Descending into the still sea marked the beginning of chaos. The Mooks were slowly approaching in large numbers, ready to attack at any moment. Eirmond's eyes ignited with a crimson red glow, surrounded by an aura of deadly intent, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey. He slowly drew his swords from his back, and suddenly, silence filled the area.
"Wait... You... Your eyes? You're a Liberated?!" Eric asked in astonishment.
The Mooks' screams echoed, and they rushed toward them at terrifying speed. Without hesitation, Eirmond drew his swords and charged toward the Mooks. Eric, with his dagger, tried to keep pace with Eirmond. The Mooks' attacks were jerky and erratic but fast, and their overwhelming numbers engulfed them.
Eirmond darted toward the Mooks like lightning, his swords flashing in the air as he cut through their ranks. His movements were swift and acrobatic, targeting their heads and legs. It was enough for him to pass through a group, leaving them in pieces.
He threw his sword into one Mook's head, thrust another into another Mook's neck, lifted it to split its head in two, and delivered a backward kick to the one beside him, dislocating its jaw. Blood sprayed in the air like a gruesome dance.
Eric, despite his initial fear, deftly dodged and attacked the Mooks with focused precision. He tried to stab them in vital areas with his dagger, keeping them away from himself and Eirmond. But he noticed they kept moving, and anxiety crept in until he glanced at Eirmond, who was targeting their heads, necks, and legs. Eric began to do the same, dodging one to get behind it, thrusting his dagger into its neck, and kicking it into another to unbalance it before swiftly slitting its throat.
Seeing Eric's precise movements, Eirmond said with admiration, "Haha, not bad. Where were you hiding these skills?"
Eric replied, "Just focus on what's in front of you now. I'll cover your back."
Eirmond smiled at Eric's bravery, extended his hand, and the sword he threw returned to his hand. His swords were short, with straight, single-edged black blades, no guards, and grips that accommodated one hand each. He wielded them in reverse grip.
A group of ten Mooks began to surround them. Eric started to retreat and said, "They've got us surrounded. We need to—"
"Get down," Eirmond said.
"What?" Eric asked, bewildered.
Eirmond spun rapidly, decapitating all ten Mooks in one swift motion. Eric barely saw him move. He had dropped to the ground just in time, sweating profusely as if he had seen his life flash before his eyes. "You Dumbass! I saw my life flash before my eyes!!!" Yes, he actually said it. Eirmond laughed, saying, "Don't worry, man. I know what I'm doing... mostly." Eric caught his breath, but the fight was far from over.
Suddenly, they heard a different scream. One marked by power and command. The Mooks froze for a moment, seemingly receiving new orders. Eirmond looked into the horizon with his glowing eyes and warned of an imminent threat. "Five big ones are on the way," he said. These were giant Mooks, each three meters tall, looking like a grotesque amalgamation of multiple Mooks. They were not as fast as the regular ones but were approaching quickly. Eric looked at Eirmond with a face devoid of any reaction to what he saw and said, "I'm not facing those things."
Eirmond replied with a serious expression, "Don't worry, I have a plan."
They were closing in fast.
Eric, giving Eirmond his full attention, asked, "What is it?"
Eirmond shouted as he ran, "We run!"
Eric shouted behind him, "A wise decision, sir!"
"We need to get to the city!" Eirmond directed Eric towards their path. "We can't hold out here much longer."
The corpses of the Mooks were sinking into the still sea, which made up the largest part of the area. It was not wise to climb onto one of the floating islands as Mooks were everywhere, and climbing would only trap them in a confined space with creatures that knew no surrender.
They ran across the still sea, distancing themselves from the horde of Mooks behind them, only to have one of the giant Mooks block their path. This one was faster than the others. Eirmond sped towards it, sliding between its legs and cutting its tendons, causing it to fall forward. Eirmond's swords caught Eric's attention. 'What kind of metal are these blades made of? They remind me of—no time for that.' Eric jumped over it, using it as a shield against the pursuing Mooks, and they continued running until they reached a place far from the Mooks.
"How far is the city from here?" Eric asked, catching his breath.
Eirmond, scanning the area, replied, "About 10 kilometers."
"Man, we've been running for half an hour and you don't even look tired."
"In reality, I've been pacing myself to match your speed. If I were alone, I'd be there already."
"Is the problem with me? Or do I just keep running into overachievers?" Eric muttered to himself.
"Are you kidding me?" Eirmond said, looking at the army of Mooks advancing towards them from the front.
"This place... It's a nightmare," Eric said, trying to maintain his composure, but he seemed to have lost hope.
"I've never seen this number before. It seems I wasn't imagining things earlier when I thought they were getting more violent," Eirmond thought to himself. Returning was impossible as they had already gotten too close, meaning confrontation was the only option, or perhaps not necessarily.
"Stand behind me," Eirmond told Eric, who froze in place.
"Are you thinking of fighting them? Stop this madness. Let's just run until they catch us and tear us apart," Eric had lost his mind, but he complied with Eirmond's orders as there was no better option.
The Mook army charged as one, rushing towards Eirmond and Eric, who stood motionless. Eric didn't know what Eirmond was planning, but he held his ground and gripped his dagger tightly. When they were just a few meters away.
Eirmond raised his hand, forming a finger gun, his eyes blazing red, and fired a shot that wiped out the entire army in one fell swoop.
Eric dropped his dagger in shock at what he had witnessed. It was about to sink into the still sea, but he quickly grabbed it. Before he could start celebrating, Eirmond fell to his knees, sweating profusely. Eric rushed to him, having many questions but realizing that move had drained Eirmond. "We need to climb one of the islands for you to rest," Eric said.
Eirmond replied, "No, we need to keep moving. To the city, we need to—" His eyes widened as he shouted, "Watch out behind you, Eric!"
Eric turned to see a Mook suddenly attacking and biting his arm. In a swift reaction, he stabbed it in the head. The Mooks they had left behind had caught up to them.
"We need to move quickly, now," Eirmond said, trying to stand but falling to his knees again. Eric began to panic but composed himself, carried Eirmond, and climbed one of the islands.
Eric looked at the bite on his arm, turning the surrounding skin gray gradually, while Eirmond lay on his back, slowly regaining his strength. It was only a matter of time before the Mooks climbed up to them. Eric didn't know what to do. He had already concluded that he was turning into one of those creatures and had decided what to do but was hesitant. At that moment, Eirmond adjusted his posture as if he had regained some strength, and Eric saw him looking at his arm, which had started to decay.
"Hold out your arm," Eirmond said, drawing one of his swords.
Eric had already thought of this but was relieved he wouldn't have to do it himself. "Make it quick," he said, extending his arm.
Eric's vision started to blur, and with the sound of the blade slicing through the air, blood splattered on the gray platform, and everything went black.
...
Voices, noise, and people talking everywhere, but the vision was unclear. It seemed like a snowy area.
In a serious tone, "I'm going to marry Sophia when we get back."
"Are you aware of what you're saying?" Eric replied calmly.
*Static*
"This isn't my place, Eric. I'll choose my own path."
"Where do you think you'll end up? Do you think you're special?" Eric said, clenching his fist in anger.
*Static*
"I'm no longer interested in the system. Look around us; if this is what they encourage us to do, then I reject it."
"All we have to do is follow orders. You're trying to disrupt the system, but the system will destroy you."
*Static*
"Choose your path, Eric."
....
From the darkness, vision gradually returned.
"Eric, Eric, Eric!"
"Damn you! Where am I?" Eric suddenly awoke to Eirmond shaking him.
Eric tried to turn slowly to see his amputated arm but was surprised not to feel any pain. He raised his arm to find it intact, without any injuries, and cried out, tears streaming down his face, "Oh, my God, how gracious you are!" Eirmond interrupted his celebration, saying, "There's no time for celebrating."
"But how—"
"And no time for questions."
Eric looked down from the island to see the Mooks coming towards them. He then looked at Eirmond, who had regained some of his strength but still wasn't fully ready for combat or running.
"Damn you, Alekter," Eric muttered to himself, then took a deep breath, picked up Eirmond, and descended from the island, running towards their destination while avoiding the Mooks.
The closer they got, the more chaotic and obstructed the path to the abandoned city became. By the time they arrived, Eirmond could walk again, but Eric was at his limit.
"You've proven yourself to be a trustworthy man, Eric," Eirmond said to Eric with pride.
Eric raised his thumb as he panted heavily.
The Mooks were appearing from every corner, as if they were trying to prevent them from reaching their goal. Eirmond and Eric fought fiercely, using every skill and trick they had to survive.
Finally, after a grueling battle, they reached the outskirts of the abandoned city. The buildings were dilapidated, and the streets were covered in debris. The air was thick with the smell of mold and death, but there was a strange calm, as if the city was waiting for something.
The city had a Roman architectural style, with towering buildings that hinted at the advanced civilization that once thrived there. They cautiously explored the deserted streets, wary of every shadow. The city was a maze of ruins, with remnants of a once-flourishing civilization scattered everywhere.
"We need to find a place to hide and regroup," Eirmond said, scanning the area for a suitable refuge.
"There," Eric pointed to an old building that appeared to have been a library.
As they approached the building, they realized just how massive the door was. They were sure that giants must have lived there.
"Alright, on three: 1, 2, 3," they said together, pushing open the enormous door, which wasn't as heavy as they had expected, and entered. As they had guessed, it was indeed a library.
"Where have you been hiding this place?" Eirmond said.
"How can there be paradise in the middle of hell?" Eric responded.
Both were fascinated by the books. Eirmond eagerly pulled a book from a shelf, but his excitement quickly faded. "What is this? I can't understand anything."
Eric, with a smug look, grabbed a book, saying, "Haha, the problem with you limited to one or two languages is—what is this language? I can't understand anything."
They abandoned the idea of reading the books and ventured deeper into the building. As they explored, they heard footsteps approaching. They froze in place, ready for any threat. From the shadows, the mysterious figure emerged, tall with pale skin, long black hair draped over his shoulders, wearing a white robe embroidered with silver threads. His sharp eyes and indifferent expression added to his menacing presence.
"Well, what do we have here? A Liberated and a bearer of forbidden knowledge, but no king?" His eyes glowed with a muted purple light.
The air grew heavy, and a deadly aura spread throughout the atmosphere. The feeling of dread was enough to make someone kill himself.
A shadow resembling a horse appeared behind him. "I'm afraid you cannot proceed without proving your worth."