Really twisted creatures they were. I couldn't stop the disgusted scowl from plastering on my face.
The Avendars' movements weren't hurried or rushed.
They slowly crawled out of the black cloud, their very presence emitting an unholy air.
An air that sent a grating chill down my spine. An air that came with unidentifiable pressure that constantly weighed down on me.
I gulped, a lone sweat sliding down my temple as my lips slowly curled, my pipe still clenched in my palms.
Avendar, huh.
The monsters were thin. Really thin.
And they were humanoid.
Shouldn't a humanoid = look like humans in some way?
But these things…
I mean, sure, they're kinda.. shaped like humans but–
There were a.. few things I could say were rather inhuman about them.
No, scratch that.
There were shit loads of things inhuman about them.
First, their bodies, way longer than the combination of the height of three men of average height, moved and dangled loosely as they crawled. Literally. On. All. Fours.
Then, the second. They lacked spines. A minority of them didn't crawl; they walked, and it seemed like their flexible backs couldn't support the full weight of their bodies as their backs bent.
Probably the reason why the rest crawled.
I squinted my eyes.
My legs remained planted firmly on the ground. I adjusted my posture, squinting and straining my vision, continuously watching the downpour of Avendars.
Their bodies looked incomplete. Like they were yet to be wholly made, and just improperly sewn patches of wriggling flesh — black, thick and disgusting — like thousands of crawling maggots made up their skin.
Out of the incoming wave of Avendars, one suddenly stopped.
I froze.
Its head — like the others — had been focused forward, at the sight of the distant crowd on the other side of the bridge.
But suddenly, it turned its neck. Slow and unnerving.
My eyes widened.
It had no eyes. It had no mouth. It had no nose. Just a blank, black, wriggling face.
This shit should be biologically impossible.
Its head tilted. Just slightly, like it tried to discern my identity. Like it recognized me or something.
I swear I would've shit my pants by now if I didn't have that cold-blooded skill.
Due to the lack of facial features, I didn't quite know if it was actually looking at me or not. But one thing was for certain.
I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to piss. I just held it in.
"What the hell do you mean, no way?!" Marcus yelled, his voice thick and harsh.
I blinked, snapping out of the momentary stun.
I shook my head.
Yeah.
It's just another monster.
Another Exp.
My grip on the steel pipe tightened, eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna kill those things, Marcus."
Marcus didn't respond. And I didn't turn my neck to gaze at him.
Finally, he spoke out: "Dexter! Take Gerald and Mira, and get out of here! Run as fast as you can! Don't look back!"
I scoffed.
Even now, he's helping people out.
His order reminds me of the exact words I told Oldie. May his soul rest in peace.
"Huh?!" The red-eyed young man's voice rang out. "What about you, Mark?! Aren't you coming with us?!"
I stopped blinking.
I turned my neck, gazing at Marcus, who stood a few inches away from my side.
When did he get here?
He gripped his hammer tightly with one hand, gritting his teeth as his eyes remained fixated on those horrendous monsters, his ragged coat fluttering behind him.
He then turned to face the young man and the other two. And as he did, he flashed them that bright, deep-dimpled smile. "I'll be right behind you, kid."
Karen tried to speak: "Bu–"
"Go!" Marcus yelled, turning to face me.
"We'll be waiting for you at the subway station, Mark." The young man finally said, his voice slowly fading away, along with their running footsteps.
For a while, I just stared into Marcus's eyes, bewildered. And he stared into mine.
The warmth that swam within his grey eyes had grown cold. Darker.
I couldn't understand it.
He's.. actually a psycho.
I mean, I have cold-blooded and three systems, so my bravado is a bit justified… but..?
He nodded. A quiet insurance. As if to say, 'I'm going to fight beside you.'
My dried lips cracked.
"Pfft." I held back the laughter.
I nodded back.
He finally broke eye contact and faced forward.
I did the same.
Sure. Let's see what these Reaper Grades can really do.
I crouched immediately, eyes finding the head of that one Avendar that menacingly stared at me earlier.
I'm going to start with you.
I leaped. "Keep up, Unc."
He began to run, following behind me as he screamed, "I'm not old!"
I wonder how fast those things really are.
They definitely don't look like speed types. So far they haven't chased after anybody with speed. They just keep crawling or walking slowly.
Even that De– what was his name again? Desta? Yeah, I think they've escaped this bridge already.
Yeah, cut off the speed. It means they could make up for that speed, though.
They could be super strong. Or super durable. Or straight up just hard as fuck to kill.
I landed on the ground.
But I wonder…
I began to run on the cracked asphalt, weaving through the middle of Avendars, slipping through their long, tiny limbs.
…How many Exp does a reaper grade give?
The monsters didn't react to my movement. It almost seemed as though they weren't hostile at all. That and the fact that I just ran past them before they could react.
I was headed toward that one.
It still looked at me even now.
I narrowed my eyes.
Again, I leaped, closing the gap between us as I ascended to its head level.
As I raised my steel pipe mid-air, I came to that horrible realization.
Dustin, remember your steel pipe is bent.
I gritted my teeth.
"Shit, you're right."
But there's no helping it.
I clenched the steel pipe tighter.
If it breaks, it breaks.
"Then," I was damn near the Avendar's head now. "One! Last! Hit!!"
Every single strength that I could muster raced toward my biceps. Literally all the 8 strength stats went there.
Bam–!
It connected.
I furrowed my brows.
That didn't feel quite right.
It really felt weird. Kind of like the first time I hit a Rethon, that gooey texture that felt like I hit jelly.
I looked down at the spot my steel pipe hit.
My eyes widened.
"Duz!! We really HAVE to run!!" Marcus's voice snapped. Fear, desperation and strain etched into his words.
Haha.
A nervous smile broke on my lips as I glanced at my broken steel pipe.
I think so too.
I gulped.
Impossible.
In the area the steel pipe hit, the wriggling maggot flesh had parted, giving way to an unexposed inner flesh. Thicker, more jelly-like. It absorbed the impact.
I let go of the broken steel pipe.
I fell from the Avendar's head, still looking at the second half of my broken steel pipe that fell with me.
A small tear pricked my eyes as I fell.
I will mourn your death, my friend.
A bitter smile.
But then, I gazed once more at the Avendar.
Even as I fell, it looked down at me like a damn puzzle it tried to solve.
I hated that look. It deeply infuriated me, causing my blood to boil.
How dare a blind thing look at me?
After breaking my pipe?
I clenched my teeth.
I'll kill it.
I'll kill–
Crack–!
My ribs snapped as a gigantic hand slapped me mid-air, an unexpected pain coursing through my veins.
"Fuck!!" I yelled, hurling through the air.
"I got you!" Marcus yelled.
My free-falling body landed in warm arms.
Marcus's arms.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his breathing ragged and strained.
I immediately stood up from his arms, standing on the ground.
I gripped my broken ribs, clenching my teeth as I stood.
That thing hit me! It flung me away with one hit!
"These things… my hammer can't damage them. I can't damage them. All along, they avoided me like I was a fly, but just one hit and I flew all the way here, almost losing consciousness. Haha, Duz, let's face it, they're beyond our strength." Marcus rambled on and on.
I didn't listen.
I just stared at that same Avendar that STILL stared back at me.
"I'll kill all these things," I muttered, spite dripping from my words as I narrowed my eyes.
Marcus tapped my shoulder. "Excuse me?"
"I'll kill them all," I said. More audible now.
Even if I have to level up some more.
I was high on those triple stats and forgot it only applies to Rethons. I'm still weak right now. Haven't even used up the free stat points I gained by leveling up.
Even with that, I'm not sure it'll be enough. Plus, I don't have a weapon.
So this is how strong a Reaper Grade is, huh.
I'll definitely be back.
But for now…
"Okay," Marcus replied. "But I'm going. You're gonna have to do that on your own."
I opened my hand and raised a middle finger at that one Avendar.
And immediately, it raised both its arms.
What? It got rage baited by a 'fuck you'?
Can you imagine this guy?
It pointed its raised arms toward me.
"Uh… Duz…" Marcus.. oh, Marcus. Bro didn't know I was as dumbfounded as him.
Those arms stretched out, elongating and passing through the crowd of Avendars.
And as it happened, all Avendars present turned their necks toward us.
The elongating arms still streamed toward me with undefined speed.
And the rest of the Avendars, having looked at I and Marcus, switched up immediately. All their dispositions switched, hostility radiating from them.
The ground began to tremble. My body began to vibrate.
They were all running toward us!
With speed too!
I thought they were fucking slow?!!!
We were at the edge of the bridge.
"Marcus.." I called out.
"...Yeah?"
"If you want to live," I grasped my ribs tighter, turning to look at the water below the bridge.
"No, please. It better not be what I'm thinking."
"Yup," I replied.
I climbed, and I jumped immediately, diving into the water below.
"Shit!!!!!!!!!" Marcus screamed as he too jumped into the water.
–Splash!