Author: Hey guys! I'm back!
...
Why are you looking at me like that? It doesn't matter why I was gone, does it?
No, I wasn't sick...
Whatever. Sorry for being gone for a while.
...
Yulong's eyes opened slowly. As he stared up, blankly, at the cave ceiling, he realized that he had fallen asleep inside of the game yet again.
Thankfully, no weird voices this time.
With a yawn, he moved onto a sitting position. The meal last night had been better than he expected. He cleared the wood that still lay on the floor, promptly storing it in his spirit ring. After yesterday's meal, Zhao Zhelan was content enough to leave him with the fire talisman.
When Yulong turned over to the barrier, he hadn't expected to see her awake, leaning on one of the walls as she carefully watched the outside.
"Let's split up," Yulong said, stretching. "You go up the mountain, I'll check down."
Zhao Zhelan nodded, not the least bit startled. "Fine by me." She said. Within the next second, she was already gone, nothing but a blur against the blue sky. Yulong chuckled. She seemed different from yesterday, or a little less arrogant.
"I suppose a cook can appreciate good food," He mused, standing in one smooth movement. Yulong cracked his knuckles and then boarded his sword, the familiar chill emanating. His other sword, the Silver Anguish, was still carefully tucked away in his inventory.
In a few seconds(he need a while to get his Qi going), he rocketed off into the distance. He was already out a few dozen meters before he abruptly changed direction and went further down the mountain. The ground was a gray blur. Yulong did not stop at the few caves he saw on the way, as he sensed nothing from them.
But the silent shuffling of footsteps made him pause. Gently, he hopped off his sword and took it with him, walking forward stealthily. Yulong then crouched before a boulder, and peered around it curiously.
The first that greeted him was the gaping mouth of a cave. Then the two figures at the entrance.
[Earth Eating Demon]
[Ninth Level True Martial]
[Earth Eating Demon]
[Ninth Level True Martial]
Before him resembled two demons that looked close to the demon he had fought earlier. they were much smaller and held no spirit mark, thus looking like a humanoid lizard without a tail. In the right one's hand was something resembling a club.
Yulong snorted and brandished his sword. These monsters were nothing but fodder. Yulong tensed his muscles, releasing a hiss of air through gritted teeth.
With a push, Yulong rocketed through the air in a blur. The demons did not even know someone was attacking them until Yulong was a meter away. They let out and enraged screech.
Raising his sword, Yulong swung diagonally. Instead of cutting through scales and flesh, he was surprised to see the other one come to the aid of his brethren. So instead of hitting the demon, he hit the wood of a club.
From the clash a shockwave extended, which would've toppled trees 20 feet away. Yulong immediately darted back to avoid a swipe of the claws from the first one. A few meters into the air, Yulong considered his options.
These things were a lot faster than he had first anticipated, which made things quite troublesome. But now, a small part of Yulong's mind was excited. From the start, he already knew the demons were guarding something but had not considered it to be important. But with their considerable power, something at least Mysterious Middle.
Yulong was drawn out his musings by a huge wooden club soaring toward his face, even while midair. The swing was powerful, probably containing some sort of qi behind it. it tore through the air, making was seemed to be a snarling sound.
Yulong only had time to raise his sword to block the strike. But midair, he had no real force behind it, and thus was sent flying into the ground with a thud, a crater forming underneath him.
Yulong rolled out of the way of another claw strike and smoothly transitioned to a standing position.
The two demons stood a few meters away. The one with the club slowly started to approach, while the other snarled and brandished sharp claws. Clubby(as that was what Yulong had mentally started to call him) slowly approached.
Yulong released a smirk and readied himself.
When the demon was a meter away, Yulong used «Almighty Charge» closing the distance between them in an instant. Yulong's blade flashed, and he swung, cutting off the head of Clubby in one go.
Yulong smirked and picked up the bloody head, stuffing it in his inventory. The neck wasn't as strong as the spirit-marked demon, but it was quite tough to cut through. Yulong turned towards the second demon, who seemed to be backing away.
Fear?
He chuckled, his cold gaze settling on the demon. His raised his sword, and ran towards the abomination.
The demon hissed and clawed at him in retaliation, perhaps going for his face, but Yulong quickly used his momentum to transition into a slide. As he sped under the demon, he made sure cut upward. The demon screeched.
Yulong twisted himself and stood, facing the demon. It was angry now, crazed and blinded in ager. It darted towards him in a frenzy, clawing and swiping madly. Yulong used one strike to counter its claws, causing a screeching sound. Sparks flew up as they were locked in an endless tango, blood dripping freely from where the crown jewels should be.
If the other demon was abnormally strong, this one was abnormally fast. However, it couldn't match Yulong's technique and skill. Yulong flicked his hand, batting away a hand before driving his sword into the heart of the beast.
It released on more gurgled scream before the light in it's eyes faded.
Yulong cut off the head with a deft movement, and shoved it into his inventory as well. He flicked the crimson blood off his sword, and faced the mouth of the dark cave. One could see no more than a few feet inside.
Yulong cracked his neck and started to enter.