"I don't care which god sent me to this hellhole to suffer..One day, I will find you..and kill you."
Lukas cursed hatefully as he jumped from one floating platform filled to another, each jump had to be perfectly timed as the floating stones were just 2 feet wide, one mis-step and he would fall down to the endless abyss.
Although he was trying his very best to maintain his balance, his actions were rough and stiff. Sometimes he would lose his balance and almost slip downwards.
This was understandable; after all, a few hours ago he was a normal dude chilling in his room scrolling through webnovels.
Then a cargo plane crashed into his apartment, setting the entire thing ablaze, he was not spared either, burned by the flames, dying an incredibly painful death
Yet somehow, he didn't die.
He woke up here–in this completely unfamiliar place filled with countless floating pieces of stone and a sky that looked like cracked glasses reflecting memories from ancient times.
Whenever Lukas looked at them, scenes of death, some warriors getting mutilated, some getting shredded to death under star beasts claws.
As an avid reader of webnovels back on Earth, it didn't take long for him to figure out he had actually transmigrated!!
However, understanding the problem wasn't going to make his situation any better.
While running over for his life, Lukas glances over his shoulders.
A Mutated Tiger–ten feet tall, skin like black steel, fangs long enough to skewer any living being–charged across the platform as if gravity didn't exist. Its glowing eyes locked onto him with savage bloodlust.
"No, I can't let the monster get any closer.." Lukas gritted his teeth and increased his speed, however compared to him the tiger was simply faster. In the blink of an eye, the mutated star beast was behind him, its ferocious claws raised upwards flashing with cold sheen.
Lukas heart chilled, if the attack struck his body, he would be turned into minced meat.
The world slowed.
Not because he used some miraculous skills. No, this was because of the despair of a man who met the grim twice in a single day.
His teeth clenched hard enough to grin into powder. The pain forced clarity into his mind, and the memories he inherited from this previous body owner surged up like a tidal wave.
Ancient Spiritual Space, a place with more than 90% mortality.
He hated the predecessor for having the balls of steel, even with his trash grade talent, he dared to come to this dangerous place.
Not just the predecessor, he hated the predecessor's family for manipulating him to come to this forsaken palace
Lukas frustration reached its peak, his fist tightly clenched so forcefully that his hand turned white.
Fine. If he was going to die again, he'd at least use everything he had left.
He felt the faint warmth of star energy flickering on the back of his hand. The engraved stars let out a dim glow–as he summoned the last of his power.
"Come on..just once more."
The tiger claw was about to strike Lukas chest then space rippled.
A skeleton appeared in between him and the tiger–thin bones and creaking joints, hollow eyes sockets, it looked as if a mere gust of wind would reduce it to powder
Fragile it may be but this was Lukas only hope of survival.
The world returned to normal at full speed.
Bang!
The tiger's claw slammed into the skeleton. The fragile bones shattered instantly, the skull rocketing away like a launched projectile, smashing against a stone pillar.
Luaks wasn't surprised, he had expected this outcome the moment he summoned it.
The skeleton wasn't meant to stop–only to slow the blow.
And slow it did..albeit a little.
The remaining force crashed into his chest.
Crack!
Burning hot pain, similar to being burned alive, shot through him. He was thrown like a ragdoll, blood bursting from his ribs as several ribs snapped.
He hit another floating platform and nearly rolled down the endless abyss. Only instincts made him claw desperately at the stone to prevent himself from falling.
"F-fuck..f-fuck.."
His heart beating like a war drum, vision crimson red, his limbs twitching uncontrollably, he tried to stand up but his legs buckled.
The mutated star tiger didn't rush for the kill, instead slowly circled around Lukas blood soaked figure, its eyes showing pure grace of the expert predator, letting lukas bleed to death
Every moment felt like an eternity. It was at this moment that he truly understood.
He was a failure, even in another world.
"Even when I get a second chance…I still achieve nothing.."
The tiger tensed its hind legs and leapt, its massive shadow completely enveloping Lukas figure.
The world froze and the cracked sky above dimmed slightly as if trying to capture the exact moment of Lukas brutal death,
Then–
"How surprising someone actually dared to come to the Starfall platform alone…"
The voice was soft and seren filled with the force of the laws, the mutated tiger body to freeze mid-air
Then the void cracked vertically beside Lukas. A woman walked out like a devil being summoned.
Her skin was pale, almost glowing like moonlight against the crawling stitch marks that tied each of her limbs together, each mark looked like living and breathing tattoo, normally it should have made any human afraid of getting close to her, but in her case these seal like mark only increases her charm by another level.
Her long dark hair like ink, and her ocean-blue eyes shimmered with intelligence–cold, and predatory cunningness.
The gown she wore seemed to be woven from fabric that was alive, shifting with her movements, clinging to her figure in a way that made it impossible to assess her alluring figure.
She glanced at him, then at the suspended tiger. Without lifting a finger, her aura flared outward.
Bang! The tiger burst into a cloud of crimson smoke, star energy flowed into her body like a gentle breeze, nourishing her body from within.
She didn't even blink for once, noticing her approach, Lukas tried to move away but he couldn't.
"Status Override"
A flickering blue window materialized before her, responding to her voice.
[Name: Lukas (Soul Anomaly)
Talent: Skeleton Summoner (Grade: Trash)
Poptentail: Two-Star
Skeleton: Basic Bonewalker (Unstable)
Condition: Weak / Soul Fractured]
"Soul anomaly? What an interesting find.."
Lukas pupils a cold chill ran down his spine, he had witnessed just how the tiger had turned into a cloud of smoke at her gesture, and now that her gaze was on him, he felt as if he was being examined like a lab rat.
Zerin extended her hand, A thread of star energy slipped from his fingertips into his chest. Warmth spread through his broken body, his wound slowly closed, bones mended, and slowly heartbeat returned to normal.
His vision returned to normal. The woman who crushed the tiger into a cloud of smoke was hovering inches away from his face.
Lukas jerked back instinctively and almost stepped off the platform.
Zerin grabbed his collar with a smile, stopping him from falling.
"Don't move. Your body is still unstable."
Next moment she flicked her wrist and a pill appeared between her finger, pale orange radiating a gentle glow.
"Swollow this."
Luaks hesitated only for a heartbeat, then he took it and gulped it down in one bite.
Zerin slender eyebrows rose, her smile widening.
"If you wanted to kill me." Lukas rasped, "You wouldn't need a pill."
Zerin chuckled, her eyes turning into the shape of crescent moons, "What a clear headed young man, no wonder I was drawn to you.."
Lukas' nerves tightened like bowstring, she was too close to him, he could feel the warmness of her body.
Before Lukas could say anything, Zerin figured straightened, her gown swaying with the wind.
The nearest safe zone is dozens of kilometres away. You won't survive the journey alone." Her eyes glowed faintly.
Lukas' expression darkened at her words, Just then she continued, "coincidentally, I am also heading there."
She extended her hands.
"Lets go together"
Lukas stared at her outstretched hand, his instinct telling him to slap it away. But he knew doing so would be same as suicide.
Zerin didn't urge him, but only looked at him with a smile.
Then finally he grabbed Zerin's hand and pulled himself up.
A tensed sigh escaped his lips.
Injured, wary and powerless…
He followed the Zerin, jumping from platform to platform, he glanced at his status window to find any abnormalities.
[Name: Lucien (99% Soul Merged)
Talent: Skeleton Summoner (Grade: Trash)
Life-Form Grade: Rank One Star Gazer
Potential: Two-Star
Skeleton: Basic Bonewalker (Unstable)
Condition: Stabilizing]