The humanoid and I stared at each other for a good few moments.

I couldn’t comprehend what I had just heard.

I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing.

It didn’t mind though. We just continued to stare at each other whilst the world remained silent.

The Wailer that was sent flying was silent. I’d imagine it died on impact.

After all I can kill a Wailer but I am not sure that I could survive that.

How could it survive if even I couldn’t.

And since I couldn’t survive that, but I am currently staring at the creature responsible for doing that…

The realisation of my situation just settled in.

Immediately I started sweating.

Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes.

I was afraid.

Very afraid.

“Are you finished?” it suddenly said to me as it took a step forward.

I didn’t even wait to find out what it meant as I turned around and bolted as fast as I could. I didn’t pay any attention to where I was going though. Just away is fine. Away from here.

I couldn’t see this but behind me the humanoid looked surprised by my sudden dash for life. A wicked smile appeared on its face before…

BOOM

The beneath where it stood shattered but the humanoid was no longer there.

I felt the ground shake a little and instinctively turned around to see where the humanoid was.

But I couldn’t find it.

Even though I could still see the swimming complex and where it stood a moment ago…

It wasn’t there.

I immediately doubled down on my mana usage, pouring everything I had into [Accel] and [Incras] and I prepared to use [Rubius].

Then suddenly I noticed the sun get darker.

Like a cloud had just covered it, casting its shadow.

Its shadow…

My eyes widened in realisation and my head shot upwards.

Sure enough the humanoid was there… falling straight towards me… a macabre grin spread across its face.

Right before the humanoid would land on me, I dived to the side, narrowly avoiding getting crushed into paste.

When the humanoid landed the ground shattered and a shockwave sent me back a few more meters.

I didn’t even wait a second before attacking. Throwing all the mana I could into [Incarnat] I enveloped it in scorching blue flames.

These are the hottest flames I can make right now and just casting them burns my hands to an unbearable degree.

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As the blue flames pulsed and flowed over the humanoid it looked like a dragon roasting its prey.

However, this was definitely nothing like the sweeping victory a dragons flames could achieve.

The moment I couldn’t maintain the spell I dashed away again.

I didn’t believe those flames would be enough to deal with it permanently. If I’m lucky they will slow it down a bit.

And sure enough after a few seconds longer the flames disappeared naturally and the humanoid remained there, completely unfazed, with a deadpan look on its face.

Even though the flames had stopped burning it, it remained standing there, watching as I fled. It seemed to be in deep thought but I didn’t mind.

It could stay there forever for all I care just as long as it doesn’t make me stay there with it.

After about a minute of running I have travelled at least 10 kilometres from the humanoid. I have travelled so far that I ended up further from my original destination than when I first left the library.

But despite the fact that I stopped running, I kept an eye on the direction I came from for the next 10 minutes before relaxing.

It wasn’t following me…

I don’t know why it stopped but I sure as hell am not complaining. I couldn’t help but wonder how strong that thing must be. After all in the last 6 months of my life I have fought countless reapers and corrupt creatures but I always prevailed.

I began pondering deeper about this when I realised something. How did I defeat the reapers?

The reapers are responsible for shepherding souls after their death. I don’t know where they go but I refuse to believe that I am the only one that would fight to survive instead of going.

With that being said, if there are creatures like that humanoid out there, and some of the other corrupt creatures that I am wary of, then how do those reapers force them to follow them?

They were too weak to do that…

I continued to think about this for the next half an hour as I sat on the ground.

After I was done thinking about this without being able to come up with a reason, I got up and started looking around.

I had a general idea of my location but that was it. I needed landmarks or something else to find this place on the map.

I took the map out of my makeshift backpack and placed it on the ground whilst examining the area around me.

I seemed to be in the outskirts of the old city as there are a lot of old runs down apartments complexes around. The atmosphere also had a sense of dread about it that made me shiver a little.

As I took a closer look at some of the building I noticed faded graffiti and gang signs covered most the walls.

There were weeds growing all over the place through the cracked pavement, road and building walls.

The windows in almost every building were either missing or shattered, leaving glass on the ground.

There was also a moist smell in the air like what you would smell at wetlands or swamps.

Without waiting to much longer I started heading in the direction of my original destination.

Yes, despite my run in with the humanoid I will continue my journey. After all this isn’t the first time I’ve experience a dangerous situation. I just haven’t felt this helpless before it since I first fought Mordarath.

As I started walking down the empty streets my hairs stood on end.

Something felt wrong but I couldn’t find anything to explain this feeling so I continued walking.

Over the next few minutes this feeling grew stronger and stronger, to the point where I felt literal pain in my gut telling me I was in danger.

Eventually I stopped moving and stood there, trying to find the danger.

My instincts were in overdrive.

I was sweating profusely, my hair drenched and stuck to my skin. My eyes stung from the salt but I didn’t dare close them.

The hairs on my arms, legs and neck were upright like I’d just been shocked by lightning.

I instinctively grabbed a knife from my pack and held it ready to fight.

I was ready to cast all my spells in an instant.

I stood there in a fighting stance, ready to attack.

I remained like this for the next 5 minutes, but nothing happened.

After 10 minutes still nothing happened.

15 minutes.

30.

An hour.

The entire time my body screamed danger at me and I listened. If I felt this on edge over nothing then I would have died ages ago, even before I died in that soccer match.

I didn’t even feel this kind of caution before the humanoid. That was fear back there. Here I feel like I am in danger but I’m not helpless.

At least I’m not as long as I don’t get caught off guard.

Suddenly I saw movement in the corner of my eye. My heading quickly snapped at it just to see a couple rocks move.

I stared at the rocks a bit. I couldn’t figure out why they moved. Is there a creature nearby? Why can’t I see it? Why are my instincts screaming over a creature? How did it move the rocks without me seeing it?

All these questions fired through my mind at an insane rate.

My mind was in full overdrive trying to assess the situation. And it didn’t take long. After about a minute of staring at the rocks that moved I finally moved.

Without missing a beat, I cast [Incarnat] in a ring around me, forming a fiery wall that blasted outwards in all directions.

Instantly I saw movement! Rocks and weeds split as something tried to run away. As for what wasn’t fast enough, flames clung to them as they flailed in agony, destroying the road or pavement around them with their strength.

I knew it.

These creatures are invisible.