Chapter 13: Run away

Maerik's eyes were a battle of so many emotions but the one that stood out most was disgust, Vrey’s face twisted as he saw the looks directed at him.

“Don't look at me like that.” The plea was quiet but clear.

“You're Crazy.” Rylan cursed.

“I'm a survivor.” He corrected taking a slow step towards them, they instinctively backed up and felt the harsh surface of a wall behind them. “You're not leaving here alive.” He repeated with a grin that made their stomachs turn.

“Fuckkkkk.” Rylan Cursed his own abilities, he wasn't strong enough to power through without the use of Arkana energy but if he used it and his resonance increased he could end up trapped which would only lead to the same result.

“Not yet.” Maerik replied, a look of pure determination burning in his eyes.

“I like that look but unfortunately I'm not interested in you—yet.” Vrey said, his hungry eyes fixed on Rylan as he took another step forward, Rylan backed into the wall but Maerik didn't.

“Do you trust me?” Maerik whispered so Vrey couldn't hear him.

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“I do.”

“Good, I have a plan, on my signal_Run.”

“Ok.”

“What are you two chatting about?” Vrey said as he pushed off the ground and lunged at them closing the distance between them in a second but it all felt like it was happening in slow motion, as if the world slowed itself to accommodate their speed, Maerik forced every bit of power he had into his hand and thrusted into the ground just as Rylan began running towards the opening of the cave. The impact crumbled the floor beneath them, sinking so deep that he didn't even need to dodge Vrey who completely flew over his head. The cracks spread but Rylan was already outside, Maerik quickly following as Vrey slammed into the wall and the force began bringing down the cave, The cracks spread continuously through the base of the mountain till it could no longer hold its own weight and began to collapse, sealing the cave with Vrey still inside and sending uneven boulders rolling down the inclined terrain.

Maerik had never witnessed Rylan's abilities in person, watching his logs he had been more interested in his progression rate and unusual techniques than stats but now as he stared at Rylan's back he realized that, he hadn't fully grasped the difference between them. Rylan was so fast that even if he completely stopped it'll still take Maerik a while to catch up to him and only then did it occur to him that even if he had shown Rylan his Stats, Rylan had never shown his.

“Don't look bac—” Before the words could leave his mouth a large Boulder smashed in front of him, the force of it's crash shattering even more and sending rocks hurdling at him, with all his strength, he pressed into the ground and leaped into the air, dodging the debris and closing the distance between Rylan who had slowed down because of the monstrosity that was ahead of them.

\[Level 3 : Forest Dweller Ariku\]

Pale green features, it was even larger than the yeti with extremely long limbs and eyes on its palm, both sides of its head and one large one on its chest, it's teeth where strangely human like with the only difference being how it occupied half of it's face.

“What do we do about tha—” Yet again before Maerik could complete the sentence a loud boom sounded from the mountains and as much as they tried not to look back they both turned to see what it was and just as they had feared Vrey stood, bloody and disheveled, daggers in hand and his Violet eyes glowing with animosity. They could feel his energy from here, unstable and the signature was more beast than player but still, it retained it's frightening quality.

“COME BACKKKKKK!!” His loud scream carried throughout the border and as if called upon, Beast after beast began coming out of their hiding places.

\[Level 3: Forest dweller Yorkie\]

\[Level 3:Forest dweller Anwie\]

\[Level 3:Forest dweller Ariku\]

\[Level 3: Grey yeti\]

\[Level 3:Forest dweller Andlker\]

\[Level 3: Forest dweller Rygh\]

More and more and more till the System just stopped showing their names because their number had made it irrelevant.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Rylan Shouted, unable to think of a single way they could get out of this situation when Vrey appeared beside him, Eyes screaming bloody murder and blades drawn to fulfill the verdict, he swung down but before he could land a hit, a large hand swatted him away, Rylan looked up at his savior and it was one of the beast that had appeared, as if Rylan and Maerik were invisible, they all ran past them and attacked Vrey, slamming him down to the ground, He fought back, cutting completely the wrist of one beast attack just as another locked it's jaw around him, Vrey let out a bone chilling scream as it threw him into the air, into the palm of another that slammed him into the ground.

They had unconsciously stopped to watch the scene before realizing that with the way things were going Vrey wouldn't last and it wouldn't take long before the beast turned their sights to them so they continued to run till they could see the craters that formed when they had landed, A slither of hope appeared, his body subconsciously relaxed and he allowed himself to breath, it was going to be o—

\[-10 HP\]

He felt a sharp pain in his left calf that sent him crashing to the floor, he turned to see the cause and his heart skipped a beat, Vrey, covered in a mixture of his own blood and the blood of the countless beasts he had slain.

“This guy's a fucking cockroach.” Was the thought that ruled Rylan's mind.

Maerik who had his back turned had gotten to the crater and without looking back opened up his system and tapped the now white Log out text, He turned to Rylan with a wide victorious smile only to see a blood drenched Vrey standing in front of a collapsed Rylan, daggers in hand and a malicious grin across his lips, He turned to face Maerik and mouthed the words.

“You're…..Next.” just as his vision went black and he exited the game.

Rylan couldn't think anymore, Fear had gripped so tightly onto him that the only thing he could do was drag himself away from Vrey who slowly stalked towards him.

“This can't be how I die, this can't be how I die.” He recited over and over again till—

\[Special scenario Unlocked: Invitation to The domain of the Divine Deity Daragura\]

\[Accept \] \[Decline\]

Without hesitation he accepted and was immediately transported away.

“NOOOOOOO!!!!” Vrey screamed as he vanished right before his eyes.