22 Chapter 21: Abyss (2/2)

The barrage of icicles rained down on the Lunar Rabbit. Even as they sought to pierce the demonic beast, the Lunar Rabbit fearlessly darted forward with incredible agility. Evading the deadly hail of icicles by zigzagging across the clearing, the rabbit launched itself at the wolf and launched a somersault kick into its chin. The Silverback Wolf's head snapped upward with a sickening crunch and its whole body was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling across the clearing. Like its deceased brethren, its neck had been broken from that single blow.

”Ku!”

The Lunar Rabbit cried triumphantly and stomped on the ground, its long ears twitching excitedly.

”You've got to be kidding me…”

I mean, the encyclopedia did praise the Lunar Rabbits as strong, precocious creatures, and there was even a human martial arts sect that took its name, but this was way beyond my expectations. A single rabbit defeating five wolves on its own? Who would believe me if I survived my journey out of Sen Lin Forest and told everyone about it?

Furthermore, just from those movements, that incredible speed and agility, and the raw power behind its kicks, I was pretty sure that this Lunar Rabbit was superior to the terracotta soldiers that my class had trouble with earlier. If my classmates were to run into a pack of these Lunar Rabbits, wouldn't we be annihilated?

Best to stay low and hide until the Lunar Rabbit left. Thinking that, I was about to dig in deeper when the Lunar Rabbit mercilessly kicked the corpse of one of the Silverback Wolves. The carcass was flung right into my direction, and I instinctively dodged it even as it slapped wetly against the tree I was hiding behind. The wolf's carcass then slid down to my position.

”…oh.”

Whether the Lunar Rabbit had done it on purpose because it had already sensed my presence, or if it was a terrible coincidence and bad fucking luck on my part, it didn't matter. As I froze, my eyes half-riveted on the Silverback Wolf's corpse, I could see the Lunar Rabbit staring at me with those demonic, crimson eyes.

Yup, it had definitely seen me.

I was rooted to the ground, my instincts screaming at me to run but my body reusing to obey my mind. It was almost as if I was hypnotized by the Lunar Rabbit's predatory gaze.

Then the Lunar Rabbit infused strength into its hind legs and sprang forward.

”Whoa!”

I barely reacted in time as the Lunar Rabbit dashed toward me at a ridiculous speed that actually left afterimages behind it.

Fortunately, the Lunar Rabbit wasn't the only one with deft footwork.

Perhaps my survival instinct had kicked in at the last moment, but I managed to use Duo to evade the Lunar Rabbit. The ground where I was standing on a millisecond ago exploded as if an artillery shell had just hit it, gouging out a deep crater in the soil. I rolled on the ground after reappearing, and then jumped back to my feet.

Before I could regain my balance and infuse qi into my legs, the Lunar Rabbit had already launched itself at me.

”…tch!”

Clicking my tongue, I tried to use Tui to retreat, but the Lunar Rabbit was too fast. Before I could fully materialized the footwork technique, the Lunar Rabbit had already caught up with me. Even though I was flying backward at an incredible speed using my footwork and qi, the Lunar Rabbit was even faster!

What the hell!?

The Lunar Rabbit kicked me. I brought my arms up to block on reflex, and thus protected my face from being obliterated, but the tremendous force threw me across the forest and slammed me into the ground with bone-crunching impact.

”ARGH!”

I writhed helplessly on the ground, screaming in pain. Struggling to get up, I collapsed to the ground. Looking down, I realized that my left am – which had taken the full brunt of the kick – was lying uselessly by my side. That single kick had broken the bones in my left arm, causing it to hang at a weird angle. I could actually see white bone sticking out of my elbow. The bone had fractured completely, to the point that it was piercing my skin.

And it hurt. A lot.

”Ugh! OOOOOOOW!”

Worse, my right arm was also slightly twisted at an awkward angle, with a giant, ugly bruise spreading over it. Having crossed both my arms to absorb the impact, my right arm – which was behind my left arm – had suffered less, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was broken. There was a dull pain thudding toward it, and the deep, purplish color was getting me worried.

The fucking Lunar Rabbit had gotten in a lucky shot, otherwise it wouldn't have successfully landed a kick on me. Then again, the Lunar Rabbit possessed not one but two Rabbit's Foot. Of course it would have great luck.

”Huff…”

Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to stem the pain and desperately looked for the Lunar Rabbit. The bloody fucker turned out to be about ten meters away, but it was strolling to me in a relaxed manner, as if it believed that it had already won. Funnily enough, its arrogant attitude struck me as very human, much like the haughty young masters that dominated wuxia novels, only to be beaten up by the protagonist and taught their place.

Unfortunately, I possessed no such power. I could only curse in frustration as the Lunar Rabbit looked down on me condescendingly, as if I was nothing more than a mere bug squirming in the soil. In fact, it looked like it was enjoying itself.

What a sadistic rabbit. The Lunar Rabbit was getting a kick out of kicking me.

You've got to be kidding me…!

I tried to stand, but my legs were still shaky from the impact. Additionally, excruciating agony was spreading from my broken left arm, and my qi circulation had been clogged by the unbelievable pain. It would be difficult for me to use my Shadow Steps and footwork techniques, even if I succeeded in standing up. As if it was fully aware of the fact, the Lunar Rabbit raised its foot playfully, as if taunting me.

And the most frustrating fact was that I couldn't even do a single thing.

”I don't suppose you're all ears, despite having long ears?” I grumbled, and then sighed resignedly.

Am I really going to die here? A pathetic death at the hands of a fucking rabbit?! Before I get my revenge?! Bloody hell, I never thought a bloody Lunar Rabbit would be so deadly! Aren't they supposed to be cute, harmless creatures with an incredible sex drive?!

Of all the ways to die…this had to rank among the most pathetic of deaths.

I closed my eyes as my heart was enveloped in despair and frustration. I really wasn't satisfied with this outcome. I really didn't want to die like this. I…

”…?”

The kick never came.

”Eh?”

I opened my eyes, not daring to believe that I was saved. However, the first thing I spotted was the Lunar Rabbit's foot.

”Whoa!”

However, I suddenly realize that the foot had stopped. For a second, I wondered if the Lunar Rabbit was toying with me, tormenting me one last time before it finished me off. Then I realized that the foot was trembling.

No, the Lunar Rabbit was trembling.

What's going on?

I wondered if the Lunar Rabbit was shivering in fear. That seemed like the most plausible explanation. But what was it afraid of? Me?

Maybe I had some inner demon or demon lord sealed inside my soul, and at this life-threatening moment, that demon had emerged to save me? Was that why I only had a One Star Constitution? Because my ”talent” had been sealed along with the demon?

That would be absolutely amazing, but also idiotically cliché. Still, I wouldn't mind taking the cliché route if it meant I survived.

Unfortunately, I was horribly mistaken.

There was a new demonic beast present. It had just lumbered out of the trees and into the clearing, filling the space with its immense bulk.

Yeah…I was stupid for flattering myself. Of course there's no way the Lunar Rabbit would be afraid of me. And obviously there's no clichéd fictional plot device where I have a demon lord or legendary creature sealed inside my body.

If I wasn't in such a dangerous predicament, I would have rolled my eyes at my chuunibyou delusions, but for now my eyes were riveted to the new demonic beast.

As I said before, the new beast was immense. It towered over three meters, and its heavily muscled body was covered in ghostly gray fur. Just like the Lunar Rabbit and the Silverback Wolves, the newcomer seemed visibly contaminated by the demonic qi saturating the cavern, with demonic red lines pulsating all over its body. Both arms were grotesque, extended limbs that stretched all the way to the ground, each of them sporting three massive claws that were about a foot long in length, resembling a butcher's cleaver.

That's…a Ghost Bear!

No, I wasn't talking about that particular Ghost Bear from some planet that spawned a Mechwarrior clan in the far future. But I read about the Ghost Bear. It was a Rank 7 magical beast that possessed incredible power. What the hell was it doing in an underground cavern? No…that same question could be asked of the Lunar Rabbit and Silverback Wolves' presence. It was here because it was here.

Furthermore, it also meant that I was most likely in a very deep part of Sen Lin Forest, one where Rank 7 magical beasts inhabited.

Oh boy…I seriously was fucked.

The Ghost Bear swept its demonic gaze across the clearing, keeping its ghostly eyes on us. For a moment, nothing spoke or made a sound. Both the Lunar Rabbit and I were frozen, overwhelmed by the Ghost Bear's sheer presence. It was an insurmountable fear, like one suffered by a mortal standing before a god, struck with the realization that he could absolutely nothing against such a far more advanced and powerful being.

”Gr…”

The Ghost Bear let out a growl, and then stepped forward.

”Ku!”

The Lunar Rabbit snapped out of its stupor. In a single fluid movement, it spun around and bounded away on those heavily muscled hind legs of its. All the speed it used to annihilate its enemies earlier was now being used to escape.

Unfortunately, it still wasn't fast enough.

Moving with a swiftness that belied its immense size, the Ghost Bear lashed out with a single paw. The Lunar Rabbit twisted its body with its incredible agility, dodging the blow. At least I believed it had dodged the blow, until I saw the Lunar Rabbit land a few meters away.

Drip…drip…drip.

The same sound I woke up to. Only, instead of water, it was blood.

Blood was gushing out of wounds on the Lunar Rabbit's body. Red stained white fur and the Lunar Rabbit began falling apart. Literally. Large chunks of its body began slipping off, blood bursting like a geyser as it turned into a pile of chopped meat.

I see…

Even in the face of absolute despair, I calmly analyzed the situation. I had spotted and sensed the qi flowing around the Ghost Bear's claws. That was a qi technique that allowed it to extend the sharpness of its claws into triple qi blades, further elongating its range to a meter. Even though the Lunar Rabbit had dodged the claws, it had not successfully evaded the qi technique. It reminded me of the level 5 technique Sharpened Sword Force.

If I got out of here alive, I would certainly have my eyes open to the infinite possibilities of qi usage and martial arts…

I might consider learning Feline Claws, and then advancing it to Sharpened Sword Force…

The Ghost Bear lumbered forward and began feeding on the Lunar Rabbit's carcass. While it was distracted, I quietly stood up and tried to back away.

The Ghost Bear turned to look at me.

Damn!

Just when I thought I had a chance to escape…

With a bellow, the Ghost Bear charged at me, its sheer bulk causing tremors to quake the ground below. I took a deep breath and used Tui to retreat, widening the distance between us. Still, the Ghost Bear was incredibly fast. Before I could use my footwork technique, it was already in front of me and swiping its claws.

”!”

Thankfully, I was aware of its strange qi technique and had taken countermeasures against it. Despite evading the extended range of the triple qi blades, I was unable to prevent three fresh wounds from appearing on my stomach.

”Ugh!”

Blood gushed out of my mouth and wounds, staining my white uniform red. Fortunately, they seemed relatively shallow. A centimeter more and I would have been gutted – literally, eviscerated with my guts pouring out of my wound. For now, I ignored the burning pain in my abdomen and whirled around to run.

Jin!

I advanced further, kicking off the ground. Despite my swift footwork, the Ghost Bear was gaining on me. The bloody bastard sure could run despite its immense size!

I can't let it catch up to me!

Sprinting across the forest and alternating between my footwork, I plunged deeper into the forest. I had no idea where I was running in, just that I was escaping from the ferocious beast. It was too bad I didn't have transmutation magic, or I could dig a hole in the wall and escape…but whatever cavern walls were there were too far away for me to reach.

Or were they?

That's…!

While running, I saw a hollow within the roots of an enormous tree. Even though I could run for a lot longer – thanks to running thirty kilometers every day, I had built up solid stamina and could outpace the Ghost Bear eventually – I decided to make a break for it. The Ghost Bear was closing in despite my best attempts to use Shadow Steps and footwork techniques to shake it off, and it wouldn't be long before it eventually caught up.

I needed a new strategy.

Taking a deep breath, I used Jin and dove into the hollow amongst the roots. The Ghost Bear swiped at me, but its claws slashed a huge chunk of wood out of the massive tree, which shuddered but held. Fortunately, the gigantic tree was sturdier than it looked.

Seeking shelter within its roots, I scrambled deeper into the hollow while trying to stay out of reach of the Ghost Bear's Ghost Blades. The wood qi that saturated the air within the hollow gave off a nostalgic feeling, and I was somehow reminded of Teacher Yi Liao's healing techniques. Yeah, her healing techniques were wood element type, and she mentioned that she was a master of the Green Dragon Sect

Even at a time like this, I'm still thinking about school. How ironic.

Come to think of it, if I hadn't run twenty or thirty kilometers everyday for my martial arts training, I would have run out of stamina and get caught by the Ghost Bear…and mercilessly slaughtered by it. In a way, my training and decision to learn Shadow Steps had saved my life. I doubted any of my classmates would have been able to outrun the Ghost Bear. If I had chosen a technique other than Shadow Steps, I would never have been able to escape the Ghost Bear. If I had joined a martial arts sect and focused on techniques rather than building a solid foundation of stamina, speed and strength, I would have died back there, caught by the pursuing Ghost Bear and ripped apart.

Again, fortune within misfortune. A silver lining in a cloud. The ”advantage” of being revealed in the test with only a One Star Constitution…

”GUOOO!!!!”

The Ghost Bear swung its paws again as it tried to cleave the tree apart. Knowing that there was no way I could go back out that way, I began squirming deeper into the hollow.

”!!!”

Before I knew it, I came aground an underground passage hidden underneath the tangle of roots. Much like a rabbit's burrow…no, it might even be a Lunar Rabbit's burrow!

My broken left arm throbbed, reminding me how dangerous those Lunar Rabbits were. But given how that single Lunar Rabbit was so easily defeated by that Ghost Bear…

I've no choice but to proceed, huh?

I pushed through, disappearing through the passageway and leaving the furious bellows of the Ghost Bear behind. I ran and ran, not knowing where I was heading, as long as I was putting as much distance as I could between me and my pursuer. At some point of time, I finally collapsed from exhaustion.

”Ugh!”

Tripping over something, I stumbled and fell. Rolling on the ground, the burning flare of agony stabbing me from my broken arm, I slammed into something. Water splashed into my face, causing me to cough.

And then…darkness claimed me.