Chapter 7 : Price of victory and Internal struggle
It wasn't long before the sound of shuffling footsteps reached my ears, a telltale sign that I was not alone. My senses sharpened, and I instinctively reached for my makeshift weapon—a rusty pipe that had become an extension of my arm. With a firm grip, I moved cautiously, prepared for whatever lay ahead.
A figure emerged from the shadows, its movements erratic and disjointed. The undead. It lumbered towards me with an unnatural grace, its sunken big eyes fixed on my vulnerable form. Adrenaline surged through my veins, numbing the pain in my leg. I took a deep breath, steadying my trembling hands, and readied myself for the imminent clash.
The undead lunged at me with a guttural growl, its decaying flesh dripping with a putrid stench. I dodged its initial strike, narrowly avoiding its gnashing teeth. In response, I swung my pipe with all my might, aiming for its skull. But the creature was nimble, its movements defying its rotting state. It twisted and evaded my blow, forcing me to adjust my strategy.
The battle became a dance of survival, each movement calculated . I struck at vulnerable points, aiming for joints and sensitive areas. But the undead seemed relentless, fueled by an insatiable hunger for my life force. Sweat trickled down my brow as exhaustion crept into my bones. My injured leg throbbed, threatening to give way under the strain.
Yet, I refused to yield. With a burst of Adrenaline, I launched a final assault, driving the pipe into the undead's head. Its body convulsed, a guttural moan escaping its decaying lips. Victory washed over me as the creature crumpled to the ground, its life force extinguished.
Panting heavily, I leaned against a nearby wall, my breaths ragged and uneven. The pain in my leg intensified, a searing reminder of the toll each battle exacted. But even in the midst of agony, I couldn't help but find solace in humor. I let out a chuckle, my laughter mingling with the echoes of the desolate city.
"Who needs superhero with a panty when you've got me?"
I murmured to myself, my voice laced with both pain and amusement.
Resting for what felt like an eternity but was an hour in reality, I bound my torn clothes tightly around my injured leg, hoping to alleviate the strain. The makeshift bandage provided some relief, allowing me to walk with a semblance of normalcy. With renewed determination, I pushed forward, my spirit buoyed by the small victories I had achieved.
As the pain faded into the background, I embraced the surreal world around me. Cracking jokes and conjuring laughter became my shield against the encroaching darkness. For in this desolate city, humor was the thread that kept my sanity intact, my spirit unbroken.
After some more rest I stood up and started walking I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, armed with a weapon in one hand and a jest on my lips.
"Did I just jinx myself?" I muttered, my voice filled with a mix of disbelief and frustration. It seemed like my bad luck had a way of catching up to me at the most inconvenient times. But there was no time to dwell on my self-inflicted misfortune. I needed to act quickly.
I tried to retreat, my instincts telling me to run from the abnormal undead that stood before me. This one was different from the others I had encountered. It stood at height of five to six foot while other were three foot , its muscles bulging beneath its decaying flesh. The sight sent a shiver down my spine and my mind was telling it was bad and to run , but before I could make my escape, I clumsily made a sound, catching its attention.
The massive undead turned its gaze toward me, its eyes revealing a glimmer of intelligence. It didn't immediately attack, but instead assessed the situation, analyzing me and the surroundings. I could almost see its thoughts churning, calculating the level of threat I posed.
Anger and frustration surged through Ryan's veins. He couldn't believe his own misfortune, the constant magnetism that seemed to draw danger to his every step. With a mixture of annoyance and determination, he muttered under his breath, "Oh, come on! I swear, bad luck is my middle name. Ryan 'Trouble Magnet' Johnson."
"Hey, Mr. Undead, mind giving me a break? I've had enough of your kind for one day."
In what felt like an eternity, but was only a split second, the beast made its move. It charged toward me, but not in a straight line. It aimed to enter my blind spot, attempting to catch me off guard. But I had read it's intension.
My instinct took over me .
Ducking and sidestepping, I narrowly avoided its initial strike. Its elongated nails swiped through the air, aiming for my face, but I managed to dodge just in time. The battle had begun in earnest, and I knew I had to give it my all.
The clash between us was intense, each blow reverberating through my weary body Pain on my foot was making my movements little sloppy . I relied on precision, striking whenever an opportunity presented itself. But the bigger undead proved to be a formidable opponent, its strength and agility giving it an advantage. The fight dragged on, as I pushed myself to the very limit and beyond it. After some time of dodging it's attack and running here and there and attacking when I was able to I decided to fight and threw my knife on him but my destiny had something else written in the heat of battle my hand slipped before I was able to aim but maybe lady's luck didn't left me by a strock of luck that knife stuck the undead eye it screeched in a blood crudling scream. I didn't wasted a moment and ran toward it my aim was to hit the knife with the pipe so that knife will dug deeper but as I ran undead wasn't just wasting time it attacked me with its sharp blade like nail but I didn't stoped running and used my left end as a cover and with all might ignoring the pain of my leg that had already given up I struck my pipe on the the knife that was in its eye.
In the end, victory was mine, but it came at a steep price. My left hand lay torn and mangled, a casualty of the intense struggle. My limp leg had also given out, rendering it useless. Exhausted, I collapsed to the ground, my breaths ragged and labored. The pain radiated through my body, but I had little time to tend to my wounds.
Cursing through gritted teeth, I struggled to staunch the bleeding from my shoulder, vowing never to return to this forsaken world or using the orb again.
Then my thoughts drifted to my home .The thought of having to face my parents with my injuries filled me with a mixture of fear and despair. How would they react? How would I rebuild my life with two lost limbs? And how would I collect the last soul shard to go back I will only have nine after taking out the abnormal undead soul shard how would I fight to next undead and if it happens to be abnormal like this one my death is written . I hate who ever wrote my life damnit.
As I lay there, the weight of my thoughts pressing down upon me, I glanced at the abnormal undead's chest. With a surge of hope, I tore it open, revealing a larger and denser soul shard. Its glow was brighter and more vibrant than any I had encountered before.
A message resonated in my mind, originating from the orb nestled within my pocket. It informed me of the soul shard's potency, explaining its significance.It held four times the energy of the smaller shards I had collected.
Four times the energy meant this larger shard was equivalent to four smaller ones. It was a small glimmer of joy in the midst of my dwindling humor. This means I have a total of 12 soulshards enough to go back home.
With a sense of urgency, I placed the shard in front of the orb, watching as it absorbed the potent energy. Now, I had the means to return home, but fear still gripped me. How would I face my loved ones? How would I navigate life with my newfound disabilities?
As I stayed lying in desolate streets, my mind swirled with conflicting emotions. Thoughts of inadequacy, despair, and the daunting challenges that awaited me at home consumed my every step. How would my parents react to my dismemberment? Would they blame themselves for allowing me to enter this treacherous world?
After some much-needed rest to regain my strength and stabilize my breathing, I mustered the courage to face the uncertain path ahead. I couldn't let fear dictate my actions. I had to confront my parents, explain what had happened, and find a way to move forward.
With determination burning within me, I steeled myself and embarked on the journey back home.
After many internal struggle and thinking and holding my left hand in my right I decided to ask the orb to sent me back to my home world and just like that a light englufed me and I vanished from the spot I was standing on...
To be continued....
//Authors note //
Hey readers!
So my dear readers how was this chapter it was really hard to write this showing Ryan's internal sturgle of how he will his parents and many other things I still wanted write 4 more chapters on this arc in which he is in god forsaken realm but I thought you may get bored so I decided to end this here I wanted write little more but what ever.
Did you enjoy the this chapter? Let me know in the comments! Your feedback fuels my writing and helps me craft the best story possible.
Stay tuned for more excitement in "Dreambound." We're just getting started!
And big thanks to Priyanshu for first rating on the novel as promised yesterday I will be posting 2 chapters today enjoy....
Thanks for reading