The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 43: The Hunt

The moment Lumian grasped the situation, he turned around and sprinted away.

There was nothing in the environment he could use to his advantage, and he had no idea what abilities the "blacksmith" monster possessed. What else could he do but run?

Once he reached the nearest natural trap and confirmed that the monster was still pursuing him, then he could consider launching a counterattack.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Lumian didn't run in a straight line; he darted in an "S" shape like a snake.

He was worried that the monster might predict his path and launch a fireball or throw some long-range weapon.

In the past, Lumian could have run in a curve, but there were moments when he had to slow down significantly to reduce inertia; otherwise, his body couldn't handle it, or he'd likely fall.

But now, things were different. His flexibility was far beyond that of a normal human. His muscles and tendons easily allowed him to twist his body almost halfway around, with a smooth arc.

Thanks to this, Lumian believed that as long as the "blacksmith" monster didn't have any special abilities, he should be able to escape the "wall" area and reach the nearby ruins, just seven or eight meters away.

Suddenly, his heart tightened, and he had a strong premonition of danger.

Without thinking or analyzing, Lumian let his momentum carry him forward, falling to the ground.

*Slash!* A sharp pain shot through his back as the eerie silver-black dagger sliced a gash, spilling bright red blood.

The "blacksmith" monster had closed the gap between them in just one step, swinging its weapon.

It was as if it had compressed the distance of dozens of steps into a single stride!

Ignoring the pain, Lumian rolled twice and finally reached the edge of a half-collapsed building.

He pushed himself off the ground and darted inside, using the walls and furniture for cover, and then bolted out the back door.

Returning to this area was like a tiger returning to the deep mountains or a fish to the river. Lumian skillfully navigated the ruins, sometimes circling around, sometimes moving straight ahead.

In just about ten seconds, he reached the natural trap he had scouted earlier and hid behind a section of roof that had fallen to the ground, waiting for the "blacksmith" monster to arrive.

He didn't attempt the ritual dance because he felt there wasn't enough time—the monster clearly had some unique pursuit ability.

As time passed, Lumian neither saw the "blacksmith" monster nor heard any sounds approaching. He didn't even notice any new footprints around him.

"Didn't it follow me?" Lumian couldn't help but frown.

He was relieved but also found the situation a bit strange.

After pondering for a while, he guessed that the "blacksmith" monster couldn't leave the "wall" area. As soon as he entered the ruins, it had given up the chase.

Considering that he had already suffered two injuries and was becoming exhausted, Lumian decided not to explore further.

Relying on his extraordinary flexibility, he treated the wound on his back and began retracing his steps towards the edge of the ruins.

He walked for a long time, passing familiar collapsed buildings, when a sense of unease crept over him. "It's been longer than it should take to finish a meal, but I still haven't left the dream ruins? The area isn't particularly large, and I've been walking in a straight line... What's going on?"