Chapter 8

Kabanata 8

The silent land was deserted, it was a futile description. However, the two existence that was eyeing each other didn't care about it. The other had a thirst for blood while the latter had the intention of living, they both had a reason.

"Kiiyuaarrrhhh!"

The Veloce sprinted, it was a bit confusing why Keenan didn't run. Still, the Nightmare continued dashing and extended its deadly hands. The Veloce leaped and swung its claws towards him. Keenan raised his transforming left arm.

"Hiyyyaaahhhyahh!"

The Veloce sneered as it saw that Keenan presented his left arm for the monster to slash. What an idiot- the Veloce thought.

However, when its claws shifted and sliced the arm, the arm disappeared and turned into fine sands. Its claws didn't hit anything, the monster was surprised watching how the arm disintegrated and materialized into another form.

The worst was that the transforming arm went towards its neck! The arm completely turned into a blade and plunged into the Veloce.

"Ggrrraahhh!"

"Yosh!"

The monster had a slash on his neck, Keenan succeeded in luring the monster. His plan was to counterattack but it seemed like the outcome he accomplished was greater than he thought. His blade cut the Veloce's neck leading the monster to flail in the air and crashed into the ground as its neck poured blood out.

"Gwek!"

The monster touched its neck and tried to stop the bleeding. But Keenan didn't stop his attack with just one.

As an Arma, he must not show any mercy to the Nightmare. If he saw one, he must kill it, and of course, Keenan abides this rule. This creature didn't have any right, just like how he killed other humans with pleasure, Keenan would give the monster equal price.

"I guess my calmness and my resolution not to run give me this outcome. With this one exchange, I severely damaged the Veloce."

Keenan didn't get close to the Veloce since he knew that the creature could hurt him and make a last resort attack. Besides, Keenan had another way to injure the monster. With his fingers, he could replicate another wound on the monster.

"Hey, bleeding Gollum, do you see this?"

Keenan raised his right arm, his thumb and long finger touched. He smirked as he watched how the Veloce slowly lost its life. The monster writhing in pain and glared at him, the monster was furious and wanted to bite him. It tried to make a sound but the wound on its neck started spurting more blood.

*snap!*

Keenan flicked his fingers, his deep golden eyes cast onto the monster, and witnessed how the wound further expand. The monster realized that the wound spread and excruciating pain struck it. The blood that it was trying to stop flooded out of its body, creating a pool of blood. Since the wound became larger, its hands couldn't stop the blood anymore. The monster slowly lost its vision. In its last moment, the Veloce saw that Keenan was smirking and mocking the monster's stupid death.

"… guww… weeeh…"

The Veloce died, despite the higher chance of winning, the monster lost to Keenan. Its frantic decision caused its death. Instead of being cautious, the monster dashed and confronted Keenan and lead itself to death.

"You are Class-B, stronger than me, but you didn't use your head and immediately went for a head-on attack. If you are not stupid, then what are you?"

Waiting for the monster to die, Keenan commented and ridiculed it. The Veloce had a chance to win this battle but the Veloce's mind was full of thoughts of feasting on Keenan's flesh, that's why the monster didn't seriously assess the situation. The Veloce thought that every human he met was weak and foolish.

"Then I'm sorry but you are the foolish one here."

Keenan had experienced fighting and almost lost his life many times. He won't submit to the wild and erratic presence of Veloce since he faced far dangerous things than this.

His judgment of not running was the right thing, now he killed a stronger enemy without getting wounded. His decision in a grave situation like this was spot-on satisfactory. As expected from a top-class assassin, his verdict and action were right.

Keenan sighed, he waved his left arm and it returned to its normal form. The blade granulate and fixed itself into an arm. He walked and got closer to the monster. He was confident that it was already dead since its eyes didn't look vicious anymore. He kneeled and grabbed the still warm claws of the monster, he pointed the claws on the chest and pushed it in. He used the Veloce's claws to excavate its body, what an industrious way of doing things, a recyclable one. The sharp edges went inside and opened a hole for Keenan to enter.

"Now, that I have an N-core of a Class-B, perhaps I can class-up now…"

He concluded, Keenan understood his body than anyone. He was a Class-C for two years already. He ate a lot of N-cores and practiced his power many times stacking his experience to reach another height, he knew that he was close to class up. Although, it was out of his expectation to class up in this place, never in his mind believed that he would reach it here.

"If I eat this, I won't have a choice but to stay here to concentrate and regulate my soul..."

He started thinking about what was the best answer in this situation. Would he continue walking and find his teammates or would he stay and class up? He was conflicted, but it didn't reach a long time for him to find a conclusion.

"Let's do it, my survival will be higher if I class up. I will have my second Skill if I succeeded."

Reaching Class-B would awaken his second Skill, this was the tangible answer that he could get right now. Staying here to class up was better compared to trudging in the wasteland to find his teammates only to realize that he couldn't, and there was a chance that he had to stay here for another night. Keenan needed an apparent and tangible answer. He needed the power to survive, and reaching Class-B would help him with that.

"… Okay, all I have to do is to concentrate and channel the energy…"