novelraw Chapter 77: Ghost?
Chapter 77: Ghost?
Daniel stood completely still.
His eyes drilled into the thick bush on his left because he wanted to see what was hiding there.
He did not breathe. He wanted to hear even the smallest sound.
His hand moved slowly toward his belt, and his fingers wrapped around the cold handle of his Twin Fang dagger.
He expected a monster to jump out, or he expected a straggler from the purge to attack him. Then, the leaves parted.
A small, grey creature ran out from the underbrush. It was just a field mouse. It stopped on the path and twitched its nose at Daniel.
It let out a tiny squeak before it darted away across the dirt and disappeared into the roots of a huge tree.
Daniel let out a long breath. His shoulders dropped, and the tension left his body.
"Just a mouse," he whispered to himself. "I am jumping at shadows." He shook his head and adjusted the strap of his Skyreaver Bow on his shoulder.
He looked ahead through the gaps in the trees, and he saw the golden light of the extraction portal pulsing in the distance. It called him home. It was only a few hundred meters away, and the path was clear.
There were no monsters here. "Almost there," he thought. A smile touched his lips, so he started walking again. He lowered his guard slightly because the finish line was right in front of his eyes.
He walked for another thirty seconds and came into a small clearing with bare ground.
FWHIIIIIP!
A sharp whistle cut through the air. It was the sound of metal cutting the wind at high speed.
THWACK!
A dagger slammed into the tree trunk right next to his ear. It buried itself deep into the wood. The black metal handle vibrated violently from the force of the throw.
If Daniel had been one inch to the left, that blade would have pierced his skull and killed him instantly.
Daniel’s eyes went wide with shock. Before he could even turn his head, he heard a second whistle.
FWHIIIIIP!
He threw himself to the ground and rolled into the dirt. A second dagger sailed through the empty space where his chest had been a split second ago.
"Sniper!" Daniel hissed. He scrambled behind the cover of the tree roots and pressed his back against the bark. He did not wait to see the attacker.
He activated his [Omnivision] immediately. The world turned into a grid of lines and heat signatures in his mind. He scanned the forest to find the enemy, then he sensed a blur.
Someone was moving really really fast. The heat signature circled him and closed the distance with terrifying speed.
"Found you," Daniel growled. He stood up and spun around. He drew both Twin Fang daggers from his belt to defend himself.
A figure burst from the brush and ran towards him, with terrifying speed. She did not stop. She launched herself at him.
She held a short, curved blade in each hand. She slashed at his face with the right blade. Daniel leaned back, and he felt the wind of the blade brush his nose.
She followed up immediately with a stab to his ribs using her left hand. Daniel deflected with his own dagger.
CLANG!
The metal clashed against metal with a loud ring, and sparks flew into the air. The force of her strike was heavy. She was strong, but more than that, she was skilled.
She did not fight using brute force. She fought using pure martial arts. She twisted her wrist and locked Daniel’s blade for a second. Then, she feinted a low kick to his shin.
Daniel dropped his guard to block the kick, but it was a trick. She pulled her leg back and spun.
She delivered a high elbow strike aimed directly at his face. Daniel blocked it with his forearm just in time.
BAM!
The impact sent a shock of pain through his bones. He stumbled backward, and his boots skidded on the dirt.
It was a young lady. She wore a sleek, black combat suit that glowed in the morning light. Daniel recognized the quality of the gear immediately. It was A-Grade armor and it fitted her perfectly, making her look deadly.
"Who are you?" Daniel shouted.
He spat blood from his lip where the shock hit his teeth.
The woman did not answer. She pressed the attack, moving with fluid grace. She threw a jab with her left hand. Daniel blocked it, but it was another trap. She used the contact to grab his wrist and pulled him off balance.
She stepped in close and drove a knee into his stomach.
OOF!
The air left Daniel’s lungs. He bent over because the pain hit him hard.
She brought her elbow down on his back, trying to flatten him to the ground. Daniel knew he could not beat her on technique alone. She was a better fighter. But he had something she did not possess. He had the stats of a Level 6 monster.
He roared and activated his raw Strength. He did not try to escape her grip with skill. Instead, he powered through it. He grabbed her leg and pulled upward.
He used his massive strength to throw her off him. She flew through the air, flipped gracefully and landed on her feet without making a sound.
"You’re strong," she said. Her voice was muffled by a black mask. "But you are sloppy."
Daniel wiped the blood from his mouth. His eyes narrowed. He was done playing defense.
"Sloppy?" he whispered. "I’ll show you sloppy."
He activated [Shadowsteps].
ZHOOM!
His agility tripled instantly. He blurred forward. He moved so fast that he left a trail of afterimages behind him. He did not use fancy moves. He used pure speed.
He threw a straight cross punch and put his weight behind it. She dodged by weaving her head to the side. He followed with a left hook.
She blocked it with her daggers, but the force pushed her back.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
He unleashed a flurry of strikes. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut. His daggers were a blur of silver light. He forced her to retreat.
He pressed her against a thick tree trunk. She tried to sweep his legs, but he jumped over the sweep. As he landed, he lunged.
He pinned her against the tree. He slammed his left forearm against her chest and held her in place with his superior strength. He raised his right dagger and pressed the tip against her throat. But she was not beaten.
At the exact same moment, she had brought her knee up and driven her own dagger downward. The tip of her blade hovered dangerously close to his penis.
It was a stalemate.