Power of Runes

-BOOM!!!

A black sword with green veins running along its length flashed through the air, cleaving the Poisonous Dogs cleanly in two. Ray's body flickered like an illusion, weaving between the tide of monsters that were entirely fixated on tearing him apart.

The moment he became tangible again, dozens of pale vines lashed forward and bound him in place. For an instant it seemed he was caught, but he released a burst of rebound energy from the last attack, shattering the restraint and breaking free.

Using Flicker Step and Illusion Step together, Ray Dawson slipped through the horde with impossible fluidity. Every movement was sharp, every strike decisive, as though the Grim Reaper himself was cutting down the living.

Why did I even run away in the first place? They are nothing but weaklings.....

His blade tore through a plant-like monster that was spewing poison from its gaping mouth. The toxic breath filled the air in clouds, yet Ray avoided it effortlessly while exchanging blows with the physical attackers.

Each rebound of force pushed him backward, creating distance while amplifying the strength of his next strike. His aura sharpened with every swing, slicing monsters apart as though they were no more than paper.

With every creature that fell, his stamina returned as though siphoned from their corpses, and the endurance of his skill restored his aura with each blow it absorbed. He was not even positioning himself for advantage over the terrain, yet still the battlefield bent in his favor.

This chaotic ground, where countless monsters pressed from all sides and not a single ally could be seen, was nothing short of perfection for him.

{Well, it was not your fault..... I also sensed something strange about their advance. They carried quite a powerful presence with them, but that presence slowly faded away.}

{That means these monsters were within the zone of the boss monster. After hearing the explosion, they probably rushed toward the sound. Or maybe that Lord monster gave the order to hunt down any invaders.}

"I was right!! It was all because of that coward. Now see, he is nowhere to be found, while I am here fighting these monsters alone."

-Slash!!

-Slash!!

-Slash!!

His sword curved through the air like a comet falling from the heavens, each swing carrying both power and precision in perfect harmony. The strikes created a melody of destruction, the sharp sound of the blade cleaving even the air itself echoing like a deadly symphony. Monsters and plants fell alike, cut apart with merciless grace.

Just then, a massive hand crashed against him, sending his body flying through the air. His skill absorbed the impact hungrily, dulling the worst of the force.

Ray steadied himself midair, landed firmly on his feet, and turned his gaze toward the attacker.

It's Bloodshrome again.....

He wanted to sigh, but instead a tired helplessness flickered across his face. Now, he finally understood why Ash had caused such a massive explosion earlier.

It is actually unkillable.....

{Nothing is unkillable, it is only that you do not have the power to kill it.}

Yeah yeah, I know. It was just a figure of speech.....

"What I meant was that it heals at an unnatural pace, and it blocks every attack with its telekinesis. Its sheer size makes it slow, but even that weakness is covered by the countless vine-like limbs whipping behind its back. Fighting this thing is nothing but frustration..."

Ray shifted away from the hulking monster and lunged instead at the Alpha and the savage beasts. He knew he needed to clear the smaller threats before confronting the real menace, especially since this Bloodshrome was not even the true boss. The actual master of this zone waited even deeper inside.

What is irritating is not just that there are Apex monsters like this Bloodshrome, but that there are around eighty of them spread across the battlefield.....

{Yeah, if Ash had stayed and fought, at least these small fries would have been cleared by now.....}

Ray's teeth clenched, his jaw tight with unspoken rage. Let that bastard go to hell. I alone am enough.....

His fury burned hotter than the battlefield around him, fueling his power and pushing his body beyond its limits. Each swing grew sharper, each movement faster, and the killing intensified as anger carried his momentum forward.

****

Meanwhile, Ash was running even deeper into the poisonous land, and as he moved forward, the topography kept changing. The towering mushroom-like trees grew even larger, their massive forms stretching higher than even the Bloodshromes he had seen earlier.

Looks like all the monsters were in that horde earlier...

Ash was heading toward the main region where the Lord monster dwelled. At first, he had thought of joining Ray and helping him fight, but then he changed his mind. Ray was handling the monsters well enough on his own, and Ash decided it would be better to confront the Lord monster directly. That way, Ash might face a sense of helplessness while fighting that might push him to grow stronger.

Well, in the moment between life and death, the enlightenment gained is quite valuable.....that's what I have heard..

That enlightenment was exactly what Ash desired to push himself forward in the path of the sword.

He ran at incredible speed, leaping from one giant mushroom tree to another, and though it felt like much longer, only a single minute had passed.

Sometimes moving on foot is better than just teleporting...

There was no need to hurry anyway. For him, this was also a chance to test his body and push its limits even further. The trail left behind by the horde of monsters was easy to follow. The ground was torn apart, the trees were shattered, and wide swathes of the land were destroyed by their advance.

As Ash observed his surroundings, he noticed that the deeper he went, the more distorted everything became. The trees grew even larger, the grass stretched unnaturally high, and the rocks seemed swollen with a strange energy. The poison in the air also thickened, its color slowly turning black, clinging to his skin and making his body feel hot and weak.

What a damned place.....

The more he moved his body, the more he felt the poison seeping into his body. Eventually, it became too much, forcing him to rely on teleportation. His speed increased drastically, carrying him through the corrupted land.

After several minutes of rapid teleportation, the air around him became foul, thick, and almost tangible, colored pitch black just like the ground. The trees and vegetation had also turned blackish, yet the place was not dark at all.

Instead, the mushroom trees and other twisted plants emitted an eerie glow, casting an otherworldly light across the land. It was beautiful in its own unsettling way, a poisonous splendor that revealed the true nature of this corrupted land.

Here, the Rune of Life within Ash began to burn even fiercer, as though its very authority had been provoked. The poison was relentless, yet the rune's power devoured it with a ferocity that almost felt alive.

Finally, Ash reached the area where the monsters' trail abruptly ended. He looked around carefully, ignoring the burning sensation on his skin and the moments when his organs faltered from the poison's intrusion. Even through all that pain, he kept moving.

I feel as if I am an undead....

The thought crossed his mind naturally. The atmosphere itself felt lifeless, and with his body continuing to function even when parts of it failed, the comparison almost seemed fitting.

Studying the ground, Ash noticed something strange. The monsters had not been moving together at first. Their trails suggested they had been scattered, wandering aimlessly, until something had commanded them to gather and surge forward in a single direction.

Looks like I reached the place...

Activating Absolute Concealment, Ash pressed on carefully. Not far ahead, he came across the crushed corpse of a beast, its body mangled beneath the stampede of the horde. It was difficult to even discern how it had died.

He moved further and found another corpse, then another, and another still. Each step revealed more lifeless monsters until, before long, he stood before a vast sea of dead abominations. The sight froze him in place, making his blood run cold.

This was not natural. Such a number of dead monsters, gathered in one place, could never be explained by chance.

What the hell happened here..?

Most of the creatures were Bloodshromes, while the rest were twisted plant-like beasts he had never seen before. Ash did not dare touch any of them, uncertain of what consequences it might bring. Instead, he decided not to test his luck and simply teleported forward, weaving through broken trees and shattered rocks as he advanced.

But even after passing the countless bodies, the eerie silence remained.

Ash appeared in a clearing, and what he saw there made him freeze completely.

What..?

His eyes widened, his hands trembled uncontrollably. He instinctively took a step back, his body, his soul, and every part of his being screaming in rejection.

Because what lay ahead was something his instincts knew all too well.

If he went forward, Ash would face...

...True Death.

****

A/N: Sorry, guys, I know I didn't upload for the past 2 days. I think I was just a bit burned out (probably that, along with some extra workload besides writing). So yeah, it kinda turned out that way. Even today, I can only drop one chapter…

But starting tomorrow, everything will be back to normal! No more delays in updates, that's a promise!!! ✨🔥