Irene gazed upwards, her eyes fixed on the descending appendage, a chilling dread gripping her. Its sharp, glistening tip, a harbinger of imminent doom, bore down upon her with terrifying speed, Just as Jaxith had experienced upon awakening. Irene found herself paralyzed by a combination of fear and the lingering shock of her nightmarish visions. Incapacitated by terror, she could only avert her gaze, bracing for the inevitable impact.
However, an unexpected turn of events unfolded. As the appendage hurtled towards her, a crimson vapor erupted from nowhere before her, a fiery apparition that materialized with astonishing swiftness. The appendage, upon making contact with this ethereal barrier, recoiled as if scalded, its menacing tip now a grotesque parody of its former sharpness, melting away like wax in a searing flame.
Irene’s eyes snapped open, startled by a cacophony of monstrous cries that echoed through the mist. She frantically scanned the surroundings, but the source of the sound remained elusive. The cries, raw and guttural, were unmistakably those of agonizing pain, yet their origin remained shrouded in mystery. A strange warmth, a palpable anomaly in the chilling mist, began to envelop her, further fueling her growing apprehension. Fear, a chilling companion, threatened to consume her, but before she could fully succumb to panic, a searing pain erupted in her left eye, an excruciating assault that threatened to shatter her senses. Driven to the brink, she let out a bloodcurdling scream, her body arching backwards in a desperate attempt to escape the torment, her head nearly touching the ground, her hands instinctively clawing at her face.
“AWAKE!” the malevolent cloud from her dreams pulsated, its ethereal form flickering with an eerie intensity. The agonizing pain, a relentless torment, intensified, forcing tears to stream down her face. A sensation of insidious movement, as if something alien was stirring within her eye, sent shivers down her spine. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the excruciating agony subsided, leaving her gasping for breath, a lingering tremor echoing through her limbs.
Jaxith, astride his steed, navigated the dense thicket of trees, the horse’s hooves pounding against the forest floor with increasing urgency. The animal, usually calm and composed, now whinnied with a nervous energy, its ears swiveling, seemingly attuned to some unseen disturbance. Jaxith, ever vigilant, scanned his surroundings, convinced that the horse’s heightened awareness signaled impending danger. Yet, the mist, thick and disorienting, obscured any potential threats, and the forest remained eerily silent.
A troubling thought emerged. It had been an unusually long interval since the last, ferocious assault by the Onohly. Could it be that the monstrous creature had shifted its focus, turning its attention towards Irene? Jaxith’s heart pounded in his chest. Her anguished scream, piercing the unnatural silence, echoed in his mind. How, he wondered, had her cry reached them? The Onohly’s mist, he had assumed, would effectively muffle all sounds and scents, rendering the environment a sensory void. Furthermore, the disorienting hallucinations and the near-blindness imposed by the mist made any form of long-distance communication virtually impossible. Yet, he had heard her, and the horse, inexplicably unaffected by the mist’s sensory-altering properties, had reacted with palpable alarm.
But now was not the time for philosophical inquiries. He urged the horse forward, his mind racing, his resolve hardening. He had to reach Irene.
“Come on, boy, push yourself! You’re concerned for her, aren’t you? Then demonstrate it!” Jaxith urged, his voice firm yet laced with concern. The horse, despite its exertions, showed no signs of faltering, its spirit unbroken.
“IRENE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!” Jaxith bellowed, his voice echoing through the mist. He had to reach her, to ensure her safety. The prolonged absence of the Onohly's attacks fueled a chilling suspicion – it had shifted its focus, turning its predatory attention towards the vulnerable Irene. How was she coping, alone and defenseless, against an unseen, malevolent force? He implored her silently to remain strong, to endure, knowing that he would soon be by her side.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through him, his heart pounding against his ribs like a trapped bird. Fear, a chilling companion, threatened to consume him. The thought of losing her, of failing to protect her, was unbearable.
Irene lingered, then slowly raised her head as the pain subsided. Her left eye felt disconcerting, her vision distorted as if an intrusive image interfered with her binocular perception.
She gingerly placed her hand over her ailing left eye, which resisted closure due to the lingering ache. Testing her right eye, she found it weakened by the misty conditions, but otherwise unimpaired. No blurring or other anomalies marred its vision; it functioned as expected.
Shifting her hand, she covered her right eye to assess the left. Initially, everything seemed to shimmer, her vision struggling to resolve. Gradually, her pupil constricted, and she began to see, albeit with diminished clarity. However, the perception through her left eye differed markedly from that of her right, offering a unique, albeit compromised, perspective.
The world around her took on an eerie, incandescent red hue, as if she were perceiving reality through an alien, visionary lens. Not far off, she discerned a colossal figure, its back bristling with grotesque appendages. Bewildered, she removed her hand, then reapplied it to her left eye, checking her right. As expected, her right eye offered the familiar, mundane view of the world. Switching back to her left eye, she sought to confirm the anomaly. Was it merely a lingering aftereffect of the pain? But no, the unsettling crimson vision persisted, as did the monstrous figure, its form radiating an intense red luminescence, its eyes glowing menacingly. Confusion gave way to a burgeoning fear. The creature remained motionless, observing her. A chilling realization dawned on her: her left eye was piercing the mist, revealing a hidden reality! This monstrous entity, she surmised, was the source of the bizarre appendage that had so fleetingly assaulted her. Her breath quickened. She dared not make a sound, terrified of alerting the creature to her presence. Was it watching her?
Abruptly, the creature jerked its head to the left, snapping its jaws with a menacing hiss. Terrorized, Irene recoiled, seeking refuge against the base of the tree. Covering her right eye, she focused intently on the creature through her left. It turned, fixing her with an unnerving gaze, before exploding into motion, bounding away to the left. It moved with the swiftness and grace of a canine, though Its scale was far greater. This was no ordinary animal; it resembled a colossal, leaner bear, surpassing it in both height and speed.
Irene removed her hand, gasping for breath, attempting to acclimate to this bizarre, bifurcated reality, where each eye offered a radically different perspective. Fear gnawed at her – fear of the creature, of the unsettling premonitions that had plagued her dreams, of her isolation, and of the mysterious affliction that had befallen her left eye. She was adrift in a sea of confusion, overwhelmed by the inexplicable events unfolding around her.
Then, another jolt, a searing pain lancing through her left eye. A fleeting movement, and then the agony subsided. She hastily removed her hand to discover a horrifying sight: blood, welling up from her injured eye. Panic threatened to consume her, but she steeled herself, desperately trying to staunch the flow. Finally, the bleeding ceased. Cautiously, she covered her right eye, forcing herself to look through the lens of her damaged eye. The vision persisted, intensified, more vivid and stronger than ever before!
“What is happening to me?” she wailed, tears streaming down her face. The terror of the unknown far surpassed the fear of her surroundings. Yet, this, she realized with a chilling certainty, was merely the beginning of her torment.
A sudden, insidious tingling erupted in both her ears, swiftly escalating into a searing agony. A cacophony of tinnitus, a deafening ringing, assaulted her senses, accompanied by a throbbing headache that threatened to cleave her skull in two. Desperate, she clasped her hands to her head, leaning against the rough bark of the tree, her cries echoing through the forest like those of an abandoned infant.
The visions returned, a brutal onslaught: the crimson haze, the gruesome spectacle of her slain comrades, the chilling visage of the assassin. These horrific images reverberated within her mind, each one a hammer blow against her skull.
“AWAKE!” The voice echoed, relentless, maddening.
“Please stop! LEAVE ME BE!” she screamed, her voice raw with anguish. The irony was not lost on her: a young woman, her life dedicated to proving herself worthy of the legacy of Lance, the founder of the Shadow Seekers, now reduced to this – a creature of pain, her spirit shattered. The torment was excruciating, a veritable descent into hell. In a desperate bid to alleviate the agony, she clawed at her scalp, drawing blood, tearing out strands of her hair!
After what felt like an eternity of excruciating, unrelenting torment, the agony finally subsided.
“Please, please, make it stop! I don’t understand anything!” she cried, her face a mask of anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks, though from her left eye, it was a gruesome torrent of blood. The lingering effects of the torment were still evident, her body trembling. She sank to her knees, burying her face in her hands, sobs wracking her frame.
“IRENE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?” a familiar voice boomed through the forest. It was Jaxith!
Irene slowly raised her head, straining to listen.
“IRENE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, FOLLOW MY VOICE!” he shouted again, the sound of his horse’s hooves a comforting counterpoint. It was indeed Jaxith. A fragile smile, a beacon of hope in the face of her despair, touched her lips. His voice, a lifeline in the maelstrom of her suffering.
“Jaxith!” she whispered, slowly rising to her feet, leaning against the tree for support. Joy surged through her, tempered by the lingering weakness. She began to walk, but a sudden wave of dizziness swept over her, causing her to stumble and fall. The torment had taken its toll.
“IRENE! COME ON, IRENE! I KNOW YOU’RE A TOUGH ONE! Jaxith’s voice boomed through the forest, his words a potent elixir of encouragement. With renewed determination, Irene staggered to her feet, limping towards the source of the sound.
“JAXITH! I’M HERE! I’M COMING!” she shouted back, a hopeful smile gracing her tear-stained face. The fear that had consumed her began to recede, slowly but surely.
The horse whinnied, shifting restlessly to the left as if sensing Irene’s presence. Jaxith, perplexed by the animal’s sudden agitation, realized the horse must have heard Irene, though he himself could not. With no other guidance, he relied on the uncanny sensitivity of his steed to lead him to the injured girl. Meanwhile, the Onohly, unseen but ever-present, observed the unfolding drama, its malevolent gaze fixed upon them. Jaxith, ever vigilant, maintained a firm grip on his sword, prepared for any unforeseen threat.
Irene, spurred on by the hope of rescue, broke into a stumbling run, her voice echoing through the trees as she called out to Jaxith. She stumbled, fell, and rose again, each time her pace quickening, her smile widening. Tears of relief streamed down her face, washing away the remnants of fear and despair.
“jAXITH! I’M COMING, JAXITH! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!” Irene’s cries echoed through the trees, growing louder as she drew closer. Finally, she discerned the silhouette of a rider against the fading light. Closing her right eye, she relied on the distorted yet strangely acute vision of her left, confirming it was indeed Jaxith.
Unbeknownst to him, his steed abruptly halted, perplexing Jaxith. “What ails you, boy?” he muttered, before the animal’s contented whinny provided the answer. With heightened vigilance, Jaxith dismounted, leading his horse forward.
“IRENE! ARE YOU THERE?” he called out, his voice ringing through the clearing.
Irene, both hearing and seeing him through her uncanny vision, cautiously approached. Jaxith, noticing a shadowy figure emerging from the gloom, instinctively raised his sword. However, the horse’s reassuring whinny tempered his immediate reaction. Lowering his guard, he stepped forward.
“Irene, it’s me,” he said calmly, his voice soothing. As she drew closer, he finally saw her, his heart pounding with relief.
“Finally, I feared the beast had claimed you,” he exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion. Irene, overcome with relief, sprinted towards him, burying her face in his lower torso and weeping uncontrollably.
“There, there, young one,” he soothed, gently hugging her head after dropping his sword. “These terrors, these visions… they are but phantoms of the mind. Do not allow them to consume you.” He felt her trembling frame beneath his hands, his gaze falling upon the minor lacerations that marred her scalp.
“What happened, Irene?” Jaxith inquired, his voice laced with concern.
“It’s not just the dream, Jaxith,” she sobbed, clinging to him. “the continuous pain in my eye and ears, the screams and unknown voices in my head, everything was terrifying, and I thought that you’ve left me or even worse, I’m afraid, Jaxith and I don’t understand anything even about myself.” Her trembling body spoke volumes about the depth of her fear.
“Did I not assure you that I would never leave you?” he chided gently. “Now gather yourself, I didn’t know that you’re a coward like that, come on, young girl, you’re the bravest girl I’ve ever seen in my life, don’t tell me that this was a mistake.” Jaxith knelt before her, his gaze searching her face. As he gently wiped away her tears, a disturbing sight met his eyes. Her left eye was inflamed, an angry red ring surrounding her blue iris, and a crimson tear traced a path down her cheek. Examining her ears, he discovered a trickle of blood oozing from both. He began to gently clean the blood away with his leather gloves, but Irene winced, a low moan escaping her lips, indicating the tenderness of the wounds.
“A-are my ears b-bleeding too?” Irene stammered, her voice laced with apprehension.”
“Take a deep breath, Irene, and remain calm,” Jaxith soothed. “Yes, there is a slight discharge. You mentioned that your ears and your eye were behaving erratically, your left eye, I presume?”
“Y-yes,” she gasped, “it happened s-suddenly. There was this t-terrifying s-sound, and the p-pain was i-intense, Jaxith, a-and…” Her voice trailed off, the trauma evident in her halting speech. Jaxith gently hushed her, acutely aware of the depth of her distress.
“There is no need to dwell on it now,” he said softly, his tone reassuring. “We can discuss this later when you feel more relaxed, alright?” Irene nodded meekly, wiping the tears that continued to stream down her face.
“Come here,” he urged, drawing her into a comforting embrace and gently stroking her hair. She clung to him tightly, her body still trembling, though the tremors were gradually subsiding.
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“Do not be afraid, Irene,” he whispered, his voice firm yet gentle. “I told you before that I won’t let anyone hurt you, always put that in your mind, if you managed to become sure of this fact then you’ll never get afraid, okay?” Irene clung to his coat, her grip tightening. Jaxith sensed a depth of trauma far surpassing the grief she had experienced after the assassin’s attack. He realized that whatever had transpired had inflicted a profound psychic wound.
Irene abruptly recoiled from Jaxith, her gaze darting to the right. The horse mirrored her movements, its ears twitching nervously.
“That thing started moving again, Jaxith,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“What?” Jaxith exclaimed, his senses alert. “I didn’t sense anything.”
“I can see it, and hear it,” she insisted, her voice strained. “It happened after the strange pain appeared in my eye and ears.”
Jaxith stared at her, bewildered. “That’s not possible, its toxic gas acts as a medium insulting mist, at least for humans, without the horse I wouldn’t have been able to find you."
“It’s here now,” she insisted, pointing towards the depths of the mist. “I can see it with my left eye, I even can see better in the mist with it than my right one.”
Jaxith noticed that the horse was once again fixated on the same direction. This was no mere coincidence. Something profound had transpired within Irene, granting her an unexpected immunity to the Onohly’s noxious emanations!
“Well, this is certainly… intriguing,” Jaxith mused. “Maybe I can use your help with the Onohly, but my only fear is that it may attack you.”
“It tried to attack me before, after I woke up,” Irene recalled, her voice filled with apprehension. “Its appendage lashed out, then recoiled and I heard pain screams from it, like something happened when I averted my face but I didn’t see it. But I sensed high temperature around me, after that I found it standing and just looking at me before it started running towards your direction, but I really don’t know what happened and why it didn’t attack me again.”
Jaxith pondered her words, his mind racing.
“It’s afraid of you,” Jaxith declared, his gaze sharp as he looked towards Irene’s last indicated direction.
“What do you mean by that? How could I make it afraid?” Irene asked curiously.
“You said you didn’t see what happened, and it was staring at you without attacking. Something must have happened that put it in a trance of fear. Then, it started clearing the surrounding again to ensure there was nothing dangerous. That explains why it stopped attacking me for a while. Now it’s moving again as you say, and the horse senses it too. It’s getting active again after securing its surroundings,” Jaxith explained calmly.
“So it’s going to attack now, and you’re standing still?” Irene questioned, surprised by Jaxith’s calmness.
“Relax, it should have attacked by now. Still standing there?” Jaxith said. Irene returned her gaze to the direction where the Onohly was standing.
“No, let me take a look,” Irene said, closing her right eye and surveying the area with her left.
“Over there! Its appendages are raised, and it looks like it’s snarling. It’s standing in an attacking stance, ready to leap at any moment. There’s a strange gas being pumped out around its face. Be careful now,” Irene warned, pointing in another direction.
Jaxith swiftly drew his sword from the ground, assuming a defensive stance. His gaze, keen and alert, swept the surrounding area, searching for the invisible predator. He knew, with a certainty that defied logic, that the creature was there, observing him, assessing him. A tense silence followed, punctuated only by the rhythmic thudding of his own heartbeat.
“Did it move again?” Jaxith asked.
“No, still in the same place and in the same position. Nothing changed. I don’t understand why it’s acting like that,” Irene said.
“Something is off,” Jaxith said, narrowing his eyes.
“I can tell. Maybe it’s making a plan to attack. You’re the monster hunter after all,” Irene said.
“It won’t attack, and I was expecting that,” Jaxith said seriously.
“What?” Irene said, confused.
“It’s afraid to approach while you’re here. That’s something I am sure of now.” Jaxith observed, his gaze unwavering despite the creature remaining unseen. “But the odd thing is, if it’s afraid, then why didn’t it run away? Clearly, something isn’t right,”
Irene, awestruck by his astute analysis, mirrored his contemplative gaze. He was right, of course. How could she have overlooked such an obvious contradiction?
“I think you’re right, but what are we going to do now? What about escaping? Since it’s afraid of me for some unknown reason, let’s move together. If we rode the horse together, then it won’t attack us, right?” Irene suggested.
“You can’t depend on the unknown motives behind a beast’s actions. And we don’t know why it’s afraid of you. Maybe it’s temporary and will disappear after a while, then it will attack us, and with that, I risk your life. We’re in the blind side here, Irene. In cases like this, you have two options: the first is to think like the beast. If you don’t know how it thinks, then you need to think as a predator cornered,” Jaxith declared, and Irene looked at him curiously. Of course, she didn’t understand.
“I don’t get it, Jaxith, but I think that you don’t want to stay in here until it leaves, because I think that won’t be wise,” Irene said.
“Of course not. That’s a one-way road to death. I can already sense the mist getting thicker around us. You said it’s pumping more gas out. I think it’s trying to trap us here because it doesn’t want to attack. Staying here would make us grow weaker and eventually fall. Our minds won’t tolerate the toxic divine energy in the Onohly’s mist much longer,” Jaxith explained.
“The Onohly?” Irene asked.
“That’s its name. Others call them the Mist Walkers. I’ll explain all of that later. Now we need to act,” Jaxith said.
“Do what? Jaxith, that’s not the best time to be mysterious,” Irene said.
“I told you that in such cases, we need to act like a predator cornered. That means that the hunter got a prey to hunt,” Jaxith said, and Irene gasped.
“You can’t be serious. You can’t fight that thing. You said it yourself, we’re on the blind side here. You can’t fight what you can’t see or hear, Jaxith. Come on, I told you that I can’t lose you, and you promised me,” Irene said, fear returning to her voice.
“You will be my eyes and ears. You always say that you want to help me. I trust you on that,” Jaxith said, looking back at her directly in the eyes. Irene stared at him for a moment before her fearful expression turned into one of self-confidence, and she nodded to him.
“Fine, let’s get rid of that stinky creature,” Irene said confidently. Jaxith smiled at her.
“That’s the spirit. Now get back. You see that tree behind you?” Jaxith said before Irene turned to look.
“Yes,” Irene said.
“I need you to climb over it and sit on that strong branch.” Jaxith instructed. “You will monitor everything from there. Use the horse to stand over it. I will be close to you to be able to hear you,” Irene, with practiced agility, followed his instructions. Jaxith remained vigilant, his senses on high alert, prepared for any sudden attack while Irene was vulnerable.
As expected, the moment Irene began her ascent, the creature unleashed a barrage of attacks. Jaxith reacted instantly, activating his Negative Abyss. A whirlwind of motion ensued as he deflected the onslaught of appendages with swift, precise movements. The attacks were more ferocious, more relentless than before. Jaxith, though perplexed by the sudden escalation, remained resolute. He noticed with growing concern that the creature was attempting to breach his defenses, its appendages lashing out with renewed vigor, seeking to reach the tree where Irene perched!
“JAXITH! IT’S GETTING FURIOUS! ITS VOICE IS GETTING ANGRIER, AND IT KEEPS SENDING ITS ARMS!” Irene cried out, her voice filled with alarm. Jaxith, a whirlwind of motion, parried the relentless assault, his every move a blur of speed and precision. The creature emitted a series of guttural roars, its rage palpable.
Irene, witnessing the spectacle unfold, was awestruck. “So this is the Negative Abyss he spoke of,” she mused, her eyes wide with astonishment. “It’s truly terrifying and dangerous as he said. The sound it produces while he dashes, the… the darkness that emanates from him… it’s kinda cool though.” The horse, sensing the danger, whinnied in alarm, its hooves stamping nervously. Jaxith, a whirlwind of motion, a dark aura surrounding him, unleashed his full power, transforming into a veritable hunter, a force of nature unleashed.
“That defies logic. It was subdued, cowering, yet the moment Irene approached that accursed tree, it erupted in renewed fury, even more ferocious than before,” mused Jaxith, parrying another vicious strike. “The crux of the matter lies in my unfamiliarity with this beast. Comprehending its psyche is a formidable challenge, but I suspect the answer lies in my immediate vicinity.”
He noticed the horse, Its ears twitching, gazing upwards with an air of heightened apprehension.
“Perhaps the threat originates from above,” Jaxith surmised, his attention returning to the relentless assault.
“YOUR LEFT, UPPER RIGHT! THERE’S A SNEAKY ONE COMING IN FRONT OF YOU BUT MOVING ON THE GROUND.” Irene warned, her guidance invaluable as she effectively served as his eyes.
“IRENE, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY APPENDAGES DOES IT HAVE?” Jaxith inquired, his defense unwavering amidst the onslaught.
“FIVE. THERE ARE FIVE ARMS JAX, THEY CLEAR NOW WHEN IT SPREAD THEM, AND DON’T OVERUSE THE NEGATIVE ABYSS, I NEED YOU ALIVE OKAY?” Irene urged, her voice laced with concern.
“FEAR NOT,” Jaxith bellowed, though Irene’s concern was valid. He typically employed the Negative Abyss as a decisive finishing move, not an opening gambit. This profligate expenditure would undoubtedly drain his reserves. He had been utilizing it for brief, explosive bursts, followed by periods of recuperation. However, the onslaught showed no signs of abating, forcing him to maintain a constant, unsustainable output. A swift resolution was imperative.
“JAXITH, THERE’S AN APPENDAGE THAT HAS BEEN SNEAKING SLOWLY FROM YOUR BOTTOM LEFT DIRECTION, I THINK YOU CAN CUT IT IF I TOLD YOU WHEN AND WHERE TO STRIKE, OKAY?” Irene declared.
“I RELY ON YOU,” Jaxith affirmed, his words instilling newfound confidence in the young woman. He had skillfully allayed her apprehension.
“WHEN I TELL YOU TO STRIKE YOU WILL DASH WITH YOUR SPEED TO THE LEFT FOR ABOUT TWO METERS THEN SLASH WITH YOUR SWORD TOWARDS ME, FOCUS, THE SLASH DIRECTION SHOULD BE TOWARDS THE TREE I’M SITTING ONTO, THAT WILL RID US OF THE BLADE AT ITS END.” Irene instructed, awaiting the opportune moment. The Onohly, oblivious to the impending counterattack, readied a treacherous thrust with its concealed limb.
“NOW!” Irene commanded. With practiced precision, Jaxith executed the maneuver flawlessly.
SLASH!
A clean, decisive blow severed the muscles beneath the blade, rendering it impotent. Blood erupted from the retreating appendage, and the Onohly let out a deafening, agonized screech, the sound echoing with chilling clarity. Irene heard that pretty well.
“One down four to go, GOOD JOB IRENE.” Jaxith commended.
“YOU’RE WELCOME,” Irene replied as the Onohly began retracting its remaining limbs. The creature appeared to be momentarily cowed by the loss.
“NOW WHAT?” Jaxith inquired.
“IT’S BACK TO THE SAME POSITION, MAYBE TAKING ITS BREATH, THAT’S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DO TOO. YOUR BREATH HASN’T GONE HEAVY YET AND THAT’S A GOOD THING, BUT YOU SHOULD REST FOR NOW.” Irene advised. Jaxith began to regulate his breathing while deactivating the Negative Abyss. He maintained a vigilant stance, his sword poised to counter any unexpected assault.
A moment later, a sudden movement to his right caught his attention. He pivoted, his sword raised, as the telltale shadow-like vapor began to coalesce around him, a precursor to the activation of the Negative Abyss.
“JAXITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Irene demanded.
Jaxith was jolted by the sudden appearance of the Onohly, now lone and charging with ferocious intent. The creature possessed a grotesque visage, reminiscent of a rabid canine, adorned with four grotesque tubes encircling its face. Long, matted brown hair cascaded from its lean frame, and its four limbs were spindly and elongated, mirroring the grotesque appendages sprouting from its back. Jaxith rolled aside, executing a swift, devastating Negative Dash that severed the creature’s head with brutal efficiency.
Relief washed over him.
“HOW DID YOU MISS THAT?” he roared, incredulous that Irene had failed to alert him to the impending attack, she was supposed to cover the area around him.
“JAXITH! YOUR BACK!” Irene shrieked, her warning barely audible above the din of the battle. He whirled, his sword a blur, attempting to parry the incoming assault. However, having momentarily lowered his guard, his strike lacked the precision and force he usually commanded. The impact jarred his grip, sending his weapon skittering away.
“Damnation! Another hallucination. It exploited the breach in my defenses. That explains Irene’s silence,” he muttered, cursing his own lapse in concentration.
“JAX! ARE YOU INJURED?” Irene cried.
“UNHARMED,” he confirmed.
“I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR INTENTION IS, BUT MORE ARE APPROACHING. UPPER RIGHT, DIRECTLY IN FRONT, AND MIDDLE LEFT,” Irene warned. Jaxith responded with a flurry of rolls and dodges, utilizing the Negative Abyss judiciously to extricate himself from perilous situations.
“I SHOULD GRAB THAT SWORD WITH THE HORSE, HOLD FOR A MINUTE.” Irene shouted, her suggestion abruptly halted by Jaxith’s stern rebuke.
“DO NOT GET DOWN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?’” Jaxith’s voice was laced with urgency, brooking no argument. Irene, despite her eagerness to assist, froze, her gaze involuntarily drawn to the horse.
Jaxith transformed the chaotic dance into a breathtaking display of acrobatic prowess, leaping and twisting between the relentless barrage of limbs. His movements were fluid, his reflexes honed to a razor’s edge.
Finally, an appendage, tipped with a wickedly sharp blade, lunged towards his chest. With a burst of raw power, Jaxith seized the limb at its base, his grip firm and unwavering. The blade brushed against his chest, a chilling reminder of his vulnerability.
He exerted his full strength, amplified by the surge of the Negative Abyss, to wrest control of the limb. Dark vapor intensifying around him. Then, with a calculated release ”f tension, he allowed the creature to drag him closer, a calculated gamble to gain a tactical advantage.
Jaxith needed to bait the creature, exerting maximum force to compel it to retract its appendage with a single, explosive motion. This would propel him closer, a calculated gamble. He exploited the Onohly’s fear of being drawn closer, goading it into a desperate, powerful retraction. As he anticipated, the creature responded with a ferocious lunge, propelling Jaxith towards it.
In that instant, Jaxith relinquished his grip, soaring through the air. He flew atop the creature, swordless but undeterred. Finally, now he sees it. The Onohly, sensing its vulnerability, lashed out with a nearby appendage, aiming to pin him down while he’s still in midair position. But Jaxith was a step ahead, utilizing the Negative Abyss to dash as a shadow phantom, reappearing behind the creature, evading the attack with chilling ease!
With a swift, predatory move, Jaxith seized two appendages, one beneath each of his muscular arms. He wrenched them forcefully, gaining control. The Onohly, enraged and disoriented, struggled to retaliate, its movements hampered by Jaxith’s grip. As he had predicted, this position proved disadvantageous for the creature as it couldn’t strike him with the other appendages from this point. The telltale vapor of the Negative Abyss once more began to coalesce, and with a renewed surge of power, Jaxith tightened his grip, his strength amplified by the dark energy. The Onohly let out a deafening, agonized roar.
“AAARRRGHHH!” Jaxith roared, finally wrenching the two limbs free from the creature’s back. Blood erupted from the wounds, staining the ground crimson. Even unarmed, the ruthless hunter proved a formidable adversary. The Onohly, reeling from the assault, lumbered towards Jaxith with its paws, its movements sluggish. Close quarters clearly disadvantaged the beast. Jaxith, with a fluid motion, rolled beneath the creature’s bulk while dodging his paws, then unleashed a burst of speed, amplified by the Negative Abyss, he dashed upwards, his knee impacted the creature’s face with devastating force, sending it reeling backward like a discarded sack of meat. Jaxith’s silver hair swayed around him him while getting down.
Jaxith heard the clatter of hooves and turned to see Irene galloping towards him, the sword dragged by both of her hands on the ground, a testament of the sword’s weight.
“JAXITH! CATCH!” she cried, the horse immediately made a quick side turn to make irene gain enough momentum to be able to launch Jaxith’s heavy black sword through the air! Jaxith caught it with practiced ease, whirling to face the recovering Onohly. But it was too late. Two of the creature’s limbs lashed out with blinding speed, evading his desperate parry. The blades found their mark, striking the horse with brutal force.
The horse let out a mournful neigh and collapsed to the ground, its legs buckling beneath it. Irene, thrown from the saddle, landed with a sickening thud.
Jaxith spun around, but the creature had vanished.
“No, no, no!” Irene cried, her voice trembling with fear. Jaxith looked at her side, his gaze falling upon the wounded horse, its abdomen and legs stained crimson.
Jaxith sought to implicate her for her disobedience, time was of the essence, and he was determined to prevent the Onohly from escaping and rendering their sacrifice futile.
With a sudden, explosive movement, Jaxith ascended and seized one of the interconnecting branches above him.
“THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE REMAINED IMMOBILE! COME AND GET THEM NOW, BITCH!” Jaxith roared, simultaneously detaching another branch. A nest plummeted from the canopy, revealing two juvenile Onohlies within!
The Onohly materialized instantly, lunging at Jaxith with frenzied fury. The truth was now evident: she was their mother. Jaxith inhaled deeply, then exhaled a voluminous torrent of malevolent abyssal energy, surpassing his usual output. With a blindingly swift motion, he severed the remaining two appendages in a single, decisive strike.
The Onohly emitted a piercing shriek as it plunged to the ground, now crippled, its movements awkward and feeble. It righted itself, confronting Jaxith with a desperate attempt to lacerate him, but it had already fallen into his deceptive snare. With a swift, precise motion, Jaxith severed both its forelimbs, leaving only its hind legs.
The Onohly writhing In agony, resembling an infant in distress. It desperately tried to retreat, but Jaxith decisively stomped on its right hind leg, shattering the delicate knee joint. Jaxith was certainly not a man of tenderness. In such circumstances, he was unyielding and ruthless.
The young Onohlies approached their mother, who was bleeding profusely. Moments ago, it possessed six limbs; now, it was reduced to two, one of which was already shattered. Jaxith stood defiantly over the trio, his gaze impassive and emotionless.
He then turned his attention to Irene, who was weeping over the horse. The horse quieted, his breathing labored. It seemed that his fate was sealed too.