On The Run

Lex smiled at her, causing Eve to pinch, making him yelp. He looked at her and saw her poke her tongue at him.

He pinched her, getting a scream. The two calmed down and sat there as the carriages started moving.

They headed out of the academy and traveled down the main street. While they were doing that, Lex checked his status.

[Lex Dawnstrider]

[Level: 4]

[Race: Vampire]

[Magic: Blood]

[Hp: 1500/1500]

[Mana: ----]

[Strength: 2000]

[Stamina: 1500]

[Dexterity: 1500]

[Luck: 1400]

[Vitality: 1500]

[Intelligence: 800]

[Charisma: 600]

Spells: Body Enhancement(0)Stealth Shroud(0)Clockwork Shield(0)Quick Step(0)Elemental Strike(0)

Pleased with his level and upgraded status, he put his head on Eve's shoulder and closed his hand after he checked.

Eve saw this and smiled as she felt him resting. That's when Ayla spoke up. ''He's changed.''

The pink-haired girl nodded her head as she replied. ''Yes, he has. Lex used never to be so touchy, but he seems to like it now.''

Ayla looked at him and nodded her head. ''Seems so. I wonder how long it will take to get to Shadowwood Grove.''

Eve looked out the window and answered. ''A few hours once we pass the walls. Commander Tila and the Gearknights have killed hundreds of monsters in the last week.''

After she spoke, they went silent, and they traveled for another couple of hours as they heard gunfire going off here and there. 

Lex woke up and stretched as he looked around. A bad feeling washed over him, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

He looked at Eve, who was looking out the window. Lex then turned to Ayla before speaking. ''Why don't you join us, Ayla?''

The green-haired girl turned to him with narrowed eyes before asking. ''Why?''

Before he could speak, loads of roars erupted from all around them. Lex jumped up and exited the carriage, followed by the two girls.

When they got outside, he pulled out his Gearhearts and fired at the incoming Devourers.

His bullets slammed into the monsters, causing mini explosions everywhere. Eve pulled out her Steam Lock and started also firing.

That's when Ayla pulled out a bow, but it was mechanized, which shocked Lex. He shook his head and continued shooting.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Lex, Eve, and Ayla fought against the unrelenting tide of Hivefiends.

The sky was darkened with their monstrous forms, their chittering and hissing drowning out the sounds of war. It was a relentless onslaught, and it seemed no end was in sight.

Lex fired his Gearhearts at the monster, but their chitinous armor absorbed the shots, causing it to screech in anger before its spindly legs carried it forward again.

That's when the last soldiers went down, and Lex turned to the two girls and spoke. ''Run!''

The two girls took off toward the distant forest in the opposite direction. As they ran, Lex covered them while casting Elemental Strike.

He aimed the spell at the pursuing monsters and let them loose, which caused a massive explosion that sent him flying.

But he landed on his feet and sprinted into the forest to escape the Hivefiends. Lex could smell the girls, so he followed behind them.

After running for ten minutes, he saw them ahead, but that's when he caught sight of Hivespawns about to lunge at them.

He raised his weapons and fired a stream of mana bullets that zoomed through the air and slammed into the creatures, causing the girls to jump to the side.

When they turned around, they saw Lex approaching them but saw more Hivefiends chasing him.

But he turned around and fired more bullets that exploded once they hit the monsters. He sensed two creatures trying to ambush him.

As they got close, Lex cast Quickstep, dodged their attacks, and blew the Hivespawn's heads off.

Once the attacks stopped, the three sprinted deeper into the forest until they couldn't hear anything.

They stopped at a river that ran through the forest. When Lex saw the water, he got creeped out.

''I wouldn't go near the water. Many unknown monsters live in there.'' A voice came from behind him.

Lex turned around to see Ayla looking at him with curious eyes. She continued talking. ''Thank you for helping me.''

He smiled at the girl before he heard a distant noise and started getting paranoid. Lex listened closely and realized it was a horde of footsteps heading in their direction.

When he heard that, he grabbed Ayla and Eve while rushing over to a tree hollow he saw. He entered it and covered the three of them with the Shadow Cloak.

Once he did that, they vanished, but he still cast Stealth Shroud so they would be hidden and within two minutes, a horde of Hivespawns appeared.

All different kinds ran about the clearing looking for them, but that's when the three spotted a Dreadmaw appear in the horde.

Lex started panicking and cast Stealth Shroud again. The creatures roamed around for about ten minutes until they ran off.

Before he removed the cloak, he looked around but soon saw some creepy-looking creatures hiding in the trees.

Lex whispered to the two girls. ''They are still around, so we must stay here for now. Night will be here in a few hours, so you two rest.''

Eve nodded her head and cuddled up to him while getting comfortable while Ayla put her head on his shoulder.

He kept casting Stealth Shroud while they waited, but what they saw horrified them.

Before them, a horde of Hivefiends, their grotesque forms glinting in the fading light, streamed through the dense forest like a relentless river of shadow.

The ground trembled beneath the thunderous chorus of their frenzied footsteps, and the air was thick with a horrible smell that unsettled the three.

Lex saw thousands of Wraiths overhead as every type of Hivefiend ran past. As he was watching them, Ayla whispered into his ear. ''They are headed toward the city.''

He nodded but sensed a pair of eyes on them and a chill ran up his body. He turned around to see a pair of red eyes.

When he saw this, he jumped and pulled the girls out before the tree exploded. Lex pulled out her Gearhearts and started firing at the Dreadmaw.

Explosions rang out before Lex, and the two girls started to flee in the opposite direction. 

They fled from the Hivefiends; their hearts pounded in their chests, and their breaths came in ragged gasps.

The swarm of creatures was gaining on them, their legs clicking and clacking in a horrifying symphony of hunger and aggression.

Their desperate flight led them deeper into the forest's heart, where the twisted trees and tangled undergrowth conspired against their escape.

Lex, in the lead, pushed through the dense foliage with sheer determination, while Eve and Ayla followed closely, casting anxious glances over their shoulders.

Suddenly, the trio burst into a clearing, and their eyes widened in awe and fear. Before them stood a colossal waterfall, its cascading waters plunging into a crystal-clear pool below.

The roar of the waterfall drowned out all other sounds, but there was no time to admire the scenery.

The Hivefiends were closing in, their grotesque forms blotting the forest behind them. Lex turned to Eve and Ayla, his voice urgent. "We have no choice. We jump!"

Without hesitation, he ran and leaped from the edge, disappearing into the mist and foam.

Eve and Ayla exchanged a resolute look and followed suit, their hearts in their throats as they plummeted into the abyss.

The world became a swirling vortex of sound and sensation as they plunged through the curtain of water.

The shock of the icy cold water enveloped them, stealing their breath and disorienting their senses.

They fought against the powerful current, kicking and swimming with all their might, desperate to reach the surface.

Finally, they burst through the water's surface, gasping for air. Their heads bobbed in the churning pool below the waterfall as they struggled to stay afloat.

The Hivefiends, unable to follow them, screeched in frustration from the precipice above, their menacing forms outlined against the fading light.

They got out of the water and started to head deeper into the forest, followed by the Wraiths, but the trees were so dense they couldn't attack them.

Lex checked on the two girls and spoke. ''You girls okay?''

It was Eve who replied first. ''I'm fine, just wet and cold.''

''Same here,'' Ayla answered while trying to dry herself.

That's when he checked his space bag and was pleased that it was still there. The three started looking for a place to rest.

[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]