Attacked

Whoosh...

Dark Mana kept swirling through my veins, sending sparks of energy crackling through every fiber of my being.

Its tendrils reached out, like ethereal fingers, caressing my skin with a tingling sensation.

Aghhh...

However, with every second that passed, controlling the Dark Mana became increasingly difficult.

My mind was also becoming like a tangled web, making it hard to keep my Mana Flow smooth and steady.

"..."

Droplets of sweat formed on my forehead, glistening in the sunlight and dripping down onto the parched earth below.

My teeth were gritted together, preventing any sound from escaping my clenched jaw.

My muscles were strained, taut like a bowstring ready to be released, as I fought to maintain control over the surging power within me.

I looked like a drug addict desperate for the next fix, my entire body trembling from the strain.

Every breath I took was labored and shallow as if my lungs were constricted by an invisible force, squeezing the air out of me.

However, I refused to stop.

I will continue to push through until I black out or until my flow is disrupted.

"..."

With the pulsating Mana traveling through my being, I felt an empowering rush of strength, but it also exacted a heavy toll on my mental endurance.

This was hella hard...

Click...

Suddenly, the flow of Dark Mana snapped, disrupting the delicate equilibrium I had struggled to maintain.

Instantly, my body went limp, collapsing to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

The pain was excruciating, a searing sensation that overwhelmed my senses.

I wanted to scream, to shout out in agony, but my vocal cords were paralyzed by the sheer force of the disrupted Mana Flow.

"..."

All I could do was lie there, my eyes rolling back into my head from the overwhelming pain and exhaustion.

However, I was unable to lose consciousness, trapped in a state of intense agony and consciousness as the Dark Mana continued to wreak havoc within me.

Chirp... Chirp...

Distant bird songs were the only thing except for the sound of my own ragged breaths that reached my ears.

Time seemed to lose meaning as I lay there, each passing moment feeling like an eternity.

The pain slowly ebbed, but it left behind a lingering ache in every fiber of my being. The Dark Mana had taken its toll, leaving me drained and battered.

I forced my eyes open, blinking away the blurriness that enveloped my vision. As the world slowly came back into focus, I realized I had regained some semblance of control over my body.

It was a relief, but the pain was far from gone.

"Ughh..."

Groaning in agony, I mustered the strength to prop myself up on my elbows. The ground beneath me felt rough and unforgiving, a stark contrast to the ethereal power that had coursed through me just moments ago.

With a trembling hand, I pressed against the parched earth, pushing myself up into a sitting position. Every movement sent shockwaves of pain, but I gritted my teeth and persevered.

"I've overdone it..."

Clicking my tongue, I tried to tap into my Core, but the amount of Dark Mana left within was paltry at best.

I was completely spent...

Swish...

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed out of the lush greenery, its silver tip gleaming under the dappled sunlight.

Luckily, I was able to react, quickly diverting my gaze and fishing it out of thin air before it pierced my chest.

"Goblins?"

At first, I was startled and immediately deemed the threat to be Goblins, but upon glancing at the arrow for the second time, I realized that it wasn't crafted by the clumsy hands of Goblins.

Goblins do use bows and arrows, I killed an archer a week ago, but there was a crucial difference...

The arrow I currently held in my palm had a silver tip.

Goblins only make arrows with crude tips made from stone or bone!

"He caught your arrow~"

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the forest underbrush, causing me to snap my head in the direction of the sound.

"Oh shut up, it's my first arrow of the day, my hands are still cold!"

A couple of figures emerged from the foliage, revealing themselves to be a pair of young men, dressed in mismatched armor.

One of them held a longbow, while the other wielded a longsword.

Immediately, my eyes went to their posture and demeanor, assessing whether they posed a threat.

I already knew that a fight was unavoidable given my race, but I had to determine the level of danger these individuals presented.

'This will be bothersome...'