The sound of metal rang in the air as two beings clashed.

One was a monster, while the other was a human.

One had two spears instead of arms and the other held a black sword that seemed to dim the light around it.

The spear and its tail would make the sand dance in the air with each strike, each move leaving the air trembling. The man wearing a black hooded cloak and clear silver eyes with a dry face raised his hand, slowing the monster down to take a step back.

The monster momentarily froze, slowing down enough for Asher to see the scars and fresh blood he had given the spearhead. However, it didn't seem to have hit any vital parts. Asher ascertained his surroundings so as not to struggle much.

In his ears, childlike giggles continued to press closely, reminding him of another monster presence.

With the sun high and no sign of night to fall anytime soon. The creature's presence remained vague. At night he could sense hundreds, if not thousands, of deadly presences at every step. However, that didn't make the day any safer. Instead, those who couldn't survive the night, like him, only more vigorously searched for prey.

Just like the monster in front of him.

Asher kept his eyes on the beast and let out a tired breath. He wasn't tired from the fight itself but from walking all the way here. This was the reason he wanted to end the fight swiftly by striking its vitals. Though, to use [static], he could kill the beast in two or three tries, but he still wanted to be precise and keep it as minimum as possible.

This place held a lot of monsters; some appeared at unprecedented speed, while others simply kept a watchful eye, waiting for the correct moment to strike.

Just then a red ember appeared on the monster's spear-like hands. The tip glowed furiously, blinking the sign of danger.

The giggles grew louder—shrill, distorted, almost gleeful. Before long, Asher bent his knees and leapt high into the air, the wind splitting beneath his sudden ascent.

Two red beams shot out from the spear below, scorching through the air with a sharp sizzle, as if the very atmosphere had been burned to cinders. The flash blinded him for a heartbeat.

Asher's eyes widened as he descended, teeth clenched, the heat brushing past his cheek. The spear monster let out a gurgling shriek and lunged forward, moving faster than before—like a blur of writhing limbs and metal.

Asher twisted midair, using the pull of gravity to his advantage. His sword flashed, a clean arc of silver cutting through the chaos. The blade struck the monster's chest with a crack, the sound sharp and final. The creature's armor-like skin splintered under the impact, and the force sent it staggering back, claws dragging through the dirt as it howled in fury.

However, Asher knew it wouldn't be this simple.

In the next instant, Asher closed the distance.

The monster's movements halted abruptly—its body stiffened mid-lunge, frozen like a statue caught between life and death.

Asher exhaled slowly, grounding his stance as his fingers tightened around the hilt. Then, with a sharp thrust, he drove the blade into the gaping wound he had carved moments ago.

Time seemed to lurch forward again. The monster's stillness shattered as a guttural scream tore through the air. The crystal sword flared to life—the enchantment blazing along its edge as the once-clear blade darkened, its glow deepening into a sharp, predatory hue. Each inch it sank deeper carried the weight of finality.

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Moments later, the creature's towering frame shuddered and collapsed, crashing against the earth with a thunderous thud that sent dust spiraling upward.

Asher stood still for a heartbeat, the echo of battle fading into silence. He drew in a slow breath, stepping back with weary precision before yanking the sword free. Its surface gleamed faintly in the dim light, slick with blackened ichor.

Finally, he let his legs give out, lowering himself onto the corpse of the fallen beast. His chest rose and fell, the quiet around him almost deafening. A faint, tired smirk tugged at his lips as the warmth of exhaustion sank into his bones. He then opened his mouth, looking at the two yellow-burning embers.

"Oh, not laughing anymore? If someone saw you, they might think they saw a ghost!"

The giggles had faded away in the air the moment the sword was pushed inside the beast.

The acosador remained still but then its grin widened before small giggles came out.

Asher's face stiffened and his smirk cracked.

"...Damn, I was joking. Did I make you mad?"

Asher's voice came out strained as he abruptly stood up. Even though he knew the laughter was a warning for the incoming danger, he had a foreboding it might just be its way of mocking him back. He threw a resentful look at the beast before cutting down the fallen beast into pieces he might need and swiftly stored them in his bracelet.

The bracelet, while good for storage, sadly had an expiry date and a limit of capacity as well. The one Asher was using could last for almost 9 months. Even then Asher had made sure to keep it as safe as possible; after all, it was made from a complex number of runes. If the bracelet breaks, his chances of survival will plummet!

Asher stood up and looked at the spear-like arms of the beast. He wanted to take it as well, but due to its length, the bracelet couldn't store it. In the end, the only thing he took was the shard and the chest plate—or at least pieces of it—since he had managed to make a gaping hole through the monster's chest.

As the laughter grew a little louder, Asher sighed and started to walk away after wearing the mask again. Time passed swiftly as he walked for several kilometers. By then, the laughter coming out of the Acosador had considerably stopped. However, Asher remained tense and kept his guard up; after all, from where he had just walked, he had heard explosions—loud and uncontrolled ones at that.

His spirit remained shaken, but his mind didn't waver. To him, it felt as if several hammers kept striking him without rest—relentless, heavy, and merciless—but it didn't break him. Not yet.

His mind only got stronger!

Though he still wished for his fatigue to end. His will was the only thing that kept him going till the very end as he walked alone in this forsaken land of nowhere.

'Really, a little rest… for half an hour—no, at least an hour. Yes, that would be nice.'

Asher thought in a daze.

However, this was one of the many thoughts he was having.

He could finally do something different and his training has borne its first fruit…

Having two different thoughts at once!

Though the threads had opened from the yarn of his mind, two new problems had come together as well. One was the fatigue, which, while not very high, still left him dazed from time to time. The other was chaos; he had no control over his thoughts unless he forcefully kept them in control. This was tiring; that was why he didn't keep them closed for long.

However, this led to random thoughts appearing one after another even when remaining thoughtless.

It was strange but not an unwelcome change.

His [static] has grown stronger, extraordinarily so. The way he could control it and the amount he could deploy were far above his usual capacity. Though not for long, his essence would vanish in an instant, and he would be powerless.

In any case, Asher had gained something here, another mind, another strength, but he still needed to make this trait his own. And grow it further into the future, if he had any future at all.

Just then Asher heard a shriek. It was loud yet sharp.

He steadily raised his head up in the sky, taking a small peek after squinting his eyes, as the sunlight was too much. From under his hood, he saw only one, two, three… silhouettes flying in the air as he counted them one after the other.

The figures were vague but he soon understood who they were; he had previously seen them after all. As realization dawned upon him, he pursed his lips tightly as they quickly went dry.

The creatures had their vast wings spread and sand seemed to dance around them, their shadows swallowing the sand.

It was the sand bird!

Three of them at that.

'At least I now know where they came from in kalista.'

Asher frowned with a dark look and turned his gaze at the acosador.

His stalking friend and current companion has yet to laugh—to mock his despair. Asher didn't panic; rather, he smiled. It was a weak smile, however, not forced at all.

It was his first natural smile after arriving here.

'He only laugh when the danger is something I could hardly handle or couldn't at all.'

'This also happened with the spear monster. Acosador refused to laugh; it only did after something else came closer. Presumable much horrible.'

Asher's mood lifted slightly, though not much, as he understood more about his stalking companion.

It was a new discovery. A dreadful discovery.

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