Chapter 13: Life and Death 2

As he ran through the dense forest, the silhouette of a person could be seen darting between the trees. It was clear that he was in a hurry and seriously injured. With each passing moment, the wound seemed to be getting worse, making it harder and harder for him to keep moving forward.

Despite the pain, he pushed on, determined to reach his destination. However, as he was running, he didn't notice a big root jutting out from the ground. Suddenly, his foot caught on the root and he lost his footing, tumbling to the ground in a painful heap.

BAAANG!!

"Huhu. Huhuhuh.." Gabriel breathed very tiredly.

Gabriel muttered to himself, "I'm starting to lose consciousness! Damnit! I can't use [Heal] because I'm out of mana." The desperation in his voice was palpable, and it was clear that they were in a dire situation.

The man's chest heaved as he struggled to take in air, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. His vision was slowly blurring, making it difficult for him to see clearly. Tears streamed down his face as he cried, unable to accept the terrible fate that had befallen him.

He felt a deep sense of guilt and self-blame for his ignorance. As he started to lose consciousness, his mind was flooded with memories of the past few days. Each detail played out in his mind like a movie, reminding him of how he had gotten to this point.

Despite his reluctance, he was powerless to resist the inexorable pull of darkness that was gradually enveloping him, dragging him down into its murky depths.

......

Gabriel was lying on the ground, lost in thought as he tried to recall the events of the past two days. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the rustling noises around him. Suddenly, a shadow jumped near his feet and a voice echoed through the air.

"Hahahahahaahah, you made it hard for us to find you, boy!"

Gabriel's heart raced as he tried looked up to see four figures approaching him. As they drew closer, he could hear the sound of wind and leaves rustling beneath their feet. Fear gripped him as he realized he was in danger.

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

Gabriel's eyes strained to see the figures looming over him, but he knew all too well who they were. Among them, one individual clad in a black robe cackled menacingly, sending shivers down Gabriel's spine.

Despite his best efforts, Gabriel found himself unable to stand, his body refusing to obey his commands. The black-robed figure with a scarf tied around his arm sneered at him.

"Trying to run away again, are we?" the figure taunted, before delivering a brutal kick to Gabriel's prone form.

BAAAAANG!!

BAAAAANG!!

The sound of muffled cries echoed through the dark alley as Gabriel was mercilessly beaten by a hooded figure dressed in black robes with a scarf wrapped around his arm. Just as Gabriel was about to succumb to his attacker's blows, a figure wearing a skull mask appeared out of nowhere. The masked figure slowly drew his sword and taunted Gabriel, saying, "Blame your luck, boy, because you were in the right place at the wrong time!"

As the masked figure thrust his sword towards Gabriel, the young man braced himself for the inevitable. But, to his surprise, the sword stopped just one centimeter away from his clothes. The masked figure froze, feeling the pressure and wind waves around him, and looked around to see the trees dancing in the force of the wind.

Suddenly, there was a low rumble, and small stones began to float around the two figures. It was as if they were in the middle of a magical vortex. Gabriel could hardly believe what was happening and was grateful for the reprieve, while the masked figure was filled with an inexplicable sense of fear and awe.

The scene is intense as the man with a skull mask tightly grips his sword, ready to continue his brutal attack on Gabriel. But, just as he's about to strike, his eyes catch sight of Gabriel's exhausted body being carried away by a vacuum. In a fit of rage, he suddenly rushes forward in an attempt to slash Gabriel down, but one of his henchmen steps in to stop him.

Suddenly, there's a loud rumble that shakes the ground beneath them. A burst of shockwave is released as wind blades suddenly sprout out in every direction. The black-robed men frantically try to dodge the razor-sharp blades that are flying towards them.

Despite their efforts to evade the wind blades, they are eventually thrown back from their initial location. They continue to dodge and dodge until they hear a sudden loud explosion.

BOOOOM!!!

BOOOOM!!!

The explosion happens too quickly and suddenly, catching them off guard. The ground beneath them rumbles as the entire forest of giant trees is engulfed in a burst of explosion of light.

...

Gabriel Heart POV

A few minutes earlier before the light exploded.

While Gabriel was being beaten, darkness gradually took over his consciousness, before his consciousness was enveloped by darkness, he heard the last word said by the man wearing a skull mask.

"Bl..m. y..r l..k boy, b.c..se y.u w..e in t.e ri..t pl..e at t.e wr..g t..e!"

As soon as the darkness descended upon him, he felt an inexplicable sense of constriction in his body, as though he was being squeezed from all directions. He felt weightless and unmoored, as if he was drifting aimlessly in an unknown direction. As time passed by, he suddenly experienced an excruciating sensation of being torn apart into a thousand tiny pieces, each one aching with a sharp and unbearable pain. He felt like screaming and crying

Gabriel found himself floating in what seemed like a timeless void. As he drifted, his mind became hazy and disoriented. However, after what felt like an eternity, he noticed a faint stream of light appearing in his consciousness. With some effort, he slowly raised his arm and pointed in the direction of the light. As he did so, he uttered a barely audible sound, as if trying to communicate with someone or something beyond the void.

"Li.. .li.. light ...I.....i.im..."

As Gabriel's words trailed off, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his body. It was as if something was being extracted from him, but he couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. Before he could even process what was going on, he felt his consciousness slipping away. It was like he was drifting off into a deep sleep, but at the same time, he felt as if his very soul was being sucked out of his body.

Just as he was about to succumb completely to the sensation, he heard a sudden and loud voice. It was the system's voice, and it seemed to be announcing something important. A clear notification followed.

[Detecting two similar soul energies around.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Initiating soul fusion]

End of Volume 1