Second Death

{Meanwhile...}

Gris and Noire are sleeping as well as guarding the goblins and Hyoran inside the hut. He remembers that he found some of Gray and Silver Wolves hypnotized by the Hellkins. Noire too has slain some of her own kind as well.

They both howled, mourning for their deaths at the goblin village, including the goblins that died defending the village. However, another wave occurred and soon they suddenly turned back.

Now they keep guard and sleep to recover their strength and it has been peaceful during that time.

Until...

*Vvvt!*

Their connection with Kain was suddenly lost. They instantly wake up and found out that Kain is either dead or caught inside of a space that severs connections like the time in Valtuz and inside Xydrid's cave in the Telgrin Mountains.

Hyoran felt it too and also woke up. She looked at Gris and Noire with concern.

"You felt it too?" Hyoran said.

Gris and Noire nodded.

*Vvvt!*

Soon, they suddenly got contact again. But they cannot ignore the nagging feeling that Kain was in danger.

They soon ran into the woods and used Shadow Sneak there.

{Now...}

In the isolated space Solufreya is protected from the massive explosion with her shields and her Holy Barrier.

As the holy barrier faded, she floated downwards and slouched down in exhaustion.

"As expected...using Divine Magic takes a toll on me...my rank fell down to X+." Solufreya thought. "He nearly went up two ranks with that Oni Berserk alone. Goddess Arukatha was right to send me there early or I wouldn't be able to control the situation."

Then she felt a ominous sensation.

"Grrrrgh!" a growling voice was heard. Solufreya looked in the distance and see a shadowy figure looming closer through.

The growling became louder and it was certain that Solufreya didn't kill that oni.

And that Oni was me.

I limped my way out of the plume of dust and continued looming forward. My body was not as bad before since in my EXT rank is still there.

My foot is unusable, my right arm is missing, and I am pouring blood from my mouth. Yet, my mind is still under the berserk state.

[Tyrant Spirit disabled.]

[Warning! Crimson Maelstrom has been destroyed!]

[Elemental Armor disabled.]

[Berserker disabled.]

[Thought Acceleration disabled.]

[Danger! Extreme Regeneration has been exhausted! Seek a safe place!]

"Rrrrrrgh...!" I still bare my teeth while my blood still flows through my teeth, staining the ground into crimson.

"To think he'd survive that too...but his regeneration has reached its limit." Solufreya said.

I continue to limp, the redness of my eyes faded away completely.

[Danger! Body damage too severe!]

[Oni Berserk disabled.]

[Your rank returns to normal.]

[Regeneration speed returns to normal.]

[Kibuki and Kihou returns to normal.]

"Ugh...! BLARGH!" I vomited blood profusely and fell to my knees as if all my strength faded away. I wheeze as I struggle to breathe properly.

[Danger! Danger! You are bleeding profusely!]

[Seek medical attention immediately!]

I fall onto my back and struggle to breathe. Every time I do, I cough blood. I look into the sky seeing the space warp and twist.

Then Solufreya walked towards me and points her shiny white blade down at me.

"Ugh...I knew it was coming, but...not so soon..." I said weakly. Solufreya said nothing. "You managed to beat me...because you have better tools and skills than I did..."

I spoke in resignation that I have no means to fight back. Solufreya still said nothing.

"Don't take it...that I'm using excuses...you were stronger than me in the end." I wheezed again.

*Vvvrrr...*

The space around us began to warp and fade away and soon returned to Dystoark. The sounds of the forest returns, but it was faint for my damaged ears.

Paura, Fennec, Zala, and Dichrome finally notices us. They see my broken body and Solufreya pointing her blade at me. Rage filled inside them.

However, when Solufreya looks at my beasts, they froze in place. Despite Solufreya being weakened, she still have an overwhelming presence. The Holy Law of Dominance.

When Gris, Noire, and Hyoran arrived, they also see me in this condition, dying. Hyoran was shocked and confused about my appearance as an Oni.

"Who is that?" Hyoran thought as she is looking at Solufreya, but as Gris and Noire saw my body, they're filled with rage on Solufreya.

*GROAWRR!!*

They rushed at Solufreya, snarling at her with ferocity. Just as they reach past Paura, Fennec, Dichrome, and Zala, they crouch down in fear.

It was only then Hyoran knew that is was me.

"Let him go..." Hyoran said with her voice trembling. Her breathing becomes rapid, her vision sharpen, and her ears began to hear her heartbeat.

*Crack!*

Bones crack and snap in her hands and feet. Hair began growing all over her body. Her claws grew, her fangs sharpen, and her fur became wilder.

Not only that, she grew bigger, feral, and beast-like. Soon, her transformation is complete.

She rushed down at Solufreya with angry tears from her eyes, seeing red.

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!!!" Hyoran yelled.

At that moment I looked at her running towards me, I spoke out to her.

"Hyoran, don't come here." I struggled to speak.

When she reached past the monsters, she also fell flat in the wake of Solufreya's aura. She is also overcome with fear and trembled before her. Or so I thought.

Hyoran slammed the ground and tried to get up. Her mind is focused on me, but her body instincts scream at her that she will die if she ever gets close to Solufreya.

"Stand down, Lycanian Beastkin. Your so-called brother is chaos itself. As such, he must die." Solufreya said. Hyoran growled at her, but her body says otherwise.

Her body is trembling, her tail and ears are trembling as well. Her mind said that she'll fight, but her body refuses to move.

She then turns to me and raised her sword. Hyoran knew what would happen.

"No...! NO!! Don't kill him!" Hyoran screamed, pleading, digging into the ground. She howled in desperation.

"Return to whence you came, Irregular." Solufreya said. She raised her sword and thrusts downward.

"NOOOOO!!!" She howled again and dashed through the aura despite her instincts screaming at her. She reaches out to me even though she is too far.

*Stab!*

She then stabbed my heart. I coughed up blood from the fatal injury that could kill anyone instantly. Despite me living through that, it still didn't matter.

Hyoran screamed and tried to strike Solufreya with more furious tears flowing from her eyes.

[Danger! Your heart has been impaled! You are bleeding profusely!]

[Grave Danger! You are dying!]

*Bwoong!*

Solufreya disappeared in golden light before Hyoran gets to touch her. Hyoran runs back to me and carried me into her furry arms and looks at my dying body.

"Kain...we came here when we lost connection with you..." Hyoran sniffled. "Where is Arex? We need her now!"

"I tried...but I can't call her." I wheezed. Arex is the only one who can use Healing and Blessing Magic in this group.

Gris and Noire came as well and began whining. Fennec nudged her nose on my face to help me get up, but nothing helps.

"Hyoran...I'm sorry..." I said as my vision began to blur.

"Don't be!" Hyoran shook her head. "It's that Heavenkin that did it! Whoever sent her should pay!"

"Don't take vengeance on the Heavenkin." I said. "You'll put yourself and our family in danger."

"But she...!" Hyoran sobbed before could finish her sentence.

[30 seconds until death!]

"There is one thing...I didn't tell you." I wheezed. "I have Resurrection as a skill. If I die, I'll revive."

I can resurrect as many times needed as long my soul isn't destroyed. But if my body is destroyed, it'll be regenerated at a random location.

The only problem is when will I revive. Will it take hours? Days? Years?

[20 seconds until death!]

"You'll revive?" Hyoran said. "What do you mean revive!? I don't want you to die!"

[15 seconds until death!]

"Zala...if a week happens to pass by after my death, take her back to Nolten Village." I said. "Xydrid, I want you to fly with her once she reaches Veldiar Meadows and return after she reaches the end of Telgrin Mountain. Gris, Noire, Fennec, Dichrome, protect Hyoran as well."

Zala, Gris, Noire, Fennec, Dichrome agreed. I smiled weakly and the sounds around me began to fade.

[3 seconds from death.]

[2 seconds.]

[1 second.]

With that, everything went silent and dark.

[You have died.]

"Kain...? Kain!? Wake up. Please wake up!" Hyoran pleaded. "KAIN!!"

She shook my body to shake me awake, but no response. And soon, realization kicked in that I am no longer in this world.

Her eyes began to flood again and sobbed. The sadness that she barely tried to hold back flooded her.

She wailed out loud, wailing that she lost her brother in front of her eyes and couldn't save him.

Gris and Noire howled into the sky to mourn for the loss of their friend.

Friis ran over to where the commotion was.

"What is happening?! I heard of the howling!" Friis said and notices the corpse.

"No...Young Kain died?" Friis said in horror and disbelief. "How...how is this possible...?"

"A Heavenkin did this...she killed him." Hyoran said.

"A Heavenkin? It can't be Arex. She was with him." Friis said.

"No, it was golden and has armor...and...and..." Hyoran cried again and soon reverted to her normal self, crying while holding her brother's arm.

Friis places his hand on her shoulder. Hyoran turned to him with sorrowful eyes.

"We must head back. It's too dangerous to stay here." Friis said.

"But...!" Hyoran wanted to protest, but Friis interjected.

"Monsters are more dangerous at night, we must return." Friis said, struggling to hold back his tears.

Hyoran reluctantly accepted and picked Fennec up and began walking back. Zala, Gris, Noire, Paura, and Dichrome followed suit.

{Meanwhile...}

In the Nolten Village, Tuya and Ezo was returning from gathering food for the household. Tuya was humming as she is organizing the plants and herbs where Ezo began skinning the fowls for meat.

Suddenly...

*Clatter!*

They were frozen. They tremble with their faces twisted in horror, confusion, and grief.

"No..." Tuya's voice began trembling, then her body as well. She knelt to the ground, holding her heart, feeling that something significant was lost. Soon, tears began flowing...

"Tuya...this feeling. It felt like a part of me just vanished." Ezo said. "Could it be...?"

"No...I don't want to believe that our children is dead...I refuse..." Tuya shook her head, trying to deny the dark feeling she had felt. Ezo hugged her to comfort her.

"Our children is strong and smart. They knew the risks when it came to adventuring just like we did...they will return." Ezo said to ease their sudden grief.

Tuya looked at Ezo and hugged him in return, tightly as to hope their instincts are wrong.