2024-11-09 02:19:50
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Death scape CHAPTER 23
23 Neo attempted a downward slash at the incoming eel, but the eel evaded the slash nimbly. Neo had been quite proficient with the sword lately due to the lessons he had been receiving from Seeker, but still, the eel had been able to evade it, partially because it was in its natural habitat while Neo wasn't, and also partially because the slash was slowed down by the density of the water. Neo was still struggling to retract his arm for a follow-up slash when the creature planted countless tendrils into his arm. Bolts of electricity coursed through his arm, heading straight for his brain and heart. Shivers ran down his spine…quite literally, Neo suspected his death was near. But instead of the expected death, Neo's body absorbed the electricity, igniting the bolts of crimson lightning in the depths of his eyes. His power soared. Neo immediately abandoned all pretense of coordination, activating the second power he had hidden since his arrival to the afterlife. He had underesti
Death scape CHAPTER 24
24 The battle began as the bird's enormous talons shot forth in an attempt to skewer the giant lizard. However, the lizard was just as fast; its spiky tail impeded the talons' advancement as sparks burst forth from their point of contact, making the world shudder. On and on the battle raged, sending several bouts of shockwaves across the battlefield. The palpable killing intent finally receded somewhat, and Neo's tensed breath died down. Neo looked up with a wry smile on his face, resisting the urge to black out at that moment. The shockwaves from the battle kept brushing against his mantle, even though he was several hundred meters away. "Damn!" Neo reckoned one hit would kill him ten times over and he wasn't willing to find out if he was right. Quickly, he carried his dazed self away; if he lingered any longer, he might not survive the collateral damage from the battle. He had to do something—and fast. Neo dumped the spices and herbs somewhere and took to his heels as he he
Death scape CHAPTER 25
Neo sat leaning against the wall. He was audibly gasping for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He was shifted uncomfortably on his butt; his butt hurt too bad, everywhere did. His mantle was stained with his blood, and his inky black hair was ruffled and dirty. He was looking like a product of a long-forgotten sewer."Damn cursed world!!"Neo cursed aloud, and the world shuddered in reply. The leviathans and whatever it was that seemed more powerful than them were still battling.Neo tried to hold back his tears and steel his resolve, but he was failing woefully. He was just a kid after all, a lost kid. And he had survived enough pain in these last few months to last a lifetime.If things kept going that way, Neo felt he would break one day, maybe even sooner than he anticipated. He feared the possibilities of his future the most if things didn't change.At that point, he desired death... but not too desperately. No one really wants to die; the survival instincts of humans a
Death scape CHAPTER 26
"And that's the greatest mistake you've ever made," Seeker bellowed. Neo jerked his hand forcefully away from Seeker. "Hey, what's up with all this? You're acting strange and weird, and it seems you know something I don't. I need an explanation for all this, okay?" Neo yelled, his throat bobbing heavily in fury. "You seek explanation, well then. Explanation you get," Seeker said. "This, you see right here," he started pointing to the murals, "is called the devil's painting. It's a prophetic enchantment. Once you set your eyes on it, it dictates and manipulates your life in this cursed valley. Remember I told you there was no way out of here? That… was wrong. The only way to be free and leave this place in one piece is to complete this prophecy." "What the hell!" Neo exclaimed. He wanted to ask how possible the phenomenon was, but then he remembered that in that cursed reality, everything and anything was possible. He had heard that fact a million times over, from his parents to
Death scape CHAPTER 27
"I told you to stay still, but you didn't listen. Now look at you," Seeker said, approaching Neo's weak, broken body.Seeker's eyes suddenly lost life, and his figure went limp. He shivered slightly, and some energy left him. Neo, teetering on the brink of losing consciousness, saw a vaguely familiar floating orb of pristine light float out of Seeker. It was his soul. Neo, in his haphazard guesses, had been right. Seeker could possess other people. Therefore, the body Neo had known him with turned out not to be his after all. Surprisingly, the soul of the creature Seeker had hijacked its body, while weak, was still alive. Its pristine light flickered, obscured by a misty haze, as it clawed at its face. The pain seemed to be sifting from his soul to its almost lifeless body. Neo felt if he could just reach the creature, he would be able to heal it with the power bestowed to him by [Soul Stinger]. But then, he was just too late as the soul seeped its last pristine light and imploded
Death scape CHAPTER 28
REAPER'S GLYPHS [language of the divine]Name— Reapling Neolin. Progress: Beast souls— 28Monster souls— 16Demon souls— 1…..Innate ability— Crimson nebulaeRemarks: You wield a tremendous power; its prowess can only be limited by your mortal body.**Reaper's gifts— soul stingerReaper's remark: Energy is the foundation of all things. Perks: You gain great affinity to souls of the living. You can repair or destroy it.Quirks: During each attack, your souls becomes exposed.Progress— 3Specter— Ten lives per second (soul tied), bone of contention (soul tied), cave mantle, weepers fury, whispering fang, willow vine, moon witness, dew heart, dragon blaze.Skin-?Phantom-?Neo had forgotten the ecstasy of entering his soul core for a while. Checking the glyphs with the backdrop of the mist was kind of aesthetically pleasing, or probably being in his soul core was kind of soothing. Neo couldn’t tell which. Not that it mattered anyway. There were also some noticeable changes in Neo’s
Death scape CHAPTER 29
Neo breathed gently and sat down. He summoned another Dew Heart and took it, calming his nerves in the process. The sounds of carnage below him were muffled as he made a mental note of his next steps. It might take forever, but at that moment, Neo, in his little heart, determined he was going to leave that cursed valley, even if it was the last thing he did. His slightly long and bushy hair fluttered gently in the wind, as if in approval of his immense conviction. And for the first time in many years, a thin veil of cloud loomed above the Valley of Endless Battles, besmirching the ever-pristine radiance of the sun. Neo rose to his feet and stared down. Since there was no winged Seeker to break his fall, if he jumped down, he would only end up as a blood puddle. The ledge he was standing on was at least forty meters from the floor. There was no way he would fall from such a distance without reducing himself to a bloody goo. Well, maybe not, but then. Neo wasn't so much into risk
Death scape CHAPTER 30
After seeing the gigantic eye, Neo's initial reaction was to flee—something he had become quite proficient at recently.But then he didn't. He had a sudden, strange feeling that something was off. Whenever he was agitated or frantic, there was always an adrenaline rush born from fear or panic, accompanied by the killing intent surging from the threat. Neo's brain had summed up these feelings as a beacon of danger. So, since one of them was absent in his current situation, he couldn't help but notice that the giant eye, or whatever creature it belonged to, wasn't releasing any killing intent whatsoever. That was even the reason behind Neo's impetuous act of climbing the ledge, without even taking notice of the creature lying in the darkness within.Neo silently contemplated for a split second whether he should leave or check out the cave. His logical reasoning was trying to rip him apart from within, scolding him for even having the thought of staying.A wry smile suddenly appeared on
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CHAPTER 45
"Crap!"Neo cursed, the word a tight knot in his throat. He ground his teeth together, channeling the last vestige of momentum from his swing, forcing himself forward. willow vine and the Bone of Contention were already plunging into the abyss below. Neo released his grip on the vine; he could summon his spectres back, but not himself from a potentially fatal fall. Spectres were expendable, but a half-insane Neo was not.The last surge of inertia flung him ten meters past below chasm's edge. Knowing the brutal impact was imminent, Neo summoned twin blades, driving them deep into the rock face. The swords bit, arresting his descent just short of a bone-shattering collision, Neo stared at the abyss below and smiled. "Not as bad as I thought ehh?"He dismissed his falling specters and began to climb, using his swords as improvised knives, hauling himself upwards inch by agonizing inch.Finally, he crested the rim of the chasm, emerging into the oppressive silence. Beads of sweat slick
CHAPTER 44
After staring at Neo for a few fleeting seconds, Blob averted its gaze back to the ice above. It seemed to wrestle with some inner turmoil. The sun was rising, its light filtering through the ice, and a cold sweat traced Neo's spine despite the chill. It wasn't fear he felt, but anxiety. He had never faced a creature of such power before. Yet, if push came to shove, he was prepared to stand his ground and go toe to toe with the creature, even if victory was uncertain. At the very least, Blob would not emerge unscathed."Blood for blood; that's the afterlife currency."Blob finally appeared to reach a decision, meandering toward the distant chasm and disappearing within. Neo finally took a breath and felt a weight lift off of him.He was still reluctant to move, though, lacking a concrete plan of action. Neo began to mentally retrace his steps, sinking into deep introspection. But something quickly disrupted his thoughts. Emerging from the chasm in droves were familiar figures, crawl
CHAPTER 43
Neo's vision and breath were momentarily stolen; the water muffled his hearing as the world spun around him. Then—Bam!!!He slammed against the floor, a jarring thud echoing in the cavern. A groan escaped his lips as he tried to roll over, but his entire body ached. To make matters worse, water continued to cascade onto his face. With considerable effort, Neo finally managed to roll out of the waterfall's path and stand, finally taking in his surroundings. The air hung heavy and still, a damp blanket pressing against his skin. An earthy scent permeated the space, a blend of wet stone and a peculiar, almost fungal, scent of antiquity. Above, a vast expanse of azure ice covered nearly everything, its light almost divine. This celestial radiance was punctuated by shadows lurking in the distance, where the light couldn't penetrate. A wide chasm, seemingly devoid of light, divided the two sections of the cavern. This was no ordinary cave; it was a subterranean chamber, a colossal cathed
CHAPTER 42
Neo sat in a meditative pose within a cave, positioned several meters above the lake on the far side of the valley. The lake's waters silently lapped at the mountain's base as Neo stared blankly into the distance, seemingly indifferent to the leviathans battling far below. In truth, he couldn't see them at all; his consciousness resided in a different realm entirely.Neo’s feet dragged along the dark, charred sand. The silent breeze of his soul nipped at his skin. Around him stretched an expanse of the same strange, silent sea of dark sand, with a thick mist billowing in the distance. The only source of light was a pristine orb looming above. Though obscured by the heavy veil of mist, Neo could still discern its form.He had been mistaken all these years. The pristine orb was the soul core, the light that illuminated his inner being. He himself was within his own soul. The meaning of the billowing cloud of mist, however, remained a mystery.In the center of the dark desert lay an oasi
CHAPTER 41
A sharp, rhythmic, metallic clang dominated the valley of endless battles, a sound interwoven with the distant echoes of death and destruction from the ongoing bloodshed.A young man relentlessly hammered a large, crystalline-looking mallet against a jagged ledge below his feet. Its head, twice the size of his own, moved with surprising ease as he struck at the base of a jagged ledge near the ground. He stood upon this very ledge, working to separate it from the mountainside. Each powerful blow sent tremors through the stone beneath his feet, sparks erupting as the mallet connected, sending shards of rock flying. This was Neo, and he was far different from what he used to beNeo’s body, once frail, was now honed and athletic. Sweat glistened on his bare chest, the muscles coiling around his chiseled form. His upper body was exposed and dirt-streaked, while below, his lower body was covered by Azure, a material that had folded itself into makeshift shorts for him.With a final, resoun
CHAPTER 40
Neo gritted his teeth, fighting to anchor his teetering consciousness. This was, invariably, the moment he loathed most: the agonizing wait, eyes closed, as the mental assault from the stronger killing intents ebbed away. Yet, on this day, he forced his eyelids open, compelled by a suspicion that had gnawed at him since he first discovered the ice barrier. With strained eyes and sheer willpower, Neo managed to pry his vision open, just as the lake's water level began to plummet drastically. Then, a grotesque, blob-like mass began to swell from within, its size expanding exponentially. Simultaneously, another massive creature, eerily reminiscent of a lion save for its deep obsidian skin and tenebrous steel wire-like veins coiling throughout its body, descended. Its enormous wingspan towered over the battlefield, an omen of death. Its mane was a thick cloud of dark mist, obscuring the evil that lurked in the depths of its eyes, and where a tail should have been, an enormous stinger, wi
CHAPTER 39
Neo's silver longsword danced through the hordes of creatures, a playful smile gracing his lips. He was resolute in his intent to "try harder," not from spite or madness, but rather as a meticulously planned strategy. What better way to comprehend the intricacies of a system than to become an active participant within it? Though a veil of depression and hollowness might shroud his inner self, a mask of feigned madness concealed a cold, calculating spirit.He battled relentlessly, consuming what sustenance he could find amidst the carnage. The cycle of fighting, eating, bleeding, and fighting again persisted until the blood moon finally dominated the horizon.Gazing at the crimson orb, a wave of nostalgia washed over him, causing him to grimace. The other creatures seemed to share in this awareness, displaying a primal fear of the night's terrors, much as he once had.Neo had long transcended the paralyzing fear of the night's beasts. While his body might still instinctively tremble at
CHAPTER 38
Neo dragged the creature aside for the Harknidae to suck dry. He then started to summon willow's vine massively, without the least care for his essence depleting. Although the Harknidae are pesky and annoying, they are the reason the whole valley is not unbearably disgusting and stinking. The sheer amount of blood spilled in the valley each day—and night—is staggering. But the Harknidae are up to the task of cleaning up the mess; they are like the valley's vacuum cleaners. Neo's essence finally ran out after a few minutes, and the cave's compartment was filled with an endless brown rope running around the place. Usually, Neo would wait for his essence to replenish before plunging into battle again, using the willow's vine as an extra reservoir of essence to sustain Asunder for a longer duration. And that was exactly what he was trying to do, until his stomach started to hurt as if he was being shredded from within. Black blood began to drip from the corner of his lips. Neo was no s
CHAPTER 37
Neo suddenly felt a constraint, and before he could react, a putrid smell assaulted his nose. By the time Neo realized what was happening, he'd already lost a few liters of body fluid to the embrace of a blue, cloth-like creature. Its presence had been utterly obfuscated by the large expanse of the blue lake. The creature, which strikingly resembled a piece of clothing, fed on the water within creatures, a method similar to the Harknidae, but far more devious. Neo immediately plunged his hand into the soul realm, crushing the creature's soul. Cracks spread across it with some resistance, but it eventually crumbled into countless particles adrift in the unknown universe once more.The announcement rang in Neo's mind, revealing that the unassuming creature was a mutant behemoth! Neo was certain he wouldn't have been able to slay that attack without a similarly devious trump card. Nevertheless, without Soul Stinger, he could have stunned the creature with his Crimson Nebulae and escaped
