The large shadows continued to loom over him.

The last scene he had previously witnessed before arriving at this place was the monsters falling from the sky and a sharp and blinding light.

Asher remembered hearing someone say something about monsters being teleported from somewhere far. At first it was a theory, but now Asher believed it may have been true.

While he couldn't tell if it was natural or man-made, he despised it nonetheless.

'Handling three will be tough.'

'I should escape before they notice.'

While one thought prepared for a fight, another was ready to escape. Asher controlled both, letting both threads of the yarn, the strings of his mind, get ready for what was to come. He summoned his sword and took a stance to leap ahead. The three sand birds circling above him seemed to have sensed the shift below, as suddenly a sandstorm was raised from the ground.

'Of course, this would happen.'

Asher clicked his tongue and donned the mask of panoply. His presence thinned; however, his vision had become narrow as well. The storm made his vision useless as he ran ahead. From the heavens above, giant stones started to fall one after the other. Asher could only see stones falling towards him as he leaped sideways. He had to rely on instinct alone.

He tried to look up and even glanced at the Acosador's burning eyes, hoping for a hint, but the storm had swallowed even his stalking companion. Still, he knew it would appear if it wished to.

In any case, Asher inhaled deeply from behind his mask and glanced upward before leaping into the air, using the sky itself as his ladder. His steps defied the raging storm, carrying him higher and higher. As he drew closer, his gaze locked onto the three birds circling above, their shrill cries piercing through the wind.

At first, one of the sand birds seemed oblivious to his presence, gliding through the storm without care. The mask did its job perfectly, veiling his existence like a shadow between gusts—until Asher swung his sword, taking another step through the air. The moment his blade sliced through the howling wind, the creature turned, its two eyes reflecting his figure in fragments of flying dust.

His sword struck its beak and dark ichor started to fall one after the other.

"Krrrrr!"

A cry tore from the bird's broken beak as Asher kicked off its body, stopping it mid-flight. His mind drifted briefly, his focus spreading to the other two birds, slowing their movements to a crawl. In his eyes, the world stilled—the frozen sand bird suspended before him like a fragment of time refusing to move.

Asher twisted his body in the air, steadying himself against the roaring winds. The crystal sword in his hand gleamed faintly before its light began to fade, darkening until it swallowed the glow around it. With a sharp exhale, he raised the blade high above his head and brought it down in one decisive strike, the air trembling as shadows rippled from the descending edge.

And then—

Time started to move again as he lifted [static] from the bird and at the same time felt blood explode like a fountain from the bird's neck, splashing everywhere as it fell with a loud, painful cry.

With one thought managing the timing while the other [static], Asher felt one of his previous burdens to do attacks hastily decrease considerably and give him more time to prepare.

Asher stepped down and let the two other birds free themselves from his hold.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

His figure fell as he landed just above the fallen sand bird after his decisive strike.

He looked up and stared at the two giant birds still circling around with shrieks escaping their beaks. Both creatures of beyond seemed to have sensed the demise of their kin, even going as far as to let out a cry full of sorrow.

However, Asher's expression didn't change. He kept a stone-hard face with a stern and cold gaze on his enemies.

'Do they want me to mourn for their kin? To feel sorrow for the one I killed.'

Asher found it amusing. It may have been his imagination or his mind just playing tricks from being tired. However, in the end it didn't matter.

He once again raised his sword to fight but wished they would both just run away instead.

Unlike before, Asher was fighting alone; he didn't have people around him who would protect him if he were to fall. He needed to be more cautious than anything, even avoiding fights as much as possible.

If he were to run, the sand birds would follow him, and he was not confident enough to deceive them to be left alone.

However,

'If I can't run away. I need to make them do it instead.'

With such thought, Asher took a step forward and saw one giant shadow cover him instantly.

The sand bird has dived toward him!

Asher inhaled deeply and started to leap in the sky from one place to another to let the sand bird's momentum die down. Its skin covered in sand seems to intensify the storm brewing around them, making it harder to stay at one place for long.

With a grunt, Asher locked his gaze at the diving creature while keeping his focus on the second beast as well.

And then slowed down the one closest to him.

Asher felt his skin go dry and his throat empty. The dust settled on him like a second skin, making his body tremble uncomfortably.

'Fast. I need to do it faster.'

Asher steadied his breath before lunging his blade forward, aiming for the bird's wide-spread wings. A spray of thick ichor rained down as the creature regained momentum just in time, clashing against his sword exactly as he had planned.

The pale, sand-colored feathers darkened almost instantly, soaked in its own blood. Moments later, a piercing shriek tore through the desert winds, a cry so sharp it made Asher's chest tighten.

'Not so loud!' he cursed inwardly, panic flickering in his eyes. The last thing he needed was to draw attention—yet fate seemed deaf to his plea.

A childlike laughter drifted through the air, carried on the storm's howl. It was close—too close. Asher's face drained of color; the chill that followed made even his fingers tremble. From that laughter alone, he knew something terrible was coming… something far worse than the wounded sand bird before him.

"Run away already…" he muttered under his breath, glancing at the two creatures. To his slight relief, both began to retreat—one flying strong, the other struggling, its torn wings flapping weakly.

The wound wasn't deep; he hadn't been the one to truly swing the sword.

"I should hurry."

Asher said, turning around as the storm started to settle down.

Just then his face stiffened.

In front of him, a tall, thin figure stretched out from the darkness like a living shadow. Its grin was wide and unnatural, cutting too deep across its face. Wrinkled skin clung tight to its frame, and from its sides jutted limbs twisted like dried branches. Two burning embers glowed where eyes should have been—watching him, unblinking, as the air grew heavy and cold.

Asher drew a cold breath as the laughter pressed closely on his ears.

He then walked forward and then walked past the acosador, ignoring it completely.

"I am not planning on dying here." He gave it a cold glance. "You should give up whatever you are planning."

"Hehehhehe."

The laughter pressed even closer on Asher's ears before he started to feel his mind rattle.

He gulped heavily, feeling his throat run dry and his skin crawl.

"Let's go." He muttered to himself and started to run ahead, feeling a dark presence coming from behind him.

The sand beneath his feet began to tremble, each grain dancing as if alive. His steps quickened instinctively, and in the next heartbeat, he was moving like the wind—blitzing forward through the wasteland.

Rumble!

A deafening crack echoed from behind, like a cloud exploding under pressure. Asher didn't dare to look back; the weight in the air told him enough—a storm was coming, and fast.

His breaths grew ragged, each one scraping against his throat. The desert stretched endlessly before him, and with every step, his legs felt heavier, trembling beneath the strain. The storm's roar followed close, a monstrous growl that threatened to swallow him whole.

When he finally stopped in his tracks, he turned to look back and saw dark clouds had filled the sky where he had previously fought the three sand birds.

Instinctively Asher knew the clouds were not natural and entirely different from the ones made in Atlas as well.

The clouds rained with lightning and a loud, almost deafening echo of light. From below another pillar of light raged on the cloud, making Asher's legs wobble weakly.

When he glanced at his stalking companion, for the first time he saw a different emotion on its grinning face.

It was disappointment.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.