Chapter 58 Dead Forest

The Abomination writhed and thrashed in Rick's grasp, desperate to break free from his unyielding grip. Despite the creature's razor-sharp claws slicing through his skin and drawing blood, Rick held on, using the monster's struggles to channel even more Mana and Strength into his gauntlets.

Zziinngg...

As the Mana surged through his fingers, a crackling aura of lightning particles swirled around them, eliciting a pitiful whimper from the Abomination. Rick was determined to see the creature defeated, using his deadly electric powers to zap it into submission.

Growl...

For several agonizing minutes, Rick endured the Abomination's relentless thrashing as he poured all of his energy into his gauntlets. The monster's growls turned into pitiful whimpers until it finally slumped limply in his grasp, defeated.

However, Rick continued to channel Mana into his gauntlets, as if trying to kill it for a second time.

That's when Evelyn's horrified voice cut through the crackling of electricity, pleading with him to stop.

"Rick, enough!"

Crackle...

As if in response to her plea, the frenzied Mana coursing through the Abomination caused its body to crack and split apart. Its limbs twitched and writhed in grotesque spasms until the monster's body exploded in a shower of gore and viscera, coating Rick from head to toe in a thick layer of sticky, purple blood.

Boom...

'...'

I stared at Rick, taking in the sight of his blood-drenched gauntlets and the glazed look in his eyes. From his unsteady stance, I could tell he had gone too far, using a dangerous amount of Mana on our first enemy.

"Idiot..."

Kyle muttered, his blank eyes narrowing in disapproval.

Evelyn seemed to be the only one who felt any concern for Rick, though the spattered blood made her hesitate to approach him.

"We've...wo-"

Rick's words trailed off into a chilling grin, accentuated by his blood-soaked clothes and numerous wounds.

Thud...

Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed face-first onto the ashy ground.

Evelyn rushed to Rick's aid, pulling out another Health Potion from her Spatial Bracelet to help him recover.

Meanwhile, Kyle and I exchanged a look. Even though he was blind, his eyes had a unique ability to perceive Life Force, the energy that sustained living beings.

He seemed to be studying me with his blank eyes.

"You... are hiding your strength."

He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, leaving me with no option but to remain silent.

"..."

We both kept silent, watching as Evelyn tended to Rick's wounds.

It was clear that his injuries were healing rapidly, but the potions couldn't help with his Mana Depletion. Rick's eyes were still aimlessly scanning the horizon, and it would take some time before he recovered himself.

"The creature was tougher than I expected..."

Rick muttered, almost falling face-first onto the ground once again. However, Evelyn managed to stabilize him with a strong gust of wind.

Seeing that it would take some time before our self-proclaimed 'leader' recovered, I found a damp rock to sit on, while Kyle leaned against a dead sapling.

"Huh?"

After half an hour, Rick finally regained his senses, jerking upright from his lying position.

It took another ten minutes for him to stand on his own two feet and resume the journey, during which time he hurled more insults at me, calling me trash.

'...'

I could feel my fists clenching, itching to hit him hard for his demeanor, but I managed to hold back... At least for now.

'Just wait...'

I thought to myself, feeling a grin threatening to appear on my face. I quickly suppressed it, not wanting to appear creepy.

"We've reached the Dead Forest..."

Suddenly, Evelyn's words broke through my thoughts, causing me to look up and see a massive wall of dead trees looming in the distance.

It was almost time for me to leave the group.

"..."

We raised our weapons high as we moved towards the forest. This place was filled with Low Rank Abominations and other monsters that somehow managed to survive in the Wild Lands.

Hunting here would earn us plenty of points, but it was also dangerous. We could be ambushed and killed by a group of Abominations.

I started to feel like someone was holding a dagger to my neck. My heartbeat also increased significantly.

Will the protagonists survive or not depend on my actions.

"Let's go!"

Rick commanded, stepping into the ashen forest, while releasing his Mana into the area and scanning our surroundings.

The moment we stepped into the forest, all sounds disappeared. It was eerily quiet, even Evelyn stayed silent as we advanced.

'Come on...'

I was waiting for something unexpected to happen, like another Abomination attack, which could provide a perfect chance for me to slip away unnoticed.

Roar...

Unfortunately, a G Rank Abomination was the only creature that came after us. It was quickly dispatched with a Wind Disk from Evelyn and a slash from Kyle, dying on the spot.

The fight ended in seconds, leaving me with no time to even think about slipping away.

'How much time do I have left...'

I checked my old wristwatch and saw that I had only an hour and a half left before the event. I needed to find a way to leave within the next ten minutes, or I wouldn't make it on time.

Maybe I can fake an injury or...

I searched for options to slip away, but my thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shadow hovering above me.

"!"

Startled, I threw myself to the side and narrowly avoided a towering Abomination that fell right where I was just a few seconds ago.

Growl...

Its bright purple skin and ash armor covering it, shimmered under the sun. This monster was similar to the first one we encountered, but it held a weapon - a thin yet sturdy log with a sharp scrap attached to its tip.

"It has a weapon!"

Although Abominations were considered less intelligent than humans, they were still able to craft primitive tools.

The creature's hostile, white eyes scanned us and lingered on me for a moment. I couldn't help but smile at the sight, even though it only confused the creature.

"..."

Without hesitation, Rick charged towards the Abomination, with Kyle close behind. They engaged the monster, drawing its attention away from Evelyn, who used her Mana Art to attack it unhindered.

A single battle was enough for the trio to maximize their performance and get used to each other.

Well... maybe they won't die.

As I watched them, I started moving backwards, retreating behind a small dune and disappearing from their sight.

"Mission [ Separate ] complete..."

I muttered to myself, aware of the seconds ticking away on my wristwatch.

Whoosh...

Supplying my legs with Mana, I shot through the forest like a bullet.

With each step, I could feel the Mana coursing through my body, providing me with the speed I needed to reach the river.

The ash rustled underfoot as I moved swiftly and silently through the forest, careful to avoid any dry twigs or branches that might give away my position.

As I ran, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration. The thrill of danger combined with my use of Mana was a heady mix, and I couldn't help but grin despite the time limit that was pressing me.

Growl...

I could hear the growls of Abominations as I bolted past them, but none of them gave chase, knowing that I was too fast to catch. However, some of them were reluctant to let go of such easy prey and attempted to hunt me down.

Huff...

I inhaled deeply, feeling my leg muscles twitching, however I didn't dare to stop.

After a few minutes of running, I made it out of the forest.

Splash...

I could already hear the sound of running water, meaning that the river was nearby.

"..."

I quickly climbed over the small dune that was blocking my view. The dune was somewhat steep which forced me to use my arms to reach its top.

As I gazed out at the river, I couldn't help but marvel at its breadth and the sheer power of the water as it flowed steadily downstream. The sound of the rushing water was almost deafening, drowning out all other sounds and filling my ears with a constant hum.

"Where is it..."

In the distance, I spotted a long, old, and rusty bridge. It appeared to have been abandoned for quite some time, its metal structure rusted and weathered from years of neglect. The bridge's once-shiny silver surface had turned a dull, reddish-brown color, with large patches of rust visible along its length.

As I approached the bridge, I could see that it was held together by large, metal pillars, some of which had worked themselves loose over the years, leaving gaping holes in the metalwork.

The stone planks that made up the bridge's surface were warped and splintered, and several of them had dulled away entirely, leaving large gaps that would be treacherous to cross.

"How did so many Abominations pass through it without breaking it..."