Assaulted from all sides by a horde of murderous skeletons, I brought down the blade of Silver Lining.
The blade swerved through the air and struck the skull of a skeleton, mercilessly splitting it in half.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 8 EXP.]
"Yes!", I grinned as my assailant crumpled down into a pile of bones.
I can do this...I can survi-
"Tsk...", I hissed as another skeleton grazed my shoulder, causing me to recoil from the pain.
[You have been wounded.]
"Fuck!"
Blood splurged from the wound, and my grip on Silver Lining weakened momentarily. I had been brutally reminded of my right eye's perilous condition.
Damn it!
I took a step back before narrowly avoiding another attack and then lunging forward. The blade of Silver Lining flashed and split the skeleton's skull.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 8 EXP.]
I moved once again not stopping to bask in the respite of killing another skeleton. I swung my blade again aiming to kill another one but sadly, luck wasn't on my side. The skeleton's weapon got in the way of my arc, parrying my blade in the process.
What the-?!
I staggered and got struck by another skeleton once again.
[You have been wounded.]
I let out a hoarse breath and spat out a bloody tooth.
This isn't going to work...
I raised my head and glanced at the horde. It was simply endless.
I truly had no hope of vanquishing all them; not that it was even an option.
Tsk...these guys' weapons are too dangerous...and to make things worse...their only weak point is their head...slashing at anywhere else won't even leave a scratch...
I rose to my feet with a lot of effort.
The only way I can survive is...by cutting a path through them...
CLACK! CLACK!
More skeletons poured in my direction; their sheer number sent a chill down my spine.
A grimace made its way to my face as I raised my blade.
"I really...have no choice, huh...", I spoke with a self-depreciating smile.
I awaited the horde with Silver Lining in hand. The hilt of the blade was gripped so tightly, that my hands turned white. My lips were clenched in a thin line and my face was poised and calm...but my breath was restless, my eye was unfocused and my legs were shaking.
I was scared.
Scared of death.
Yet, I steeled myself.
I have to win!
With that thought, I lunged forward and flashed my blade.
The skeletons were relentless, they came at me with barely concealed killing intent trying to use their weapons to slaughter me in the most gruesome manner.
I met them with shaky determination. I was afraid, terrified even...but I didn't let it devour me. I fought against the tide of enemies with every thing I had, using every martial art I had learned against them.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 8 EXP.]
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 8 EXP.]
In this desperate situation, my brain was doing its best to survive; forcibly calling upon every memory of my training sessions so that I could combat the horde. My mind was sharp but hazy, tethering on the edge of fear while filling me with resolve.
[You have been wounded.]
[You have been wounded.]
But of course, even with how hard I fought, I couldn't avoid getting injured especially not when I was literally surrounded from all sides by ruthless skeletons. For every skeleton's skull I split, another skeleton avenged them, leaving behind a ghastly wound on my weakening body.
"Ha...ha...", I let out a ragged breath as I dodged another attack then I leaned forward and bashed the head of my assailant with my sword's pommel, causing a devastating fracture on its head.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 6 EXP.]
"Huh?", I was momentarily left open when I saw the startling interface.
Why 6 E-
Before I could finish, a skeleton swung its morbid weapon at me along a deadly angle, it was at the last moment that I was able to block it but the vibrations from the deadly attack still rattled me.
"Tsk!", I spun around and lashed at the skeleton but I simply struck its weapon; it parried me as a result.
Damn it!
"Parry this you bastard!", I screamed as I jumped at the skeleton and swung my sword down, splitting its skull into a million pieces.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 6 EXP.]
The amount of EXP am gaining reduced? But why?
As that thought crossed my mind, two skeletons bared down on me, using their overwhelming strength to throw me into a crouch. I gritted my teeth but couldn't push them back.
They were Level 4 after all.
I rolled away but simply crashed into more skeletons who didn't hesitate to strike me.
[You have been wounded.]
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Frustration and anger began to seep into my mind as more and more wounds began to accumulate on my body along with an encroaching lethargy.
I backed up against a tree as more skeletons lunged at me.
What am I going to do?!
My face contorted in frustration as my heart began to pound faster.
I finally had my back against a wall, literally.
Think, Alex! Think! You can't die here!
I raised my sword to defend against an incoming attack but it simply got thrown out of my hand due to the immense force behind the strike and my weak grip.
Silver Lining fell out of my hand and landed elsewhere in the soil.
"Fuck..."
In that moment, I was left totally defenseless.
No way...
Is this it...?
My eyes widened at the sudden realization and then at the expanding image of a skeleton.
"No-"
BAM!
Suddenly, everything turned white.
Or, rather... nothing happened.
My eyes widened and froze as my mind suddenly became completely and utterly clear, like a fog shrouding it was suddenly lifted. All notions of fear, pain and doubt vanished instantly, replaced by an eerie calm.
I could no longer feel anything nor hear anything nor think anything.
I beheld my entire view of the world through a new polished lens, all unnecessary details were cleared.
Like I was suddenly enlightened.
Is... this...it?
Clarity...
...
Millions of information rushed into Alex's head at light speeds.
His stature, his memories, his emotions, his surroundings, his breathing and his emotions.
He knew all of it.
He had attained power over his mind and body.
The unimaginable pain he had felt from having his left rib bashed, simply caused his body to evolve at that point.
To adapt to the situation, to the growing pain and...
Clarity just happened to be the output.
...
"Ha...at long last..."
I took a step forward, and let out a ragged sigh.
"Can't believe that it took getting pierced to finally attain it."
I raised my head and cracked my neck, taking in a good view of all the skeletons and then at Silver Lining.
"Ha..."
I lunged my head back as I took in a deep breath and then...
Burst forward at high speed.
I was able to remove the limits that the human mind placed on the body's power output and thus, could utilize up to 100% of my muscle mass.
Store.
[Unequipped Item:] Silver Lining
I issued a command and closed the gap between the skeleton that had pierced me before grabbing it by the jaw and then ripping off its skull.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 4 EXP.]
I see...
Inventory Open.
[Equipped Item:] Silver Lining
The blade of Silver Lining begun to rematerialize in my left hand, but I didn't wait. I lunged it at the head of another skeleton, grasped the jaw of the skeleton I had previously killed and then hurled it at another skeleton.
BOOM!
BANG!
The silver blade rematerialized in the head of the first skeleton and caused it to explode into several shards while the jaw I had hurled tore through another skeleton's skull at breakneck speeds.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 4 EXP.]
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 4 EXP.]
I leaned back and let out a sigh.
I now understand...the amount of EXP am gaining is reducing because am getting better at killing these things...the better I can kill them, the less experience I gain...
Understandable.
I looked at the cave flesh on the left side of my body which was seeping blood.
I felt a sickening sense of weakness and lethargy.
Soon after, I tasted a warmth on my tongue then on my lips and down my jaw.
I brought a finger to that place and then raised it to my left eye level.
It was blood.
Indeed, I had lost too much blood.
I had attained too many wounds.
Several cuts, scratches, punctures, lacerations and fractures could be found across my body. In fact, it was simply a miracle that I was alive.
Or maybe not...
I glanced at Silver Lining.
It has the will of a dying prince, after all...
Either way if this doesn't change quickly, am going to die.
I took a deep breath and then exhaled.
Calm down...
"Nothing good will come out of not being calm."
My intuition is telling me that my only hope is to get to that place...
I glanced around, the horde was lunging forward once again.
A skeleton broke forth out of the horde and then towards me, raising its macabre weapon to strike down on me.
Fruitless...
[Skill: Martial Arts has been activated – Kendo.]
With a light sidestep, I moved out of the drop zone of the falling weapon before calmly plunging the blade of Silver Lining into the skull of the skeleton with a graceful thrust. It drove deep and then exited ruthlessly from the other side.
The light of madness extinguished in the empty sockets of the skeleton's skull as the invisible force that bound its body together was suddenly lifted, causing it to crash into the ground in a ragdoll-like fashion.
[You have felled Level 4. Skeleton Thrall.]
[You have gained 2 EXP.]
Without losing composure, I returned to my previous stance.
I can win.
I said in my heart as I prepared for the incoming onslaught, brandishing Silver Lining and walked forward.
The now torn hunter's attire was now merely rags billowing in the wind. I glanced at the night sky and spoke, "This will be a long night."
With that last line, I plunged into the mass turning the already macabre scene, into one of ruthless carnage.