Chapter 57: Hard to kill.

Zyro had experience numerous life threatening situations - extreme poverty as a kid, hellish training, STELLAR destruction amidst outer space and landing here in this alien planet before somehow scaping the Gricks claws. He survived all that, but never did he thought he'll die by blinking.

'Ah, That's hilarious.'

He failed.

He made the same mistake as the caravan guard, poet and every victims of the Blinker that had fallen for it's tricky power.

For a moment, he saw nothing but pure darkness. Zyro open his eyes, still, the black world remains.

Its amazing, really. The Blinker truly deserve it's name, for his death was delivered instantly in a blink of an eye without pain. Just how swift is that thing if unseen?

Nevertheless, Zyro was a little happy. Perhaps, this was the world showing mercy to a pitiful soul. A peaceful end devoid of suffering. Zyro's life was not a pleasant one from birth till now, but atleast his death is.

'Finally, so... This is... death?.'

No one knew what's afterlife really looked like, but Zyro saw nothing but black. Apparently, his thoughts was still working.

He frowned... Not just his thinking, but all his senses are functioning, too. The feeling of his hands pressing against jagged stone and warm embrace of his clothes. Sticky sweats, aching muscles. His pounding heart sounds like drums in that dark space. However, there's another noise his hearing... A really fast, inhumane breathing of something unknown. Then, Zyro smelled a nauseating scent of rotten blood.

Everything became clear when the darkness Infront of him moved. Giving way for a tiny tint of light from the rising sun outside to aid his sight. In that dim space, Zyro saw the Blinker horrifying head up close. Black and lusterless, like a big, spear head with a perfectly circular hole in the middle full of boundless void. The tip, which is the Blinker beak was directly pointed at him, threatening to pierce through his heart. Fortunately, unlike it's legs. The swift monster neck was short, while it's sizable body hinder it from diving further. Deeming it incapable of reaching him inside the deep tunnel.

As it turns out, the monster body was blocking the entire entrance. Robbing the inside of any illumination and filling it with shadows, resulting the world of darkness a moments ago.

Zyro was alive.

Missing death by hairs breath - the Blinker sharp beak was just one centimeters away from poking his chest, frozen in place. However, it then retracted back. The abrupt movement of the dark monster jolted his clarity awake, Zyro gasped for air and push himself backward again.

Thudd!

The Blinker spider-like body forcefully push through the tunnel, sending webs of cracks on the stone and sinking it's triangular head deeper. Fortunately, Zyro had moved further inside in the nick of time. Because if he didn't, the Blinker blood dyed beck will not only touch his garment, but poke through him. Zyro keep crawling back, the Blinker then started opening it's pointy maw full of razor sharp fangs, before biting ferociously with snapping sounds. However, despite all it's efforts. Nothing was catched by it's hungry beck, for Zyro had already creep deeper for it to reach.

If the Blinker could have seen clearly in the dark tunnel, maybe it would had munched on Zyro's foot earlier and pulled him out. Lucky for him, although it's agility was peerless, the same doesn't go for it's irregular eye sight.

Crawling through the lightless tunnel - no longer backwards on all fours. Zyro heaved a sighed of relief as he reached safe distance. Once again, he miraculously survived another hurdle.

'I don't know wether luck favored or loathed me.'

Encountering the legendary Blinker itself of all monstrosities inhabiting this vast forest was extreme misfortune. However, thanks to his quick wits solving the cheat ability flaws. Zyro scaped successfully without sustaining any injuries. Which is lucky, in a sense.

Now that his mind is free to wonder, the Blinker impossible agility and strange stillness under unblinking sight really marveled him.

Everyone knew that beasts wield supernatural abilities, however, the Blinker was a special case. Take the Eyeless Hound as example: it have potent sense of smell due to it's dozen nostrils, which was further enhance by its lacking sight and hearing. Making it rely fully on olfactory organ to perceive the world. Logically, giving it the power of super smell perception. Similar to Electric eels generating electricity, cheetahs race-car-like speed, spiders producing webs and chameleons changing skin colors at will. All this capabilities were supported by this creatures organ structure. Allowing them to utilize ability beyond mundanity.

On the other hand, the Blinker ability to traverse instantly broke reasons. I mean, how could it achieve that speed using only six segmented limbs? It was impossible. Like a human running without legs.

It was unheard of, even if he searched through everything he heard in the past. No related information was found, except unique ability users that everyone knew. Such as the Demoness - A historical figure who massacred millions in the Goddess epoch, hundreds of years ago and was said to possess a unique power. Her heinous deeds run through history, reminding everyone of her wicked existence. Fortunately, that witch was long dead. Anything else about her, Zyro didn't know. There's also Arden - ruler of Helios Burning City known for his devouring flame. Although pyrokinesis was Helios race natural talents, Arden fire was exceptionally harrowing. It burn anything it touched, till nothing remains. The rest was simply uncertified rumors.

This didn't answer his question at all.

Zyro groaned, feeling his brain boiling up. His been up all night navigating through dangerous wilderness and crossed a road full of slumbering flat-biters under tense atmosphere, before somehow scaping a specially strong dark monster. It was a mentally demanding night, Zyro really need a break.

Besides, he could always consult the sealed sage - Depter, about this topic in his next visit. If that old living encyclopedia doesn't know the mysteries behind the Blinker power, then Zyro might as well forget about it. Not like it matter anymore, the Blinker is behind him now. And like any other feral creature, when failed, it will moved on for another hunt to quench it's hunger or migrate. Chances are, Zyro might never meet that cheater again in the vast forest.

'Right?'

After minutes of crawling through the silent dark burrow. At last, Zyro reached its end, which is lead inside the secret cavern of Pert. Coming out of the hole, he saw the intricate map carved in stone and the fidgeting kid walking left and right with an concerned expression.

As soon as Pert saw Zyro, he exclaimed with joy.

"You really followed, what the heck is that earlier." Seeing Zyro unscratched. Pert genuine concern turn sour.

"Don't tell me your pranking me or something, I almost freaked out. It's not funny you know."

The true fallen knight had lived up to the kid expectations in their short journey throughout the wilderness. Zyro remain disturbingly composed and calculative no matter how dire the situation they're facing. He showed no sings of weakness nor waver, and create decisive judgements. Just like how Zyro lead to cross the flat-biters danger zone, instead of continuing around it. If they had settled for the later, then they would still be out there in broad daylight. Zyro's decision was risky yet, it's the safest way.

Despite his youth, Pert knew what made a warrior truly fearsome is not his muscles. But his mind, the wise triumphed the strong most of the time. Similar to how Zyro scaped the Grick despite their overwhelming advantage within their home ground. Even though he possess no strength to prevail, Zyro claimed victory using his wits.

Therefore, whatever could make the fallen knight dead serious frightened Pert to his core earlier.

Zyro listlessly yawned. To exhausted to explain, he simply summarize what happened for now.

"Something challenge me to a staring game I can't refuse. It loss, I guess. So it tried poking me. Sadly for that thing, cheaters never win... Sometimes."

Pert was perplexed.

Wearily walking towards the exit, Zyro added.

"Oh, remember if you meet a six legged black creature. Don't blink both eyes."

There's no point clarifying the details to the young Aster now. Because it's their time for respite for tomorrow upcoming departure towards the vampire village.

Pert was dumbfounded, frowning.

"Huh? What the heck is that supposed to mean."

Leaving the puzzled kid behind, Zyro return to the mining area in search for comfortable rock bed in a secluded place to sleep. On his way, Zyro stumbled upon a familiar old miner.

With disarrayed ashen hair reaching his ears. His wrinkled and frail body wore poor clothing. It was the slave Zyro encountered when he returned from the forest. Like before, the elder was napping beside a passage way, making everyone who pass see him. However, Zyro did notice slight improvement on the elder physical health. The first time he saw him, he look like a dying man, but now. Studying the old slave, Zyro judge he'll atleast run a few more days.

'I'm in a good mood today, so I'll add few more to that.'

Once again, Zyro shared a few salty meat. There's no harm in doing this, because he have no shortage of dried meats after returning from the wild. Along the way, they also taken meats from the beasts they hunted for food. So they had plenty to spare. Furthermore, Zyro doubted he'll sleep well if he disregard this pitiful soul in need.

After that, Zyro slept like a baby, only to be awoken the next morning by Pert urgent shout.

"Zyro, Zyro! Hey, where the heck are you. Something terrible happened outside!!"