Shua!!
Creed hit the dark, murky water with a painful smack, plunging beneath its icy surface. When he'd first appeared on the cliff, he'd spotted the river winding far below, dark and still like a hidden escape route.
Now, with no other choice, he'd made the choice to jump.
The dark, murky river swallowed him up, icy and chaotic, tugging him downstream. He gasped for air, kicking up to the surface, disoriented but alive.
Okay, okay, just think, he told himself, trying to focus despite the sting of cold seeping into his bones.
But then, as he was gathering his thoughts, an eerie sound—a whistling of air—pierced the silence.
Creed's heart sank. With a sense of dread, he forced himself to look up.
One of the Fiend Demons was hurtling down from the cliff, and as it locked eyes with Creed mid fall, its face twisted into a cruel, predatory grin.
It was the leader of the three—muscular, vicious, and ready to tear him apart.
It seemed it was the only one among the three mad enough to follow him down the cliff, and its eyes latched onto Creed with a chilling gaze, promising a painful death.
A chill that had nothing to do with the water gripped Creed's heart. 'Of course it would follow me!'
Creed's mind raced, but he forced himself to calm. Panic wouldn't save him now. Forcing his legs to move, he lunged toward the riverbank, swimming with all his might.
Shua!!
Just seconds later, he heard a deafening splash behind him as the demon crashed into the water.
Creed barely had a moment to react. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the Fiend thrashing in the river, then immediately zeroing in on him, swimming with frightening speed and power.
'This is life or death,' Creed realised, feeling a steely calm settle over him, almost as if he'd switched personalities. There was no room for fear now. He would survive—or die.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stop running and turned to face the creature. He'd have to fight, and he'd have to make every move count.
As the demon closed in, Creed planted his feet against a submerged rock, pushing himself back into the middle of the river to face his pursuer.
The Fiend surged toward him with wild aggression, red claws extending from its fingertips, each one sharp as a blade.
Shua!
In an instant, its arm shot out, claws extended, aiming straight for Creed's throat. Creed's instincts kicked in.
He ducked into the water, the demon's strike missing him by inches as he swayed with the water's flow.
Water splashed around them as the river became their battleground.
They were swimming, every movement a struggle against both the demon and the rushing current.
The Fiend was relentless, its attacks wild and deadly, each swipe leaving trails of bubbles as its claws slashed through the water.
Creed's heart pounded, but he forced himself to stay calm, moving with the river instead of against it, dodging with smooth, quick turns.
He shifted just enough to evade the Fiend's claws, trying to anticipate each attack by reading its movements.
He had to predict the demon's every move, reading the shifts in its posture and the way it angled its body to attack. One wrong step could be his last.
Boom!
The demon's claws grazed his shoulder, tearing through both fabric and skin. Creed winced but refused to slow down.
Pain was a luxury he couldn't afford now. He shot a quick punch to the Fiend's side, but the demon barely reacted, its red eyes gleaming with raw hatred.
The Fiend lunged for his neck, but luckily, due to the fact that they were both in the water, it's movements had slowed down tremendously.
Enough for Creed to rapidly swim out of the way and counter with two kicks underwater.
Seeing him unshaken only seemed to enrage the Fiend more. It lunged again, its body a blur of vicious intent.
Creed dove under it's ferocious swing, countering with a quick jab to its gut. The Fiend barely felt the hit, growling and slashing back with a wild, sweeping arc.
Creed leaned away, the water shifting beneath him as he moved like the wind itself, every shift a precise calculation.
The Fiend lashed out with both hands, claws slicing the air with lethal speed. Creed, reading the attack, twisted his body just out of reach and launched a quick palm strike at the demon's neck.
It staggered back, caught off-guard for a split second, but the moment didn't last.
With a guttural roar, the Fiend came back with even greater ferocity, unleashing a barrage of strikes. One claw cut through the water, hitting Creed's side, and he felt the sting of another wound.
Blood trickled down his side, mixing with the river's dark waters. Yet, his face remained calm, his breathing steady.
Shua! Shua!
Creed focused, his mind becoming razor-sharp. He tore to the left, dodging a wild claw, then spun to the right to evade another.
They were locked in a deadly dance, the river swirling with every strike and dodge.
Then, as they clashed once more, a strange, deep sound echoed through the water, stopping them both in their tracks. Creed's heart froze.
The sound wasn't something he recognized—and he had a sinking feeling it was bad news.
They turned in unison, and then they saw it—a dark, hulking shadow moving beneath the water, massive and menacing.
As it neared, Creed felt a surge of panic. A river wraith, he realised, watching the huge, shark like creature swim toward them, its jaws lined with rows of razor sharp teeth.
It was no ordinary creature; it was a peak Level 2 wraith, and it meant trouble!
For the first time, Creed saw true fear in the Fiend's eyes. They both knew what this meant.
'Run!'
Without a word, they each turned and bolted toward the shore, their bodies moving in perfect sync, swimming with everything they had to escape the looming shadow.
The wraith closed in, its jaws wide as it hunted them with ruthless precision.
Creed's arms burned, his legs ached, but he pushed on, matching the demon's frantic pace.
For this one moment, they were no longer enemies—just two creatures fighting to survive against a horror even they couldn't face.
[WebNovel Rising Star II Entry] ALL SUPPORT is appreciated.
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