Killer's Intent

《 Chapter 4 》

He was pulled out of his sleep by a faint rustling noise.

After many years of struggling to survive on his own, Kieran had meticulously trained himself to be a light sleeper. He knew that he couldn't afford to let his guard down, especially in this unknown place with mysterious monsters.

He heard the rustling noise move closer, and tightened his grip on his daggers, only to feel a scorching pain crawl up his left shoulder. Biting back the urge to curse, he glanced down at his wound and scowled. The infection had gotten even worse, to the point where he couldn't even move his shoulder without feeling an enormous amount of pain.

He gritted his teeth, and hoped that one dagger was enough to do the job.

Slipping his left dagger back into its sheath, he quietly got up to his feet and crouched behind the boulder. He made a calculated guess that whatever was there didn't know his location, or else it would've attacked him already.

Now he just had to wait.

He crouched for what felt like an eternity, still as a statue, relying on the patience he had acquired over the years. But when he was finally able to get a glimpse of whatever was lurking in the shadows, he felt a shock course through his body as his eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat.

It looked like a demon.

Had he fallen down into some sort of hell?

No, it couldn't be. He was certain that he wasn't dead, and as far as he knew, he was the only living person in this place. Brushing all the thoughts away, he carefully observed the demon.

Or at least, it was what he thought a demon would look like. It was hunching as it walked, its tall, lanky figure easily surpassing three meters, towering above the jagged rocks. Its body was jet black, seemingly absorbing all the light around it, as long, claw-like hands hung limply by its sides. They swayed as it walked, its bones cracking with every step, creating an awful grating noise that resembled old creaking floorboards. Two tall horns on his head adorned its head as the creature sniffed the air, its harsh breaths deafening against the silent atmosphere.

Kieran felt a faint killing intent coming from the creature and froze. If it was able to smell humans, he was screwed.

His gaze trailed up the boulder he had used for his hiding space, a plan forming in his mind.

He took a deep breath. The plan would only work if he was able to climb up the boulder, but now he was injured and was only able to use one arm. It would be difficult to make it, but it was his best chance at survival.

But first, he needed to draw away its attention.

His mind whirling, Kieran grabbed a rock from the ground and started to cut off a piece of his shirt. Wrapping the the fabric around the rock, he hurled it in the opposite direction as hard as he could. It crashed onto the ground a few meters away and the demon snapped its head towards the noise, sniffing the air. Immediately, its desire to kill grew stronger, and Kieran's eyes blazed gold, activating his Skill.

Although he still felt a little drained from using his Skill in his previous fight, his rest had recharged him long enough to activate his Skill for another battle.

He could do this.

The demon slowly stalked towards the rock like an experienced predator.

Taking his chance, Kieran gripped the boulder and started to climb. He was careful not to make any noise, and tried not to put any weight on his injured shoulder. He stopped when he was a good distance above the demon and waited, his heart hammering in his chest.

He heard a low growl as the demon realized that it had been tricked, and it started sniffing the air again. Its gaze locked onto the boulder Kieran had climbed and prowled towards it.

Kieran held his breath as he heard the crunch of footsteps coming near him, and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. He saw the monster coming into view, still sniffing the air around him as it moved closer and closer. He knew that this was a critical point where he couldn't act rashly.

Just a little closer.

The moment the demon walked directly under him, Kieran jumped down, stabbing hard with his dagger and aiming for the head. Unprepared and defenceless for the attack, the demon stumbled as Kieran's blade lodged deeply into its skull.

But it didn't die.

It swept a claw upwards, and Kieran jumped back, flipping off the demon's shoulder and landing behind it, slashing at its legs. He saw black blood ooze out of the wound, and retreated a few steps as the demon raked its claws at him. Bloodthirsty red eyes locked onto him as it slowly started to curl its mouth into a sinister grin, as if knowing a secret it couldn't wait to expose.

He saw the demon open its mouth and felt an ominous foreboding.

A screech tore through the air, the sound waves sending Kieran back a few steps and making him cover his ears to block the awful noise. But that was the least of his worries now, as he heard pounding footsteps in the distance heading towards his direction.

Without any hesitation, he turned and ran, trying to find cover. Behind him, he could see an endless horde of black mass as more demonic howls echoed through the air. The sky darkened dramatically, and he looked up in horror as he saw even more demons flying above.

Those things have wings?

He looked around desperately for any sort of shelter, and felt a faint spark of hope when he could make out a cave in the distance. But could he make it? If he was in his prime, his chances would be much higher. But he was injured and exhausted, and his shoulder burned with pain every time he took a step. He wasn't sure if he could make it without being ripped apart.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp killing intent coming from his right, and instinctively turned, narrowly avoiding sharp claws grazing his arm. He used his dagger to slash at the demon and risked a glance back.

They were catching up to him.

But the cave was only a few more meters ahead of him. He still had a chance.

But as he drew near, he couldn't help but feel like something was off. It was only when he reached the mouth of the cave that he realized what it was, when he couldn't hear the frantic rumble of demonic footsteps or the rapid fluttering of their crooked wings.

The demons had stopped chasing him altogether.

Instead, they were slowly retreating, snarling and screeching at the entrance like wild animals.

And in that moment, he had an ominous premonition.

There was something in this cave, something that even the demons were scared of. But Kieran was also certain that if he went out again, he wouldn't stand a chance. His injury was getting worse by the minute, and he could feel that he was almost at his limit.

There was no other choice. He had to face whatever was in there.

Taking a deep breath, he walked deeper into the cave.

________________________________

Author's note:

Damn, my boy can't catch a break. I wonder what lies inside the cave. Maybe he'll find something. Or someone? *cough cough*. I'll see you guys in the next update!

If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider voting! ♥