"How far is this Arilea anyway?" Asher finally sighed, dragging his blistered feet through the sand. "We've been walking for three damn days!" His ragged shirt clung to sunburnt skin, his once-bright pearl-like eyes now dulled and sunken. His cheeks had hollowed, lips cracked. But still—no complaints.
At least the sandals Eurys had tossed at him two nights ago held up, though they were melting slightly from the scorching dunes. Still better than nothing.
"We'll reach when the sun hangs directly above us," Eurys said casually from atop his camel.
Asher's face lit up—finally, an end in sight. But then he heard a sharp tch from one of the riders nearby.
He leaned in toward Eurys. "What's with these assholes?"
Eurys sighed, exasperated. "They're nobles in merchant's clothing. Lord's orders were to keep them safe. Seeing a 'slave' walk beside them like an equal must be... distasteful."
Asher blinked. "Slave?"
Eurys gave him a curious glance. "Your appearance. The clothes. It's obvious what you are. Escaped your caravan and wandered into the sands, didn't you?"
There was a beat before Asher nodded slowly. "...Right. Yeah. Slave."
Eurys narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn't press.
"Foolish thing to do," he muttered. "Escaping into a desert."
"I guess it is."
"..."
"..."
They walked in silence.
Then Eurys stiffened. His eyes widened. "DUCK!"
Asher obeyed instinctively, dropping to the sand as a violent gust blasted over his head. Something splattered behind him—wet and heavy. His breath caught. A low thump followed, and something rolled to a stop near him.
He turned slowly.
A head stared back at him, lifeless eyes wide with terror.
Asher's stomach twisted violently. He doubled over and vomited into the sand, bile burning his throat.
"Asher, get up! We have to retreat!"
Of course he knew that. He wanted to move. But—
'Why won't my legs move?!' His knees shook uncontrollably, rooted in place by terror.
Another hot wind whipped past him, followed by the distinct clang of steel and a wet, meaty splatter. Behind him, the battle raged.
His thoughts spun, chaotic and fast. He forced himself to breathe—slow, deep inhales. 'Focus. This isn't real. It's just an illusion. No one actually died.'
he slowly got up, a memory sparking into existence in his hand.
Memory: [Stoneblade].
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Tier: II.
Memory Type: Weapon.
Memory Description: [It's a sword made of stone tougher than diamonds.]
Memory Enchantment: [Dull]
Enchantment Description: [While its edge may fail to slice through a leaf, its force is imbued with unexpected strength, capable of shattering bones and rending flesh with each impact.]
Asher checked the runes before and he was pleasantly surprised but this was infact the first time he was going to use it.
He lifted his eyes—and wished he hadn't.
The creature was grotesque. All twisted meat and slithering limbs. A nightmare dragged from some hellish abyss. Tentacles flailed, each the size of a man, covered in pulsating veins and bone-like ridges. Some ended in claws, others in gnashing teeth.
Eurys? He was holding his own— barely.
Blades flashed as Eurys slashed through the monstrosity's limbs, slicing with precision and force. But there were too many. Blood ran down his arm, his cheeks marked with fresh cuts, his jaw tightly clenched.
Asher's gaze swept across the terrain.
The desert was red.
The mutated camels—mangled. The merchants—disemboweled. Torn apart.
Everyone was dead.
No—wait. One still lived.
A man cowered behind a camel's corpse, whispering prayers through trembling lips. His whole body shook like a leaf in a storm.
Then Eurys shouted, "Asher! It's an Awakened Terror! We can't fight this—we need to run!"
"I know that, bastard! But how?!" Asher shouted back, desperation cracking his voice. They couldn't just outrun this thing.
An Awakened Terror? Seriously? What kind of bullshit difficulty spike is that?!
Before he could whine more —A flash of light. A wall of smoke.
it was an explosion.
Asher instinctively shielded his eyes.
Through the haze, Eurys emerged, sprinting with the surviving merchant slung over his shoulder.
"It's paralyzed for now!" he yelled, "but I don't know how long that'll last! Try to keep up!"
Asher didn't need to be told twice.
Asher bolted, sprinting through blood-soaked sands, his breath ragged and stomach lurching from the stench of cooked flesh. Eurys! Was that your Aspect?!" Asher shouted between gasps, feet pounding the sand as they fled.
Eurys looked at Asher as if he was retarded, still running while carrying the merchant. "No you fool! I awakened a week ago! I haven't unlocked my aspect yet!"
Asher blinked. "Then… what was that?"
"A bomb," Eurys said casually, adjusting the merchant over his shoulder. "Made from condensed soul essence and sorcery of names."
Asher felt a vein throb in his temple. "You had that the whole time?! Why didn't you use it on the golem?!"
Eurys just smirked. "To use in times like this of course!"
Asher nearly tripped. 'This bastard…'
**
Asher clutched his knees, chest heaving. His lungs burned, his legs trembled—but he was alive. He had run for his life today. Quite literally.
"We're finally here!" he gasped, his voice raw, eyes locking onto a small settlement shimmering in the desert heat.
"Yes," Eurys replied flatly. His tone was devoid of relief. "The Skinwalker didn't follow us."
Asher blinked, still panting. "Skinwalker? What's that supposed to be?"
Eurys glanced at him, eyes sharp and cold. "An abominable Defiled. It wears its victim's face. It's... grotesque."
A chill crept down Asher's spine.
At the town gates, Eurys finally set the merchant down. The man murmured broken thanks, gaze empty. He didn't seem entirely there.
'Poor guy… trauma must've shut him down,' Asher thought.
But something tugged at his senses—[Spectral Sight] flared to life. Asher squinted, peering at the merchant's chest.
A black orb pulsed just beneath the solar plexus.
"Huh...?"
He turned toward Eurys. A white-gold orb glowed from within his chest.
Asher's blood ran cold.
"Oh shit—"
He spun—too late. A pressure exploded behind him. His sword shimmered into existence, and he instinctively lashed out. No, not instinct. His mind just processed it fast.
Bone crunched. Blood sprayed. Shattering the man's skull.
[You have slain an Awakened human. Name: Unknown.]
The whisper brushed against his ear—but he had no time to process it.
He staggered back, eyes locking with Eurys."Why?" Asher choked out, voice cracking.
Eurys's expression twisted. Cold. Condemning.
"You grotesque thing," he spat. "There's no point in playing human."
In the blink of an eye, four more figures descended—Awakened, their speed inhuman. Asher managed to block the first strike, but the second took him in the ribs. The third shattered his hand. By the fourth, he was on the ground.
He had only killed the first by surprise.
Eurys stared down at the dead man with a quiet frown—almost mournful—before his gaze shifted to Asher. "We'll find your weakness eventually, Skinwalker."
Asher writhed beneath the weight of his captors, blood dripping down his brow. His voice cracked in fury and desperation. "I'm not a Skinwalker, you bastard! I'm Asher! ASHER! The real Skinwalker is that—!"
A sharp boot slammed into his face, snapping his head sideways.
"Not another word from your defiled mouth," one of the Awakened hissed.
A scabbard struck his nose. Bone cracked. Blood gushed.
Asher's vision blurred. His body refused to move. Darkness crept in.
The last thing he saw was the merchant's expressionless face.
__________
[A/n: comments?]