(Nico POV)
Second Level, the upper world of the blood river.
The moment I opended my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of gentle snow falling and an endless snowy plain, the blood river stretching right through the middle, parting the snowy plains like the red sea. At the horizon, was of course, the massive Weeping Blight just seems to keep on growing in size the closer I get to it. And, as expected, because of my loss in the coin toss—the entire world was engulfed in the familier crimson veil.
This was the second level.
And just as Movarathos said, it was a snowy world. Which I prepared for beforehand—without waiting any longer, I took out the blue glowing herb I purchased from the Respite Zone.
Frostbane: [Purchased from a Respite Zone.]
Skills: [One with the cold]
One with Ice: [By consuming the herb, you'll recieve a temporary immunity to any cold for 1 hour and 30 minutes.]
This was actually something very useful for the next level. I deliberately showed me purchasing it to make Morgan doubt it's authenticity. These are a very common type of herb found in frozen zones within The Mulligan, I knew about them from the books I read while working.
Without any hesitation, I opened my mouth and devoured the herb in one fell-swoop, swallowing it down with a gulp.
[Equipment consumed!]
[Skill 'One with the Cold' in effect. Time remaining: 1:29:56.]
I immediately felt the effects. The chill I felt earlier disappearing in an instant. The total immunity was very useful in an environment like this.
Blood River:—
Current Location: Level 2.
Location Monster: [Frozen Hounds]
Distance to next Level: 18km.
Time until Daybreak: 30:00 minutes.
Frozen Hounds. From what Movarathos said, they were wolves that can turn invisible. Movarathos mentioned nothing more than that. Besides warning me to wary of their boss, he didn't elaborate on that any further.
And I wasn't stubborn enough to not listen. I know if Movarathos was warning me, he was being very much serious about that boss. I had no plans of fighting any of the monsters here, especially with the crimson moon. Fighting them would be an impossible task at my current level.
It was a bit frustrating that I lost the coin toss, but I was expecting it. My curse made me prone to misfortune, so winning anything luck-related was an impossible task for me. Thus, I had already prepared for the crimson moon. There was no need to fight. Just running.
Quickly summoning [Chained Mantle], only the headpiece of it, I lifted myself off the ground and started flying upwards, towards the next level. Just before the Frozen Hounds managed to reach me. I couldn't sense them or see them for that matter, but I knew they were around. They walk in a pack and as a result made some sounds when walking on the snow that they couldn't be discreet about.
"I should just stay high enough to avoid them…"
I murmured to myself. Just as i did, though. A memory flashed by me. The memory of Vilthar grabbing my body from beneath the blood river and dragging me into the depths was still fresh in my mind. That was likely the closest I have ever gotten to death. The fact that I managed was through nothing but pure luck—which by itself was already rare enough for me.
I shuddered at the memory, but remained steadfast, focused on reaching my goal. I was confident these wolves couldn't reach me from this height and not to mention, I had an immense amount of innate spirit to spare after coming back from a Respite Zone. All in all, I had a feeling that I will be able to reach the next level just in time.
Even so, I didn't relax. I remained vigilant, my eyes fixed below me, as I the ground blurred past me due to the immense speed I was flying at. Perhaps that's why I didn't realize it when I smashed into something.
*Clang!!*
I felt a brillant pain in my head. As I stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. It wasn't a high fall. My back hit the ground as if I had never been flying at all.
"What…?"
My mind felt dizzy, my eyes were darting around, as I tried getting up. I didn't know what I hit. Everything around me was suddenly blurry, my mind couldn't make sense of anything and my ears were ringing, so I couldn't hear either. It felt like I just survived being bombed, but I didn't know what bombed me exactly.
Just as I was about pass out, I saw a figure appearing from the shadows, approaching me in a casual stance.
Raven-black hair, porcelain skin, grey eyes and that infuriating smirk.
"Morgan?"
Morgan smiled at me.
"Yes, it's me."
Before I could open my mouth to ask how he was, or what he did to me. I blacked out, my body losing all it's strength and suddenly falling backwards, landing on the snow. The snow beneath me was painted a crimson, that mixed in with the crimson light by the moon itself.
There was a blade plunged right into my chest. My eyes began slowly losing all its life. Even now, I still couldn't make sense of the situation I was in.
And by the time my entire world faded to a black void of nothingness, I had already passed out.
__________________________________
(Morgan POV)
Level 2 of the blood river, underworld.
"Ah, dammit!"
I cursed, as I kept on swinging [The Cleave] killing wolf after wolf without any hesitation. I had just come to the realization that trees weren't safe, either! Somehow, they had learnt how to climb by watching me and started attacking me groups on the trees now as well.
And outrunning them wasn't an option, either. Wolves were crazy fast. Unfairly fast. Even with my enhanced physical attributes, it would take all of me to outrun just a single one. But an entire pack of them working together seamlessly? That's a problem on its own.
I don't know how many I have killed right now, but I had felt the insane amount of Abyssal Fragments that have started pouring inside me with each kill. Hell, I might even cap at a thousand Abyssal Fragments before the end of this level.
All wasn't good, though. The pack was growing in size with each kill and to make it worse, they were invisible too. Even with [Probability Pryer] I couldn't dodge all of them. So, my clothes and body was being slowly torn apart with each attack. I was slowly but surely being overwhelmed.
I had already tried using a blast of Fury to escape these annoying Frozen Hounds. But even then, it didn't work as I wanted it to. In the end, I just ended up creating even more of a problem for myself, helping them multiply.
It was too late to stop killing them, but killing them also was a bad idea. So, what the hell was I supposed to do?
I couldn't think of anything witty, a strategic maneuver that could help me escape this situation. Nothing of that sort came to my mind. Panic started rising inside me, as I kept attacking these invisible Hounds with [The Cleave] swinging it back and forth, until the onyx blade itself was painted in a deep crimson blood. My entire surrounding was covered in blood, mixing in with the snow. A complete blood bath.
"Argh!"
I groaned as I felt a Frozen Hound biting into my leg. Without hesitation, I swung the sword down and killed it in an instant. Just when I did that, another one bit into me from behind. Then another one. Then another one.
I was starting to get furious.
The frustration quickly turned into anger. As I started attacking them indiscriminately, murdering them one by one, gathering Abyssal Fragments with each kill.
I had activated [The Zone] and entered a state of mind that was more pleasurable than any drug could be. This was true bliss. Giving into the anger, the Madness and wrath deep within me. With each kill, I felt my body slowly adapting to the movements made by the Frozen Hounds.
They were adapting to my sudden explosive power too, but not like me. They couldn't mimick me.
I didn't care about the damage that was done to my body, as long as I managed to deal a heavy blow towards this pack.
So, I charged up both my fists with fury. I had dismissed [The Cleave] and clenched both my fists, augmenting them with my stored up fury. Something I have never tried doing before—instead of charging just one limb, I started augmenting both my arms with them instead. I don't know why I haven't tried this before, perhaps I was too used to the sword.
"Ahhh!"
I cried out, as I, instead of attacking the pouncing Frozen Hounds that has latched onto my body and started tearing away at my flesh— I punched straight down into the snow. I knew that no matter what i could do, I wouldn't be able to fight against the pack. So now. All I needed to do was create an opportunity where i could escape. An escape to the blood river. My last ditch chance.
*Bang!!*
A violent shockwave sounded as snow exploded everywhere. Both my fists have left behind a massive crator on the ground, as several Frozen Hounds was killed during that one attack. Others was blown away by the powerful shockwave.
Meanwhile, I remained there, unaffected.
Quickly turning [The Zone] so that the rage doesn't keep affecting my mind, I turned on my heels and started rushing towards the blood river. My only salvation in this Frozen hell. Even though the crimson moon hadn't even come yet, these Frozen Hounds was overwhelming me with their sheer size and invisibility. Just how bad will the crimson moon be?
I didn't want to imagine it. I immediately came to the conclusion that hiding beneath the blood river and planning my next move without being constantly assaulted was the much safer bet to make.
The blood river was just within reach. Just a few more meters and….
*Clang!!*
I felt my head hit something hard. Metal? I wasn't sure. But the moment my head hit that thing, I felt my ears start ringing, my mind becoming disoriented and my vision becoming dizzy. Losing my foot, I fell on the snow, laying on my back.
"How…."
Looking down with half-lidded eyes, I saw an arrow plunged right into my chest, bleeding profusely. Crimson blood painted the snow beneath me, the pool of blood just growing in size.
Then, I saw a figure approaching me.
Small-statured, pale skin, messy blond hair and wearing only a loincloth with the headpiece of chainmail armor over his head.
"Nico?"
Nico smiled at me.
"Yes, it's me."
I saw his lips moving even more, as if he was saying something more. But I couldn't hear quite clearly. The ear ringing just grew louder and my eyes started slowly darkening. I was about to pass out. I knew it. Yet, even then, I wasn't sure what hit me.
Did Nico somehow figure out about the underworld and paid me a visit through the blood river, killing me in revenge for losing the coin toss? Or maybe in general for everything I had done to him. I wouldn't blame him for that.
But how? I didn't even see him. He just appeared out of nowhere….
Something wasn't right.
My thoughts started becoming even more foggy as I desperately tried to stay conscious while Nico was walking closer to my laying body. And before I knew it, everything around me turned out.
'Someting wasn't right.'
That repeated thought echoed inside my head, before I lost all consciousness. The pool of blood growing even larger the moment all life left my eyes.