22 City of Ravens 8 (2/2)

With its mouth wide open it swallowed the body in one gulp. Blood dripping for its hands and flash stuck to its skin, it looked at the other two bandits.

I felt petrified. I knew what this monster was, and I knew how dangerous it is.

Leshy.

I forced my body to move. Grabbing the knife from the ground, I quickly crawled out of his way. Behind me heard gunshots and screaming spreading.

'Thud!'

The lower half of one of the bandits hit the ground beside me. Looking back, I saw the Leshy chewing on the last bandit while looking at me. With my soul image manifested I ran as fast I could.

'Thump, Thump, Thump,' from behind a low sound of footsteps kept coming. No matter how fast I ran or how many turns I made it was coming, closer and closer inching towards me. I wanted to disappear out of this place, as far as I could.

Leshy is a terrifying existence that is on the same level as a Sky Panther. The most significant difference between the two is their defense and attack. Sky Panther is master of attack, a Leshy is master of defense.

While you could kill a Sky Panther with a very high caliber rifle, Leshy won't fall that easily. If it were not slower and had smaller physicals capabilities, then it would be the strongest existence in the hunting grounds.

While it was slow, its stamina was tremendous and could give chase for days. I could continue running for another few hours, but what then? My soul essence will run dry before that, so the problem was even more significant.

'Crack'

A bigger brunch I stepped on broke under my weight when I fell my mind was still focused on running, and I tried to crawl back up and continue to run. But my leg was stuck in the roots of a tree, with all I had I tried to pull it out. The roots were thick, extremely thick.

'Thump, Thump, Thump,' The closer the footsteps became the stronger my heart was beating. I pulled myself closer and one by one I broke the roots with my hands.

'Thump, Thump, Thump,' I was halfway done. Few more and I would be free.

'Thump, Thump…' I pulled my leg out of the roots, and the sound of footsteps stopped. With a shadow looming over me, my heart stopped. Standing above me Leshy was looking down on me.

I tried to move when I felt a hard hit on my back. Crushing me to the ground, my soul image screeched as it cracked under the immense pressure. I was dead.

I could feel life slipping away from my body, the higher I was lifted by the hand the more I felt like giving up. Images of the bandits dying flashed in my mind, the warm blood and their screams. I struggled with all I had, with all the strength I could garnish.

I expanded the soul image maximizing the strength output, tearing the wood like skin, but the Leshy didn't even budge. Getting closer and closer to the wide-open mouth the time slowed down. Everything became still, the falling leaves and the blood colored saliva of the Leshy frozen in place.

The remaining of the soul essence that I had was sucked out of my soul and entered the symbols on my arm. The symbols light up with a black light as energy started to circle around my arm. Black feathers shaped like spearheads appeared and attacked the Leshy. Slashing at its skin and inside of his mouth.

When they slashed at his eyes, he let go of me, covering his face from the feathers slashing it up. I hit the ground, and with no protection of soul image my ribs broke, all the air escaped from my longs and pain filled my body.

I gasped for air while forcing my limbs to move. The pain felt dull, but it jolted my mind to work even harder. With all that was left in me, I run.