Chapter 53
Written by Bayzo Albion
The path home felt longer than usual, my footsteps sinking into the soft pine needles, muffling the sound in the oppressive quiet. The silence pressed in, as if the forest itself eavesdropped on my thoughts. Deep in my gut, an uneasy sensation stirred—sticky and insidious, like spider silk clinging to skin. Today, I'd lost not just a battle, but perhaps the entire war. Something irreplaceable had slipped away, and no scheme could bring it back.
Night descended on the thicket with unnatural speed. No stars pierced the canopy, no moonlight filtered through—just a thick, viscous darkness where the trees loomed like silent guardians. And in that blackness, it felt like someone trailed me... silently, matching my every step.
– – –
The next day, I returned to the site of my traps.
What greeted me froze the blood in my veins. Instead of monster corpses, the ground was a gruesome slurry of blood-soaked earth, chunks of flesh scattered like discarded refuse, some snagged in low branches. Clots of dark, drying blood clung to the grass, as if every drop had been wrung from those bodies with deliberate cruelty.
My first thought: the traps hadn't finished the job. But then my eyes locked on a single intact eyeball floating in the crimson pool, staring up at me with lifeless accusation, as if blaming me for the carnage.
"Could this be the Forest Queen's doing?" The idea flashed through my mind.
"There's nothing scarier than a woman scorned... especially for guys like us."
"Something's off here," I muttered, a icy prickle crawling up the back of my neck, like an invisible blade tracing my skin.
A message flickered into view before my eyes:
> Interface: Extra Skill "Deceive Death" 2/3
> Skill Activated: Deceive Death
The ground trembled beneath me. From the bloody mire, something rose slowly... a monster devoid of eyes, ears, or nose, its form carved from pure shadow, so black that light seemed to drain away from its surface. But the horror was its massive maw, lined with dagger-like teeth, each as long as a deer's antler, glistening with malevolent promise.
"Holy shit... what the hell is this?!" my inner voice screamed, panic rising like bile.
"Now do you understand?" The familiar, melodic voice rang out, laced with frost.
The Forest Queen materialized on a nearby branch, leaning gracefully against the trunk as if this were mere entertainment, not impending doom. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes held a storm.
"Monsters evolve by devouring each other," she explained, her words soft yet cutting like a scalpel. "They grow stronger."
"And you couldn't have told me that sooner? How was I supposed to know about this?" Indignation boiled in my voice, heat flushing my face.
"Why should I?" She feigned surprise, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with mock innocence.
"Got it."
"Your true place is underground," her tone hardened to steel. "For ones like you, there's only one fate: a agonizing death from your own stupidity and greed. Let this be your lesson. First and last."
Her lips curved into a mocking smile: "You said my pride would doom me? But your lazy greed will be your end. In the end, the proud will triumph over scum like you."
"I hear you, Forest Queen," I said slowly, fighting to conceal the fear coiling in my gut.
"Happy dying, Gandalf."
"I admit I was wrong. I messed up," I exhaled, but the words fell flat—too late.
With a subtle wave of her hand, a shimmering barrier enclosed us, sealing off escape routes. The air inside thickened to a waxy haze, ringing in my ears like a distant alarm.
"Déjà vu," I thought grimly. And then the monster advanced.
The beast completed its transformation, its body shifting between liquid and solid, like shadow striving for substance. Black ripples coursed over its skin, oily and undulating, with something writhing beneath, eager to burst free. Teeth clacked in anticipation, and from the blood pool, slimy tentacles emerged, writhing like serpents and scorching the earth where they touched.
The Forest Queen watched with a cool, almost detached smile. Her eyes reflected the crimson glow, and in that fire, my sentence was already etched.
"Forbidden technique... Shadow..." I began, but waved it off. "Never mind."
My double shook his head, like a disappointed spectator: "I told you to listen to wise women."
"You never said that," I hissed through gritted teeth, eyes fixed on the monstrosity.
"Yeah, maybe not..." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "But better late than never."
The creature stood motionless, which only amplified the terror. Its eyeless grin stretched impossibly wide, peeling back to reveal rows of those lethal teeth, their gleam cold and ravenous.
From that maw erupted a grating, uneven laugh, like metal screeching on glass: "Heh... heh... heh... You guys... are hilarious..."
In that moment, even the forest seemed to cease breathing, the world holding still in the face of the nightmare unfolding.
I approached the monster with deliberate slowness, as if strolling into a casual rendezvous rather than a life-or-death confrontation. Each step was measured, unhurried, my boots sinking slightly into the damp forest floor with a soft crunch of leaves. The air hung thick around us, charged with an invisible tension that felt almost toxic, like a poison dissolved into the very atmosphere, making every breath feel labored and heavy.
Everything froze in that moment. My double's usual smirk vanished, replaced by a rare flicker of genuine concern. The Forest Queen tilted her head slightly from her perch, her emerald eyes locked on me with unblinking intensity, tracking my every subtle shift. Even the abomination itself—this spawn of darkness—hesitated, its predatory grin faltering just a fraction, like a beast sensing for the first time that its prey might turn the tables and become the hunter.
"A rather... admirable move," the Forest Queen managed, her voice catching slightly, as if the words surprised even her. There was a tremor in her tone, a reluctant admission that pierced the silence like a distant echo.
Now, we stood mere feet apart, the monster and I. Its breath came in ragged, bellowing gusts, like the labored heave of a blacksmith's bellows, carrying a foul reek of rot, congealed blood, and something indefinable—primal, otherworldly decay that clawed at my nostrils and turned my stomach. Flames flickered erratically in the depths of its throat, surging and dimming as if it were barely restraining the urge to incinerate me where I stood.
With exaggerated nonchalance, I reached behind my back and drew my wooden sword. Against the hulking nightmare before me, it looked absurd, like a child's toy wielded in a gladiator's arena, and that was precisely the mockery I intended. The simplicity of it hung in the air, a silent taunt amid the encroaching dread.
"Ooh... how terrifying!" the monster cackled, its laughter a grating screech of metal on glass that set my teeth on edge and made me want to clamp my hands over my ears. Its jaws snapped shut with a dry, bone-crunching click, as if savoring an invisible morsel.
Unrushed, I accessed my spatial storage. For a heartbeat, a viscous silence enveloped us, broken only by the pounding of my own pulse in my ears. I retrieved a flask filled with a thick, honey-like black oil, its surface gleaming ominously in the dim light. Slowly, ritualistically, I poured it over the blade, the liquid coating it in a glossy sheen. With a snap of my fingers, a serpentine flame ignited along the edge, dancing hungrily without consuming the wood—instead, it seemed to infuse it, merging with the grain like a living entity.
The scent of scorched oil mingled with acrid smoke, curling around us in lazy tendrils that stung my eyes and thickened the air further.
> Interface: Extra Skill "Sword of Natural Regeneration" activated
> Duration: 10 minutes
"Wow, look at you, all tough now," my double drawled sarcastically from the sidelines, but his usual levity fell flat, laced with an undercurrent of unease—as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone else that fear wasn't creeping in.
The monster leaned forward slightly, regaining its composure. The sword's flames reflected off its obsidian-black skin, playing across the cracks and scars like teasing shadows, highlighting the raw, pulsating power beneath.
"Come on, hero..." it rasped, its silhouette blurring faintly in the heated air, like a mirage over scorching sands.
I sidestepped smoothly, my feet gliding over the slick earth, muscles coiled like springs ready to unleash. The beast struck first—its massive paw, tipped with jagged claws, slashed through the air in a crimson glow, a warning flare that screamed danger. But this was no game with a reload button; hesitation meant oblivion.
I ducked under the swing just in time, the claws raking the tree behind me with a thunderous crack, carving deep, smoking furrows into the bark. Leaves showered down in a rustling cascade, brushing my shoulders like fleeting whispers.
Seizing the opening, I spun and drove the flaming blade into its flank. The fire bit deep, searing flesh to charred blackness with a sizzle that filled the air. The stench of burned meat assaulted my senses, and the monster let out a earth-shaking roar that vibrated through the ground, rattling my bones.
"Like that?" I gasped, retreating a step, my chest heaving as adrenaline surged through my veins.
It retaliated with both paws this time, the air warping from the sheer force. I rolled aside, feeling the hot spray of ichor from its fresh wound splatter across my face and arms, sticky and warm like fresh blood.
"Keep the rhythm!" my double shouted from a safe distance. "Those glowing spots—they're weak points! Hit 'em when they light up!"
The Forest Queen observed from her branch, head cocked, a spark of excitement gleaming in her eyes, turning her gaze from judgmental to almost... intrigued.