Dion's mind calmed down as the danger dawned upon him. His brain fired on all cylinders as recklessly running out is a free ticket to hell.
His eyes roamed the interior of the cave for anything that could save his life. Unfortunately, he came up with nothing.
'Do I have to fight that thing?' Dion thought with trembling arms.
Suddenly, he thought of something. 'How come I can hear the beast's footsteps but it can't hear mine? It should be more powerful than me, right?'
Dion finally noticed that the air in the cave was stifled with a strange aroma that masked most of the natural scent faint. Both eyes quickly darted around the cave for the source.
That's when he spotted the pouch that contained the cloak bomb on the floor with two broken, brown shells close to it.
'It dampens sound too?'
But Dion didn't have time to think about the cloak bomb because he could see the stretched shadow of the fox closing in.
He distanced himself from the red crystals, fixing his gaze on the cave ceiling. Using the wall as a platform, he swiftly ran, defying gravity as he stepped onto the wall, and leaped into a hidden crevice above. Dion skillfully employed both his hands and legs to cling to the side of the wall, blending seamlessly with the shadows of the crevice. His attire faded to match the surroundings, camouflaging his presence.
Taking a deep breath, he held it, consciously reducing his bodily movements. With a blink, he retracted his eye intent, causing the parasitic possession to surge once again. However, Dion had no other choice. Serenity and silence enveloped the cave, returning it to its former state.
The slow footsteps grew louder, and finally, Dion caught sight of the imposing fox. However, his eyes widened when he took in the fox's grievous state. Blood stained the back of its pristine white fur, and a crimson crack marred its forehead, seeping with the viscous flow of blood.
'No wonder it didn't hear me. It is injured.'
As the fox strode slowly and weakly, a sudden thought sprang in Dion's head. 'What if I fall from above and kill the fox? It is injured and weak. It shouldn't be powerful. The fox's body should be worth a huge fortune.'
Suddenly, the fox paused as it finally noticed the scattered red crystals in the depth of its den. It turned and rushed out of the cave, discarding the exhibited weakness. The cave quaked under its weight. The fox's head turned from side to side when it reached the entrance and its eyes darted around for the thief. But it found nothing.
So it slowly returned into the cave.
Dion's heart shook at this sight and he quickly eliminated the suicidal thoughts. 'That thought must be the influence of the red spirit because I should be thinking of escaping.'
He activated the void shuttle board to check the parasitic corruption level; it had already reached 85%.
'I still have time.'
Dion maintained his position, hinged to the ceiling. Slowly, the fox dug into the pile of red crystals and extracted a black crystal. Dion recognized it. It was the crystal his jailer used to torture him. However, the correct use is for the beast's consumption to increase their power, like how humans used red crystals.
The fox swallowed it and lay still beneath Dion's position. Dion kept watching as the fox closed its eyes. He wasn't sure if the fox was asleep but he decided to wait.
Dion planned to wait for an hour, but when it was about ten minutes and he noticed the parasitic corruption level had reached 95%, he changed his mind; he decided to act.
He looked ahead and took a deep breath. The crevice he was hiding was a narrow crack that ran through the cave, making it look like a mini tunnel that had its base cut out.
'The hardest part of the plan,' Dion thought.
Facing down with an unwavering focus on the fox's every movement, Dion skillfully utilized his hands and legs, pressing against the opposing sides of the crevice's wall. Slowly and cautiously, he climbed through, each movement deliberate and calculated.
Dion made a concerted effort to minimize noise and avoid chipping the rocks. Step by step, he left the fox behind, sweat trickling down his face. Whenever tiny rocks loosened during his movement, he froze, his heart and breath suspended in his throat. The anxiety of waking the fox plus the red spirit's influence threatened to drive him insane. The challenge was not only in the physical climb but also in maintaining utmost care. However, amidst the struggle, Dion couldn't help but notice something peculiar — his physique had grown stronger as his rune had reached twelve.
As Dion checked the parasitic corruption level, his heart jolted, and his pupils constricted upon seeing it at 98%. A momentary tremor coursed through his arms. Determined, he increased his speed, momentarily disregarding caution. However, he dared not activate his eye intent, aware that it could subtly alter the atmosphere within the cave.
Soon, Dion reached the mouth of the cave. Without care now, he unleashed his eye intent.
When the eye intent reached the Majesty level, the corruption level dropped as fast as it climbed.
Dion exhaled but he was surprised the beast didn't hear him. He twisted his head with held breath but didn't see anything behind him. He released another pent-up breath.
The first thought was to jump down and run on the floor, but he changed his mind.
Dion extended his hand, gripping the rough surface of the cave's entrance from within. Utilizing it as a fulcrum, he executed a silent flip, landing gracefully on the cave's roof. Raising his head, he beheld the disappearance of the sun, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Dion began his ascent up the treacherous slope of the mountain, moving diagonally in an upward trajectory. Eventually, he halted, having distanced himself significantly from the cave's entrance. He just turned to climb down when he saw the fox unexpectedly behind him, forcefully crashing its paw at his chest.
The large paw struck Dion's chest, making it carve inward. Dion's eyes dilated in shock as he was sent flying through the air like a loose cannon. As he receded into the distance, the fox steadily diminished in size.
The rushing air battered against Dion's skin as he hurtled through into the distance. Instinctively, he shielded his head with both arms, bracing himself for the inevitable collision.
Suddenly, his back slammed against a hard trunk, making him bounce off it. He fell face flat on the floor.
Gradually, he turned over, lying on his back, his gaze fixed upon the starless sky. Coughing up blood, he struggled to take agonizing breaths, his broken chest exacerbating the pain.
'I can't sleep here. Liana is not around here.'
Dion fought against the pain and sat up weakly. He rested his back against the tree behind him and looked at his chest. His chest looks hollow.
The tough hide of the beast had been ripped in the chest by the four claws of the fox. The claws also ripped his flesh. Blood seeped from the four claws mark and dyed the cloth red.
Dion remained still with his head tilted downward. Loud, ragged, and laborious breath escaped his mouth.
Driven to the brink of exhaustion, his body functions had weakened after battling the malevolent red spirit for an extended period. The attack of the fox did the finishing touch. Every ounce of his focus had been drained, leaving him vulnerable to the merciless onslaught of sleep, which descended upon him like an invading virus, exploiting his weakened immune system.
Pain emanated from his chest but his eyes were closing to sleep. He struggled against the brutal attack of sleep. After awakening a bloodline, it has been a long time since he felt the inevitable grasp of sleep.