Chapter 69: Ch:69 Don’t Run to Town

Daniel’s hands froze mid-air, eyes bulging. A dagger hovered at his throat, its cold edge kissing his skin, while a rough hand clamped his mouth shut.

“Mmpph… mphh…” He struggled to speak, but the grip held firm, silencing him.

The figure tightened its hold and hissed. “Now, simply raise your right hand if it’s a yes and raise the left if it’s a no. First, did anyone sent you after me?”

Daniel slowly lifted his left hand, every movement deliberate.

The man flicked his eyes to the left and posed another question.

“Are you associated with any guilds?” he whispered warmly.

Daniel raised his left hand once more.

“Do you know who I am?”

He raised his left hand again.

The questions were never-ending, like a relentless river. With each one, the dagger crept closer to his throat, and Daniel felt the man’s right shoulder tense and rise.

“Should I kill you now? Nah—na don’t try to move, it’s no use,” he whispered as Daniel struggled against his grip.

’Fuck, am I going to die again? No this death is unacceptable, what do I do?!’

Daniel calmly raised his left hand.

“Oh… so you’re telling me you’re worth sparing?”

As he raised his right hand, a small spark suddenly flickered from Daniel’s palm. His eyes widened in panic—he thought he was about to die.

’Hm! Is he a disciple of Marco?’ the man wondered.

“Whether you live or die depends on this question. Is your master Marco?” he whispered against Daniel’s neck.

Daniel paused, his hands frozen. Then he gambled on honesty. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his right hand.

To Daniel’s surprise, the man did not execute him. He slowly lowered the dagger and tucked it away.

“Listen to me very carefully, you now silently go back to your place and forget what you saw today, and don’t think that I can’t kill you without the dagger, my hands are enough to crush your tiny skull like an egg. Now go—”

*Whoosh*

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, the black-hooded man unleashed a burst of flames from his palm. It collided with a thunderball in a violent explosion. Smoke hung in the air, and leaves burned and scattered from the blast.

As the dust began to settle, a faravark stood in the corner, huffing angrily as white smoke poured from its mouth, it’s eyes glowing—angry red.

Daniel’s eyes shifted to the white-robed figure. From where he stood, it looked as though their feet hovered above the ground, the body eerily motionless, its eyes glowing crimson.

One of the white-robed figures in the back hovered their hand, and a purple runic circle shimmered into existence in mid-air as they began chanting a spell.

Another white-robed figure joined in, chanting as a yellow runic circle formed in mid-air. But before it could even utter a word, the man hurled a dagger. It struck the figure’s skull, killing it instantly.

From the purple circle, a stone golem rose. Towering over the figures at twice their size, its eyes burned purple, and strange chevron patterns along its arms and back pulsed with eerie light.

“Oh shit… we have to run,” the man said, conjuring a flame in his right palm.

*Whooosh*

The man swiped his right hand upward, summoning a phoenix of flame that erupted into a straight wall of fire as a barrier. Immediately, he plunged deeper into the jungle, but before he disappeared, he leaned close to Daniel’s ear and whispered, “Don’t run in the direction of the town.”

*Thud!-Thud!-Thud!*

Daniel panicked. “Ugh… wha—?”

From the other side of the firewall, footsteps echoed, growing closer with every second. His legs shook with terror, but he forced himself to run with all his strength—for his life.

*BOOM!*

From the corner of the firewall, another lightning blast streaked out, slicing through its layers. It slammed into a tree, sending it crashing to the ground.

*KRAAAK-DSHHH!*

Daniel darted deeper into the jungle, zigzagging between trees and using each one as cover. He had no idea where he was going—only that death was closing in behind him.

Trees toppled one after another, and rocks flew like they had been launched from a catapult. His breathing grew heavy, and the only thing he could focus on was the early morning sunrise, as he ran toward its light in the hope of survival.

“Fuck, I can’t run no more. I… am… run… ing out of… air…” Daniel gasped, whispering to himself.

Instantly, an intense warm light blazed behind him. He glanced quickly—just in time to see a faravark charging a lightning blast toward him. He was about to be struck, his life flashed before his eyes.

*Swoosh*

*KA-BOOM*

The thunder blast and fire blast collided before reaching Daniel. The man had been hiding in the trees, but as he revealed himself to protect Daniel, a boulder shot straight toward him.

*THOOM!-CRAAACK*

The man blasted the boulder, but it shattered into chunks, tumbling like meteorites. Daniel stumbled onto a downward slope and came to a stop. But just as he paused, a chunk of the boulder—the size of a ball—smacked his back, sending him rolling down the grassy incline.

“AHH!!” he screamed, tumbling uncontrollably.

The world flipped upside down as he tumbled, his hands clutching his head to shield it. Then suddenly, the ground shivered, rising into a tent-like rock structure, glowing white at its center.

Daniel barreled ahead, not of his own will, but dragged along by the slope and the relentless momentum beneath him.

…

…

…

*BANG!*

Daniel crashed into a wall, upside down. A moment later, as he straightened and rubbed the back of his head, he glanced around—and realized he was in a completely different area.

It looked like a tunnel framed with wood. A torch burned dimly on the right wall, and beneath it, a rusted suit of armor stood empty, a note held between its fingers.

“Fuck, what is this smell. Eakkh…” he muttered, gagging at the stench of rot.

He approached the armor cautiously. Bugs swarmed from it, crawling back as if fleeing Daniel, scattering across the floor.

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( Note )

: Kill the boss to exit the dungeon (0/1)

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