The Torment of Living

Zarius was woken up when he felt his gravity shift. Opening his eyes he realized he was falling.

'Ah.. shi-' he wasn't even able to complete his thoughts when the force of his decent rocked his brain and broke his spine as he fell in the jungle's floor.

But soon his regeneration started fixing it as well.

[Bp: 10] > [Bp: 4]

"Fuck.. resting did actually hurt me" He grumbled as he push himself off the floor and tried standing up. His broken neck quickly being mended.

Then he suddenly sensed something approaching him at fast speed. Turning his head in that direction he came face to face with an armored guy. He was dashing through the jungle's grassy soil, his speed blowing some leaves away as he dash through and onto Zarius with incredible speed.

'He's trying to kill me? Why? I'm a hu-....' he suddenly remembered that he was not.

And he also realized that he have never tried to fight another human before, even back on earth. Much less kill them.. Can he even do it? Kill another human?

'And.. it's not like I'm a human anymore..' he thought as he laid his eye on the incoming sword that is aiming straight at his heart. His enhanced hearing managed to pick up the sound the sword made as it cut through the air with a sharp whoosh..

'And if he's trying to kill me.. isn't he a bad guy? So he's not innocent either..' he thought as a dark glint appeared in his eyes. A strange thrill surged through him, akin to the excitement he felt during a legendary gacha roll, but darker, more sinister.

'Lets kill each other shall we?' And at that moment he didn't even realize he was smiling like a madman.

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"Nothing personal kid" the knight sigh and thrust his sword forward.

And then the last moment he saw the guy in front of him moved a bit to the side.

'What a futile attempt, you still will die.' he smiled as he watched his sword piercing through the boy's chest.. he's pretty sure that he grazed the boy's heart too. He clearly felt the usual sensation of fleshing getting teared by his own blade.

But then the next thing he saw made him petrified.

The boy pushed forward, driving the sword deeper into himself, and swung his right hand, all the while grinning as if he didn't feel the sword in his chest.

'I need to dodge!' the knight thought, yanking back, but the sword was stuck, the boy's flesh seeming to grip it.

And without hesitation he let go and leaned back at the last moment. He doesn't know why but his instinct warned him not to get hit by his hands.

Though the next moment he realized why.

The boy's "normal" hand manage to reach his helmet, more specifically the cheek part.

But the strangest thing was, he felt his helmet vibrating as if a metal was carving at it. He heard a sharp creek as if a metal fork was scratching a metal plate echoing in his ears..

This made him step back some more away from his reach. Looking ahead with wide eye, he slowly reach to the left cheeks of his helmet and felt 3 deep scratch on it.

'H-how? Isn't he just a dying little bastard?' he shuddered and look at the 'dying' man in front of him.

And.... watched it fall into one knees. And soon the boy's head fell limp, though he remained on his knees.

"He's... Dead?.." The knight mumbles, seemingly lost and unsure.

'Did just imagined it?' he thought as he recall the brief but chilling moments he just experienced. 'But he's dead..... Yeah maybe I just imagined it.'

He was still in deep thoughts when he suddenly heard a deep laughter coming from his colleague.

*PFFFFF!* Suddenly a restrained laughter was heard through the jungle.

"DID THAT BRAT JUST SCARED YOU TO DEATH??" he hollered, whilst he try to stop himself from laughing.

He was enjoying how his usually confident and arrogant partner behaves as if he just escaped death that he forgot his lust over the woman before him. As if to make more fun of the knight, the burly man went and approached the dead body of the boy.

"You got scared of THIS one?" He said, laughing and mocking the knight as he picked up the body on the ground by its hair with his right hand and display the dead body to the knight again, as if he's hoping the knight would flinch away in fear.

The knight in question didn't react the way he expected him to. He was silent observing the body with uncertainties as if he doesn't believe it. The sword of the knight was still imbedded in the boy's chest... covered in blood and sticking out from its back. So, what's there to be so scared about? 

The woman in the back meanwhile was terrified. She expected them to be murderers and criminals, but seeing them kill someone before her was entirely different experience.

'I went into the portal in hopes of experiencing true battles and the field.... But look at me... I might actually...l...' slowly the situation started to sink into her, her breathing getting quicker and panic started covering her mind..

And at that moment something even more shocking happened. Causing both the knight and the woman widen their eyes.

The "dead" boy in the barbarians clutches seemingly opened its eye....

The knight was so confused and taken aback that he could not inform his colleague on time. 

"Khan! Wat-.." he tried warning him and calling him out.

Since Khan was the one holding the body, he cant really see its face and how it opened its eye. He's completely oblivious to what was happening. 

And that's what all Zarius needs..

"Fool" he whispered and at the same time lashed out with such speed that his entire right arm became a blur and with terrifying precision, his long metallic nails found its way to the barbarians heart.

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"....?.." there was silence..

Khan was taken by surprise.. and slowly, he looked down and look at the entire arm sticking through his chest.. He felt numb..

'w- what?.. what i- is this shit?' he asked himself.. he couldn't believe what happened. He look around hoping and trying to find a fault in the reality he was in.. who knows perhaps this is just a bad dream, everything seems to be slowed then his eyes landed on his partner, Jim.

This guy have been a pain in the ass for him.. but that was only in the beginning, the more they know each other though the more he appreciate him. He was the only person that did not show distaste towards him.. a stupid barbarian... he were the only person that genuinely treated him seriously.

And that same knight was in the process of throwing a punch. His face was twisted in pure rage. 

'What is he doing?.. punching a corpse like that.. heh.. he really got scared of that?' his thoughts were turning sluggish.. and he was feeling a bit sleepy.. come to think of it he haven't slept much last night.. maybe he should take a nap

 But still he find it funny that Jim really got scared of this dead corpse.. he chuckles 'heh... what.... a.... pussy' 

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"NOOOO!" Jim yelled with a rage-filled denial of what he was seeing. And without anymore hesitation he sprang into action and lunch a punch with all the might he could muster. 

"LET GO OF MY FRIEND, YOU BEAST!" he yelled as his fist connected to the "corpse's" face. 

And with a crunch and fleshy sound.. the corpse was sent flying across the jungle, rolling a few times in the grass before stopping completely still a couple of meters away. Khan, meanwhile fell on his back, unmoving. 

Jim looked at his friend's body with a clouded eyes, and an expressionless look, his eyes were hazy and his face pale. 'Khan.. is dead?' he thought. The same guy who used to tank attacks he could never survive. The same guy who fought monster's bear handed before.

'He's dead.....' he thought, his only friend is... dead.

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'Using [Vampiric Claw] in places where heart actually got me some nice BP' Zarius thought as he look at his BP counter which reads

[BP: 4] -> [BP: 13] 

Though there's one thing he noticed... even though he just killed someone in cold blood, he doesn't feel a thing.. almost as if he have done it many times before.. 

'Maybe this come together with being a vampire?' he guessed though he wasn't entirely sure.. 'Whatever.. I mean.. why should I feel bad, they were the one who tried to kill me first..'

'What's more...I got something more' he thought as he looked in front of him and read the notification

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[You have defeated Khan Son of Vehl]

[You have gained 3xp!]

[Exp: 9/75] -> [Exp: -> 12/75]

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And with that he slowly pushed himself on the ground, with a sword still impaling his heart.. 'Oh right, I still have this thing' he thought as he grip the sword's handle and slowly he pulled it out. 

He winced as the blade slid out, pain shooting through his chest. Despite his high tolerance for pain, it was still an agonizing process. He groaned as blood poured from the wound, but he managed to keep his breathing steady, his mind focused on the task at hand. Each inch he pulled felt like fire, but he persisted, knowing he had to remove it to begin healing properly.

Finally, with one last effort, he yanked the sword free, blood spurting from the wound. He collapsed back to his knees, clutching his chest as the pain ebbed and the wound began to close for real this time. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heartbeat loud in his ears.

He looked at the bloodied sword in his hand, the crimson liquid dripping onto the ground, and felt a grim sense of relief. 

And at that moment, he sense movement in the surrounding. Turning his head in that direction he once again got face to face with the knight who's face was seething with calm rage. 

Zarius held the bloodied sword firmly in his hand, its weight unfamiliar and awkward. He faced Jim, who charged at him with visible rage. And the moment the knight got in range the knight swung his fist in a powerful arc aimed at Zarius's face.

Zarius instinctively and instantly lifted the sword to block, taken aback by Jim's sudden and powerful attack, but the force of the blow wrenched his arms and almost knocked the blade out of his hands. Feeling the hit rattle through his body, he staggered back with a silent groan.

Jim took advantage of the situation and struck viciously with his bare fists again one after another. With a frantic parries, Zarius tried to block the knight's constant attack struggling to defend against it. And with a final and forceful blow Jim delivered a stunning punch that managed to slip in Zarius defense and onto his chest, sending him flying backward.

Zarius tumbled through the jungle undergrowth, rolling several meters away before coming to a stop with fallen leaves being blown away. Pain seared through his body, but his regeneration quickly began to mend the damage.

Gasping for breath, Zarius pushed himself up, his mind racing. He realized the futility of trying to use a sword which he have never even wielded before. As he staggered to his feet, he saw Jim stride purposefully toward Khan, the barbarian, lying motionless on the ground.

With a determined expression, Jim knelt beside Khan and retrieved the barbarian's massive axe that has remained in the barbarians grip. The blade gleamed, a formidable weapon in the knight's hands. Zarius watched, his heart pounding with a mixture of dread.

He knew he couldn't afford to underestimate Jim and his skill. Discarding the bloodied sword, Zarius centered himself, drawing upon his vampiric instinct and letting it all out. He took on a lower stance with both hands forward, his legs spread wide.

Jim straightened, gripping the axe firmly in both hands. He turned toward Zarius, his gaze steely and focused. And they faced each other once more.

Jim tightly held the large axe, giving its heaviness and balance a feel as he confidently moved towards Zarius. The dense forest surrounded them, shadows dancing among thick foliage and the air filled with the aroma of moist leaves. Unseen beings moved about in the underbrush, contributing to the tension-filled ambiance.

Zarius observed Jim closely, his senses sharp as he notes the knight's movements and the determination in his eyes. Realizing he couldn't compete with Jim's pure power and skill, Zarius planned to depended on his speed and fast reactions to avoid any possible danger.

Then at that moment Jim moved suddenly, the axe cut through the thick air with deadly purpose. Zarius responded quickly, gracefully moving like a bat to evade the swinging blade, narrowly avoiding it. Every successful dodge makes the next harder, its almost as if the knight is getting more and more in control with each move he performed, filling him with a wave of desperation.

The knight kept up with his relentless attacks, meticulously planning each powerful swing.

Zarius even employed his claws to deflect a few of the attacks a few times already, causing the sound of metal clashing to echo throughout the quiet jungle. His body showed obvious strain, with tense muscles and quick breaths. However, he stayed concentrated on staying alive, feeling his heart beating fast in his chest.

Even with his agile moves, Zarius was unable to dodge every attack. The sharp edge of the axe slightly touched his shoulder, cutting through his clothes and causing blood to flow. He felt a strong, piercing ache, but he clenched his teeth and held onto his resolve.

'Persist...' he thought as he suppressed a feeling of headache that is raising as the result of using his senses in full. 

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Name: Noiren Van Helsing

| Lvl= 2. | Exp( 12/75) | BP ( 6 / 50)

[Race: Vampire]

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[Stats]===|

Str : 14

Spd :13

Agi : 11

Per : 12

Con : 8

Dex : 14

Cha : 14

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[Skill]

| > [Regeneration]

>[Immortality]

>[Echolocation]

>[Vampiric Claw]

>[Hang]

[Blessings]

| > [Blessing of Estas]

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