Chapter 31. The trick.

Amid his contemplation, Alex's senses, honed from his special force training, suddenly flared in alarm.

An unbidden instinctual realization of peril seized him, causing his heart to pound against his ribs like a war drum.

Whirling around, he scrutinized his surroundings, his gaze sharp and piercing, attempting to penetrate the curtain of obscurity that shrouded the source of the imminent danger.

He strained his eyesight, scanning every inch of the area with meticulous attention. Yet, within the encompassing darkness, no immediate threat was apparent.

A flicker of surprise flashed across Alex's face.

His instincts had never deceived him before, and he knew better than to disregard them. Even if his initial search yielded no results, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

With a deep breath, he expanded his awareness, harnessing all his sensory precision to probe the area around him.

His vigilance paid off after a few moments of intense search. His gaze landed on an indistinct spot that seemed no different from the rest of the enveloping darkness.

However, as he honed his focus on this particular area, he detected a subtle shift in the shadow, a movement so slight it was almost imperceptible.

Something was emerging from the shroud of darkness, moving toward him with an ominous intent.

As soon as Alex spotted the disturbance, it seemed to become cognizant of his awareness.

The shadowy figure accelerated its approach, rushing through the darkness toward him at an alarming pace.

Judging by the entity's speed, Alex knew he wouldn't be able to outrun it.

He braced himself, positioning his body in an offensive stance. His instincts identified the entity as a soulweaver, yet to his astonishment, it was not a single soulweaver, but a horde of them - approximately twenty in number - charging towards him in unison.

"Since when did my luck turn this sour?" Alex mused, his eyes narrowing on the approaching threat.

He prepared to meet the onslaught, but the soulweavers, upon closing the distance, seemed to abandon any intention of fighting him.

Instead, they chose a suicidal tactic that Alex hadn't anticipated. All at once, they self-detonated, creating a colossal explosion that swept through the area like a violent storm.

The force of the explosion tossed Alex's body into the air, spinning him around uncontrollably before he crashed back to earth.

The impact was brutal, and he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth as he coughed up a mouthful. His body screamed in agony from the unexpected assault.

The severity of the explosion surpassed any he had previously experienced. It wasn't a ruse or an act this time - he had truly sustained grave injuries.

The surprise attack and the ensuing force of the blast had caught him off guard, leaving him prostrate and battered.

"No.1 lesson learned in this strange world," Alex muttered to himself, a bitter smile playing on his lips despite the pain, "Once your senses alert you to danger and you spot something charging at you from the shadows, the first course of action should be - run." He made a mental note.

As the thought solidified in his mind, Alex attempted to rise to his feet. A task easier said than done, given the grueling circumstances.

However, before he could fully regain his upright stance, an unexpected change occurred.

Another soulweaver was rapidly closing in on him, traversing the vast distance with a speed that could only be described as monstrous.

Initially shocked, Alex quickly brushed aside his surprise.

He gritted his teeth, disregarding the throbbing pain that permeated his entire body, and forced himself to rise.

It was a painstaking endeavor, a battle against his limits, but he eventually managed to push himself upright, preparing to retaliate against the incoming soulweaver.

But as the creature approached, Alex detected an oddity. This soulweaver was different. There was a distinct aura around it, a formidable presence that set it apart from the previous attackers.

With a keen focus, Alex examined this aura. His eyes widened in recognition as he realized what it was.

This creature was a high-stage lesser Qi beast, one that was teetering on the edge of ascension to become a pinnacle-stage lesser Qi beast.

This was the leader of the soulweaver horde, an opponent that had proven its cunning by concealing its attack amongst the other soulweavers. Its strategy had nearly cost Alex his life.

With a swift about-face, Alex started to run, pain forgotten. It wasn't that he doubted his ability to vanquish the beast.

On the contrary, he knew he could defeat it, but doing so would mean revealing his true strength, an act that was unwise under the current circumstances.

Before he could flaunt his power recklessly, he needed to understand how to level up his cultivation.

A second Stage warrior defeating a high-stage lesser Qi beast was an unheard-of feat, something that would inevitably stir up unwanted attention and curiosity. The attention that Alex could afford at the moment.

Putting his all into his escape, Alex sprinted with the soulweavers not far behind. His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum, matching the rhythm of his footfalls.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound split the air. Alex turned just in time to see an arrow impale the soulweaver that was hot on his heels.

"Finally," Alex thought with a sense of relief.

He knew they'll eventually help him as Wu Lina was currently there, had they not intervened, he would have had to expose a portion of his strength. This timely assistance was a welcome twist of fate.

The arrow tore through the soulweaver's body, causing it to crash to the ground, writhing in pain.

It struggled back onto its feet, attempting to escape, but another arrow whistled through the air, finding its mark and once again bringing the beast to its knees.

Trapped and desperate, the soulweaver turned its attention back to Alex, who had stopped to observe the unfolding drama.

There was no time for Alex to react as the soulweaver exploded in a last-ditch attempt to take him down.

The explosion was colossal, surpassing even the combined forces of the previous twenty soulweavers.

Alex was catapulted back by the impact, consciousness flickering as he hurtled through the air. Crashing to the ground, the world around him began to fade into a black abyss.