'Alaric's POV'
I ran into the forest to escape my pursuers. They were relentless. I'd been running for five minutes, weaving through the forest with unnatural precision. The trees seemed to teach me how to move—each obstacle a lesson in survival. I saw everything clearly despite it being nighttime. I could see the veins running through every leaf, the water droplets, and the tiny creatures in the damp soil.
The forest smells hit me—rotting leaves, iron. Just like the day I died in my past life. 'But how? I remember everything… except that.'
I had always been special, even in my past life. I could learn things at an abnormal rate and see things other people could not. As a result, life became boring. I knew people just by looking at them, I knew subjects I had no business knowing, and I became quite rich by the time I was 14.
I died at 15, I don't remember the cause, which is weird, considering I have eidetic memory. I can recall precise details about people, events, images, sound, etc. That is why the villagers thought I was destined for something greater. The only downside is that it dampened my emotions severely. I always thought it was a fair price to pay for such gifts. But the boredom was overbearing.
As I ran and listened to my pursuers talking, I heard the screeching from Kong, my ever-loyal monkey friend, he pointed right, and I follow with little thought, he has high ground and knows the area best, he's helping me avoid incoming beasts that are attracted to the smell of blood coming from the village.
As time passed, I had learned how to adjust my breathing optimally and how to efficiently dodge the obstacles ahead. If it wasn't for the dire situation I was in, I would have found this exercise a good thing, but death was chasing me.
I looked at Kong, who desperately made hand signs for him to stop immediately. 'There is something ahead. '
They were close to a beast's territory. I stopped running
There was nowhere to run to. Forward, left or right, we were territories we shouldn't trespass; if given an option, I would choose to go back where I came from.
I would rather face my 5 pursuers than face a beast right now, even the lowest grade of beasts is more dangerous than these 5. They were not practitioners.
So, I scanned the area, taking in the details, and quickly dashed behind a tree, for I had seen a way out. By the time my pursuers closed in, I was ready. with two branches in hand, one with a sizable girth, and another that was thin and could pierce a human skin with little resistance.
I signaled at Kong, who was hanging from a tree nearby, and he nodded with understanding.
"You should stop resisting right now," the leader of his pursuers said.
"Come with us, at least that way, you have a chance at life," he added.
I have no idea why they were so persistent in their chase; they had taken the children, killed the men and raped the women, I am sure death awaits them too. their main target seems to be the children. I am not giving up, as much as I don't condone unnecessary violence, this is necessary, I will kill them if I have to.
"Da Wei, Shou Yi, go get him," the leader says.
"Yes, boss," the fat man, now identified as Da Wei, responded with his cutlass in hand as he approached the tree the boy had hidden behind.
"Hehehe, can I have him for an hour with the boy after this boss?" Shou Yi, a lanky man with a dagger in hand, asked.
"Hmm, no, you can have any of the other kids we captured, this kid will go for a good price, I don't want his price to go down from being damaged by you. The leader said to Shou Yi sternly.
"Thanks, boss," said Shou Yi with a disgusting expression, as he and Da Wei got close to the tree. The two staying behind looked at him in disgust.
Kong signaled me. and I nodded at him.
*Screeeeeech*
Kong let out a loud shriek, momentarily distracting the two who had closed in on me. I dashed out to the right and moved towards them with my fastest speed, branches in hand.
I moved toward the fat man named Da Wei first, using the girthy branch to hit his left knee before he could recover from the monkey's screech.
*Crack*
"ahhhhhhhhh" he shouted in pain; I had damaged his patella (knee cap).
I didn't stop there as I saw him drop on his right knee while holding his left knee in pain, I moved in with the thin branch and plunged it into his neck, twisting it before pulling it out.
The piercing sound seemed to bring the group of pursuers back to reality, as they stood and watched one of theirs choke on his blood.
After killing Da Wei, I noted the pursuers' shock, but I felt nothing. Like I had expected. My hands were as steady as ever, and breathing steady and efficient, I felt detached and inhumane.
They never thought about the possibility of dying from a kid.
Shou Yi gaped at the scene before shouting, "You little bas..."
I picked a relatively sizable stone close to the dying fatty before charging towards him, he seemed stunned before swinging his dagger towards me.
I saw it coming before he even swung it. I saw the micro movements of his body and dodged to the left before it reached me. I swung the stone at his unguarded rib cage at an angle where the shape would cause the most damage.
He bent over, wheezing in pain, then I plunged the branch into his ear. He dropped his knife, which I caught before it hit the ground.
I looked on with apathy and a blank expression as he collapsed on the moist ground, dying. The fatty had also stopped moving.
'Two down. Three to go' I thought as I raised the dagger and held it forward, ready to take them on.