Thud.

Joined with the woman's headless body was the knocked down monster, felled by the crafted fragments of a demon—made with the hands of a human less powerful than itself.

If it had any intelligence, Hope wondered how much of its pride shattered. How much of it in pieces would it have been?

Its jaw twitched. Half of its face was in tears as if it were attacked by another beast. Choking and whining in pain, the monster reached out into the fog where the sound of light steps sounded like wings on stone.

Where the shadow the monster sensed lurked beyond the black world it knew.

Wssh—

And what came next was the pitched claws for teeth again.

Slash!

Piercing through bone, between where its eyes should've been, the monster let out one last yelp as death struck its hand.

[You have slain an Awakened Monster-]

'Shut up.'

!!!

BAM!

The ground exploded. Asphalt rained from a pummeled fist into the earth where Hope stood.

But Hope jumped back in time.

He landed yards away near the pinned now gruesome pieces of flesh under the car where the other monster just was.

KggggrrRR!!

And that monster growled at its new prey.

Its nostrils flared, catching Hope's trail which fled.

Hope escaped into the fog's cold breath, drawing his sword to the side again as if it were an extension of his own arm. Glancing back at the hulking figure that loomed with a threatening presence distance away before it—

BombombombOM!

—charged…

The ground beated like drums as the monster's long limbs prowled on all fours.

Hope wasn't necessarily escaping. Of course, he would fight it and he'd rather do it quickly. But not with flashy swings and practiced side-steps. Those training days were no doubt useful but that wasn't the solution he wanted to use for quick but less effort.

So, he was going to do it his way. Again.

The five men that crouched nearby had previously scrambled away into hiding. But when they saw the monster being lured in their direction, they lurched out of their spots like fleas and ran. Fear possessing their bodies. Ragged breaths added to the noise with the sound of crushed grass and bones beneath their running feet. No doubt their own hearts beating in contrast to the monster's chase.

But the monster didn't have sights on them.

Not yet.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

'Mm.'

At that moment, Hope's gaze pulled to one man scurrying away nearby. His eyes locked onto him as if he'd found the missing piece.

His fingers flexed on the sword's hilt-

Swoosh!

And Hope's body lunged forward without a second thought.

His figure blurring in the mist.

The spine blade stretched from his hand like a skeletal wing—

Shngg!

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

—And he dragged a brutal cut behind the man's knees.

"…!"

Blood sprayed. Dark. And warm it was on the cold stone floor. Splattering like shadowed tears.

But that wasn't enough.

At least, not without a scream.

"AaaahHH!"

And the man did.

The wounded cry immediately redirecting the monster's chase.

Its growl mutated into a chilling roar as the man looked up one last time at its horrid face—the face without eyes but snarling teeth with a ravenous appetite. But even beyond it there was still no solace, not with the hanging bodies like looming apparitions waiting also for the man's death.

To either join them.

Or to finally meet a doomed fate.

"N-no plea—AaaaHh!"

Teeth bit into flesh. The squelch of torn muscle was wet in the air. Tear...After tear...After tear.

It was like the monster blinded itself alone with the delicious prey. Alone its own world. Even if for a few moments.

How pathetic.

Stab!

Kggrr?!

The monster froze.

Ears pricked like peaked mountains. Muscles tensed then loosened as the flesh slid from its claws and jaws.

And forced through its thick hide and corded muscle—through ribs, lungs, ribs, then skin again—a jutted spine blade pierced its chest from behind.

A mix of whine and growl sounded.

'Tsk.'

Hope twisted the jagged edge like a knob then pulled down on the tough flesh.

Cra— crack!

The sound of glass breaking emitted in the process like the shatter of fragile orbs or cups. But then vapor breathed out of the monster's flesh between its shaggy pelt, crawling past Hope's arm and into his chest like a cold luring touch.

Bzzzh…

His soul absorbed the invigorating essence and pulsed with a thrill.

Then settled…

Thud.

The monster finally collapsed with a large thud, casting a cloud of debris around.

Then the damn familiar voice rang again:

[You have slain an Awakened Monster: Harrowfiend]

"Sigh…"

Hope let out a sigh as he shook a bit of ache in his arms.

It was tougher than he thought to pierce the monster with the crafted sword. Of course, it was just a crafted sword. But it was made from the bones of an Awakened Demon. Well, compared to any Memory weapon it wouldn't be sufficient enough. If only a sword Memory could fall from the sky.

"…"

'Huh. Could you do that?' Hope thought as he peeked above. Of course, no response from the Spell.

But was it possible instead to turn this weapon into a Memory?

'Probably would cut a lot smoother if I could.'

Not that it was possible. At least, Hope thought it wasn't. Too much energy to learn or to find anyone that could, he bet.

Drip. Drip…

Blood dripped from his sword as he stared blankly at the empty lifeless vessels.

Inside the shrouded gray street stood him alone, save for the bodies above and below him, a graveyard which hugged on all sides. A death paraded. The lofty ruined buildings which still groaned from the cold peered down at the lone figure as if he were a meaningless existence or a shadowed dot that stood in their path. Hope looked up, seeing himself still trapped beneath the fog's mouth.

He was certain it was afternoon by now considering the time that passed. How he measured the seconds by retracing back his memories.

'Tsk. What a morning.'

And still a journey away to his next destination:

The leaned towers.

A sight Hope remembered when he trained on the roof before the fog swallowed.

The last thing the hanging man was able to share through silent lips.

Hope kicked the monster's puddled blood off his shoe and walked absentmindedly to the side, his eyes appearing like a wandering gaze. But his mind was no doubt a busy train of thought, voices of his own conscience and memories alike clashing against each other.

Step. Step.

His steps were muted in the confined mist's walls, one foot slowly over the other.

Step. Step. Step.

He should hurry…But he was held back by another idea.

He tilted his head.

'Should I?'

Rustle. Rustle…

Hope stopped. Turned his head. And looked back at the building where all the other strays were hidden.

They peeked their heads through the broken entrance, and a few of them walked out one by one as they stared at the new corpses in their street.

"What…wha-"

Their heads spun around.

Gazes flickering side to side until finally their eyes reached Hope: One person alive. Undisturbed. With a bloodied weapon in hand.

Maybe there was a chance of seeing him as a hero. Slaughtering monsters with such courage compared to theirs. Although, that would be an uncomfortable assumption. But in his favor, and maybe not in his favor, thanks to his Attribute…their eyes held anything but awe.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Hope blinked. He looked up. Paused. Then walked back in the other direction.

"You're too loud."

"…!"

The person's face flushed. Fumed.

Step. Step. Step.

"Y-you- Our leader—! S-she is…"

Hope paused. Looked up again. "She's with your dead."

'Or whatever the hell it is you believe in.'

Someone else stepped forward, fists clenched. "Those dead are a warning to you all. Uniforms and Sectors."

'Too emotional.' Hope side-glanced at them.

Too emotional in a weird way. But 'uniforms'? Meaning soldiers?

"So. What. You hung up the dead so they don't catch you or something?"

Their eyes narrowed. "Mark your words…they deserved it. All of it. Doing so won't let them escape and chase us in our dreams. But for you, they might."

Hope blinked.

The hell kind of logic is that? What beliefs do people twist in this city?

Step. Step. Step.

Hope looked up. "Haunted by dreams huh."

Sounds of confusion and tension passed among them, as if it were common knowledge of this telltale that he should know. Now a younger person walked out. Around Hope's age, it seemed.

"Don't you know…In dreams, they look a lot like the living…" The person added as if wanting him to understand.

"Doesn't matter." Hope said in a flat voice.

He casually lifted his sword next to a pole.

"I've buried enough to know they all stay down."

"…!"

Cut— Twang!

A cord was cut. The black line snapped and snaked up the metal frame.

And a hanging body landed at his feet.