Chapter 74 - Deadmans Wonderland Pt.2 - Double Slash

Suta POV

Suta walked along the crunchy, uneven ground, carefully moving his body towards the snarling voices crackling against the peaceful air. He parted aside a thick tussle of shrubbery, shedding light upon a small gathering of blue-furred wolves sniffling around some old bones. He narrowed his gaze and observed them. The Wolves were no bigger than greyhounds, with prickly shaggy fur and grey-padded feet.

He took a few moments to relax his thoughts. Controlling his deep breaths in short cadences to calm the anxiety racing through his body.

'A few wolves aren't so bad, and they don't look like they have any weird OP powers.'

Suta took one more lasting look at the dagger in his palms. He placed one foot out before he emerged from the crowded bushes and stepped out into the open. Now that he had shed away the little bits of worry he carried, his gaze was filled with a reserved coldness. The pack of wolves, sensing his presence, bore their sharp fangs, the songs of their dark growls combed over the once silent air the moment they locked eyes with him. These Wolves had a strange disposition. Suta watched their eyes turn from black to red, and the furs on their backs spiked.

Not wasting any time, Suta scanned the four wolves, slowly beginning to stalk him. The nearest one to his left lowered into a prone attacking stance. Purposely baiting the creature, Suta drew closer, setting the wolf into a welcoming bark before it pounced with fangs set to meet him. Suta sidestepped smoothly, planted his entire weight against his prone foot, and sliced downwards in quick succession, and his blade drew a red line through the air. The wolf let out a yelp as it skittered across the ground behind him, never to rise again.

One shot, one kill.

Suta was surprised himself. He lowered his gaze and looked at his dagger, the tip of which was doused in blood. This marked the first time he had felled a creature in a single strike. A brief smile flashed across his youthful features, but there wasn't time to bask in the achievement. Alarm bells rang as he noticed the three remaining wolves attacking in unison.

Twisting on his heels, Suta moved swiftly out of range; their snapping jaws missed him completely. Yet one managed to nick his arm, sending a flash of warm pain shooting through him. Suta bit his bottom lip to quell the pain but remained poised with his stance, noticing two wolves stood a perfect distance apart. His eyes flashed wide as he transcended into a state of complete focus.

Without blinking, Suta leapt forward, dashing into the space between them as his dagger flashed again.

{ Double Slash }

The blade danced like a majestic butterfly, carving two semilunar arcs. Sprays of blood splashed across the air as the wolves cried out pitifully. Suta's heart raced, glancing down at the crimson-jagged dagger grasped in his hand. The implications of his increased strength and skill became more apparent with each day he spent on this troublesome island.

He was so consumed with thoughts of revenge and escape from this island that he realized he hadn't stopped to consider his growing abilities. The wolves were badly hurt but not dead, affording him a chance to confront the third beast directly.

It responded in kind, trotting forward before making a tall leap into the air, aiming its ferocious attack at Suta's neck. Sensing its trajectory, Suta timed his body well. He ducked and rolled to the side. Twisting around to meet the wolf as it landed. Crouched low, he pushed off his heels to confront the wolf.

{ Double Slash }

Once he activated the skill, his body moved mechanically, an experience entirely new to him. All the clumsy, lucky slashes he performed over time had somehow given birth to this ability; although it carried the drawback of heavy exhaustion once overused, it was so devastating it hardly ever missed.

The first slash missed, but the second found its mark. Seizing the successful strike, Suta kicked the blue-furred beast directly in the ribs. The beast smacked its body against a standing tree and with a horrible sounding snapping sound.

As the other two wolves groggily regained their senses, Suta exhaled heavily before dashing towards them, spinning on his heels to deliver a powerful backhanded lunge.

His dagger buried itself into the side of the wolf's fur. It cried out terribly in pain before its voice fell into gentle whimpers. Tearing out his blade, Suta's cold gaze beheld the whimpering animal until it finally stopped moving. He felt a strange coldness muddled with anxiety as he watched the light fade away from its opaque black eyes. Once he confirmed the creature was dead, Suta steered his attention towards the other wolf.

The second wolf bore its fangs before it snapped at him in a last-ditch attempt to take him down, but he swayed at the precise moment, avoiding the attack. Only its thick saliva managed to splash against his face. Suta crabbed the wolf's mouth with his bare hands and held its jaws together, raising his arm over the wolf's head. He slammed down the dagger directly against its skull, bringing judgment upon it also.

By now, the third wolf was awakening to reality and noticing its companions' corpses scattered across the ground. Suta observed a change in the creature's demeanour. Oddly enough, most low-level beasts he'd faced behaved similarly when backed into a corner. As Suta pondered different ways to end the confrontation, an idea suddenly surfaced. Double Slash wouldn't be the only new skill Suta learned these past few months.

{ Intimidation }

A cold wave of energy expelled away from Suta's body. A formless energy struck the wolf. The creature's eyes switched, and the red hue shimmered into its usual dark ball. And with it, it's ferocity had sunk away.

The wolf had become as docile as a newborn pup, with a noticeable shiver moving through its entire form. Fear had taken hold of it, and Suta even caught the faint trickling sound of the wolf urinating on itself. Taken aback by the skill's effects, he let his guard down for a single moment. Sensing this, the wolf twisted on its heels and fled into the jungle's thickets, leaving a stunned Suta staring aimlessly into the crowded jungle.

"Guahaha! Well, that's a first," he laughed childishly. He exhaled a sigh of relief as he finally lowered his stance.

Moving his gaze to the three wolf corpses, Suta's mouth watered at the thought of how delicious their meat would taste for dinner. Though he generally preferred the flesh of beige oxen, they were harder to find, dangerous to stalk, and tended to dwell near the jungle's western side. That place was a no-go zone for him.

One of the dreaded kings he had named, the Grey Axe-Wielding Centaur, lived there. Suta was almost sure this creature was perhaps the strongest among the four jungle kings, outside the true apex predator of this entire place—the Giant Broken-Horned Beast. The centaur was a beast he really tried his best to avoid. Cold shudders ran down Suta's neck whenever he thought of that giant monstrosity.

He told himself he always had a chance to live as long as he didn't come into contact with that monster.

***

With meat secured for the night, Suta attempted to place his dagger through the roped belt at his hip. However, something peculiar happened - he could hear the blade making a snarling sound of disapproval. Initially alarmed, he took a few moments to see what was wrong with it. His brows swiftly rose, remembering the temperament of this unusual yet somewhat sentient object.

He had noticed it a while ago, at first brushing it off as a coincidence. But after his various trials, Suta understood it was no fluke. With a curious light encircled within his gaze, he laid the dagger flat against his palm and activated his skill.

{Appraisal}

Name - Unknown/Dagger

Durability - Unbreakable

Origin of Creation Age - ???

Value - Rare

Skills ( 2 / 4 ) - Drain & Feed

??? - "The dagger desires to be fed."

Another noticeable change in his skills was the upgrade to the Appraisal ability.

Which could now provide useful information about special items, like this dagger Anak had given him.

Obliging to the dagger's desire, Suta proceeded to the nearest wolf corpse and knelt beside it. He buried the blade into wolf flesh and released the dagger's handle. The crimson blade began drinking the wolf's blood greedily, and there was a loud gulping sound that was unsettling to hear up close. There was a time when such practices would have gravely distressed him, but he supposed that's what happens after you experience near-death encounters with talking flowers or multi-faced birds.

While the dagger greedily drank the wolf's blood, Suta lifted his gaze to the red skies, grimacing at the giant eyeball peering down on him from above. He had no clue when this disaster might end, but he felt a little more prepared than he did when he first arrived here.

'Lysann?' he thought, pondering just how many secrets that so-called Demi-God was hiding. And why his spell was so strange.

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Seeing Suta return mostly unscathed put Verdi in a happier mood. The little fairy hadn't stopped talking since they resumed their trek. It took just over 15 minutes to reach a mountainous area surrounded by a thin stream flowing through the jungle. By shaving and sharpening thick bamboo stakes, Suta had formed a small defensive barrier around the stony mountain slope. Driving them into the soil to form a protective ring around the base. The effort had taken nearly two full days, but it was both necessary and worth it.

Suta dragged the sleeping blue-scaled shelled carp fish up the uneven slope along the mountain's edge. Where a small, gaping hole was nestled in the mountainside. Conveniently spacious and high enough to spot approaching predators. This cave had become his temporary home since he found himself stranded on this island.

The only threat he couldn't fully prepare for was flying buzzards, who ambushed him during his siesta on more than one occasion.

Dragging their new guest into the cave's opening, Suta dropped it in the centre of the stone floor, exhaling in relief. He clapped his hands together, easing the tension from the stiff ropes he'd been grappling. Verdi buzzed around him before fluttering to the other side of the small cave, holding its tiny hands near a pile of gathered sticks and stones. With knowing intrigue, Suta watched as a gentle flame sparked into life, consuming the worn-out sticks and brightening the shadowy, dim cave.

In the renewed light, Suta observed the numerous indents and engravings he'd made on the cave walls over time - from a makeshift map to the slashes and crosses signifying days spent in this godforsaken jungle. Pseudo-spears, daggers, and short swords fashioned from the carcasses of felled creatures lined the cave's walls, mirroring somewhat of a barbarian's war room. He admired the use of his time, and the adaptability of his actions since he realised he was stuck here.

Moments like these reminded Suta of how much he had changed.

'You knew the risks... my son,'

His father's smoky voice appeared in his thoughts. It had been a while since he'd heard that voice, and a wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

'You're right. For the sake of Ringo, For Demoria, for both you and Mom - I knew what I had to become.'

Combing a strand of pink dreadlocks away from his eyes, Suta's complicated stare fell upon his captured prey.

Now, he needed to figure out what to do next.

Other POV

The ugly blue-shelled carp fish twisted its head from side to side, awakening to a bewildering scene. Its two arms and waist were tightly bound in restraints. The creature found itself surrounded by cavernous walls and the most unlikely duo staring at him—a green-haired little bird with bright, round eyes and short limbs. Standing a little away from the flying creature was a brown-skinned man cub with bright pink hair, wearing an annoying stiff expression.

It felt it had certainly met this creature before but couldn't quite pinpoint why that was. More pressingly, how on earth did he end up in this predicament?

The ugly blue-shelled carp glanced at his restraints, then back at the strange duo, back towards his restraints, and then back towards the duo again.

"RELEASE ME! WHAT KIND OF TWISTED GAME IS THIS? LET ME GO THIS INSTANT, YOU COWARDS!" it bellowed, still struggling to break free.

The bird's face paled as it fluttered away in retreat. On the other hand, the man cubs anger boiled over. He stomped forward, squaring his heels, before stretching an admonishing finger.

"TWISTED? You're the freak who goes around sucking the bones out of its victims. THE ONLY FREAK HERE IS YOU!" the man-cub barked with venom.

The carp couldn't deny its practices were considered sadistic, even among its peers, but it believed only the winner had rights over the spoils of battle. Confused by the situation, it wondered what the brazen man cub wanted - revenge, perhaps? It couldn't recall eating any "man cubs" lately, having thought they were all extinct.

Suddenly, the man-cub closed the distance, his bright hazel eyes scrutinizing the creature.

"Hey, listen. Whatever gripe I have with you, I will shelve it for now."

Gesturing to the cave wall, he continued, "This is where we are, and I need to find a way to get over there, across the seas and onto this island. That's where you come in. I heard there's a secret underground tunnel somewhere here, with the entrance in your territory."

Hearing the man-cub yapping on continued to fill it with intrigue. Not to mention that the tunnel it was probably referring to shouldn’t be known by many.

‘Heh- and if it thinks, I will lead it there blindly. Hehe, this man-cub must be foolish.’

The carp was intrigued but had no intention of blindly leading them anywhere; it was already planning to grind its bones the moment it broke free. Surprisingly, the next choice of words the man-cub spoke shocked him.

"Oh-I know what you're thinking. Why should you follow my orders when you probably plan to kill me once my back is turned...right?"

Hearing that made the ugly blue-shelled carp shiver.

‘How d-did it know?’ He wondered in fright

With clear, bright eyes, the man-cub continued.

"Well, it's simple - I plan on forcefully subduing you into submission. Whether you like it or not, you will be helping me. Verdi, release him, please."

The ugly blue-shelled carp monster blinked a few times. It couldn't believe what it was hearing right now.

'Is the man cub...broken?' It thought to itself. It could name three or so other creatures able to take him on. So it was a little strange this bony-looking cub thought it could best it in a duel. But the ugly blue-carp monster wasn't going to protest.

As the youth removed his tunic and stretched his muscles, the carp salivated at the thought of how sweet his meat would taste. It decided to play along until the opportune moment to strike. The bird, still cautious, floated closer and closed its eyes. A luminous light surrounded its body, and the restraints loosened with a shimmering sound.

“Hm? Was it to be that easy?’ it thought,

‘was this man-cub and this green-headed birdie about to hand themselves into my lap...hehehe-such luck!’

Rising to its webbed feet, the carp flexed its heavy pincers.

"Heheh... I should thank you for seeing reason. But let me add that you shouldn't have freed me so easily. Now I am forced to-"

Before it could finish, a pink blur flashed towards it, and what felt like a hammer buried into its midriff, snatching the air away from its lungs.

"WH-Wh-wh...eeek," it wheezed pitifully before it collapsed against the ground.

SUTA POV

Suta clenched and unclenched his fist a few times in wonder.

Shifting his gaze between the wheezing blue-shelled carp fish writhing against the ground and his smoking fist. He was a little surprised that worked as well as it had done. And it was all down to those painful spars between him and that tough black bear with the half-moon scar against its chest.

A creature Suta had considered one of the Kings of this Jungle, the only difference between the bear and its counterparts was its temperament.

Suta had to bribe the bear to spar with him practically. A dozen watermelons and three barrels of honey was its price. Acquiring the honey took him a whole week since he had to plan to creep into the nest of hornet bees the size of dogs.

At that point, he only wanted to test his combat skills with something so significant, which he initially presumed to be slower than the creatures he tended to run into.

Little did he know that the black bear was not only incredibly agile but also fought him standing on its two hind legs. Its technique and power were beyond anything Suta had experienced.

Dare say, even Anak might not fare so well in a fight against it.

The results were better than he expected, it seemed. He narrowed his gaze and placed two fingers against his wrists.

"Appraisal!"

Strength = C

Vitality = C

Def = F

Speed = B

Mana - F

Compared to what his physical stats looked before, Suta creased a satisfied smile, seeing just how far he had come in what was probably a relatively short time, all things considered. If he had to find a single positive out of all of this, his enhanced physical prowess would have stood out by far.

‘Also, I can’t ignore the strange things about this body. With each fight I go through, I can feel something changing within me, almost like my body is adapting and learning from each experience.’

As of right now, he couldn’t quite explain it even to himself, but he felt it. Even the fatal wounds he sustained were almost like hard-earned relics, since after he healed, he was almost twice as strong as beforehand.

Which then begged the question

‘Am I getting stronger the more pain I endure?’

“Wh-wha...where am I”

He heard the groggy voice from the Ugly blue-shelled carp again.

The creature was just waking up from his impromptu nap.

Suta purposely waited for the creature to regain its senses, which was quite interesting to see in real-time, as it went through stages of confusion, shock, and then the expected anger.

Without saying another word it swiftly jumped to its feet and tossed one of its large pincers forward.

Suta dropped low and kicked off his heels with the agility of a leopard.

Again, he buried a fully powered fist right into its Soler plexus. The ugly blue-shelled creature keeled over before collapsing once again and losing consciousness.

Suta exhaled a warm breath, shaking his head in disappointment. If he had known that its weakness was its upper body, he might have challenged it long ago.