Chapter 68

A thing of beauty was before those Fissures, so they were quite thrilled, or were they asking for some beating in the middle of the Holy Land? They perhaps didn't know where they were, who they were touching, and how could they do that. Some people regarded them as weak residues of dead Darks of upper Ranks that could create hundreds of Fissures if not killed properly. Others saw them as terrible news that was hard to kill.

Those Fissures before this girl didn't know what was good for them, or they didn't know anything anymore. Where they belonged might be long lifeless, and looking for a lavish prey was like a whisper to their spirits.

She ducked and dodged their whipping arms as she ran, which creased the ground with deep cuts more than a dozen feet long. It didn't cut her, which spoke of her agility and reaction time more than anything else. She grunted, eyes sparkling beneath her overly-long black hair. Her tattered cloth ripped a little, swaying as she ran.

She ignored these terrible ghosts that hunted her from time to time and managed to clutch the dead rabbit before making her escape. There was no point. She thought she was quick and experienced, yet those shadows attacked her again, coming as if they wanted to enjoy this properly. This time, it seemed to be worse than usual.

It was unfortunate that her catch came with a sacrifice. The moment she grabbed the rabbit, a small distraction from her meal hindered her step. Then, a whipping claws crashed at her side when she failed to dodge, leaving wounds and blood behind. She grunted, clutching the rabbit, and stumbled from the cliff. Against the pain, against the Fissures, she fell.

It wasn't a straight-up drop to her death. It was more like a steep path down a rocky cliff. She tumbled and hit herself numerous times as she protected the rabbit and her head, before ending at the ground level. Rocks and dirt didn't feel good, and something was wet and hot.

Right. She was bleeding and lost her awareness for a moment. Nothing was twisted and all limbs were where they belonged. She was glad for a second, which was a second that was a little bit too long. Fissures forced her so quickly to the ground level that she almost cheered because she would come here anyway.

They helped her out a little, even though pained, bleeding, and almost delirious. Oh, how hungry she had become. Unleashing a brief smile, it couldn't last for long when she tried to crawl to her feet. Everything about her hurt, leaving her tired and hopeful for an endless sleep.

A simple glance at her crawling hands eased her up, jolting her to reality. That white remained. A voice returned. [Just a little ahead, dear...]

Fissures hovered above her, close to the cliff, glaring at her as if they had a lot of fun. There were four of them staying, looking at her like ghosts in the sunlight. Their eyes changed to purple because of the sun, and their maws were mostly red like their clawed hands. They had almost no noticeable legs, and their body wasn't adhering to the common definition of this reality.

They were soundless, without any ability to grunt, let alone voice some concerns besides the Haunting that could be very loud, if not deafening. They couldn't eat properly. Absorbing living matter was done with their whole bodies akin to absorption. It was a rare Dark Aspect, which made them better than average for their Ranks which were between Rank 4 and 6. Every Fissure was hard to kill, and taking their Haunting was challenging.

How could this girl escape this predicament when wounded and fallen from that steep hill? Well, she knew the answers to that pain long before she got hit.

Fissures couldn't Corrupt or kill. They were a sorry excuse for Darks that held weaker attack power because they had problems; internal problems with their Haunting disallowed them to kill in blood. What they did was a simple knock; a reminder that they were there and they faked that they could kill. The Haunting was the explanation. That previous attack was just a poke appealing to fear.

Some people found them the worst due to their jestery nature and insufferable instincts. They would haunt anything for as long as they could, until it would weep, give up, and lay on the ground, begging for death.

For this girl, she dreaded them because they were scary. Nothing else. They won't attack for a second time. She was young after all. A second strike would kill her, which was something those Fissures didn't want. It was dull because of it, yet living in it for a long time could create miracles.

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Some Darks were hard to forget, and she knew how to handle herself against these monsters because it wasn't the first time she had felt this level of Madness. If an average Walker heard about a girl below Rank 1 living in such conditions, they would call her miserable and unreal.

But she lived through that not only with her intact life, but she also often fought back. This quartet was weak. Their taunts were laughable, even if blood flowed under her tattered cloth, and she watched from the ground how they descended, loomed, and surrounded her. Her eyes showed resolve, unlike her cold face which held not much hope or emotions.

[THEY ARE NOTHING] another voice said.

She jerked, knowing there were so many worse monsters out there that some ghosts were like bad dreams. Especially when they sought out emotions, drowned in fear, and fed on misery.

They might as well eat their fill and leave her alone, but they won't. She can't let them eat her again. It was painful, and pain was no good.

Ignoring the pain on her side, she huffed for breath and got to her knees. They won't get to her like most monsters around this Holy Land. They won't go far, or too close either because they were already dead. There was always a high possibility of worse appearing, so she hesitated to move for the time being. Sounds were getting intense, and howls and overall silence beside the howls were unsettling.

Anything could be close. Something poisonous? Hideous? There was a likelihood of dying in Australia under every corner. Every rock might hide something. Every cave might be long occupied. She had to be careful, mindful, and quick in her steps. She can't...

Watching her rabbit and bleeding side, going to her home might no longer be possible.

Taking on their Haunting was better.

She paused immediately as she sharpened her senses and checked her wounds, all for one loud thud and heavy breathing to emerge behind her. Fissures around her hesitated, watching how one lone Dark Hound stood behind this girl, sniffing the blood, and towering over her like a small hill. She could smell it, sense the huffs of air coming from its snout.

It was so big that she lost breath and her eyes squinted when she felt it again. She didn't even need to turn. She knew there was no way this one was here for anything new.

Hounds were parts of Fengs. Those were types of Darks with nasty demeanors, hunting capabilities, and instincts that were hard to stop, kill, and hunt back. They were dogs of the darker world, following principles of instincts, loyalty, and packs.

Hounds had the appearance of a tall dog mixed with wolves. Many eyes were above their protruding snout, looking for prey, and a large mouth was usually closed, leaving mist or some Fog flowing through their clutched teeth. They looked quite normal, all things considered, apart from their height which could range between six to twenty feet.

This one had shiny dark fur, no tendrils, or something weird in its Dark Aspects. It was around fourteen feet tall and had a tail that wriggled endlessly, causing a dust storm and wind to fly behind it. Its mouth was open, leaving a purple tongue out as it breathed in this terrible heat. No Fog was around it, or inside its mouth.

The girl skipped a beat and turned her head, watching that silly dog again. Then, she saw those Fissures no longer coming for her. She didn't want to see this dog again either, so she ignored it but it followed her rough steps anyway.

“Sit...” She mumbled, giving her words roughness when she hadn't spoken in days. She glared up and around to see where she could hide. She had no choice but to do it quickly, and this foolish dog shall better wait for its turn.

Escaping those Fissures was a hard thing to do under most circumstances, but it was not an impossible mission if she was clever and enduring her best. She already memorized the weakness of many monsters that hunted her throughout her time in this place. It came through her like a game, fine survival, and battle for life and dead. Barely anything would surprise her anymore because of it.

Fleeting was usually the best choice under any circumstances. The unfilial struggle was laughable, and running was cheap. If it wasn't a possibility, then patience and hiding were the second option.

What about the third? Easy. Get angry, or do something unexpected, or let them to other Darks. Infighting was a clever way to solve these monsters quickly so she could flee when they were busy.

And these Fissures? They wanted to Haunt her in many ways. Not kill her, for there would be the end of their feed.

So she walked away from Hound, finding a lone small cave around the corner, which had no obvious lurking problem. It was a very small and narrow corner and no cave. She would know if there was something. Failures created learnings.

Her escape plan was right there, hidden in the darkness of her mind and the calmness of her body. What came next was important, unless some nasty Darks would appear next and sniff her blood, or do something inconsequential like beat her up. That was why she hugged her side with the rabbit and clutched her side, not leaving a single drop of blood drip down.

Surprisingly, right around the corner, the Dark Hound was sitting, cleaning the rocks and dust behind with its tail. It breathed heavily, blinking its numerous eyes and sitting like a good boy.

On the other hand, the girl couldn't see it because she was waiting and hiding in a dark corner. She crouched, her Emblem gleaming closely and giving her unnecessary light. She didn't know how to stop it or get rid of it. She tried to do so numerous times, obvious by many scars around her right arm. Some were hers, others were not. She failed every time.

Hugging her rabbit, she looked at the ground, patiently waiting for time and Fissures to come. Until a face screamed at her and her face skipped a beat. The Haunting started, and her mind, eyes, and noises began to look strange. She clutched her hands tight, looking at a pair of Fissures before her, dancing, smiling, and taunting her before the cave.