'Damn it, I can't see a thing.'
Vio scraped against the rocks due to the steep slope, not to mention the dense fog that made his vision nearly nonexistent.
At the last moment, Vio sensed something and raised his arms to shield his head.
"Boom!"
A large rock awaited him, colliding with his body. Luckily, it wasn't too big, shattering upon impact with the resilience of Vio's new body. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
"Argh," Vio groaned, his body continuing to slide and occasionally tumble.
[HP decreased: 99%]
'Are you kidding me?'
Clenched his teeth and used his hands to try to slow his descent, but suddenly ducked, sensing something behind him.
"Whoosh"
"Ice."
An ice crystal had nearly shattered his head. The current crisis had almost made him forget the soldiers hunting him.
'How are they attacking while sliding down at the same time?'
There was a reason they called themselves the Mountain Kings. While Vio struggled to control his body, enduring the pain of constant friction, his pursuers followed him effortlessly, hindered only by the fog limiting their visibility.
'System, will increasing Perception help me see better in this fog?'
[Perception will not improve the hero's vision.]
'Damn it.'
[However, it will enhance the hero's sense of danger.]
'Better than nothing.'
[Perception increased from 11 to 20.]
As Vio continued sliding at a breakneck pace, his instincts kicked in, and pressed down with his foot briefly, regaining control of his body. This allowed him to veer to the side, narrowly avoiding a massive tree in his path.
His eyes widened from the sudden burst of awareness, but they widened even more as he saw an ice crystal strike the tree, transforming it into a frozen sculpture.
'These things are dangerous.'
It made a real difference. While his vision remained obscured, he started to sense when to dodge and when to let his body roll, avoiding many obstacles along the way and even evading the lethal attacks targeting him from behind.
As time passed, the friction lessened, and his speed began to decrease. This was good news for maintaining control of his body, but bad news when it came to the distance between him and his pursuers.
Vio jumped, dodging several ice crystals that struck where he had just been.
He intended to keep moving, but suddenly, something ahead forced him to dig his feet into the ground, bringing himself to a halt.
The terrain he was on was slightly sloped but not enough to prevent him from maneuvering. Without hesitation, he scanned his surroundings, though the fog still enveloped everything.
'Something's in front of me… and things are behind me.'
This much he was sure of. Beyond that, the fog shrouded everything in his vicinity.
"The rat has been cornered," a voice shouted from ahead.
"The rat has been cornered," the same words echoed from his right.
"The rat has been cornered," they came from his left.
"The rat has been cornered," the voice came from behind.
'Damn it, I'm surrounded. How?'
"Clear the vision." "Clear the vision." "Clear the vision." "Clear the vision."
The chants came from the same directions, followed by rippling waves that Vio could barely make out.
The fog swirled, spiraling upward and clearing, giving Vio a clear view of his captors—and allowing them to see him as well.
Their leader emerged from behind Vio, pulling out a ram's horn and blowing into it.
"Toooooot!"
'That's just what I needed.'
Vio clenched fists, preparing for one of them to charge at him. But none did.
"Pay attention, everyone," their leader called out. "We've been informed that he targets the head. His body is tough—don't engage him up close without support!"
As the cryptic words reached Vio's ears, a faint buzzing filled his mind.
'I'd have been surprised if it didn't show up.'
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed']
Type: Urgent
Requirements: None
Restrictions: None
Description:
Creatures have decided to stand in the Hero's path. It is the Hero's duty to eliminate anyone who prevents their progress.
Objective:
The Hero must ensure his safety by killing the enemies and ending their pitiful lives.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
50 EXP
10 Plastic
20 Metal
5 Steel
5 points
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: The Hero's heart will stop.
'You filthy system, I want to escape, not fight right now!'
Two soldiers leaped onto separate rocks that were relatively far apart. They raised their hands, murmuring incantations. Small white snowflakes appeared between their fingers, converging into icy crystals that floated steadily around them.
Vio's senses didn't miss this. He glanced at them from the corner of his eye.
'So, they were the ones throwing those at me.'
He didn't need further confirmation to know they would be a pain in the ass. The most logical choice would be to target them first, but the distance between them was impossible to cover while the others surrounded him.
Six soldiers—two had taken higher ground on the rocks, while four others had encircled him, leaving only a few narrow gaps that seemed like potential escape routes. But how could he flee when his cursed mission demanded that he fight them?
'Wait… the mission didn't specify how to fight—it just said to kill them.'
They had already drawn their swords, making any strategy to charge them before they were ready a mere bullshit.
'But they haven't summoned lightning yet.'
"Crack, crack."
'Forget it.'
Sparks of lightning dance across their swords, illuminating the area around them.
They started making the same deliberate movements as the soldiers Vio had fought earlier in the tent. They stepped sideways, like hunters patiently waiting for their prey to make a mistake.
But what truly caught Vio's attention was the fluidity and steadiness of their movements on the uneven ground.
'So that's how you followed me and cornered me. You know how to move with precision in this terrain.'
It wasn't just that. The ground was a mix of smooth rocks, loose soil, and patches of icy snow. Running, walking, or even crawling would be difficult. Yet they moved as if they were strolling through a park.
This was another reason why Vio hadn't rushed at any of them.
'Fine. Let's do this, then.'
Without warning, he leaped downward, choosing a path that allowed him to pass through.
The two nearest soldiers intervened, slashing their swords at his neck.
Vio had anticipated this. He didn't rely on raw strength to dodge but let the momentum of his slide do the work. As he came to a halt, he twisted his body, landing two punches on the sides of their swords, redirecting their trajectory.
Searing jolts of pain flared through Vio's fists, but he ignored them and tried to press his advantage. Yet, to his surprise, the soldiers used the force of his punches as momentum, twisting their bodies like whirlwinds and bringing their swords back around to slash at his head.
'This is bad.'
Vio fell backward, avoiding the blades as they sliced strands of his hair. But these weren't amateurs. They didn't waste the energy of their swings and used the momentum to drive their blades toward Vio's chest.
'Damn it.'
With fingers, Vio caught the edges of the swords that were one inch from piercing his chest.
[HP decreased: 98%]
[HP decreased: 97%]
[HP decreased: 96%]
The crackling electricity surged through the blades, making their force even harder to counter. Vio clenched his teeth as his eyes caught the soldiers' smirks, clearly enjoying his struggle.
[HP decreased: 95%]
'What do I do? What do I do?'
[HP decreased: 94%]
Every second drained more of his HP, accompanied by the burning sensation searing through his fingers.
In his mind, only one skill came—one he had used only once before. It was a gamble that could either save him or seal his fate.
Active Abilities:
Surge Strike:
Releases an electrical charge through touch, causing a short stun to the target.
EP Cost: As long as EP remains.
'It's not like I have a choice.'
The crackling of lightning grew louder, causing the two soldiers to frown. Before they could process what was happening, electricity surged from Vio, traveling through their swords and into their hands, then spreading through their bodies.
Vio wasn't spared either, but for some reason, he didn't feel the same pain they did.
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Their screams echoed, while their leader's amused grin disappeared as he watched the scene.
"Release them!" the leader barked at the two soldiers positioned on the rocks.
A large block of ice was hurled down, forcing the stunned soldiers to be pushed away from Vio.
As the two slid back, Vio saw his chance, rushed downward, hoping to break through.
Vio stood up quickly, but the hair on his head stood on end, and froze, eyes widening.
"Growl. Growl."
The sliding soldiers were stopped by two wolves, each as tall as half a human. And they weren't alone. Around the other soldiers surrounding Vio, several more wolves emerged, identical in appearance to the first pair.
"Rat. Let's see what you'll do now," the leader taunted, smiling as he petted the wolf beside him.
But Vio's widened eyes weren't because of the wolves. They were fixed on the words that appeared in front of him:
[CyborgHeart charged from 28% to 35%]
[7XP obtained]