"FUCK!" I scampered away as I heard the approaching sound of ryquins.

I couldn’t tell how many they were.

But…

From the loud stomping sound in the distance, I was sure of it.

They were about a hundred of them.

If I didn’t find a way out of this tunnel, I was dead.

No two ways about it.

"Think… think… think," I muttered repeatedly, cracking my brain to find a way out of this harrowing situation.

I am sure I heard the sound of gears grinding before that explosion.

I am damn sure of it.

But…

Where did it come from?

"!?"

Don’t tell me.

I looked around the metallic tunnel, but it was too dark to see anything clearly.

T-There...

There had to be a trapdoor leading to a hidden location around these corners.

Whoever tried to kill me must have been watching my every move since I stepped into this tunnel.

Alright.

Let me try something.

I dashed back a bit but stopped some distance from what I deemed the exact spot I heard that explosion.

I then turned to the corner, held the hilt of my katana, and infused it with mana.

"Huuu!" I took in oxygen, then let all the other noises in the background drown out as I concentrated deeply.

I was counting on this one thing.

This one idea which might just turn out to be spot on.

-Screech!

KREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

They’re close.

"Haa!" I breathed out, my eyes snapping open as I used every ounce of strength I could muster to draw the katana. It blurred forward in a quick slice, and then…

-Crack

-Shatters

"No…." I looked in utter horror as the katana’s blade broke into shards and fell to my feet.

No.

NO!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

-Screech!

KREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

What do I do?

What do I do?!

What do I do?!

WHAT DO I FUCKING DO?!

I was out of even an ounce of affection points, so I couldn’t buy shit from the shop.

I was screwed.

I was screwed!

-Screech!

KREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Now I could feel it close, the tremor beneath my feet.

They were right in front.

I could only stare and wait for my inevitable demise.

I was at this point… paralyzed by fear.

-Screech!

KREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Wait.

WAIT!

"I still have this," I thought, looking at the chronos lock around my neck.

I closed my eyes and instantly mana flowed into the amulet, and the world turned gray.

"Ahh… ARCK!" I coughed, my hand over my mouth.

I looked at my hand.

"Blood."

Tsk.

It seems I haven’t completely recovered from the last use of it.

"Ugh," I groaned, feeling an immense ache in my temple.

I don’t know how long I can bear this pressure.

It’s worse than I even imagined.

Alright.

Let’s go.

I rushed forward towards the direction the beasts were coming from. On reaching a certain point, my eyes finally made out distinct silhouettes from the surrounding darkness.

"Up," I said to myself, through gritted teeth, and leaped up.

-BAM!

I landed on one of the heads of the ryquins, and I felt my weight bear down on it, and even with time frozen, it began going down due to my weight. But I didn’t wait for it; I rushed onwards, leaping from head to head, my mind focused on what could lay ahead.

I have to get through every single one of them and get to a safe zone before the pressure becomes too much for me to bear.

Maybe I can survive this.

I just have to bear this a while more.

…

…

… Oh, how wrong I was….

…. It was endless.

This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.

"Hah… hah… hah… haah!" I panted as sweat poured down my face. I don’t know how long I have been jumping. How long I have been enduring this.

But…

…. I am getting tired.

There are just too many of them.

Over a thousand or more.

Due to the direction I was leaping from, and how much I was trying my very best not to fall off one of those heads…

… I had taken the second route of the four.

But it didn’t change anything.

The heads never ended.

With each leap, I was met with another.

And the fear of falling off kept me moving forward.

But…

…. I am getting tired by the minute.

I am getting really exhausted by this.

"AHHH!" I felt as though my bone cracked as I missed a head and ran my knee into it instead.

"Fuck!" I cried, but quickly reacted in mid-air, my hand twisting as I grabbed the head of a nearby ryquin to push myself forward.

"CRAP!"

I missed again, and my head collided with another.

Even with time frozen, I felt the pain so clearly.

In fact, I felt it amplified a thousand times.

"Ugh," I groaned, grabbing its shoulder in an attempt to steady myself. I then looked up to its face, and my head went numb.

"HAH… HAH… HAH!" I panted loudly.

What’s happening to me?

Why…?

Why do I feel this way?

I pushed myself up and kicked it in the face, then propelled myself forward.

What is happening to me?

Why do I feel so…

… cold?

W-what?

"ARCK!" I coughed out a mouthful of blood and almost lost my footing once more.

"No… I can’t let it deactivate," I forced myself once more.

Running.

Running.

Running.

And running.

But there was only so much I could take anymore.

My legs felt as though they were melting, joints no different.

I was losing consciousness.

But…

… I couldn’t.

If I lose consciousness now, I am finished.

I will be killed by the stampede.

But I am out of strength.

Yet, I can’t see a way out.

Before me, at least the distance I can make out, all I see are countless silhouettes of these beasts.

I want to sleep.

To take some rest.

I am at my limit.

Please.

Someone.

Save me.

I stumbled.

My vision blurring.

In that moment, though my vision was hazy, I could see it.

Color slowly returning to the world.

No.

….. No.

AND…

… I FELL.