Chapter four
The monster
Jun Mey concluded that the book was a treasure scripted from the sacrifice of individuals who sought to understand their species' status. As Jun Mey left the library, the sun obscured his face, and darkness enveloped the surroundings.
"Sigh! I'm exhausted. I'll get myself a drink to cool down," Jun Mey murmured, deliberately clasping her hands behind her head. Jun Mey maintained steady steps towards the distance vending machine.
The school distributed vending machines throughout the campus and refilled them daily, resulting in their general emptiness in the evenings and at night. However, since the distribution of students varied across the school, no one could empty all the machines.
Although Jun Mey seemed tired, she maintained her steady footsteps, owning to her athletic physique.
This vending machine was damn straight in a deserted place in the school. When Jun Mey got there, she gazed at it curiously, maintaining her gaze and expression. It was tough to glimpse Jun Mey's thoughts even though she seemed unbothered.
Although the machine was isolated, no one would have thought it lonely if it had been during the day; however, the night was different.
With no further ado, Jun Mey took out a penny and inserted it into the machine, and it made some mechanical noise. The noise was different from the constant pestering bug noises from the bushes.
Following the noise, an item dropped with a louder sound: It was a can of soda. Jun Mey knelt and scooped up the drink.
Just as Jun Mey stood up, the wind whistled, and a shadow passed her. "Weird," Jun Mey mumbled, immediately looking around.
Jun Mey first noticed brilliant chartreuse eyes before those extended ears and growing fangs. Except for these details, what she saw was a complete human. It was a man who growled like an animal.
"It's a kappa," Jun Mey mumbled, her heart unstable. However, despite Jun Mey's fear, she calmly observed with her motions controlled. Jun Mey had experienced some unusual things watching her, but none approached her. Today was the first she experienced meeting this familiar yet strange being. The mere thought of the beast made her gulp.
From her reaction, Jun Mey immediately recognized the kappa from the book she read in the library. Wolves' had power levels: King wolf, Alpha king, Alpha general, Alpha army, Beta general, Beta army, and Omega army. And each of them had its unique features, one of which happened to be their eyes.
When Jun Mey saw this creature, she concluded she had to run, so she tossed the pop soda at the man and turned around, thinking about survival.
However, the man crushed the soda can with his claws. The contents flowed like rain, staining the man's body and clothing.
You're dead, grrr," the kappa yelled, slamming his claws into the empty air. "Grrr, grrr," he snarled, tightening his jaw and facial muscles. As if he couldn't hold his frustration and anger, the kâppa paced rapidly, showing shortness of breath. After all the exaggerated movements, he chased after Jun Mey.
Jun Mey maintained a calm expression and steadied her movement. Although her mind raced as she dashed between trees and grass, it never affected her coordination.
'That Kâppa had to be the one that ran into me today,' Jun Mey thought, calmly jumping a tree branch. 'So he followed me.'
After running for some time, Jun Mey suddenly realized something: no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun that animal in human shape.
Soon after, the Kâppa approached her and slammed her hard using his claws.
The Kâppa's claws sank deeply into her skin, shredding her clothes. Jun Mey grunted, and her body trembled from the hit, but she fought her way free, deriving energy from adrenaline because of fear.
"No. I can't keep going at this rate, " Jun Mey mumbled, calmly looking around for safety. "Will I die here?" Jun me constantly and consciously tried to maintain her breathing.
In her heart, Jun Mey decided to fight back despite the overwhelming odds against her. Having climbed a few meters with the Kâppa, she picked up a rotten piece of wood and steadily dashed toward the creature. Despite her lack of experience fighting these creatures, Jun Mey was confident in her abilities as she had trained extensively.
Snap!
Her confidence disappeared when the Kâppa snapped the rotten wood; however, she maintained her calm gaze, churning her thought.