"Gahagh!"
The sound of someone vomiting blood brought my attention away from the status panel. I looked around and noticed that Gary was already pale from losing too much blood. We don't have much time left.
"Miles!" I shouted while moving to the back of the monster he was facing.
With my speed basically increasing by a large margin, even I was surprised by how fast I've become. The scenery went by in a flash, and before I even realized it, I was already at the monster's back, staring at the weak point between its four wings.
Without waiting for the monster's reaction, I plunged the spear right through. The ease of it slipping through the muscles and carapace was almost addicting, especially the high amounts of exp that they give.
"... Are you really the Mahiro that I know?"
Just as I landed on the asphalt, while the monster's limp body was falling to the ground, Miles muttered with a voice filled with doubt. After all, my reputation as the "weakest" in school was still the prevalent idea.
"I am, but before we talk about that, we need to save your companion." I quickly moved to Gary, who was breathing roughly now.
His face was as pale as a sheet and covered in large beads of sweat. Looking at his state, I wouldn't be surprised if he went into shock from losing too much blood, but he was still conscious, his gaze filled with fighting spirit, refusing to back down.
"Gary! Sh*t!" Miles turned around and cursed.
"It's fine; we can still make it." I quickly fixed his perception, seeing that he was almost despairing for his comrade. "With my current speed, I can reach the shelter in time. But that means I will have to leave you all behind."
"It's fine! Just make sure to save Gary first! We'll stay in this building and coop up for now, wait for your return, and continue to the shelter!"
His words, although rushed and said in a panic, were clear and filled with strong resolve. He must know that even being inside the building doesn't necessarily mean they're safe.
I can't ignore his resolve, and I also want to save his comrade, a schoolmate even, so I just nodded my head to his words. "Alright. Wait for me."
I briefly went to the window I broke earlier and pulled the curtain that was hanging behind it. Using that, I tied the wound tightly. Although Gary groaned in pain, the pressure from the makeshift bandage should slow down the bleeding.
"Then I'll be on my way!"
I just waved to Miles and ran. With my top speed, reaching 500 meters should be easy; it probably wouldn't even take a minute. However, there are too many monsters along the way, and I can't risk encountering them when I have a patient with me.
"But I have no choice!"
If I took a detour, that would mean it would take longer for us to reach the shelter, delaying Gary's treatment. That is something on which I don't wish to gamble.
"F*CK IT ALL!"
I decided to just run straight. With my speed, chances are that the monsters wouldn't be able to catch up to me, even when I'm carrying someone on my shoulders. However, if they block my way forward, then that's game over. To summarize, my winning condition would be to run past every monster without letting them block my way.
"Easy!"
I focused my mind, removing all other thoughts besides my body's movements, the road, and the monsters scattered along the way. Breathing became a chore as I watched over it, taking a breath once every ten steps.
I think I heard a ping sound halfway down the run, and as soon as that happened, my speed got boosted to about double. No... The view literally slipped by! In an instant, I was already at the end of the road, past the barricade of soldiers who were firing their guns toward the approaching insects.
"*WHEEZE* *WHEEZE* *GASP* Ha.... Haa...."
I fell to my knees, trying to catch my breath. I did stop breathing for a while while running, but this feeling of exhaustion was beyond what I imagined. Before I could fix my breathing and ask for help, one of the soldiers had already noticed us and taken Gary away. I didn't catch their words, but they must be saying something like "It's fine now" or "we'll take care of him" or something.
Another soldier tried to guide me gently inside the shelter, but I quickly refused their help. After all, I still need to return. Miles and the others are waiting for me!
"Ugh!" I raised a groan as I stood up.
I tried to take a step forward but almost crumpled to the ground. I fell to my knees, my palms hitting the ground. My entire body was shaking from fatigue.
"What the f*ck is happening...?" I quickly doubted my state.
Then I suddenly recalled the notification I heard while running. I quickly brought up the status panel and realized that I now have six skills. I quickly expanded the drop-down menu and read the items. Right below the other new skill I haven't tried yet, [World Storage], there was another new skill that was shining in golden light.
"... [Ground Shrink]...?"
I know this... It's a form of instant movement skill that's usually used in the anime I've watched before. Even back in Lost World, my character had a similar skill. This is definitely useful... but after reading the description, I realized it was also the reason why I was dead tired.
[
Skill Name: Ground Shrink
Level: 1
Rank: Legendary
Description: Uses the user's internal energy to reach speeds beyond the level of cognition. Move the user over a distance of 100 meters in 0.1 seconds at the expense of energy equivalent to running 1,000 meters in 3 seconds.
Cooldown: None
]
It's a godly skill, but the penalty was heavy! The energy equivalent to running a kilometer at the speed of sound is crazy! That's humanly impossible! But now I know why I was feeling so fatigued. At least that's one mystery solved.
My focus was still off, and the voices of the soldiers around me were like random noise while I was deep underwater. I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but the anger and worry on their faces were apparent.
After a few moments more—a minute or so in my senses—I finally managed to regain my breath. I wasn't panting like a dog anymore, so that's an improvement. I quickly raised my spear and knife and went past the guards on the barricades.
"You! Get back here!"
A guard raised his voice, trying to grab my shoulders, but I ran forward, leaving them behind. The shooting stopped as soon as I did so, as the soldiers may have hit me with a stray bullet. I guess it's helpful, as I was not planning on missing out on tons of experience along the way.
I stepped in and was instantly behind one of the insects. Before it could even turn around, Kyouya's lance had already left my hand and pierced right through the back and out the other side. A swing of the knife, aiming for the joints and the gaps between the hard-looking carapace, sent the grotesque head of the said monster flying.
"...!"
Just as I grabbed the lance that pierced through, a wave of uneasiness washed over my senses. As soon as I felt that, I quickly swung the lance, letting it extend as far as possible, and slammed it against the body of the dead monster. The force from the strike let me fly to one side, and I miraculously dodged the attacks of three of them.
"Ganging up on me?! That's better!" A vicious smile crossed my face.
As soon as I landed, I zigzagged across the road, not letting them predict the direction I was coming from. The monsters reacted as I predicted and tried to follow my movements with their eyes. However, doing so meant that they were standing still.
By the time they noticed that the spear wasn't in my hands anymore, it was already too late. One of the three was pierced at the eye socket and died instantly as its brain turned to mush. The other two stiffened slightly from noticing the swift attack belatedly, but it was already too late. The knife in my hand swept across their necks and reaped their souls. A wave of euphoria hit me as two pings resounded.
"HAHAHAHAH!"
After that, my memory turned blurry. I remember going around killing insects and adding stats randomly with each level. When I finally ran out of targets, I noticed that I was out of breath and that my entire body hurt like hell.
Unable to control my body, I fell on my back, lying on the ground and looking at the dark sky. No sounds were heard, as the entire street was so quiet that it was eerie.
"... Mahiro..."
A voice echoed, calling my name with a mix of fear and gratitude. I tried to raise my neck and look at who it was, but I literally couldn't move a muscle now. As soon as the tension broke, my adrenaline state stopped. I was now facing the consequences, I guess.
"You... Are you a monster or something?" The voice echoed again, closer this time.
A face peeked out of the corner of my view. It was actually Miles and the gang. I thought they were going to stay inside the building and hide. Why are they out here?
"What's that doubtful expression? For your information, you already went past the building we were hiding in!" He chuckled as he helped me stand up, lifting my limp body and placing my arm over his shoulder. "Look at you, battered like a rag... But thanks. You really saved us."
One by one, each of them said their thanks and appreciation, along with introducing themselves. Although I was a little out of it, I still remembered their names. Natalia the gunner, Katlyn the swordswoman, Regulus, the other gunner, and Natalia's twin, as expected.
With the help of the four of them, we walked across the now-empty highway, heading for the peaceful shelter. What was waiting for me was a long-ass lecture from the military, though. Well, I couldn't even remember half of it.
In the end, we stayed there for a day. I was completely clueless about what was happening to my family, but I'm sure they'd be safe. My sister is as tough as a cockroach, so she'd surely survive. My mother and father, at levels unknown even to me, feel like they would just walk across the battlefield and remain unscathed... But I guess that's just my imagination.
"... Well, I hope they're safe at least."
I sighed, lying on the bed for patients, waiting for the time that they'd allow us to finally head outside.