Records of Immortality Volume 1—Chapter 30: The Unseen Prey

The rakshasa stood three feet high, a thick, rough-skinned monstrosity the color of damp earth.

body was a weathered, rock-like shell, studded with barnacle-like bumps and veined with faint cracks.

When still, it was indistinguishable from a boulder.

'Oh, fuck!' Ashan was perched atop its shell. 'One... two... seven of these beasts.'

Their small, pebble-like eyes protruded slightly from the top of their shells. All seven possessed vice-grip pincers that looked strong enough to crush stone.

One of them turned its pebble eyes toward him.

Rarr! Clank! It raised its pincers.

Ashan didn't waste a mont as his danger instinct scread at him. He launched into a backflip off the rakshasa's shell. In the interval of his fall, as the coarse sand of the shore rushed up to et him, his eyes changed. His golden-rimd hazel irises transford into grayish-white whirlpools.

[Viksana: -Conceal]

Silence. Not even the sound of his footsteps followed the backflip. His presence was completely erased.

'I didn't think I'd have to use this ability here, in a situation like this. I have only ten seconds to run.'

Ashan fled silently from the rakshasa, vanishing into the deep forest.

"Hey, you bastard, are you even listening? We're walking in the wrong direction," Roderic shouted, his voice tight with anger.

Dris waved a hand in annoyance. "Don't teach your dad how to fuck!"

Roderic muttered a silent curse under his breath. "You fool! Do you have any sense of direction? We were transported to so strange place. Following east is our best chance."

Around them, lush, deep green trees stood tall. The faint crescent moon cast a pale light, illuminating the scent of eerie, blood-tainted soil that rose from the ground. Insects sang a lody that echoed through the forest.

"We are walking east," Dris said, pointing ahead.

Roderic slamd a hand to his forehead in frustration. "That's north, you fucking idiot."

Dris stopped walking and stared at him. "Why don't you stop shouting? Or do you want to attract every beast in this forest to co hunt us?" A grin split his face. "Or I could just hunt you myself."

Roderic scoffed, ignoring the bait. "I don't have ti for your childish antics. We're stranded in a strange place, starving"—his stomach growled in agreent—and we need to regroup with the others."

"Bah! Are you sure they're even alive? This trial is about survival. There's no rule against killing other mbers." Dris shook his head.

Roderic fixed him with a cold gaze. "We have to hope they survived. We can't make it alone. You need Ashan's help, too."

Dris's expression shifted slightly at the na. "Do you trust him?"

Roderic was silent for a mont, contemplating. "I trust his plans. As for him as a person... I can't say I'm sure."

Dris gave a light nod. "Sa. So, are you—"

Kach! Tap!

The sound of footsteps cut him off. Dris and Roderic exchanged a glance, drawing their swords. They moved quietly, creeping toward the source of the sound. Soon, the clangour of battle reached their ears.

Their expressions hardened as they took cover behind a thick bush and peered out.

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A team of mbers was fighting for their lives against a group of rakshasa—twenty of them. They were lean and built, clad in ragged clothes that did little to cover their greenish-gray skin. Their yellow eyes glowed faintly in the dark, and their mouths hung open, revealing jagged, uneven teeth that produced a continuous grinding noise.

"Ganshka," Roderic whispered.

"Ganshka, what?" Dris whispered back.

"If you'd paid attention in class, you'd know. They're a common rakshasa species." Roderic tightened his grip on his sword. "Let's help them."

"Sit down, you idiot." Dris yanked him down by the arm.

"Why, you—"

"Shh!" Dris pressed a finger to Roderic's lips. "Watch the fight closely. We can't take them all. Saving others is a luxury only the strong can afford."

Roderic didn't retort, instead turning to calmly observe the slaughter—for it was hardly a battle. The Arashen-rank mbers were holding their own, managing to kill five of the Ganshka, but that was their limit. Though the rakshasa wielded only crude weapons of stone and wood, they held an overwhelming nurical advantage and fought with a crazed ferocity, hell-bent on tearing the humans apart.

"Everyone, just hold—" A hurled stone weapon struck a mber in the neck.

Sluprt! Blood gushed out like a fountain.

"No! No! Stay away from !" a girl scread as two beasts dragged her down and began tearing at her flesh with razor claws. The Ganshka, standing only three to four feet tall, were a whirlwind of cold, efficient killing.

Roderic and Dris watched the massacre in still silence.

"Psst! I don't know about you, but my appetite's just fine. Let's snag one of them and cook it," Dris whispered.

Roderic's face contorted in disgust. "Their flesh? We're going to eat it?"

"No ti to waste. Follow !" Dris crouched and moved with practiced stealth. After a mont's hesitation and a resigned sigh, Roderic followed.

The Gnashkas were feasting on the fallen mbers. Dris and Roderic circled around, hiding behind large trees. Fifteen of the creatures remained.

'They're all Bodhir-rank. How does he plan to catch one?' Roderic looked at Dris's confident face.

"Ti to catch dinner." Dris lightly tossed a stone. It hit a lone Ganshka that was resting after its fill.

Rarrr! It roared lightly and looked around, its eyes locking onto a small, flickering ball of fire that had appeared. Dris was using the [Elental Bolt] mantra not to attack, but to create a spark as a lure.

The Ganshka glanced at its kin, still feasting, then stood and trotted toward the flickering light.

"Co on, bastard. My hand is starting to hurt," Dris muttered.

"Lucky for us, they have low intelligence. Like you." Roderic readied his sword, preparing his kiriya.

"One day, only you or your mouth will survive." Dris extinguished the fire.

The Ganshka entered their ambush zone, stopping to search for the vanished fla.

Forward Thrust!

Roderic delivered a clean thrust to its back and, in one swift motion, withdrew his blade.

"Carry it and run!"

Dris ensured no other Ganshka had noticed before they lted back into the forest, their grim prize in tow.

"Huff! Stop, I can't walk anymore." Helma panted hard, doubling over.

Ballio looked at her with concern. Night had fallen, and they had found neither shelter nor food. After the Elder transported them to this strange, forest-choked place, they had managed to find each other quickly but had seen no one else since.

"My legs hurt too, but we have to find shelter for the night. Just a little farther," Ballio urged.

Helma clutched her stomach. "I'm starving. We've walked for so long and found no one from our team."

Ballio's expression darkened. "I don't know about the others, but I believe our mbers are still alive."

"I hope so. If we find Ashan, we'll definitely survive this ordeal." Helma muttered the words like a prayer.

"Yeah, if Ashan was here—"

"Well, well, look who we have here." A mocking voice cut Ballio off.

Srish and his four team mbers erged from the shadows, weapons in hand.

Ballio and Helma tensed, their faces hardening.

Srish looked smugly at them. "I don't see your leader. Is he dead?"

Hahaha! His teammates laughed shortly.

"Are you blind, too, you son of a bear-fucked mother?" Helma shot back.

The laughter died. Srish's face boiled with rage. "You fucking bitch!"

Ballio let out a stiff, nervous laugh.

Woo! Woo! Woo! Tap! Tap!

The cries and hurried footsteps of beasts echoed through the trees. Everyone froze.

Srish fired a combat bolt. The dark-azure energy missed its target. The beasts beca visible under the crescent moon—furred, with claws, tails, and a horrifying mix of human and canine features.

"The Manuga race!" Ballio exclaid.

The canine-featured species of the Manuga race were known as Vrkuga.

Woo! Raar! Without hesitation, they pounced.

Helma hurriedly fired her arrows. "Fool! Stop gawking! Run!"

"Ah, yes!" Ballio joined her, firing arrows to keep the Vrkuga at a distance. Despite the terror, an excited grin spread across his face. 'So they do exist in reality!'

"Huff! Are you sure we've lost them?" Damara asked, leaning heavily against a tree, her spear clutched in her hand. Her breath ca in ragged gasps.

"I think so." Imla also leaned against a tree, her complexion pale. "Who would have thought we'd be hunted by talking cats that walk on two legs?"

Damara managed a light chuckle. "The Vyaghruga species of the Manuga race. They have feline features."

Imla's tone was grim. "Don't you think they were trying to capture us, not kill us? I didn't see them kill anyone, only chase us."

Damara's stomach growled loudly. Her face flushed. "I... I didn't notice."

'Why were we transported to this place, filled with rakshasa and the manuga race? We must regroup quickly if we want to survive this last trial.'

Imla pushed herself upright. "Let's move. We need to find food and shelter."

With a groan, Damara followed her.