Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 89.2: Xu Yao

Abandoned Island off the Serian South Coast.

8:58 am. 25th Banem 1092.

29 Days to World's End.

"Ugh."

Kashi awoke with a groan to the chirping of birds. He felt like his veins were on fire, and his head pounded like a beating drum. Kashi winced, and then slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in an unfamiliar room. Cracked walls and extremely sparse funiture gave off an air of desolation and poverty.

Kashi groaned as he sat up on the bed. A frown formed between his brows as he looked at the date on the system clock. He had been out for two days? What the hell? That was two days of practice wasted! Kashi cursed as he stood up. He walked to the door and then pushed it open.

Kashi walked out onto a familiar beachside. He spotted five sailors rowing onto shore on a skiff, having finished their fishing for the day. Two sailors waited on the shore, to help with mooring the boat, but the remaining three were not in sight.

Hnnng!

Startled by a grunt, Kashi looked to his right where he saw a sailor snoring as he rested against the wall. As if sensing the daeben's gaze, the sailor woke with a start. The old midi smiled as he gave Kashi a once-over.

"So yer awake, kid? Was thinking you'd be down fer a few weeks. How's yer feeling?"

"Hurts like hell. But I'll live."

The midi grinned, amused by Kashi's answer. "All we can ask fer, really." His gaze then dimmed. "Don't know if yer ride's gonna make it though. He's in a bad way."

Kashi frowned. "Drix? What happened? No." Kashi grabbed the sailor and then tossed him over his shoulder. "Point the way. Tell me what happened as we go."

The midi pointed with its feet. "That way, kid." Kashi took off like a jet, but the midi's gaze remained calm, surprisingly unperturbed. "When yer disappeared, Drix ya call him? Yeah, Drix went looking fer ye. The kid charged across the Forever Sea nonstop for two days looking for ye. Luckily, he managed to find ye, but―"

"Drix!" Kashi shouted as he broke through the trees to a small clearing. The remaining sailors were crouched over a heavily panting Drix. The grass around was charred brown by electric sparks that shot out of the kirin's body. The sailors, a masonian man and a female kafu fed Drixlia some ground herbs, seemingly immune to the sparks.

Kashi frowned. The hell? Drixlia's electricity wasn't something you could just stand in. Who were these people, really? Bzzt! Kashi shook his head. This was not the time to consider that problem. Drixlia really did seem to be in bad shape. Kashi dropped the midi, and then rushed over to the kirin's side.

Drixlia looked terrible. Horrible injuries ran along its abdomen and legs, as if something had nearly torn it in half. The kirin's eyes were glazed over, evidently unable to recognize its surroundings. Its breathing was laboured and slow. Despite its brave struggle, it was nearing the end of its life.

As he examined Drixlia's injuries, Kashi finally recalled the last moments before he passed out. When he broke out of the ocean, Drixlia descended from the sky in a flash of blue lightning. But then, the monster chasing him caught up and attempted to swallow them whole.

In that moment of desperation, Drixlia jumped four tiers to forcefully utilize Tier 5 Gold Lightning. That overdraft alone was enough to break the kirin in pieces, but then, Drixlia got scratched by the monster's teeth as it escaped the beast's mouth. That scratch very nearly tore it clean in half.

That was the moment Kashi blacked out. From the moment Kashi broke out, to Drixlia escaping the monster, barely a second passed. That was how tight the margin of error, Drixlia was forced to work with. By all accounts, it was a miracle either of them survived that encounter.