Awaiting soft rains(An extra's novel)-Chapter 96: Abyss

I slowly left the vicinity of Rowan and Alexa, the world around me lulling into the sound of wind sweeping the grass and the sounds of the insects within that grass.

The only light sources were the occasional lamps on the path.

It didn’t make me lower my guard. Not even a little. My eyes remained firmly on the skinwalker’s position on the map. It was still moving.

’I should’ve probably brought a weapon.’

It was only back at the top that I’d realized that oversight. First-year students didn’t typically carry weapons, not unless they were artifacts.

My glasses weren’t anything close to a weapon.

’It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just scouting after all.’

Sighing, I kept heading downwards. Due to the slope, I’d already lost sight of the other two.

’Roughly two minutes now.’

The slope evened out as I reached the bottom. The grass remained the same, yet shrubs and trees sprouted up here and there, forming a sparse forest.

They all swayed in sync with the wind.

I checked the location again.

’Still moving. But much slower now.’

I slowed down as well, glancing nervously into the grasses and the tops of the trees for any signs of movement, or figures.

’Nothing.’

I shivered a bit. The cold was getting to me. The drumming of rain against the invisible barrier wasn’t making things any easier, either.

I couldn’t help but check its location again.

’Wait...’

It had barely moved from its last position. While I, on the other hand, had moved much closer to it.

’Did it stop?’

But if so, at the distance between us, I should’ve at least seen its figure somewhere in front of me.

Yet there was nothing, just more swaying trees and grasses, with the barrier looming above them all.

A chill crawled up my spine as I stopped in my tracks. It wasn’t the cold this time.

I scanned the grasses and the trees frantically. Yet they were still the same, giving no notions of hiding a beast within.

’Alright then. That’s enough.’

Slowly and carefully, I began retreating, tracing my steps backwards while keeping my eye on the environment before me.

It was right as I left the range of the nearest street lamp beam that I heard it. It was faint, beneath the swaying and rain.

A rustle in the grass. Dirt crushed beneath feet.

Immediately, I activated my glasses. The world slowed down before my eyes, grasses and trees moving in slow motion, sounds of the world reaching me in distinct waves.

I could feel my essence flowing into the artifact, hungrily devoured by its effects. Yet I paid no mind to all that, and moved to jump right beneath the lamp, deactivating the artifact as I did so.

A crash sounded out in the grasses. Right over my previous location.

The moment my back hit the floor, I ignored the sharp pain that spiked, reorienting myself as quickly as possible and activating the artifact again.

The world slowed down once more, and in the grasses, I spotted a figure.

Dirtied uniform, shaggy dark hair, pale skin, and a lean physique. It was Chang-min, or rather the skinwalker.

It was already moving again.

I rolled. The sound of something slicing through air passed me by. It was only after two rolls, when I was just at the edge of the streetlamp’s range, that I saw it.

Glinting under the light of the street lamp was a shortsword. ’Chang-min’ held it like he was familiar with using it.

He gave me no time to rest.

Immediately, I moved to activate the artifact again, barely noticing the trajectory of his blade in time to get out of the way.

Even then, I wasn’t fast enough. The blade flashed, and a sharp pain tore through the side of my abdomen.

I clutched it as I threw myself out of his way, into the grass.

There was no time to waste, so I stumbled back onto my feet once again.

My breath came out in heavy puffs. The sensation of my own warmth seeping right through my fingers made me dizzy.

Luckily, for whatever reason, the skinwalker stopped, looking at me as though considering something.

I wasn’t stupid enough to waste the opportunity and immediately moved to activate [Eyes of Eternity] again. Yet, I was met with a massive headache for my efforts.

’Essence.’

The artifact had already used most of mine up.

’Still...’

I had to do something. Anything.

The monster was beginning to move again, yet before it could close the distance, I tossed my glasses in its face.

It sidestepped, easily dodging the object. That was all I needed.

Using the momentary distraction, I moved in to close the distance, seeking to wrestle his weapon from him.

But my body betrayed me; the pain from my side flared up the moment I shifted weight, my leg suddenly weakened in response, and I stumbled.

This mistake was punished immediately. Something heavy slammed into my chest, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending me flying beyond the range of the street lamp.

The sensation of multiple things violently snapping at contact was enough to send my mind into shock.

I barely felt myself land onto the grass.

By the time I came to, I found myself on my back, hacking, coughing out blood that had swelled up to my throat. My mouth tasted like metal, and my chest lay in utter agony.

The pain was so great that I had trouble processing anything besides it.

’D... rank. Fuck.’

Through my bleary eyes, I could see a blurred figure beneath the streetlight. It was approaching me slowly, machete in hand.

It was right then, perhaps for the first time in this world, that it hit me.

’I’m going to die.’

Like a hand reaching from the abyss, that thought grasped me, dragging and seeking to pull me down with it. I struggled against it, fighting like hell to make myself move, to do something, anything against that inevitability.

Yet it was all for naught; I was choking on my own blood. Any attempt at moving only made me cough more blood.

Right then. As the creature was about to swing its machete at me. As the hand was about to drag me to the abyss. As I was on the very edge of despair.

I felt it.

The sensation of steel pressed against my neck. Entirely lacking the ferocity of the monster’s machete. An elegant blade. One I couldn’t give form to. Yet it was one I instinctively knew could cut through anything. An almost fundamental truth.

Like the very concept of being cut was pressed against my neck.

Then came the sound of a blade being drawn.

And in that blurry, hazy vision of mine, I saw it.

The monster was split in half.