Due to her lack of skills, the first shot missed and so did the second. Aefia barely managed to plant the third shot. After a short while, her 'Infographics' skill functioned.
Aefia gave a run to try and escape, maybe hide for a few second so she could figure out what to do. She ran with no destination and kept her pistol out in case the beast gets into a range to attack her.
By now, her system was functioning. The red screen of the system popped up in front of Aefia and the first thing she checked was her health.
[Health: 200/250 HP]
It was enough to summon her 'Time Pause' skill if it were functioning by now. She tried activating her 'Infographics' skill first. 'Provide me with the details of the beast!'
The skill was working. It turns out that the sudden movement in dimensions and the injury on her head, momentarily shut off to avoid the situation from being too difficult. But the beast triggered the skills back, mostly combat.
She then tried using her 'Restrictice Strings' skill to lock the beast in place. The beast was a demon, from another outer world residing temporarily in this destroyed world to protect the orb. That's what they warned me about don't touch the orb. But who would do that?
Her injury caused her head to hurt even more and her dizziness was returning. She had to do things fast, she accidentally entered a world which was destroyed by the Torture Cell.
The demon was a phase three beast, unlike Aefia who was still a beginner. She had the opportunity to train harder when she could back at Nikoan but she had been reckless enough to not consider thinking about the Torture Cell and their doings. She could have at least learnt a few sentences about them.
She continued running while trying to activate her psychic skills each at a time. Soon enough, she entered a place full of fallen pillars and broken roof. It was the perfect temporary hiding spot.
She used her 'Wolf's Strength' skill to jump over the pillars and hide behind them until she could figure out a way. She went through her list of skills again and again. Nothing seemed to help.
The only thing left to do now, was to try and fight the beast and make her way out of this world or this dimension. She let down her cloak's hood and faced the beast.
While standing on top of the fallen pillars, Aefia shouted,"If you are looking for me, I am standing right here!"
The beast turned to face Aefia and ran at incredible speed at her direction. She held her pistol out straight and aimed at it. She shot a bullet through its chest and the beast fell backwards. The place where the bullet struck was burning. It was thus, an evil spirit.
The beast got up anyway and touched the place of the bullet. When he removed his hand, the burn was gone and the crushed bullet fell on the ground in front of Aefia. She gulped at the sight she had just witnessed. It was probably her death day today.
She looked up again. The beast was flying to her place with the axe above his head like he was about to chop her down in half. Aefia moved away in time to avoid it. The pillar that was struck, split into half and the axe broke in half too.
The beast took out a sword from his hilt while walking to Aefia. I don't know what caused him to think I am a traitor or an enemy, I am just a lost traveler.
Aefia took out a bullet from her pistol. She broke it in half and injested the potion inside it. It was a white gooey substance that was despicably bitter and tasted like medicine. Nevertheless, she swallowed it, knowing she had to fight off this beast to save herself and successfully return back to Nikoan.
Her health increased by fifty, meaning her health had fully recovered, but her injuries stayed. Maybe it doesn't heal injuries.
Aefia held the gun and took out the knife from its shealth. The knife was already vibrating with the intensity of the battle and started to transform itself.
Meanwhile, the beast started speaking an unknown language and sprinted towards Aefia. Aefia held up the gun and fired two bullets at the beast. The beast dogdged both of it and lunged at Aefia.
Aefia blocked the attack with her knife, which was a dagger by now. The red lightning pattern started to give a very bright red glow and it continued extending its blade's length.
The hilt became longer and a darker black with red gemstones lining it from top to bottom. A red ribbon was wrapped around the hilt and a keychain hung from the end. The blade became sharper at the end and the lightning pattern gave a brilliant red glow. The dagger was now a sword.
Perfect, I needed this right now. She put away her gun and pointed the tip of the sword at the beast. The beast lunged again and Aefia dodged it. The sword's extended blade allowed her to dogde the attacks better and more precisely.
The beast's blade and Aefia's blade collided again and again, each time causing a spark to appear. The battle was progressing faster and more dangerously. And the more it was progressing, the more Aefia was losing her health and her sanity.
The beast's blade barely touched her but she still suffered scratched and light cuts. The beast's sword pointed at Aefia's face and Aefia used her left hand to push her sword sideways in order to cancel out as much force as possible.
With her 'Wolf's strength' skill on, she pushed her blade hard enough to send him flying to the opposite direction. Within the short time Aefia had gotten, she cut up her finger and let the blood drop to the ground.
She used her 'Restrictice Strings' skill to form the red strings she had previously formed to trap Nada from running after her. The beast's hands and legs locked in place.
Suddenly, the beast's eyes rolled all the way back until only the white part was visible. The beast was continuously trying to move but the strings were tightening around him at the same time.
Aefia lunged at the beast's neck, in an attempt to slaughter it. The beast, broke through the tension of the strings and blocked the blade with his bare hands.
Aefia's forehead started sweating at the realization. She couldn't believe how he had just overcomed the string's effects. It was as if the skill's power was also nothing compared to his strength. I...surely have...overthought that part...
Aefia stepped back and away from the beast as he tore more and more of the strings, until the last string was torn. The beast picked up his sword and dashed at Aefia with the sword's tip facing her eyes.
Aefia's 'Short-term Furturesight' skill automatically deactivated and the blade went into her eyes. Blood poured down her eyes down to her chin before falling on the ground with a splat.
Aefia used her bare hand to remove the blade from her eyes using 'Wolf's Strength'. Her left eye hurt as if someone rubbed it with a hundred chili. She fell to her knees due to the pain.
Tears fell from her right eye and splat right next to the drops of blood falling. But she still couldn't give up now. She stood up and grabbed the sword. She cut out a long piece of fabric from her sleeve and wrapped it around her left eye.
She stared at the beast with her right eye, filled with anger and madness. Her right eye emitted a very strong red light which caused the beast to take a few steps back. Before long, Aefia lunged at the beast and the beast blocked it with his blade.
I have already lost an eye, I can't lose the other.
She lunged and lunged again. This time, she intercepted larger, more serious wounds. Blood flowed down her arms as she sent attacks after attacks at the beast. The beast didn't back down but injuries were visible on him too.
Aefia pushed all of her anger onto the edge of her sword as she stabbed the beast's shoulder, just above the heart. She had missed by mere inches. The beast staggered back and mumbled something Aefia still didn't understand.
The beast finished his incantations and the sword split into two. The battle is almost at the finish then.
This time, they were both trying their best to stab the other. Aefia's 'Short-term Furturesight' skill was finally functioning and she could see the beast's next move.
This demon is slightly unpredictive. He is not the beast I had fought on the first day. I need to calculate my attacks from here. Her red screen flashed a warning.
[Warning! Low HP]
[Health: 50/250HP]
I can't back down at this! I am almost at the finish line! I am...just ...there!!
Aefia lunged harder at the beast who was increasing his strength at the same time. Aefia's determination continued but her strength gave up. She was constantly collapsing and standing back up, her knees were fragile by now.
I...can use...a skill!..I need to find it.
The beast slammed the sword onto Aefia's sword. While Aefia was blocking the attack, the other sword came out of Aefia from behind.
Aefia looked down in horror. Her side was burning, she was stabbed and her health was down to twenty. She couldn't cut out another half of her sleeve to wrap the wound, she had to leave it in an unattended state at the moment.
She thought of what she had done wrong. Her head was already pounding from earlier while the beast was sharpening his sword with a stone.
I had my future seeking skills, and yet I was dumb enough to not use them properly. Now I don't have enough health to summon them...
I was so blinded by rage...that I lost my mind and thought I could win without the proper use of my skills...My negligence towards my surroundings and environment...was the reason I was alone back on Earth...
My mom and dad may have scolded me, but they were preparing me mentally the whole time...I just took it as a way of abuse for things I haven't done...I was punished for my mistakes and I am still being punished for it...Only to throw away the main lessons learnt...
Aefia's eye were watery from pain and anger. She internally cursed herself for being reckless and ignorant. When she opened her eye again, she stared at the sword in front of her. She coughed up blood right next to it.
Crying over small matters...won't solve my problems and finish this battle...I need to do it physically.
Aefia opened her list of skills and stood up while clenching the hilt of her sword tightly, she was still staring at the sword when she activated her skill.
She mumbled something and the ground crumbled and pieces of it were floated as a series of cracks appeared from Aefia's location, all the way to the beast's location.
A bunch of red claw-like hands reached out from the crack and moved towards the beast. The beast tried to give a run when hands stretched around him, yanking him to the ground and forcing him to a kneeling position.
Aefia looked up and slowly walked towards the beast while saying,"Activate skill Elemental Absorption". The beast gasped when he heard the words. He realized, his opponent was here to retrieve the Sacred Key, which was why she was standing near the orb earlier.
Aefia faced the beast with a bright red eye. By then, the hands were supplying Aefia with the magic it was absorbing. Thanks to the beast, Aefia had unlocked five new skills, one of them being 'Foreigner', which was a skill that allowed her to translate any language into a well-known language she understood.
"Speak, tell me about this world," Aefia spoke in another language.
"Forgive me! I had no idea you were the person who owns the Elemental Absorption skill! If I knew you were here to retrieve the Sacred Key, I won't have disturbed your work!" The hands let go of the beast and he stayed kneeling in front of Aefia.
Sacred key, it seems to me I have come to the fallen world of Hellas. Whoever brought me here, wanted to lead me to the Sacred Key, but didn't want me to absorb it. Thus, the note earlier was warning me about that orb, the Sacred Key.
"Why are you and your fellow demons residing in this world?" Aefia asked with a sinister stare.
"We have no decision of invading it, I swear! We were collecting materials for our big project assigned by our King! Please forgive me! I am just a slave!" Beast cried.
"I understand," Aefia thought of what other things she could ask the beast. "Is your King the King of the Demons' Dungeon?"
"Yes." The beast wondered how Aefia got that information. "The king said the task was assigned by an outer world King, though we have crossed some information stating that the King is the representative of the Torture Cell. They want to kill two Guardians, although we have no informations on which two Guardians they are, we can only tell you that the murder of one of them, would destroy several dimensions."
"Anything else you would like to add?" Aefia asked. I have gotten the information I wanted, there is no need for this beast's living any longer. Plus, he knows about my Elemental Absorption skill, if the others know, then the Torture Cell and the Guardians would know too. Rumours didn't take ages to spread.
"I am afraid I have no other informations." The beast replied.
"Then do you have any last words?"
"Sorry?" The beast looked up at Aefia with watery eyes.
"I can't leave you with the knowledge that you know I have the elemental absorption skill. I don't fully trust you, nor do I forgive you for damaging my eye." Aefia smiled while pointing at her still bleeding left eye.
"But you are the King of Tyrants! You forgive the innocent!" The beast kneeled again.
"I never said I was a King. I am just a mere human with skills and abilities." Aefia replied curious. She had no idea that she was a King in this world.
"A revealation by the Guardian of Time, the Guardian of Space, the Guardian of Wrath and the Guardian of Destruction, says that the person who has the elemental absorption skill is the King of the Tyrants and to never mess with them."
So this is the game the Guardians want to play against me. Alright, I will play it, but I will only choose the cards I want.
"What else is there about me, that the Guardians have said?"
"They said...you are the one to seek help from if we are ever in the hands of the Torture Cell." The beast cried while looking up at Aefia.
Help? How! I can't save myself and I am supposed to save an entire kingdom of people?!