This place was turning into a nightmare with every moment.
It kept springing one dangerous surprise after another on them.
The forest behind them seemed to recede like a dream.
Soon, they could find no trace of it.
It was just harsh yellow sands all around them now.
They didn’t have the luxury of wasting any more time here.
“Everyone, let’s try leaving now.” Mia said.
They might finally be out of whatever strange zone they had entered now.
They were about to bring out their Adventurer Cards when it happened.
It seemed this strange zone was not done with them.
It still had one more dangerous surprise.
They weren’t being given any breathing space.
They were blasted far apart from each other.
There was no chance for any quick and easy regrouping to be done.
Some strange creature had landed where the team members were gathered together just a moment before.
Its body shone with a devilish obsidian sheen.
The tall humanoid form of the strange creature looked to be made of some strange hard rocks.
Neo and Sofia were blasted in the same direction.
Derek was with Mia.
Lancelot was alone.
This strange creature had some resemblance to a demon.
Its tail swished through the air with a flexibility that belied its rocky structure.
Its head turned around as it took in the sight of everyone.
Then it seemed to go for the weakest one.
It sprinted towards Neo.
“Everyone, after that damned thing.” Mia commanded.
Sofia who was close to Neo was already beside him.
She drew out two daggers.
Her stance showed that she was going in for close combat.
Mia and the others were still some distance away.
The strange creature in no time was standing before Neo and Sofia.
Its long arm reached for Neo as if to swat a puny lifeform to its death.
Sofia didn’t seem so pleased with that.
She moved so fast, she seemed to disappear.
Her double dagger strike hit the strange creature on the chest area, and knocked it back.
It staggered.
When she appeared again beside Neo, she looked exhausted.
This strange creature was fast.
She didn’t dare to exchange moves with it.
Knocking it back was the wisest thing to do.
Neo strike wasn’t far behind hers.
His own move was also heavy.
He knocked the creature back with a sword technique that made his longsword as heavy as an anvil.
This move was even more taxing on him.
He felt like his body would tear apart.
The others soon caught up.
Lancelot smashed into the strange creature with his shield.
Derek released some arrows that also knocked it back.
Mia’s sword was not far behind as she hit it with a heavy blow.
The best they could all do was knock the creature back.
None of their furious strikes made a dent in its body.
It still looked as pristine as it first appeared.
The team had gathered together again.
The creature also seemed to have regained its bearing.
It looked at the five who had gathered together.
Although its blocky head lacked any defining features, it seemed to have a look that conveyed amusement and some slight vexation.
It appeared to deliberate on something, then it seemed to have arrived at a tough decision.
Its whole body turned red.
A red that seemed to mimic the blood gushing out of a gaping wound.
It became much faster than before.
Mia’s sword flashed through the air as she held it off for a moment, before she was swatted aside like a rag doll.
Lancelot charged at the now berserk creature with his shield raised in front of him.
It was valiant and very much admirable.
The blow he received sent him flying.
He lost his hold on his shield, as it flew another way.
Derek released arrow after arrow, but he could no longer knock the creature back.
The creature’s tail wrapped around him, before it flinged him aside.
Sofia knew the move she made the other time could no longer work.
As she was about to do heavens knew what.
Neo stepped forward.
He didn’t know what this creature wanted, but he seemed to be its target.
Although, he might be wrong.
The crazy creature was definitely still coming his way.
There was no escape for him.
He had to take it down now.
His whole body now had a red sheen to it.
Unlike the one on the strange creature, this one looked like his skin being boiled in water.
Or being slowly cooked under the hot sun.
It was painful.
Very much so.
The white essence aura that surrounded him was almost as thick as the one on Mia when she used her full power.
He was in a berserk mode.
He had to finish this quick.
He charged at the strange creature with his sword raised.
As he got closer to the strange creature, his sword appeared to grow mightier in size and weight.
The weapon didn’t expand, it was the effect of another technique he was using.
The collision between the two sent dust flying.
Neither was pushed back.
Neo swung his sword again, faster.
With every move, he became faster.
Yet, no matter how his sword met the strange creature’s body, he could not make a dent.
The strange creature seemed impervious to all his moves.
All of a sudden, the redness on the strange creature’s body intensified.
Its next move, a punch, sent the sword flying from Neo’s hand.
The punch that followed, almost smashed his head to pieces.
He was lucky to have dodged it.
Sofia, the only person still in a relatively good shape almost had her heart jump out of her chest.
When Neo had used that berserk technique, his skin turning red like cooked salmon.
Her heart had cried out.
Then, the two combatants had become faster than she could perceive.
However, that last move of the creature.
She saw it.
Clearly.
How it passed by Neo’s head.
By a very close shave.
Then she saw Neo.
His body already red beyond anything possible for a human.
He was burning.
Literally.
His whole being lit on fire, as he lunged bare handed, arms wide at the strange creature.
He locked it in a tight embrace.
The fire spread to the strange creature.
Then the two were burning.
Alive.
Consumed bit by bit, by the fire that spared not even its origin.
A sad sight that signaled the very end.
Then, the strangest thing of all happened.
The ground beneath the two opened wide like a gaping maw.
It swallowed both whole.
Leaving no trace.
(^o^)
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