A Reason

When one is faced with carnivorous wild animals in the wild, their first reaction is to run. It was not out of cowardice but because of instinct. Because it was already instilled in their minds that carnivorous wild animals were dangerous.

It was also what Ash was feeling right now. When his sight landed on the monster that suddenly appeared, he instinctively wanted to run. But he knew the safest option for him was to stay still, letting the other three protect him.

Like Samuel said, another monster jumped out of the forest.

Tony, who was already prepared, intercepted it mid-air and forced it to retreat.

"That's why I don't like to go on a task during a blood moon."

Ash heard Tony complaining, and he looked up at the still-visible crimson moon.

Is there any connection?

Ash's contemplation broke as he saw Captain Ruben attack his opponent. Moving directly to the front of the monster, he thrust his sword towards the monster's chest.

The monster's response was also fast, and it thwarted Captain Ruben's attack with a swing of its claws. 

Using the force of the monster attack, Captain Ruben did a turn and delivered a slash towards the monster's waist, forcing it to retreat with a shallow cut to its waist.

On the other hand, Tony's attack was more direct. He just attacked the monster recklessly with his scimitars.

Each slash contained his full-force swing, overwhelming the monster with pure brute force.

Ash watched with a gaping mouth. He didn't show much reaction to Captain Ruben's fight because it showed a fine technique, and there were many exquisite sword techniques back in his world.

But Tony's attack was different.

Is that a power humans could achieve?

Every attack of his was powerful, producing a deafening sound of metal clashing that made his ears ring. But his attention was entirely on the power of Tony's attack.

He could tell that its power was not something humans could achieve, at least not with Tony's stature.

If it were the monster that had that kind of power, he would not be surprised. With their strong builds and bulky bodies, such power was not out of the question. But the reality was the opposite, as it was being overwhelmed and pushed back from Tony's attack.

Even though Tony and Captain Ruben had an advantage over their opponent, it was not easy for them to quickly slay them.

The turning point was in the hands of Sam. Ash knew that Samuel's attention was always on the battle from the start. It was impossible for it just to guard against unexpected situations, it must be because he was waiting for a chance.

A chance that could quickly end the battle.

Like Ash expected, when Sam saw Captain Ruben's opponent had his head wide open, he took out the flintlocks and delivered two shots!

Bang!

Bang!

The sound of the gunshot was loud, but the effects were just as good.

The monster gave up his chances to block Captain Ruben's attack and blocked the two bullets instead, causing him to stagger backwards with a deep cut on his waist.

Ash didn't know what happened, but he saw Sam's expression suddenly turn for the worse, even though his attack had successfully distracted the monster.

Before he could even react, Sam jumped to the side and rolled several times.

Boom!

From the place where Sam was standing before, a third monster landed.

Ash lifted his head and looked at the monstrosity that suddenly appeared beside him. There stood the same monster that Tony and Ruben faced, with no more than three meters of distance between them.

Ash stood still, petrified. He could hear his loud and fast heartbeat like a drum in his head. Fear had taken over his body, as he couldn't move an inch.

His instinct warned him to run away countless times in his mind. But his body seems to be petrified.

Move!

Move!

Run!

Ash tried to move desperately, but he couldn't feel the power from his feet; they were wobbly like jelly. Even when he didn't have the energy to walk, it wasn't as bad as this.

His eyes met the monster's red eyes, which were full of greed and blood thirst. It's looking at him like he was prey.

Its mouth opened slightly, showing rows of sharp teeth that were covered in thick saliva. 

"Run!"

A shout snapped him back to reality, but it was already too late. At the moment when he was petrified, the monster had already attacked him with its claw.

All he could do was lift his hands and block the attack.

Ash felt a sharp pain in his hands. He let out a muffled scream from his mouth, enduring the pain.

Maybe that was how it felt when a factory worker's hand slipped into the machine.

Because of how weak he was, the monster attack managed to throw him back, creating a distance between him and the monster.

But it was useless, as he was thrown in the opposite direction from the others.

He landed on the ground and rolled several times. His hands were a bloody mess.

The root that was previously binding his hand was torn apart. It was the thing that came into contact directly with the monster's attack, preventing his hand from being destroyed.

Bang!

Bang!

He heard the sound of gunshots, and the monster moved slightly to evade the bullets that flew past his shoulder.

Ash looked at Samuel, who was trying to delay the monster's advance with his flintlock, but the reload time of the flintlocks was quite long, and Samuel himself didn't have the power to face the monster head-on.

Tony and Captain Ruben were entangled by their opponent. Even the seriously injured monster was trying hard to stop Ruben from rescuing him, risking aggravating his injury further.

The monster walked closer and closer to him, even though it was fast. He could hear its step loud and clear, inching closer to him.

Is this how my life ends?

Am I going to wake up in my bed if I die here?

But…

What if I don't?

He suddenly realized that he didn't know anything about what had happened to him.

He always hoped to come back to his bedroom after he died, but he never considered what would happen if he didn't?

He would die for real!

Without knowing anything, he placed all of his hope in an illusion.

Illusion he created himself as he ran away from the reality in front of him—his new reality. A reality that he tried so hard to reject, something that he hoped never happened.

No!

He must stay alive!

No matter what! 

At least until he gained a definite answer as to whether he could come back or not.

He must stay alive for as long as possible!

To wait for that day to come.

Now that he had found a reason to stay alive, His dead eyes suddenly blazed with determination. His will to stay alive is soaring. 

But… 

Just determination and conviction alone could not help him in this situation. 

He needed something—something that could help him escape.

But, the monster didn't give him time to think, as it instantly attacked him with its sharp claw.

Ash used everything he had just to move backwards, evading the attack by a hair breath. He could feel the sharp air generated by the claw hitting his face.

Ash, with a pale face, continued moving backwards even though he knew it was useless.

"Khuk!"

He was kicked hard in the stomach. He retched, but only some liquid came out of his mouth.

Bam!

He was thrown again, helplessly, without being able to do anything.

If only he had power like the other three, he wouldn't be in this pathetic state without being able to do anything.

Right!

Power!

He was reminded of something inside him that was sealed by the rope before. 

Please!

Please!

Answer my call!

He suddenly felt his heart become hot, something suddenly stirred in it.

When he managed to establish a connection with that power, he suddenly felt his vision shift, and he was no longer in the forest.

What appeared in front of him was

A sea of fire.