Stunned by what had just happened, Ning Shan remained quietly in place, watching the woman run away with all her might. The flock of vultures followed her with their heads as the sound of her hurried footsteps resonated against the massive structures of stone and steel that surrounded them.

How long has it been? Ning Shan chuckled, feeling more amused than outraged by that woman's actions. It may have been born out of ignorance, but to have the courage to stand against me is not something most could possess. After all, most that dared have already been laid to rest.

As he was absorbed by the sight of her disappearing back as she turned around the corner of the street, Ning Shan felt a hostile intent aimed at the back of his head, but he was already prepared. With a swift motion, Ning Shan spun on his feet, cladding his hand in lightning as he sliced into the air, ripping the attacking vulture in two.

It burst into a cloud of dust, obscuring his vision. A shrill sound echoed, almost deafening him. Incessant hissing burst into existence as the mass of vultures flapped their wings. A torrent of sharp wind threatened to rip Ning Shan to shreds. Fortunately, he instantly took refuge behind a large boulder, only for the wind blades to slam against it, leaving small indents on its surface.

Picking up small stone rubble into his hand, Ning Shan carefully peeked out of his hiding place, only to see multiple vultures swarm him all at once, all the while others created even more wind. He couldn't help but marvel at their teamwork as the approaching vultures glided among the sharp blades as if surfers on the waves.

However, before they could reach him, stones collided with their heads, rattling their brains, and they fell from the sky like rain. Each stone had been expertly thrown, all reaching their targets perfectly. Upon seeing their comrades fall, the remaining vultures stopped flapping their wings, waiting to assess the situation.

They’re much too calm about this, Ning Shan frowned. They don't act like beasts but more like a rehearsed army. Is this instinctual, or is someone guiding them?

He scanned his surroundings yet felt nothing awry. There didn't seem to be any pack leader staying away from the conflict to command them—at least, Ning Shan couldn't spot any, which only further unsettled him.

If not that, is it because of that dust? Does it provide something more than what qi could? I may be overthinking, he sighed. After all, such things were recorded even in my original world. For there to be similar occurrences here may not be that far-fetched.

Unwilling to miss this opportunity, Ning Shan sprung from behind the boulder, the metal rod in his hand. He pressed the button, and a blade of dust emerged from the opening, yet unlike what he had witnessed prior when the man had used it, his own blade was a denser red, almost as if made of blood particles. Still, he also noticed countless arcs of lightning bridging the void between each grain of dust. They were so small that he might have missed them if he hadn't been enhancing his vision.

The blade felt perfect in his hand, almost an extension of his own body, as it ripped into the air, nearly causing shock waves. At the slightest contact, the grounded birds burst into dust, directly adding to the blade, making the formation of the usual red crystal impossible. What couldn't be absorbed instantly lingered in the air for a moment before being dispersed by the breeze.

Seeing their compatriots being slain one by one, the remaining vultures up above threw caution to the wind as they flapped their wings again, undeterred if their comrades would meet their demise due to their actions.

Smart... Ning Shan thought as he dodged the wind blades, slipping through them as he slew beast after beast; not a shred of mercy or sympathy in his actions, only the calculated step of a predator devouring his prey. They may be beasts, but they act almost like constructs: cold and calculating, willing to discard what has served its purpose if it meant the whole's continued existence. While I might have been considered a meal at first, I am now a threat worth eliminating at any cost!

If only to prove him right, many more arrived on the scene following the intense shriek they emitted as their death rattle, only to take the places of those who had already perished. As their numbers grew, the new arrivals plunged toward him, unaware of the storm brewing between them. The wind rend their flesh, yet they didn't seem to care, using their own bodies to obscure the sky, preventing Ning Shan from calculating the blades' path.

Taken by surprise, he took a step to the side, avoiding the mutilated bird falling toward him, only to collide with another blade hidden behind the first one. He made a desperate attempt to avoid it, yet it hit his arm, shredding the skin, but fortunately, it wasn't strong enough to reach the bone.

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Blood flowed, and pain assaulted him. He gritted his teeth but remained focused on the battle, not allowing it to create a gap in his defence. While they had taken him by surprise with their suicide assault, such reckless actions would only work once.

Still, Ning Shan was at a disadvantage, having to dodge all their wind blades while driving off the vultures that plunged to their deaths. He could only take relief in knowing that his reserves of dust were slowly going up due to the countless corpses littering the ground before exploding into clouds of dust.

He dove back behind a large boulder if only to momentarily catch his breath. The storm seemed to have calmed as the vultures slowly fell back onto the metal structure, their numbers dwindling significantly. However, more were always incoming, bolstering them.

This is never going to end... Should I run away?

Ning Shan sighed, feeling a great shame at the mere thought. While this seemed the most sensible option, his sense of self almost refused to accept it. Defeat wasn't who he was. Never had he buckled under insurmountable odds. He had always prevailed in the end.

How irrational... Have I always been such a stubborn fool? Has a lifetime of victories made me consider myself invincible? I guess I should thank the Heavenly Dao for making me realize how human I am. Still, this doesn’t make this situation any more palatable...

With a sour taste in his mouth, Ning Shan did one thing he hoped he would never have to do. He picked up a piece of rubble of a decent size; he was only able to lift it using both of his hands before throwing it straight into the middle of the battlefield.

The mass of stone collided with the ground before splitting, uncovering a massive amount of lightning Ning Shan had accumulated into its core using over a third of what he had accumulated. The core glowed briefly before discharging its content everywhere, searing everything with its might, prompting electricity to burn these metallic creatures from the inside out.

Over half of them fell to the ground before bursting into dust clouds, creating a fine mist that blocked their already poor vision. But more than that, it also obstructed their hearings as the explosion rang into the air, bouncing off the buildings and the fine powder saturating the air.

They remained stuck in place, waiting for this obstruction to subside, only to witness an empty space after it did. No more traces of Ning Shan were to be found, only the remains of their avian comrades slowly gathering into clumps before turning into crystals.

With their prey out of reach, the vultures swooped down from their perches, gathering upon the ground as they gazed upon the dusty remains, a glint in their eyes. Then, without ceremony, the remaining birds opened their beaks and swallowed the hovering red crystals whole, erasing all traces of their deceased compatriot.

If anything, there was no grief for the departed in their eyes, only the satisfaction of a meal earned on the back of the deceased. Some fought over the crystalline food, even going as far as to rip their opponent apart solely to dine on even the smallest piece of dust. It became an all-out brawl, where no reason prevailed, only the deep-rooted instinct of a predator and its prey—the survival of the fittest.

Then, a loud cry echoed in the distance, high above the skyline of this devastated city, perched on the highest of those buildings made of stone and steel that sought to scratch the sky. There was a massive bird with wings of steel. Its eyes glowed a deep purple, and its presence alone prompted the avian scavengers to cease their folly and raise their heads to the sky. Then, they imitated the cry as best as they could, if only to pay respect to the monarch they served.

Hidden beneath a pile of rubble, Ning Shan held his breath as he gritted his teeth, pushing down the shame he felt to the bottom of his heart, swearing to have his revenge on the one that had forced him this far. Fortunately, none had been witness to his shame, not even the monarch that ruled these skies, only his own self, yet that was already too much. The only way to erase it would be to erase their entire existence. Ning Shan knew his time would come... one day.

******

"Persistent bastards..." Sera said if only to herself, her breath short. "How long did they intend to remain on my trails? Don't they have any easier prey to catch?"

She hid on the second floor of a secluded building, desperately trying to catch her breath as she carefully looked out of a nearby window. Most of the glass had already been shattered, exposing her to the outside, yet she couldn't help herself. She desperately needed to determine if her pursuers were still on her trail. Yet, even as she waited more than an hour in deep suspense, none could be found nor heard.

Finally alone... she sighed internally before her thoughts jolted back to the peculiar man she had met. Who the hell was he? Is he one of the pure ones I’ve heard about? If so, what is he doing here alone? Is he even still alive?

Her thoughts swirled, fielding questions after questions, yet she couldn't make much sense of them. Still, every time she tried, they always returned to what had happened before she lost consciousness. Those scenes were seared into her mind, and their betrayal was still too vivid. Yet, what hurt the most was that she had been denied the relief of vengeance.

She had no one to be the object of her grievances, nothing to fill the hole left by the incident. Still, survival was a good enough distraction to put those thoughts to the back of her mind for the time being.

Let's rest here for a while before finding my way back to the transport. It should still be waiting for me back at the city limit. With any chance, I'll be able to return home safely...

Home... such a word felt empty. As an orphan, she never had the luxury of contemplating what home meant to her. Still, in some ways, she viewed her team as some sort of family, people who would have her back, even though she knew it was all a fantasy. She had known from the start but couldn't help but hope.

Hope... is there even any hope left in this world? she thought as she closed her eyes for a short rest.