screamed.
[Time till death: 07:41]
"You don't need to remind me. Tell me what should I do?"
[Pending Notification]
[Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] can be merged.]
[Host want to merge the Skill?]
"Is that important now? Ohhhh!" The clocks continued to ticks at the edge of my vision. "Will the parent skill remain?"
[Parents Skill remains.]
"Then merge it."
[Skill check: [Falling leaf dance] & [Subtle Movement] is merging]
[[Leaf tornado (General Grade)]
Merging time: 65 days
Completion level: 0%]
I was surprised to see the resultant skill was in general grade. "Something like that will be a great asset but it will take 65 days." While I was enjoying my achievement, something flickered at the edge of my vision.
[Time till death: 06:59]
"Ahhhhh" the scream wasn't enough to reduce my frustration but, "Where am I? I was in front of the supply station, and… System, where am I?"
[Host had activated the space of consciousness.]
"Space of Consciousness?"
[More commonly known as 'Mage space']
"Mage space? Is that even possible?" That means I will be able to become a mage now. "To be able to open by the age of 12 without any external help! Even the little marchioness opened it after 13. I must be a genius."
[Time till death: 06:29]
Yet the reality hit me again. "Looks like I have to survive to brag in front of her. System, what should I do?" I don't know why but in this space the system got more responsive.
An arrow appeared in the middle of my vision. No matter how many times I shook my head it was there. "Do you want me to follow it?"
[The host is free to choose.]
"Did I just jinx it?" I had no time to worry about the sensitive system, so I followed the arrow. More I move the area around me brightened.
Soon I reached the end of the corridor. Not knowing where to go I continued to move by the wall. Then I turned left, again left and after another two left turns, I returned to the place I have started from.
"It's just a big room. Oi system, you are not helping."
[Time till death: 04:27]
The arrow flickered again, aiming to the middle of the room and I followed. "What is this?"
There was a stone bed. There was a body on it. It was wrapped in black smoke. Even at my presence, he was sleeping soundly. But the black smoke was oozing from the body.
Other than the bed there was one stone table, above which, was a mud puppet. It was dancing on the table, constantly changing shape. It was more like mud-coloured slime who was giving puppy-dog eyes to me.
And beside it there was a stone pillar, on it, there was blue coloured orb sized water drop. But the peculiar things was it was beating like a heart.
"What are these?" I asked yet the system didn't answer. "Could that be the man who had saved me?"
I didn't know for sure, but if he did, then he is the one who can save me. "Should I try to wake him up?"
His skin was pale as snow. His chest had the rhythmic movement but eyes were closed. I moved his hand to touch his forehead, to see if he was cold.
My hand had failed to touch him, yet at the next moment, the time stopped. I was paralysed. All I could do was to watch, as the black smoke of his body jumped towards me, enveloping me from head to toe. Even before I could move my vision turned dark.
"What just happened!?"
***************
"Did he died standing?" They scrutinised the body which had stopped moving after taking out the spears. With caution, they moved back creating some distance between them.
They watched in disbelief, as not a single drop of blood came out from the wounds. Yet at the next moment, black smoke started to ooze out of the wounds. It corroded any foreign elements like armours or cloths that was on his body.
He stood there naked, leaving only the talwar on his back. A little blue fire ignited at the right eye hole but the left eye remained close. And the body vanished...
A pair of shield-bearers were thrown away in the air. The shields had caved in, from the impact. Everything plunged into chaos again. The formation, that was holding him in for so long, was broken by a single punch. What was more frightening they couldn't follow the attack with naked eyes.
They looked in horror when it stopped again, it was a monster. The boy had turned into something frightening.
"It's a demon." Somebody screamed and at the next moment, headless bodies of the soldiers sprawled on the ground while spraying the blood in the air. It had ripped off the heads with his bare hand, that had turned into a black claw.
Those who were lucky enough to escape its claws looked in horror. The boy, they had just killed, had turned into a black shadow.
A sharp black horn sprouted from his forehead and his over-grown limbs made him look more inhuman. Its full dental set was made it look like a little smiling devil and its work couldn't be more synonymous to its look.
"This is a devil." Somebody shouted again. The frightened soldiers trying their best to escape triggered a frenzy.
'Devil' was one of the beings, who were hated by every race on the whole continent. Even the strongest of the continent, the demons, will think twice before going against one.
People don't know how they are born but everyone knew one thing when they born all they will do is kill, regardless whether the one in front him is human, beast, demi-human or the demon. They will kill until they were exhausted. And then they will die.
The one that shouted 'devil', died next. Soon the pile in front of the supply station increased in volume. No one could touch him much less harm him. With no one to stop, he continued to run amuck.
Those who can stop him were confused. The surprise attack at the same time caught them off-guard. Cavalry and archer attack didn't leave any position to retaliate. And on the top of that, the infantry was closing in.
"We have to abandon the camp and regroup."
Liyato almost jumped towards Official Nus hearing the suggestion, but General Kirmac spoke, "It is not his fault. We forgot that, what we can do, they can do it too. We copied their strategy they did the same. It was our fault that we didn't protect ourselves well. Retreat, abandon the camp."
"General? Are we going to leave without a fight?" Liyato had no intention to retreat. It wasn't just him, but many other people were thinking along the same line.
'It is not like I want to retreat.' But all Kirmac could do, was to shake his head. "It's too late. Our futile resistance will increase the casualty."
The atmosphere of the tent became dry. None wanted to talk, none want to take the first step. Even if they wanted to fight, what the general had said was an absolute truth.
"General, please leave first. You need to survive for the country. General Liyato please led the general to safety." Nobody expected such words from official Nus. In the case of mishaps, it was always the officials who ran away first.
Liyato gave the official a confused look. "Where will you go?" The tone was different. The difference was very little but it didn't escape the ear official Nus.
A light curve appeared on the edge of his lips, "I will burn down the supply station. The empire is fighting in three fonts, they are bound to have a food shortage, sooner or later. So…"
"I will go with you." Liyato stood up. "To begin with, it was not the work of an official. I couldn't just leave the camp while an official would do my work."
"No need, General. If you go they will mark you and it will be harder for you to escape. We can train a soldier over a year but can't produce a general. You will get your time, it won't end here and I won't let it end. Please general, leave."
"Nus take this with you." Kirmac threw a badge at him. It was his badge.
"Thank you, General. I will take my leave here. We will meet at Yeomcheon." With the words, Official Nus left the tent while the generals took the back route.
