I was currently taking a dump, eyes half-shut, still half-asleep. My stomach had started cramping while i was asleep, probably because I ate too much during our picnic x hunting session yesterday.
Ting... ting... ting...
At first, the bell sounded distant, like it was ringing from sowhere deep in the fog of a dream. But then,
TING TING TING
it echoed right beside the inn, sharp and urgent. I jolted upright on the toilet.
"Wait... that’s the tower bell... right next to us?"
The sound didn’t stop. It kept spreading, ringing from another direction, then another. It was like a chain of alarms, rippling through the town. My sleepiness instantly vanished.
"What the hell is happening? Can’t they let take a dump in peace?"
Grumbling, I finished up, cleaned myself, and shuffled back to the room. As soon as I opened the door, the bell’s noise flooded in, louder than ever.
TING TING TING!
I winced. Even Bob, the guy who could sleep through an earthquake, was stirring under his blanket.
"What’s this damn noise?" he mumbled, sitting up groggily.
"I don’t know," I said, walking over to the window. I pushed it open, and was imdiately hit by a cold gust of wind and the blaring ring of bells echoing across the rooftops. The sound bounced off the buildings, carried through every street.
I leaned my head out and scanned the town below. And what I saw made my stomach twist in a very different way. It was chaos.
Fires raged across the streets. Thick, black smoke curled into the sky, swallowing the moonlight above. The acrid sll of burning wood and flesh clawed at my nose, making my stomach churn worse than before.
Scream, crying and shouting.
The town had beco a storm of panic.
People were running, so barefoot, so in their nightwear, bursting out of hos and shops, clutching children, dragging wagons, whatever they could grab in ti.
My eyes widened.
What the hell is happening?
A chill spread down my spine.
Was this an attack? A raid?
Was Black Eagle back for revenge?
Behind , Bob swore under his breath, his voice barely masking the tension.
"What the hell...!"
He was by my side now, staring out the sa window, eyes locked on the burning rooftops.
We stood there, frozen, as the sound of steel clashing, another round of bells ringing, and distant roars rose above the noise of the fleeing townsfolk.
I imdiately rushed to the cupboard and changed my clothes. A bad feeling gripped my chest. My mind flashed to the townspeople I’d t, Kel, Liam, Ria, and the others.
Bob was also changing. "What is happening, dude?" he asked, his voice tense.
"I don’t know. But we need to find out," I said, urgency tightening my words.
We bolted out the door and rushed down the stairs. At the bottom, we found Tania, alone, frozen in place, staring at the front door with wide, terrified eyes.
"Don’t go outside, Tania-chan! Stay inside here, okay?" Bob said gently, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
She nodded quickly and darted behind the counter, trembling.
We pushed through the inn doors and stepped outside. Chaos greeted us, screams, flas, and people running in all directions.
"Alan, you go that side, I’ll take the other!" Bob shouted, already bolting down the left street.
"Hey—!" I called after him, but he was gone.
Seriously? In a situation like this, he decides to split up?
I stepped onto the street. Smoke hung thick in the air, stinging my eyes and scraping my throat with every breath. I coughed, blinking through the haze.
Five minutes passed as I pushed forward, each step heavier than the last. The screaming grew louder, closer.
I turned the corner.
And I saw it.
Blood. So much blood.
Bodies littered the ground, n, won, children. Young and old. So were still. So barely moved.
The sll hit like a hamr.
"Uweeek—!" I gagged, dropping to my knees, my stomach twisting violently.
I was vomiting.
This was the first ti I’d seen people die right in front of . It was too much. The sight, the sll, the silence between screams, it all pressed into my skull. I felt dizzy, like the blood itself was dragging down.
But I bit down on the fear and forced myself forward.
My right hand clung to the wall, steadying as I walked. Each step revealed more horror, limbs, torn flesh, organs spilled out like soone had ripped people open without rcy. So bodies stared upward, eyes frozen wide in terror. Like they’d seen a nightmare before the end.
Who the hell did this?
Rage sparked inside . A quiet, burning fury.
Then I heard it.
"Help..."
A weak voice. Barely a whisper.
I turned and saw her, a woman lying on her back, soaked in blood, her arm raised shakily toward .
Without thinking, I rushed over, kneeling beside her and grabbing her hand.
"I’m here," I said, gripping her fingers tightly. "Hold on."
I looked down, and froze.
Her body ended at the waist. There was nothing below. Just blood. Bones. Torn flesh.
My stomach twisted again, but I forced it down. I had to stay with her.
"It’s alright, miss... you’re fine," I lied, my voice trembling as I held her hand tighter.
Her lips moved, barely audible. "Bram..."
A single tear slid down her cheek.
Then her gaze emptied, fixed on the sky. Her eyes dilated and fixated.
She was gone.
I didn’t even know her na. But she was soone. A person. A townsfolk.
Just a normal woman... living her life in a peaceful town.
Until this.
The one who did this must pay.
With a heavy breath, I reached out and gently closed her eyes.
Bang!
A deafening crash erupted to my left. A house exploded from within, its door flung high into the air like a toy.
I turned sharply, heart pounding.
From the swirling smoke, a silhouette erged, tall and jagged.
Then I saw it.
A towering creature, at least four ters tall. It resembled a praying mantis, but far more monstrous, it has four forelegs ,each ended with gleaming blades, soaked in red, as if freshly dipped in blood. Its entire body was a dark crimson, and its twitching, erratic eyes darted around, scanning, hunting.
Then... it locked onto .
And it started to move.
I slowly stepped back, hoping the creature wouldn’t notice .
Woof! Woof! Woof!
A sharp barking echoed behind .
I turned just in ti to see a beast erge from the smoke, wolf-like, but not quite right. It had sleek black fur, but four glowing eyes stared fiercely. Around its neck, a thick mane flared out like a lion’s. Its bark was a strange mix of wolf’s howl and lion’s roar, deep and commanding.
And it was massive, at least twice the size of any wolf I’d ever seen in docuntaries.
Why did these creatures look so... bizarre? Like soone took animal parts and slapped them together like a twisted Lego.
I was trapped, sandwiched between the towering mantis and the massive wolf. Which would I prefer? In any normal world, I’d pick the mantis, but this one was four ters tall.
I raised my right hand high, determination burning in . This ti, I would be the one cutting down my enemies.
I took a deep breath and shouted,
"INDRA!"
I prepared to grasp my majestic gunblade. But after a tense second...
Nothing.
I clenched my fist tighter, hoping maybe I just hadn’t felt it yet.
"Indra..."
"Indra..."
"Co to , Indra!"
Nothing. Not even a speck of dust appeared.
I started sweating profusely.
What is happening? Why can’t I call my weapon?
"Status!"
Silence. No futuristic screen, no response, just empty air. It felt like my power had been ripped away all at once.
"What the hell is happening here!!" I scread, desperation and anger boiling over.
The wolf at the head of the pack lunged forward, snarling. I crouched low and dodged as it soared above . Rolling forward, I faced the two grotesque monsters.
The wolf landed, then froze, eyes locked on . A tense silence hung in the air. Then, in a swift motion, its body split in two, each half tumbling to the sides.
The mantis was the culprit, its foreleg blades slicing clean through. It lifted one blade, licking the blood off with a savage grin, making sure it glead, ready to tear through the next victim. .
Well, thanks for that. Looks like I only have one monster left to deal with.
The mantis raised all four of its gleaming forelegs, reflecting the flickering firelight. In a blur, it dashed forward, slashing down hard. I rolled back just in ti, pushing off the ground to avoid the deadly strike.
As I landed, my hand brushed against sothing cold , a spear, but held only by a severed hand. Cleanly cut. Definitely the mantis’s doing.
"Sorry, I borrow this."
Gripping the spear, I readied myself into a battle stance. But before I could fully rise, the mantis slamd one foreleg down, shattering my spear and sending sprawling onto my butt.
Without missing a beat, it swung again, aiming low, straight for my family jewels. Instinctively, I spread my legs wide, there was no way I was going to let my precious dragon balls get cut in half before I even had a chance to use them.
I rolled backward, then without hesitation, took off running. This monster was way beyond what I could handle alone. If only I still had my power...
Behind , the heavy, clicking sound of the mantis’s legs echoed, relentless.
I darted through narrow alleys, turning corner after corner, until I stumbled upon a group of wounded townspeople helping each other walk. I even saw a woman cradled a baby in her arms.
No way could I risk bringing this monster near them, it would be a massacre. I pivoted sharply and sprinted down another alley, stealing a glance behind .
The mantis was crawling atop the roof, its blood-red eyes locked on , gleaming like a predator stalking its prey. The sight was bone-chilling.
I stumbled over sothing and tumbled to the ground, rolling for the fourth ti today.
Looking down, I saw the bodies of snake-like monsters sprawled out before . Who killed them? Maybe Bob? If that’s the case, I owe him one.
The mantis spotted lying there. It raised one of its four razor-sharp forelegs and leapt forward, ready to slice up.
Are you serious? I just died yesterday. Do I have to do this all over again?
I hoped that old man would not send back to my real world. I just starting to feel a spark of power, and I wasn’t ready to lose it just yet.
As I was still thinking about my fate, the mantis’s blade was already mid-swing, aid straight at my head.
Pang!
Suddenly, the mantis jerked backward. One of its foreleg blades cracked, and then shattered into pieces.
It hissed in anger, scanning wildly for the culprit. Then, it spotted a figure in a hood standing in front of , gripping a long staff. The figure wore a grey robe with the hood pulled low, his back turned to . Wait, I think I saw this person at the inn this morning.
"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.
The figure slowly lowered his hood, revealing a calm smile as he looked at .
"We et again," he said.
"You!" I gasped.
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