Ley’s Madness (2)

Andrew and Karime were traveling together through the swamp. They met just after the dungeon dive started, and following Andrew's suggestion, they decided to act together.

but not much later, Andrew suddenly stopped.

"What is wrong?" Karime asked.

Andrew furrowed his brows and looked around as though searching for something.

"I don't know, but I got the feeling that something is not alright."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just a feeling," Andrew replied hesitantly. "From the start of the dungeon dive, I felt as though something sticky was around, and it just turned much worse… I don't like it."

"Are you sure? Perhaps you are just nervous."

"… I hope so," Andrew muttered; however, his face was solemn.

This was not the first time he experienced something like this, and although he hated to admit it, his intuition was usually right.

In fact, he doesn't remember it being wrong before.

Seeing Andrew's seriousness, Karime also became solemn.

"Should we find Jane? If something bad is happening, he could help."

Andrew paused briefly and put on a hesitant expression.

"We don't know where he is, although it would be good if he join–"

Andrew suddenly stopped talking.

Karime looked at him confused, only to see him frozen with cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Andrew, what happened?"

"Run."

"Huh?"

"Run!"

He grabbed Karime's hand and pulled her in a panic.

Karime was baffled, but in the next second, she felt it.

The entire forest seemed to freeze. The wind, the flow of the water, and even the movement of the leaves.

Everything froze as a heavy pressure descended over the place.

Then, a crazed whisper filled with obsession and madness resounded in her mind.

'Little bug, where are you…?'

The whisper, so soft like a lover breathing on her ear, gave her a spine-chilling sensation. Her entire blood seemed to freeze in fear and her head buzzed as though countless insects were flying within her ears.

"Ley…?" Karime could not help but mutter.

However, that was a mistake.

As soon as that mutter sounded, the unnatural phenomenon stopped briefly.

And, in the next instant, she gazed at them.

'Found you…'

The soft whisper made Andrew and Karime turn pale.

'I found you!!!'

The entire forest shivered as a shrill sound spread through the entire swamp.

Any living being that heard this sound trembled in fear. The students and the creatures inhabiting the swamp felt their hearts stopping as an overwhelming killing intent filled the swamp.

Karime and Andrew's faces dropped.

"Shit, she is coming for us!" 

"What is happening!?"

Andrew was about to reply, but all of a sudden, his expression changed.

He threw Karime aside and turned around while unsheathing his sword and swinging it above him.

The next instant–

*Boom!*

Something invisible hit the place where he was standing.

"Ugh…"

Andrew grunted in pain. Despite defending with his sword at the last second, he did not manage to stop the blow completely. He felt a powerful force hitting his body as the taste of iron filled his mouth and blood flowed down his lips.

"Andrew!"

"Stay back!" He shouted and stared in front of him with a grave expression. "She is here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a beautiful girl walked out.

Black hair, eyes as black as obsidians, and an innocent smile on her face.

At first glance, she seemed harmless. The familiar face belonging to one of their friends made them doubt if they were mistaken.

But when they felt the aura around her, they understood.

She was not the girl they knew.

Instead, they were facing a monster filled with hatred and killing intent so dense that it seemed to flood the surroundings.

"Ley…" Andrew muttered.

Ley tilted her head as though surprised to find him here.

"So you were here too, Andrew. What a coincidence."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Huh? Me? Nothing is wrong with me. I'm completely fine. In fact, I feel really good now."

"You don't look fine to me."

"What are you talking about?" Ley furrowed her brows in confusion. "Anyway, can you move aside, please? I have something really important to ask the girl behind you."

Andrew gripped his sword tightly while Karime cowered in fear.

Both of them realized that the situation was really bad.

"… Can I know what you are going to ask her?"

Ley was startled before smiling joyfully.

"Of course, it's not a secret really. I just want to ask her how she wants to die. Does she prefer being cut into pieces, or crushed until nothing is left?"

The two of them felt a chill on their spines.

"… Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious." Ley giggled.

Then, her black eyes became tinged in red, her expression became frighteningly dark, and her voice took an eerily monotone tone.

"Anyone who betrays my brother deserves to die."

Andrew and Karime could not help but take a step back.

"So, are you going to move aside or not?" Ley asked expressionlessly.

Andrew took a deep breath and put on a determined expression. He started to circulate his mana around his body while activating his skills.

[Physical Strengthening], [Limit Breakthrough], and [Domain] were activated simultaneously. Andrew knew he needed to go all out from the start.

"Ley, I don't know what is wrong with you, but you are not like this... Please, wake up."

"Mm? But I'm awake."

"... Your brother won't like this."

Ley's eyebrow twitched.

She stared at Andrew for several seconds before letting out a soft chuckle.

"My brother will understand, because he loves me the most."

"… You are crazy."

"It looks like you are not planning to move." She heaved a soft sigh. "What a shame."

Taking a step forward, the devil-like girl snapped her fingers, and several alligators appeared behind her.

One, two, three… Under Andrew and Karime's shocked eyes, more than twenty alligators appeared and surrounded them.

"Kill them. Don't leave anything behind."

In the next instant, the alligators charged toward them.