Rustling through the dense forest, the girl ran as fast as her legs could carry her, not daring to stop or even look back. Then, another loud crash echoed from Reinn's direction.
Her heart sank.
But there was nothing she could do except cry, run, and do whatever it took to secure the scroll.
"I'm sorry, Reinn... I promise I'll never leave you again. I promise I'll find you..." she sobbed, her voice trembling with deep regret.
[A Few Minutes Before the Fight...]
[System]
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1."
"The five-minute revival timeout has been completed."
"Revival procedure starting in..."
"1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10..."
As the countdown began, countless particles of light gathered in the air, gradually reconstructing Aero's body thousands of feet above the Great Forest of Drwgil.
His body slowly materialized, piece by piece, until the process was complete. Once again, he was as good as new, without a single injury left on his body.
Aero slowly regained consciousness, his mind still hazy from the experience.
Before he could even gather his thoughts—
[System]
"Revival procedure completed. Enjoy your second chance."
"Huh?"
Aero blinked.
"WoooOOO—?!"
Only then did he realize that he was floating in the middle of the sky, with nothing but endless air beneath his feet.
"What the fuck do you mean by 'enjoy'?! Aren't you going to put me dow—"
His body suddenly began to fall.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
The wind slammed against his face, forcing tears from his eyes as he plummeted toward the forest below.
[CRACK!]
[BRANCHES BREAKING!]
[DISTANT SCREAMING!]
[WHOOOPOOOFF!]
Aero crashed through the treetops, snapping branches and sending leaves scattering in every direction before finally hitting the ground.
"Ugh..."
Grunting in pain, he slowly pushed himself upright and brushed the dust and debris from his clothes.
"Wooo... That was quite an experience..."Wooo... That was quite an experience..."
He took a moment to catch his breath.
"One thing's for sure. I'm never trying that again."
He then turned toward the girl standing nearby and flashed her a sarcastic smile.
"Well, anyway, miss. How do you do?"
The girl stared at him cautiously. A strange man had just fallen out of the sky, crashed through several trees, and somehow stood up without a scratch.
She had no idea who he was or what he was capable of.Naturally, she wasn't about to give him an opening to attack her. She slowly backed away, desperately searching for a chance to escape.
Just then—
[BOOOOM!]
A thunderclap roared through the forest, momentarily distracting Aero.Seizing the opportunity, the girl immediately activated her skill.
"Concept of Velocity: Time Dilation..."
Instantly, the space around her began to slow down.
The movement of the surrounding environment became sluggish as a strange energy gathered around her body. Her weight seemed to diminish, allowing her to move with incredible ease.
And then—
[Woopff!]
Within a fraction of a second, she shot away from the spot, disappearing into the depths of the forest at an astonishing speed.
Moments after her departure, the distorted flow of time gradually returned to normal.
Aero turned around.He looked at the spot where the girl had been standing just moments earlier.
"...Huh?"
He glanced around in confusion.
"Where did that girl go?"
He scratched his head.
"Ahh, never mind. I don't have time to look for her anyway. I've got to find my group."
No sooner had he finished speaking—
[THUD!!]
Something travelling at an insane speed punched directly into Aero's guts.
The impact was so fierce that Aero was sent flying backward, crashing through one enormous tree after another. He didn't even have time to process what had happened
CRASH!....
BOOM!..
CRACK!...
Trees splintered and collapsed as his body tore through the forest.
Finally, Aero crashed to the ground.
"Cough! Cough!"
He coughed up blood, clutching his stomach as he struggled to breathe.
"What... was... that...?"
His breathing grew rough and uneven.
"...If my skill hadn't activated, I would've died from that impact..."
During that fraction of a second, his passive skill, Null Zone, had activated automatically, allowing him to barely avoid the direct impact of the incoming attack. However, avoiding the direct hit hadn't been enough to protect him from the sheer force behind it.
Even though the attack had missed its intended target, the tremendous energy it carried had sent him flying through the forest.
Aero gritted his teeth, struggling to remain conscious.
Then—
Clap... Clap... Clap...
The sound of slow, deliberate applause echoed through the forest.
Aero slowly raised his head, standing before him was a man. The same man who had put on a spectacular display during the first examination.
The man looked down at Aero with a faint smile.
"Hmm... Not bad. Not bad."
He continued clapping slowly.
"I didn't expect you to survive that."
His smile widened slightly.
"Since you're still alive, I'll give you two choices as a reward."
He raised two fingers.
"Your first choice is to tell me where that girl went. If you do, I'll let you live... If i feel like it"
He lowered one finger.
"Your second choice is you tell me nothing and I kill you."
He smiled...
Aero stared at him, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Not much of a choice, I see..."
He coughed again.
"Cough... cough..."
Despite his battered condition, a faint smile appeared on his face. The man returned the smile.
For a brief moment, the two exchanged faint smiles, almost amused expressions.
"So, I presume your answer is no?" the man asked.
Aero let out a weak breath.
"What much of a choice do i have i neither know the girl nor do have anything to tell you that may convince to let you spare my life.."
The man stared at him for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Well then..."
He clenched his fist, gathering his strength as the air around his hand began to tremble.
"I wish you a goodnight."
Aero closed his eyes slowly as he began to accept his fate.... And...
[BOOOOOOM!!]