The scene cuts back to Rift...
I had been running from the village for a while now, but a strange feeling started to creep into my heart... it was too quiet. The faint traces of spiritual energy I could sense before had now vanished completely, as if they had never been there.
I stopped in the middle of a wide-open plain to catch my breath, looking around cautiously. Everything was eerily silent. The only sound was my own ragged breathing.
Thump..
Thump…
Heavy footsteps, like a sledgehammer pounding the earth, sounded from ahead... and then it emerged from the shadows...
Is that a Soul Either? Its shape was humanoid, but with massive muscles and skin as black as charcoal. On its head were a pair of twisted horns like a wild buffalo. It shook its head, snorting hot air from its nostrils, like a bull ready to gore anything in its path.
I immediately drew "Divine Moon." In that split second, I had already spotted its weak spot. A faint red light glowed on one of its horns... and there was only one! This has to be a mid-level!
I decided to end it in a single move, with a sword art I had just developed outside Stone City.
I used my power again, praying that this time I wouldn't see that damn hellish vision! Lightning crackled across my body and surged into Divine Moon! I tensed my leg muscles until they nearly cramped, then launched myself forward!
CRACKLE!!
My speed tore through the air with a thunderous roar!
"Divine Moon... Black Moon!"
My blade traced a line of cold silver light through the air, like a moon eclipsed by shadow. It shot straight for the weak spot on its horn with perfect accuracy!
Thwack!
I felt the resistance shatter... but while I was still airborne, my eyes widened in shock... I saw it... another weak spot... glowing on its other horn!
"What the hell!" I exclaimed, before my body landed behind it.
It stood motionless...
And yes... I wasn't spared... The hellish vision crashed down on me again, but this time it was different... In the flaming fields of hell, that buffalo demon was standing there! The horn I had just struck was rapidly regenerating! Its body trembled as if it was about to unleash some kind of energy.
Then it whipped its head around and stared at me with blazing eyes! An intense killing intent radiated out, freezing me in place... Cold sweat poured down my body, the hand gripping my sword trembled... and I couldn't move again! Suddenly, in the vision, countless clouds of crimson smoke billowed up... I had no idea what they were.
The situation was dire... the buffalo demon was walking slowly towards me... and then its voice echoed in my head...
"I warned you... several times... but you still insist on using it."
The voice was bone-chilling. My mouth hung open, but no sound came out.
And in the split second before its claws reached me... its body was sliced into pieces like a set of dice!
I was finally wrenched from the vision! My body convulsed violently before I coughed up a clot of blood... My vision was blurry... but I saw him... the man with green hair... the same one from the village.
He walked towards me calmly, paying no mind to the remains of the Soul Either that had just dissolved.
"Get up."
Those short, powerful words snapped my senses back. I slowly pushed my trembling body to its feet.
"Who... who are you?"
He stared at me with unreadable eyes, as if he were examining a strange object.
"I should be the one asking you that."
"Why... is your body so utterly filthy?"
"With a curse of that level... how are you still alive?"