"I'm sorry, but I can't help you, lady," Eryn said.
[Defeat the enemy.]
[• Reward: 30 Exp]
Eryn's eyes flicked to the system. "Oh, come on. I can't possibly win this—"
She moved.
Somehow—he didn't know how—he read her first swing. His body shifted, clumsy and he sidestepped.
Maybe he could have dodged the kick she'd landed earlier too. He just hadn't believed he could. Was this the system? Umbral Sight?
Another swing came for his head. He ducked, slipping behind her, but she anticipated it. Her foot connected with his ribs and sent him crashing into a pile of boxes.
"Gah—you trying to kill me?" Eryn gasped, scrambling up.
Before he could find his footing, she was already above him, fist driving down toward his face.
He rolled. Just in time.
Where his head had been, there was now a small crater in the concrete.
"Yeah. You really are," he muttered, pushing himself upright.
"Hand it over, and this ends easier," she said, taking out a small vial filled with green liquid and a knife. She poured the contents over the blade—it hissed, steam rising—then tossed the empty vial aside. It shattered on the ground.
"Uh… okay." Eryn swallowed hard.
He wanted to run. God, he wanted to run. But she'd catch him. Just like before.
He had to face her.
At least Umbral Sight gave him an edge. He could see her movements before they landed. That was something.
She rushed him.
He dodged the first swipe. The second grazed his shoulder. Pain flared on the wound, but he was still standing.
"Argh!" He stumbled back, trying to create distance.
"One minute." She advanced slowly, knife glinting. "That's how long you have to tell me where the Artifact is. Then you live."
Eryn clutched his shoulder, teeth gritted. "Alright, look—I don't have it. It's complicated. Let me expl—"
She was in front of him. Blade coming down.
You have got to be kidding me.
Move. Move. Move.
His leg shot up on instinct, foot planting in her stomach. She staggered back, but not before the knife caught his cheek.
She hissed, hand pressed to her abdomen. "Alright. I'm done playing nice."
Eryn's breathing came in ragged gasps. He spotted a metal pipe on the ground and picked it up.
He wanted to charge. But his eyes were getting heavy. His body felt strange.
Then he coughed out blood.
His nose started bleeding. His vision getting blurry.
The woman grinned. "Thirty seconds already? Widow's poison. Thirty seconds to spread, thirty to knock you out cold. Double that for an Awakened. I told you—you had a minute."
Eryn stood there, shaking. His limbs felt like dead weight. Day one of being Awakened, and I die to poison. Bullshit.
She blurred past him, knife arcing toward his back.
But before the blade could land, metal swung toward her face. She blocked with her free hand, jumping back.
How is he still moving? Her thoughts raced. No Linq. Just a normal human. The poison should have dropped him by now. No one gets this far.
Eryn turned to face her, pipe dragging along the ground. "Can't die yet," he muttered—loud enough for her to hear. "You gonna take care of my mom or what?"
She cursed and lunged.
But he swung wildly, recklessly, keeping her at bay, denying her an opening.
He should be unconscious. Why is he still standing? I'm not failing again, she thought to herself.
Then he stopped.
His eyes drooped. His arms went slack.
She saw her chance and took it—closing the distance, fist connecting with his face.
He grabbed her arm.
She wrenched free and kicked him hard into the wall.
He hit the ground. Tried to get up, but couldn't.
The woman glanced at her arm. A long gash, bleeding. Her eyes widened. "When did you—"
"Glass." Eryn held up a shard, then tossed it aside. He managed to lean himself against the wall. "You're not good at fighting for long, are you? Just quick. That's it."
Her jaw tightened. She held the arm and after a few seconds, the bleeding stopped.
"So, you are Awakened, huh? Isn't using poison a cheat then?"
"I swear, I will kill you if you annoy me any further." She said, stepping toward him, ready to end it.
"Chill." He raised a weak hand. "I'll tell you about the artifact."
She stopped. "Talk."
"…I found it yesterday. Helping unload crates at the museum." He let the silence drag unnecessarily.
"And?" She asked impatiently.
"I touched it. It turned to ash."
Her eyes narrowed and she remained silent for a few seconds, eyes boring into his. "You're messing with me."
Eryn chucked, taking his time before replying. "Maybe. Maybe not."
"Shut up." She raised the knife.
Eryn smiled. "…Two. One. Zero."
She froze. Then dropped to her knees, coughing blood.
"You were right," he said, voice thin. "A minute for an Awakened."
Her head snapped up. "W-when—"
"You didn't think I cut you with just any glass, did you?" He nodded toward the broken vial on the ground. "Maybe don't leave poison bottles lying around."
"Damn you!" Her body seized. She fell forward.
Eryn watched her fall, his vision blurring even more. "Whatever you want that King Artifact for… it's in me now. That's all I've got to tell you."
She didn't pass out yet, but she couldn't move, remaining still on the ground.
He exhaled, barely. "Was this what the system meant by 'they'll come for me'? Tch. I think I hate my life even more now."
The system screen flickered to life, but he couldn't read it.
Just before his eyes closed completely, a figure landed between him and the woman.