Baited Scheme

Alert and poised, Alex summoned his sword in swift response to the unexpected attackers.

The man who had assaulted him before wore a dissatisfied expression, lamenting, "Che, the barrier stopped my attack."

As Alex pondered if the man communicated with others inside the vehicle, suspicion etched across his narrowed eyes.

"Who are you, and why did you attack me?"

The assailant's sinister chuckle echoed, "You don't need to know about us. We've got a proposition for you, kid. There's someone keen on meeting you."

Alex, suspicion lingering, questioned, "And who might that be? And what does it have to do with you attacking me?"

Before the attacker could reply, a low growl reverberated through the forest, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

The man's eyes widened, a bead of sweat traced his temple, and he muttered, "Looks like it followed our scent. We need to hurry, Trey on my signal!"

Turning back to Alex, he smirked evilly, "Get ready, kid, you're about to meet your biggest challenge. Hope you keep it occupied until we escape from here."

With a sinking feeling, Alex decided, 'I need to run far away and quickly. Now is not the time to confront them or ponder the situation.'

Suddenly, purple vines manifested, ensnaring Alex's legs and climbing to his waist. Thorns, laced with a draining poison, pierced his flesh.

The <Dark Barrier> appeared ineffective, failing to shield him from the unexpected onslaught of poison-laden vines sprouting rapidly from the ground beneath him.

The attackers had vanished, leaving behind a terrifying monster approaching.

"F*ck! They used me as bait to slow down this monster." Alex cursed, realizing their scheme.

Stuck in the paralyzing vines, he felt the poison weakening him. The Minor Poison Resistance skill resisted to some extent, but the thorns deeply wounded him.

Attempting to break free, Alex cast "<Dark Fire>" to burn the vines.

As the monster closed in, a realization struck Alex—he might have to confront it head-on, potentially fighting to the death.

The magical fire, conjured by Alex, didn't harm him, but he keenly sensed the scorching heat of the flames which increased following the magic power upgrade.

The approaching monster, a two-headed, black-furred creature emerged from the broken trees, its massive paws crushing leaves and snapping branches.

An unsettling energy filled the air as the monster's howl pierced the haunted woods. With its predatory focus fixed on Alex, struggling by the vines, he muttered, "Shit."

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In the red zone atop Gleam, Sherry was jolted by a monstrous howl echoing from ahead.

Reacting swiftly, she extended her mana sense into the surroundings, detecting a subtle disturbance in mana nearby. The compass spun towards the direction of the menacing sound.

"Bellio, go and check what's happening. Gleam, head towards the monster's direction." Sherry commanded.

Both tamed monsters exchanged glances, emitting concerned sounds, "Kyunn!" "Bellio."

They seemed to express reservations about the potential danger, but Sherry was resolute in her decision to investigate.

"This might be my only chance to find such a person, and the monster doesn't seem much stronger than you guys. Please, take me there." Sherry implored, even though it wasn't necessary.

Gleam flexed his muscles, silently assuring his commitment to protect her, while Bellio neighed and moved forward, ready to assess the potential threat.

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As Alex grappled with the monster, a wave of disbelief washed over him.

'Which monster is this? I've read about all the monsters in this area up to D rank ones. Don't tell me this is... impossible!'

Locked in a struggle with the creature, Alex felt a chilling shudder as both pairs of the monster's eyes fixated on him.

The fear-inducing gaze of the monster resembled that of a predator eyeing its prey, but it was far more menacing than anything Alex had faced before.

An oppressive weight hung in the air, a tangible sense of impending doom pressing down on him.

It differed from the first encounter with the Monster Wolf when he exuded confidence. Now, merely a gaze from this unknown monster froze him in place.

His mind went blank, fear tightening its grip, rendering him momentarily paralyzed. His sword slipping from his weakening grip.

The paralysis was brief as Alex managed to regain his composure, though the lingering fear manifested in the trembling of his body. The approaching monster also noted the change.

Seizing control of himself, Alex swiftly initiated a dual cast, unleashing a rapid barrage of <Dark Bullet> spell at the advancing threat.

Unaffected by the barrage of <Dark Bullet>, the monster grew increasingly agitated and lunged at Alex, delivering a powerful blow with one of its massive paws directly at the <Dark Barrier>.

The speed of the attack was too swift for Alex to react, and the fact that he was still ensnared prevented any attempt to dodge.

The <Dark Barrier> instantly cracked under the force, and the impact threw Alex back, landing him at a considerable distance despite being entangled in the poisonous vines moments ago.

Feeling the aftermath, Alex sensed several broken ribs and a deep claw mark where the attack landed.

Blood spurted from his mouth, and his vision began to blur. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he fought to remain conscious.

Summoning the strength to stand again, Alex found the dual-headed creature merely a meter away.

Critically wounded and with no means of escape, he realized his only option was to use the nearby shadows to deflect the imminent bite, employing <Shadow Walk>.

Barely evading the attack, Alex, now desperate and injured, checked his status to assess the extent of the damage from a single strike and to gauge his remaining health and mana.

----------------------------------------------------

[Status]

[HP: 97/250]

[MP: 210/500]

----------------------------------------------------

In a perilous predicament, Alex took a brief glimpse and realized the gravity of his situation. His mana was less than half, and a single attack had significantly depleted his health.

'My health is dangerously low; one more hit, and it's game over. The mana is just enough for one more usage of <Shadow Walk>, and if I use the spell again, I...'

Before he could finish his thought, one of the monster's heads located him from behind and lunged once more.

Reacting swiftly, Alex employed <Shadow Walk> to reappear at his previous landing spot. The monster, displeased with the hide-and-seek tactics, growled from both heads.

Left with a final option, Alex tightly gripped his sword and aimed at the monster in a desperate attempt, "Hiahhhh".

In an astonishing turn of events, Alex managed to pierce the monster, albeit only a scratch, and was promptly thrown back by a forceful headbutt. Anticipating the impact, Alex cast <Dark Barrier> to soften the landing.

Surprisingly, the expected landing with the barrier didn't happen. Instead, he felt someone catch him in mid-air, "Hmm?".

Turning back, he saw a giant Crystal Golem holding him as if catching a flying ball. Nearby, a small plushy like whale floating on a wave released a water cannon on the double-headed monster.

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As Sherry neared the location, chaotic mana disturbances registered on her mana sense, revealing the unmistakable presence of a C-rank monster from the disturbance.

Bellio, who had been scouting ahead, promptly informed Sherry of Alex's perilous encounter with the monster, "Bellioo."

Examining the situation, Sherry speculated, "From what you say, it looks like a Grim Hound from the description. But how did it appear here in the red zone? Anyway, let's go and help that person."

Driven by her inherent kindness and a sense of responsibility, Sherry couldn't fathom leaving someone potentially in danger, especially when that person might be the one she was searching for.

Upon reaching the scene, Sherry was astonished to find Alex there. The compass, which had been flickering earlier, now pointed perfectly at Alex's direction, buzzing frantically.

Yet, there was no time to dwell on this revelation as she discovered Alex with a severe chest wound, coughing up blood.

Instructing Gleam and Bellio to assist Alex and deal with the Grim Hound, Alex suddenly attacked the monster and was thrown in their direction.

Just as Gleam was about to catch him, an ethereal dark dome materialized around Alex, leaving both him and Sherry surprised by the abrupt turn of events.

"Hmm?"

"That!!"