NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64: Smell of Death!
He brought out a healing potion from his void ring and drank it, it's revitalising energy flowing down his thought, coursing through his veins, almost instantly, his torn flesh began to knit back together, blood flow slowly as his body mended.
And as he ran—
As his wounds closed—
He grinned like a maniac.
'Two hours…'
If he kept this up for just two more hours—
He'd make it
He'd reach Valeron Cross.
Alive.
But then—
Caw—!
Caw—!
Caw—!
Multiple loud caws, like those of crows, suddenly echoed through the entire place
Ethan's expression sank in an instant.
Against land beasts, he could evade. He could plot. But against aerial beasts—
His strength was cut down drastically.
His eyes lifted, scanning the skies.
Up there—countless birds. Hundreds, maybe more.
At first, they looked like black dots scattered against the blue.
But in the next breath—
It was as if a plague had descended upon the world itself.
The sheer number of them blotted out the sun, turning the sky into a shifting, writhing shadow.
Ethan's heart pounded harder.
His body tensed.
His every sense screamed at him to stay alert.
'Skyrazor Crows...'
Black, with a metallic blue sheen that glinted even in the dimmed light—
Skyrazor Crows.
Individually weak. But in swarms? Deadly.
Known to pick at the wounded and the dead, following larger predators like scavengers waiting for scraps.
But they weren't just scavengers—
They spread fast, like disease, often signaling a nearby kill like vultures..
In fact for any Awakened or group of Awakened having contact to a group of Skyrazor crowd is a bad omen, because where Skyrazor Crows gathered, stronger beasts weren't far behind, some would even lose their life to these vicious beasts, while some would be fortunate enough to escape with their lives but would suffer drastic losses.
These cursed crows acted like detectors, sniffing out prey and signaling predators.
It was no different from the strange connection between the Stonehide Basilisks and the blue-hide ferrets earlier.
Ethan's fists clenched tightly.
His lips curled in bitter frustration.
He was so damn unlucky—
Attracting every calamity the Outlands had to offer.
But what could he do?
He, a mere mortal, was going against a god.
Success was harder than ascending the heavens.
Suddenly—
His expression changed.
His eyes snapped toward a distant movement in the sky.
Because now—he could sense them.
Larger beasts.
Far bigger than the crows.
And they were drawing closer.
His heart sank like a stone.
'Thunderwing Drakes…'
His throat went dry.
His muscles tightened as cold dread crept into his bones.
Thunderwing Drakes.
Lesser dragons.
But still drakes—
And they could breathe lightning.
Aggressive. Territorial.
Beasts that ruled the skies.
Their territory is extremely special, they rarely leave it.
Even now, Ethan found it hard to believe that even these monsters were attracted by Loki to him...
It didn't make sense—
But there they were, wings crackling with faint sparks, their massive forms cutting through the sky like predators on the hunt.
The weakest of the Thunderwing Drakes… were Rank 3. Dire Beasts.
And what was Ethan?
A Rank 1.
Ethan was actually so unlucky attracting the whole calamities of the outlands to himself, it couldn't be helped, he as a mortal was going against a god the chance of success is harder than ascending the heavens...
His breath grew shallow.
His instincts screamed danger.
Every fiber of his being told him—if he let down his guard now, he'd die.
At this moment—
Ethan didn't dare let his focus slip.
He pushed everything into his mana sense, stretching it out as far as he could.
Every flicker of movement, every pulse of mana in the air—
He would feel it.
He had to feel it.
Because even a single mistake here—
Meant death.
But just when he thought he had seen enough; A loud, bone-chilling howl tore through the air.
It echoed like a death knell across the wilderness. Thousands of wolf silhouettes could be seen ahead blocking Ethan's route
Ethan's heart sank even further.
His face paled. 'Bloodhowl Wolves…'
His whole body stiffened; It felt as if his fate had just been sealed in that instant; As if the noose had finally tightened around his neck.
'Damnit, Loki… I can't believe you'd go this far.'
His thoughts roared in frustration. Loki had said this was just for entertainment; A little 'danger' to spice things up.
But this…?
This wasn't danger; This was death; This was an execution. It was as if the god was going all out to wipe Ethan off the face of the world.
His breathing grew heavier. His heart thumped like a war drum in his chest. This was far, far too much for a mere mortal like him to handle.
At this moment — Ethan truly felt it.
The sheer weight of Loki's power.
Without even lifting a finger, without making a grand display— The god could simply twist the world, and Ethan's life would dangle over the edge of oblivion.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
His fists trembled, not from fear—
But from the crushing reality of his weakness.
When?
When would he ever rise high enough…
to stand against this omnipotence?
To face it without being crushed like an insect?
His lips tightened into a thin line.
His eyes grew colder, sharper.
He exhaled, a long breath that felt like it carried his fear away.And in its place — A cold, unyielding resolve settled deep inside him.
If he couldn't escape…
Then so be it.
If death was coming for him—
He would bare his fangs and fight until the last breath.
His fingers closed around the hilt of his Rank 2 sword.
The steel gleamed faintly in the dim light.
His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.
'There's still a way…'
His gaze hardened.
'Fate-breaker…'
As long as he could kill enough—
Accumulate enough Fatebreaking points—
He'd be able to activate Fate-breaker and Unfated Scion... His one and only trump card.
His mana flared.
'Mana Sense…'
In an instant— His senses spread out like an unseen wave. His awareness expanded.
Now— He could feel it. Every pulse of mana, every living thing within a hundred-meter radius— They were laid bare before his mind.