Silence shrouded the forest after Alden's challenge.
Not even a pin drop could be heard.
Alden felt his heart pumping in his ears and wondered just when the Devil would make a move.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his back as its features finally came into view.
It was… a wolf.
'Of course it is.'
He internally rolled his eyes, masking his fear and trepidation with sarcasm.
The only glaring difference between the Devil and its weaker brethren was that its coat appeared darker, and its size was larger, almost hulking over him.
Alden gulped and firmed his mind.
Just as he was about to recite a childhood mantra to calm his fear, he saw the Defiled creature move.
Before he could blink, the wolf closed most of the distance separating them.
Alden's eyes widened, hurriedly blocking the abomination's claw with his dagger.
'Ugh.'
He groaned, his body shaking under the herculean blow.
It felt like his whole skeleton was rattling.
Alden coughed as the metallic taste in his mouth deepened.
Unable to resist any longer, his body flew back with frightening force.
Luckily for him, even though Alden was in a lot of pain, he had the presence of mind to dig his heels into the earth and lean forward.
After a few seconds, he came to a gradual stop inches away from another tree.
'Phew!'
Just when he thought he finally had a moment to breathe, the wolf moved again.
Its bloodshot eyes locked onto his figure, fangs gleaming in the low light.
'Blasted Asterons!'
Alden cursed and immediately activated [Haste].
He felt his mana reserves drain further.
If he prolonged the fight, chances were that he would run out of mana… and then die.
'Can't let that happen!'
Alden gritted his teeth, barely evading the Defiled's attack by a hairbreadth, dashing to his right.
He knew he couldn't sustain much more damage.
It was already bad enough that he tanked two crushing blows.
It would be catastrophic if he received another hit.
Gripping the hilt of his dagger tightly, Alden's focus sharpened.
Sending a burst of mana to his feet, the world around him slowed.
Under the influence of [Haste], everything seemed to be frozen in time.
Of course, Alden knew that it was just his mind catching up to his body.
Still, it was a unique sensation.
He saw the wolf turn around, snarling at the near miss.
Its razor-sharp maw threatened a world of pain.
A shiver crawled Alden's spine.
Pushing his fear aside, he ignored the harrowing sight and concentrated on his attack.
A second later, his knife struck the Defiled.
The only problem was…
It dealt minimal damage, only causing a thin cut.
That was not all, Alden realised with dread.
The wolf had reacted to his speed, blocking the strike with its paw.
'C-crap!'
Alden's instincts screamed at him to move.
Dashing back, he narrowly avoided being crushed into a bloody state.
'Think!'
The young man feverishly tried to find a way out of his predicament.
Unfortunately, the Devil's skin was too tough for him to pierce, and its physical strength was leagues above his own.
The only thing Alden had going for him was that it wasn't terribly fast.
Still, the issue remained.
He had no way to harm the corrupted creature.
'Unless…'
Unless… he used his decay.
But, to do that, he would have to touch the blasted abomination.
And Alden did not fancy his chances with that.
Maybe if he used [Dark Tentacles] to restrain the wolf, he could use the split-second in between to land a devastating strike.
In theory, that could work.
But Alden wanted to up his chances.
He needed an attack that would kill, if not incapacitate the monster in one shot.
His eyes roved towards his knife.
To do that…
He would need to learn how to coat his weapon fully with decay.
Alden couldn't do what he did with Swifty and only partially cover the tip of his blade.
No, to take down this Devil…
He had to use every inch at his disposal.
With a plan of action now set, it was time for Alden to get to work.
***
Alden stood in front of the Devil, his intrepid figure refusing to bow under the domineering pressure it radiated. His expression was solemn, while numerous tears littered his clothing like a spider's web. The holes displayed his pale skin and a few of his wounds, a couple of which had already started to leak blood.
The crimson liquid was enough to kick the abomination into a frenzy.
Its bloodshot eyes burned, its desire to taste blood soaring to new heights.
Faced with that new development, Alden knew the fight had entered a new stage.
One… in which his fate would be swiftly decided.
He had to ensure he emerged victorious. For that to happen, he would have to carry out his plan to a tee.
Inhaling a deep breath, Alden kicked against the ground, withdrawing.
His surroundings slowed to a crawl.
Deftly, he dashed behind a tree, using the towering behemoth's wide trunk to disappear.
Of course, this little antic wouldn't fool the wolf. But it would serve to buy him a moment or two.
And that… that was what Alden was really after.
Clutching his knife, he circulated his mana as a warm current travelled to his arms.
Then, Alden's brows furrowed as he concentrated, coaxing the tenebrous energy to envelop his blade.
Unfortunately, the mana only covered a quarter of the dagger before it dissipated.
Alden cursed.
Through his mana sense, he discovered the abomination bolting towards him.
Gritting his teeth, Alden activated [Haste] again, darting behind another tree.
And another…
And another…
And another…
Five trees down, he began to get frustrated.
On the sixth, the wolf did not bother to round the verdant behemoth anymore, crashing into it.
A dull boom rang from the impact.
On the seventh, an intense headache gripped Alden.
On the eighth, he felt light-headed.
And on the ninth, he staggered.
Finally, after dashing behind the tenth tree, Alden thought he had accomplished his goal.
Unfortunately, he watched with disbelief as his effort, contrary to his expectations, did not pay off.
'Why??!'
Before Alden could even hide behind the next tree, his body stumbled and fell.
He paled.
The young man shifted his body and gazed behind him with trepidation.
The Defiled was hot on his heels.