Andrew Bailey & The Eternal Maze

Chapter - 18

As the shadows on the emerging figure were soon lifted as he emerged. Just like what Ethena thought, it was indeed Ben. 

"Looks like you've been well Ethena, changed your mind about being under Atlas yet? He still wants to welcome you in to our group."

"Looks like you're up to no good again. Are you really asking me to join after trying to kill us?"

"Seriously what are you talking about?" Ben frowned his eyebrows and had a puzzled look on his face. 

"So this dagger on the tree does not belong to you? Just admit it like a man. I don't see any other scumbag that could do it around so you fit the profile of being the attacker."

"Attacker? Wh-"

From the very same shadows another figure jumped out without even making a single sound, grabbed Ben from the back and brought him back into the darkness. It happened so fast that both Ethena and Snow were stunned without being able to make a single move. Ben's eyes seemed genuinely in shock. 

"Guess he wasn't lying when he said he had no idea about that dagger. Though I fail to understand why the assailant attacked him and well not us." Snow pointed out to Ethena.

Though the fact was Ethena wasn't really listening to what Snow was saying. The first person that could completely hid their presence from Ethena to her was considered incredible. Though right this instance they had a bigger problem. She could feel an intense bloodlust behind them. A different player was at large. The foul stench of blood began filling their nostrils, whatever was surrounding them had certainly been busy.

With a shape of a snake, it hissed and sprung into the air. It was fast and by just catching a glimpse Snow was already in a position to fight. With a deep breath she exhaled a wall of smoke, any living being passing through would definitely be knocked out when inhaled.

Intending to get her compliment from Ethena, she turned behind without checking the situation landed her a sharp cut on her leg. The snake had pass through the smoke without a problem and now it was coiling around snow's body and seemed like it was about to strike Snow's heart.

Ethena with every intention of grabbing the snake, tried to grip the snake only to find it passed right through her hand. It was like trying to grab water, it was slipping through the cracks of her fingers forming back into the shape of a snake.

Snow tried her best not to panic and had covered her entire arm with aura, though it wasn't that visible to the naked eye, but a thin film surfaced onto her arm. The red snake was bubbling up and as though it was melting, it kept dripping till it was becoming a red puddle on the ground.

"Wow someone managed to survive. Haven't seen that since that annoying Atlas."

"Who's there!?" Ethena shouted out.

Drip, drip, drip. The sound was getting closer. The sound of droplets were approaching them slowly. They could just  feel the intense bloodlust just increasing, it was many times stronger than the bloodlust from the beasts they had encountered.

What stood ahead was definitely a sadist or a psychopath. Showing a non expressive face with blood covering the entire body. One could tell because of the foul stench emanating from his body. It was bad enough before but when he came nearer it was getting intolerable.

"Ahhh, you rang? The whole day I've been fighting nothing but weaklings who can't even fight but keep yapping. But you two seem strong. Am I right?"  

Instead of replying, Ethena and Snow covered their noses to block the smell.

"Oh, I remember now, the poison user Snow. The one who managed to poison the whole class. The one they call 'special'. "

Not knowing whether he was trying to rile Snow up, Ethena just replied with three words. 

"Are you jealous?"

The inexpressive face turned into a smile and burst out laughing. He held his stomach with his left hand and started pounding on his leg with his right. 

"You could be right. Perhaps I was jealous. After all, you had it all back then unlike me."

Ripping off his shirt, left a shocking impression on both of them. Scar marks, burn marks. It looked like he was tortured a large number of times over the years. Some looked fresh and some didn't.

"My name is Bellows and I used to be in the same place as Snow over there. Only difference was I had nothing and she had it all."