As we passed through the city, people ran away in despair, locked themselves, waiting for a miracle, looted, and even slept through everything, unaware the world they would wake up to was already not the same.
Some “lucky” ones died in their sleep, avoiding the chaotic brutality which unfolded in front of our eyes. The burly dude said nothing, but the way he shivered, trembled, and looked away from the body parts around told me they were people he knew.
The big guy fought his tears back. We searched for people who could tell us something about Ms. Yeon, yet all we found was blood and death. I saw many battlefields during my life, but the sight of gruesome deaths and guts spilled still got to me, almost making me puke. The smell was not as terrible as it should be because of the World Merge, but it was still atrocious and almost unbearable. I could only hope the others would keep it together and not break down.
“They’re all dead…” Jiwan blurted out. Sooyeon almost fell.
“Hey!” The Class Rep scolded him, and he apologized and shut up.
“They were just with me…” The burly dude tried his best. He fought and led the Longclaws away, but it was not enough to save them. How many bodies would we have seen if everyone was accepted into this world?
I focused on the task at hand, cleansing useless thoughts and searching for the mother and daughter pair. Their bodies were nowhere to be found. They could still be alive, or their deaths were so gruesome we failed to recognize anything.
Suddenly, I heard barking somewhere nearby. Animals from our world would become scarce, but as living things, they also absorbed Qi and survived. My instincts told me to look there.
“Let’s go. Don’t give up!” With everyone growing more tired and paranoid, I gave them hope. They couldn’t break down before we got out. We approached our limit, and soon I would have to convince Sooyeon to give up…
We found the barking, and it surprised even me. I have seen so much over the years, but never three dogs fending off a Mindless Longclaw. The courtyard was old, the front door busted open by powerful claws, many corpses lying around, some even on the wall.
One of the three dogs, a black Labrador with a white patch of fur in the chest, stood in front of something as if desperately trying to protect it, barking the loudest and looking the most ferocious of the bunch.
In front, a dark grey and white Siberian husky moved swiftly to dodge the long claws, waiting for an opportunity to bite. The other one was a red and white Siberian husky, eyes of different colors, azure blue and golden, facing off against the Longclaw the best it could.
Someone was on the ground behind them, shoulder against the courtyard wall, holding something or someone very dearly as if they were more important than their own life. The person’s back was slashed open, pure bloody red visible to the bone, the ground a red carpet of viscous liquid.
My heart ached. Before I moved to help, the Longclaw slashed the red and white husky, his painful scream echoing loudly. More than people, I was always fond of animals, especially of dogs. People had triggers and bottom lines.
“HOW DARE YOU!” Tired or not, I strode fiercely, almost as if a God of war took over my consciousness.
The Longclaw knew not the fury of an animal lover, but soon it would. The enemy reacted, trying to slash me with the longclaws. Fury consumed my being, but, unlike my past self, I still had enough sense not to clash without a plan.
It’s just that the sight of the dog bleeding pissed me off so much, I forgot I had a plan. I dodged, got close, and let hell loose. I forgot about the enemy’s high defense and that my body wasn’t the same as before. Punch after punch, strike after strike, my training took over, the Wild Style of the Northern Old Earth Army, furious and powerful.
The NOEA developed many styles under Demon Breaker Soojin and the Old Master during the years, training competent warriors to fight especially against Ath’Taren Demons, including unarmed combat.
I punched firmly and precisely in a weak spot, following with a palm strike to unbalance the enemy, then a quick kick to the Longclaw’s lower limbs, keeping it always unbalanced. It tried to hit me back, but I blocked the unbalanced attacks with pure technique and experience. My arms almost went numb, my fist was nearly broken, but my fury hadn’t stopped.
A single strike couldn’t break its defenses. I aimed at the same spot, strike over strike, until my fists bled and the enemy’s back was against the courtyard wall. I lost myself, thinking I still had my old body. The monster was in pain. Its tough defense broke with dozens of blows to the same spot, and my fist ravaged inside its chest. The wall behind broke from the pressure, and the Longclaw fell to the ground, dead.
Blood dripped from my hands, and I breathed heavily, regaining my senses.
Zen of the Blind Fury. I never found out if losing control was a curse or an innate ability, but my former nickname was not undeserved.
Jiwan, the burly dude, the Class Rep, and Sooyeon stood there open-mouthed, unable to believe what just happened.
[Enemy Ath’Taren Minion killed]
The system’s announcement echoed in my head. I didn’t know what to think. Hearing the announcement was a sign of the system, but I still couldn’t open it yet.
Maybe the announcements didn’t come with the awakening, but it was just that I never killed anything before the [World Merge] before?
Either way, hearing it meant I was one step closer to rank-up and improving my odds of survival. How I missed those sounds. The Black Lab’s barking brought me back to reality, weeping for its wounded friend.
The husky was badly wounded. It glared and roared as I approached.
“It’s okay. I’m a friend,” I smiled, avoiding a menacing posture. “Hey, buddy, I just took down the one that hurt you, you know?”
It stopped glaring at me and calmed down, but its wounds were indeed deep. I had no way to treat it, and could only hope for the best.
“MOTHER!” Sooyeon rushed forward, ignoring the menacing red husky. The Black Lab opened a path. Sooyeon found her mother, holding and protecting her little sister. “Mom, mom!”
“My… daughter…” The mother faced forward, relaxing her grip as if her mission was complete. The big and pure eyes of the small child gleamed with happiness at the sight of her older sister.
“Mom. Mom. We’ll find you a doctor. Hold on!!!” She turned to me with pleading eyes, tears spilling like a waterfall. My chest hurt. What could I do? What could I say?
I was never good at consoling others. I was a sword, only meant to cut, never to heal.
There was no doctor, magic, treasures, or mystic remedies. Nothing of the past would be useful. The wound was too deep; she lost too much blood, and the Ath’Taren poison corroded her body from inside. With a small wound, it hurt like a scorpion’s sting, slowly eating my arm.
I even thought the poison would spread after my clash with the Longclaw since I pushed myself too hard, yet I felt better, as if the poison gave me a break instead of breaking havoc.
If one of us could open the system, there might have been something we could do about it. Those beautiful eyes begged me to do something, piercing and hurting more than my wound ever will. It felt as if I have failed my master again. I could only lower my head, “I’m sorry.”
Sooyeon cried her eyes out. Ms. Yeon gently touched her face, “My girl… it’s too late for me… you must be strong…”
“Mom, mom, don’t say that, don’t say that…” She grabbed her hands.
“Mommy…” The little girl touched her mother.
Pain and powerlessness took over our faces. We risked everything by coming here, and we got here too late.
“Take care… of your little sister…”
“No, mom, I can’t live without you, I can’t, I can’t…”
“You… can… you’re my strong girl… Soojin… find her… promise me…”
Her voice grew weaker. We knew the end was near, but it didn’t make it any less painful to see.
“I promise, mom. I promise…” Sooyeon wiped her tears, smiling at her mother one last time.
“That’s… my girl…” Ms. Yeon softly touched her daughters’ faces, until her hand stopped and fell, moving no more.
“Mom… Moom…” Sooyeon and the little girl cried, embracing their dead mother.
I clenched my bloodied fist. The feeling of powerlessness hurt more than my wounds.
I knew it wasn’t the first death on this Timeless First Day. And it also wouldn’t be the last.