Episode(9): Far from over
SOVEREIGN OF DEATH~(9)
Roar!!!*
The wolf released a deafening roar of intimidation while releasing its menacing pressure. Immediately, the surrounding space shook and Nagisa had no choice but to cover his ears in fear that his eardrums would break.
His head was in a lot of pain thanks to that one roar and he felt like he was about to pass out. But by the last shred of his will Nagisa somehow managed to hold on.
Behind him, the wolf glared at his prey with hungry eyes as if Nagisa were already on his menu for tonight. The wolf only circled a slight distance and without wasting time it pounce forward.
Nagisa who felt the imminent danger hurriedly twisted his body. Just barely did he managed to escape the clutches of death in that instant.
He landed not too far away from the cliff and would have fallen off if he had moved even just a bit wilder with his evasion.
Just as he managed to avoid the attack however, he saw the large wide mouth of the wolf and its razor sharp teeth bit into the side of the wall and clamped down.
Instantly, the tough interior of the dungeon was crushed to pebbles. This sight told Nagisa never to get bit or he'd most likely lose a limb or in the worst case his very life.
'Also…its freaking fast!'
Nagisa didn't even have time and after he dodged the first move he immediately moved again. Exerting all the energy he had in his legs he leapt forward without a hint of hesitation in his actions.
Swish!*
The claw of the wolf tore through the air where he used to be and even the ground took damage from the attack.
Sh*t!
Nagisa cursed as he rolled forward. What kind of beast was this?
Not only did its speed surpass what a beginner like him should take on. Its toughness and damage ratio were way too high.
With specs like that, even if he rammed it with a truck he'd be the only one to end up with damage.
Nagisa couldn't face this beast at all. If the others were simple mobs then this was a literal boss monster.
Nagisa didn't know why such a powerful boss was walking around like it was a normal day outside but he didn't care.
Run Run Run.
All he needed to do was escape with his life.
With that in mind he ran with his all with the wolf hot on its trail.
Unlike the other wolves earlier this one wasn't left behind even when Nagisa sprinted like a madman desperate to set a world record.
His speed was by no means slow. What was meant by being at the limits of the human body?
Even a horse wouldn't outpace him and he might even have a chance to surpass the horse.
But even with all that speed, the wolf was just a few centimeters behind him. If Nagisa even slowed down just for a bit, it would be the end of his life.
He felt like crying. Just what in the world did he do to have so much bad luck?
First he was dragged into another world.
He only wanted to not get caught up in some nonsensical hero drama but he ended up being targeted instead.
No, thinking back it was probably better he wasn't naïve enough to reveal his real class.
If a chef class got so much shade then what would happen to a necromancer?
Wouldn't they give him the treatment of witches and burn him on a stake?
But as if that wasn't enough, even in this damned dungeon his life was always on the line.
To begin with, how in the world did this big wolf cross all those collapsing pillars and make it across?
But Nagisa had nowhere to release his frustration. He could only run if he wanted to survive.
Still, it seemed like the wolf had other plans.
With the speed of a cheetah it crawled the walls and continued to run until it was over Nagisa's head.
Nagisa who already had his perception activated noticed this movement and was dumbfounded as soon as he saw this.
'Huh?'
Sp*derman?!
Now this just didn't make sense at all.
The wolf didn't give him time to be stunned.
It lunged down with its razor sharp teeth ready to bite his head off his body.
Nagisa forcefully came to a stop and jumped back.
The attack missed thanks to his reflexive actions and as his body fell back, Nagisa threw a heavy kick to the stomach of the wolf.
The wolf was then sent flying creating a small distance between the two and giving Nagisa some space.
Hurriedly, he stood up while panting and gazing at this monstrous beast.
Everything so far was in a range that Nagisa could understand and nod his head to. But this, climbing walls like it was nothing?
What was next? Talking?
Nagisa shook his head. He really and truly genuinely hoped that this monster couldn't talk or his entire world view would just be flipped on its head.
He glanced at the wolf as he slowly caught his breath.
There were too many things to consider but more importantly he was at too much of a disadvantage facing this beast.
If not for his instinctive movements beaten into him from a young age there was no way he could react much less counter from such unexpected situations.
Who even expects for a wolf to suddenly fly off the wall???
But he calmed down and thought about it.
He was too exhausted to fight.
Aside from the few passive inherent skills he had, he had no immediate attack or combat skills that could summon fire balls or form a sword out of nothing.
Looking around there wasn't even a single corpse or item that he could loot.
Fighting? What madman would he be?
'If running is all I can do then I'll flee with all my might!'
As if the wolf could hear his thoughts, it lunged forward the moment he thought this. It flashed at an unrecognizable speed.
Nagisa's eyes couldn't even keep up with its speed and his perception was no exception.
'Gah…If I can't perceive it then I can't predict its movements at all!'
Nagisa gritted his teeth.
Thanks to perception the world around him slowed down so he could think twice as fast but it still didn't help his current predicament because the wolf was just that fast.
He realized now that ever since he gained the skill he had been too reliant on its prediction ability.
Nagisa shook himself out of his shock and thought back to his days when he only had a flesh and blood body to take beatings. Yet even then he could grow stronger and surpass his limits.
Then what was the difference?
Nagisa deactivated the perception at once. Instead of relying on the skill he decided to go with his instincts.
Tap*
His feet moved slightly and his left hand reached out in the air.
Looking at where his hand reached out to, nothing was there. Since he was leaning his body forward and had made a slight leap moments ago he would fall soon.
But as if to support him, the wolf suddenly appeared.
Its mouth was wide open showing all its razor sharp teeth, however Nagisa's hand pressed down on his head and he forced his body into the air.
As he had predicted before he made his move, the wolf had appeared the very moment he needed and he twisted his body before landing far away from the wolf.
Nagisa only took a single glance back at the wolf before speeding off.
Ding!
[Understanding of the skill perception increases]
[Congratulations! 'Perception(B+) has become 'Perception(A-)]
A notification rang out in his mind but Nagisa ignored it and focused all his attention on running.
He managed to escape the clutches of the beast once but could he do it three more times or even twice?
Knowing his own body Nagisa highly doubted that.
It took enough just to predict and avoid that attack earlier, he didn't believe his accuracy of prediction would be so on point if he tried that again.
So with nothing but his feet in his arsenal he ran with all his might.
But the wolf wasn't about to let its meal get away from it.
It released an angry roar before chasing Nagisa once again. Its speed this time was twice as fast as before.
Nagisa had thought that he could find some sort of safe zone before the wolf managed to catch up again but he clearly underestimated the wolf's speed and tenacity.
The wolf caught up with him in seconds and swung its claws. Its sharp claws tore through Nagisa's uniform and dung into his flesh like paper.
Blood spilled like a pipe leakage and Nagisa grimaced at the pain.
'Agh!'
The wound was deep and Nagisa could feel it. Just a bit deeper and the white of his bones could be seen.
Nagisa realized as well that he was about to fall and gritted his teeth.
He ignored the burning pain of the wound in his back and twisted his body.
The wolf that just threw an attack didn't expect the human to ignore the pain and Nagisa's heel firmly met its body throwing it to the wall.
The kick was heavy and it landed firmly. But Nagisa was far from happy as he felt no Damage being done at all.
It was like he had struck a wall with the ability to absorb the force of his attack. Even when the kick struck the wolf it was no different than a toy hammer striking a grown man but with a bit more force.
Growl*
As if to answer his thoughts, the wolf immediately stood up and pounced at him again.
He didn't expect it to continue pouncing and it caught Nagisa off guard. He groaned and fell flat on his butt. Nagisa felt like his back would break due to the fall and it showed on his pale face.
Nevertheless the wolf continued to pounce and Nagisa knew if he just passively sat there the wolf wouldn't waste time on table manners at all.
So gritting his teeth, Nagisa rolled back and used his hands to push his body up then threw his right leg up kicking the wolf's open mouth shut.
He then maneuvered quickly and pressed on his hands before flipping himself up to his feet.
'...'
Looking back at the wolf he hesitated for a moment. Whether he would fight it or not. Nagisa wanted to fight but he really didn't want to die.
A million thoughts streamed through his mind and he finally made up his mind to continue running. He was frustrated he could only run but his attacks didn't cause damage either way so what point was there in fighting?
Preserve his pride?
Did pride matter when he became a corpse? Nagisa instantly shook his head and tried to run, but that one moment of hesitation cost him.
As soon as the wolf landed, it recovered and used its innate skill, 'Dash'.
With a speed almost like teleporting, the wolf appeared behind Nagisa and tore through the tendons in his heels.
Nagisa who had just pushed off the ground rolled fiercely while wondering what had just happened. When he saw the wolf pouncing on him all of a sudden his eyes opened wide.
'Impossible!'
The wolf was so far behind him thanks to the kick so he wondered how in the world it suddenly caught up.
The wolf growled in delight, eager to begin its feast and opened its mouth wide.
Seeing the huge mouth and the rows of razor sharp teeth that could devour him whole, Nagisa wanted to move. But as soon as he pressed his heel to the ground and unbearable pain caused him to grimace.
Not being able to get away, Nagisa had no choice but to use his hand and block.
The wolf's teeth bit down into his arm without resistance at all. It showed just how powerful and sharp its teeth were. The pain made Nagisa grit his teeth so hard they would break.
He wanted to get rid of this pain soon and so he activated his improved perception and peered at the weakest points of its body.
The wolf's teeth continued to sink further in his arm and Nagisa couldn't wait any longer. He immediately struck the first weak point he saw.
The wolf let go as soon as it felt the pain and howled as its body was struck back. But Nagisa wasn't done.
He wanted to release all his resentment as he struck up with his uninjured leg hoisting the wolf's body into the air and just before it could fall back on the ground he spun off his hand and swung a kick with his heel.
The wolf's body bent due to the kick and slammed into the wall on the other side. Nagisa who still wanted to let out all his frustration since he thought he was about to die ignored the pain in his leg and rammed his body into the wolf.
Surprisingly, as soon as Nagisa rammed into the wolf the wall began to crack and the two flew out of the passage and down a rocky slope. The wolf and man rolled down the slope and distance grew as they both landed on the ground.
Nagisa was the first to get up. After realizing they were no longer in the dungeon passage but a spacious cave section Nagisa looked around in curiosity. What he saw were countless multicolored crystals in the wall and on the ground and ceiling. They captured his attention making him want to grab a few but before he could a growl woke him up from his stupor.
The wolf glared menacingly at Nagisa. It was angry that it was thrashed by its meal and without waiting to appreciate the scenery the wolf rushed forward.
'Damn! Just because I avoided fighting didn't mean I can't fight you mutt"
Nagisa was pissed and frustrated that he was always running and hurt by a mere dog and this frustration finally exploded in this moment.
Before the wolf could slash at him, Nagisa closed the gap and struck a blow with his fist. The fist power with all his resentment collided and struck the wolf's weak point with a resounding force.
It slammed against the ground and rolled a few times. When it was trying to get up, Nagisa had already arrived before it and struck down with his fist.
The wolf was stunned at the sudden burst of speed and used its own speed to counter immediately vanishing from Nagisa's sight.
Boom!*
The water on the damp ground splashed and a small crack formed where he struck. Blood also dripped from Nagisa's hand due to his skin breaking upon contact with the rocky floor but he didn't care.
He maintained a calm demeanor and sensed the wolf's presence as it closed in on him. It swung a vicious claw at his head, but having already noticed it, Nagisa shifted his balance. The claw missed and Nagisa struck with the back of his fist to the wolf's head before striking an undercut at hits stomach.
Finally, with a flowing spinning kick the wolf was immediately sent flying off into the distance.
Humph!*
Nagisa snorted as he saw the wolf crumble under his constant blows to his weak points.
Although the wolf had no exterior injuries he was sure that it was in serious pain at the moment. Just that thought alone made him satisfied.
Although he himself was in a sorry state he began to arrogantly wonder why he had always ran away instead of fighting. He shook his head and thought that if it was going to be this easy he shouldn't have ran from the start.
However he seemed to have forgotten that confidence always set the worse flags in this world.
By the time he set his eyes back on the wolf that should have been in pain, it was already towering over him on its two hind legs. Red glowing veins bulged all over its body and the wolf now looked like a werewolf than its original form.
Seeing this sudden transformation the moment he go cocky, the corner of Nagisa's lips twitched.
[Your kidding right?.....yo–you still had more abilities!?]
Right, it was far from over.