"Well, this is interesting." The multi-tonal voice rang out once more. A heavy breathing accompanied its wretched presence.
"Here, I thought there was no more manure for our world. How did you escape, little one? Do you perhaps have something to do with Estreis's death?" The voice carried heavy fluctuations, almost as if the vocal cords shifted continuously as it spoke.
Amaranthus shivered. He wanted to fight, but his body felt weak and without any strength to be mustered.
Amaranthus looked around him, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the threat in the dark, but to no avail. His vision was limited to only a few meters in front of him, his radar also static.
The unknown to any intelligent creature is both terror-inducing and intriguing.
"Hmm. You are.. a Mindseeker?" The voice became confused. A figure that was enshrouded in dark fog slowly came into view. Although the dark fog covered it, its figure could still be seen. Only five meters tall with a heavy build, a dwarf compared to the terrae.
"How... You shouldn't be able to adapt so quickly. Even the most.." The voice paused.
"It seems I am rambling, hehe. You need to die, little one. You are lucky in a way for you to die quickly instead of wretchedly like the rest of your meager brethren." The creature raised an arm, slowly clinching its fist. As if to represent the snuffing out of his existence.
'I can't die yet!' Amaranthus screamed within his mind. He felt death approach as the creature neared slowly, almost tauntingly.
The ball of deep emotions buried within him trembled.
When faced with a life-threatening crisis to those you love or to yourself, emotions drive you to break the mental limiters needed to protect your body from self-harm. Human muscles can contract with incredible strength, enough to snap our bones and rip our tendons.
When you lose everyone you love, when all you have left are the good deeds you do for others, the ball of emotions is so compressed and detached from you that silent yet heart-rending pain sprouts—seething within you. When you finally decide to heal, it confronts you with all the wrath you had to hide.
"How cute. You have a little fire inside of you, eh? Would you like to test it? I have a bad habit of toying with prey, but I'll make an exception since you are so weak." The multi-tonal voice mocked as it approached.
Amaranthus's senses were assaulted. A stench resembling rotted biological matter and carbon monoxide filled his nostrils, while his skin felt itchy and irritated as the fog crept around his skin, like a leech sucking out blood from your pores.
The creature took a deep breath, the wind softly whistling as it rushed to it.
"You smell fresh, little one. Now, let's see what will ignite that fire in your eyes. I can tell you are deeply afraid." When it opened its mouth, three rows of hooked teeth were revealed. Its long slippery jet black tongue unfurled as it licked his face.
'Fuck!' Amaranthus thought to himself in desperation and rage.
"Hehehe" It cackled wretchedly as a sadistic light blazed in its two bright red eyes, its pupils a single slit in the middle.
A blur passed Amaranthus before he felt like the world had disappeared. He felt weightless.
'What?‐'
*Crash* *Boom*
Amaranthus flew into two thick trees before crashing against the third and falling.
As he looked up, his vision was blurred, but he could still see the creature's extended arm. Its fist was smoking.
His whole body ached. He was covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises. Although that strike should have killed him, he didn't come out dead. Primarily because he had pushed his constitution many times already.
His body had to endure the centrifugal force produced by the vortexes. Such a demand naturally requires the body to adapt and strengthen.
Suddenly, the two giant trees with a human-shaped hole inside of them creaked and crunched. They swayed a little bit before collapsing where the hole was located. The trees fell slowly but with terrifying momentum.
The sounds of branches snapping and twisting as the trees fell filled the forest.
"Hmm... You are alive, it seems? Oh, well, I guess that's a good thing. I can play with you a little bit more."
"W-why.." Amaranthus spoke with a sharp tone.
"Because I can little thing. I've spoken to many of your kind. Your weird but intriguing ideals hold no light in this dark place." The creature walked over slowly. Its pace, a sort of limping.
"You should have seen their expressions; truly a delight. The despair sorrow, and madness in their eyes once I broke them." A sadistic laugh echoed after a pause.
"Not many of you vermin are tenacious. But you? You are like a slightly stronger, more plump cockroach. Twitch for me, little one, hahahahahaha-"
Amaranthus stared at the sadistic creature, his heart chill at its spoken words.
With a flash, the creature appeared directly in front of him. The creature punched him once more, sending him into several trees.
[Bone fractures detected]
[Internal Injuries Detected]
"Fuck you." Amaranthus spit a blood clot as he coughed heavily.
"Hehe, I like your spirit, little one. Let me fracture it for you. Save you the trouble."
"Here, you have no power!"
The creature rushed after Amaranthus, quickly grabbing his body and throwing it against the ground.
Amaranthus blacked out.