Chereads / Demon Island / Chapter 5 - Thus is the nature of a master

Chapter 5 - Thus is the nature of a master

"Only a thousand meters remain; I'll reach the hotel in no more than five minutes. I must hold on!" Overwhelmed by an immense fear that gripped my soul, I moved my legs frantically, feeling as though even an Olympic champion could not match my current speed. 

However, the monster flew, rendering my speed—faster than a maglev train—useless. Suddenly, I felt a sharp sensation above my head. In a panic, I swung my submachine gun violently upwards. 

With a loud thud, it seemed that the creature had seized my weapon, and I dared not struggle for it. I immediately let go and pulled out two handguns, shooting randomly into the air. My courage was considerable for an ordinary high school student, yet expecting me to calmly confront danger was akin to asking a rookie soldier to assassinate Saddam on their first day of service—utterly absurd! You just wouldn't understand how absurd it truly was.

"Stay with me, and you shall gain eternal slumber!" A stunningly beautiful face suddenly appeared before me. The creature had inexplicably drawn close, its breath brushing against my cheek. "Go to hell!" I had never practiced martial arts, but at that moment, the technique of "two dragons snatch the pearl" instinctively flashed through my mind. I jabbed two fingers forward, feeling as though I had poked a piece of jelly. 

An ear-piercing shriek echoed in my ears, jolting me into action, so much so that I didn't even register the pain of slamming the creature to the ground with a wing. In truth, apart from the throbbing in my eardrums, I felt nothing at all. Rolling and scrambling forward, I plunged back into a frenzied sprint. Within a minute, I heard the rush of wings closing in behind me. "You dare to injure my eyes! I will make you—" I stopped short, turned, and jabbed again! This time, the sensation was even softer; I could feel myself breaking through a thin membrane.

Having learned from my previous experience, I immediately dropped to the ground and covered my ears. Although I still couldn't completely block out that unbearable scream and the sound waves that assaulted my mind, I recovered my speed faster than before. "Only fifty more meters!" As the hotel's magnificent lobby and the bustling guests came into view, a flicker of excitement surged through me at the prospect of escaping danger. Suddenly, my feet left the ground, and I felt a pair of delicate hands clasp around my ribs.

"Would you prefer to be thrown to your death or bitten to death?" "I beg you to let me die of old age!" Such an unproductive exchange, and my face was likely reflecting a sickly green hue—the unmistakable sign of fear overwhelming me. My normally quick-witted brain inexplicably latched onto a trivial thought: "She has two hands, and they are both holding onto me; she shouldn't have a third…" Before I could process what this meant, my body had already made a decision.

With a swift elbow jab fueled by desperation, I summoned all my strength, striking the beautiful monster squarely on the bridge of its nose. I didn't hear any bones snap, but once again, I was met with a scream so shrill it nearly pierced my eardrums. The impact sent me plummeting from midair. Splash! "What luck! It's a swimming pool!" I thought I was doomed, only to find myself enveloped in a refreshing coolness as I landed in the opulent sunlit pool in front of the hotel.

As I surfaced, I saw the beautiful monster glaring down at me with bloodied eyes, radiating sheer malice. I didn't know how I mustered such strength, but I upgraded my dog-paddle to a desperate doggy paddle. However, this impromptu skill proved futile, and I barely managed to swim three meters before the rushing wind signaled the creature's pursuit overhead. The monster seemed intent on killing me this time; its slender fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws, poised to strike.

In a flash of cold light… blood gushed from my body like a torrential downpour. The monster's face registered surprise before a stream of blood cascaded from its ear, rapidly spreading to its ribs, then erupting in a geyser of dark crimson liquid.

The creature fell in two halves from the sky. "I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead…" I could no longer discern whose blood coated my body, my mind teetering on the brink of collapse. "Ah, a rookie!" A cold, yet melodious voice whispered in my ear. When I caught sight of a flawless seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl in a swimsuit, my mind bypassed reason entirely and issued a reflexive response. 

I let out a scream that would rival any crowing rooster. "On your first day on Demon Island, you and your temporary ally managed to slay a Night Woman. You performed admirably!" Juliér's gleeful tone finally silenced me, allowing me a moment of composure.

With a tremor in my voice, I asked, "Thank you for saving me! Do you know how to escape this cursed place?" The girl who had just slain the Night Woman was as cold as an eternal glacier. Clad in a swimsuit, she wielded a five-foot-long blade, its blade glistening like a bolt of lightning. It was this very sword that had effortlessly severed the monster named Night Woman in half. "Hmph, I have no obligation to guide newcomers. I only acted because I detest the Night Woman's screams; your rescue was not my concern." 

The girl with the long blade stepped onto the pool's edge and walked towards the hotel, her icy tone freezing my resolve. I lacked the courage to pursue her further. 

"Juliér, why do the people here have such strange attitudes?" "It's because you're utterly useless, so no one wants to bother with you!"