Ch28. Breaking dawn

Miles leaned against the couch, his eyes half-closed as exhaustion weighed on him like a lead blanket. The dim amber glow of his salvaged lights flickered faintly, the silence in the room soothing after the chaotic night.

He was finally starting to feel the tension drain from his body when a sharp, rhythmic tapping drew his attention.

He stiffened, his eyes snapping open. It wasn't a sound from inside his apartment. It was coming from outside.

Rising to his feet, Miles crossed the room to the window, the frigid air biting against his skin as he cracked it open just enough to hear, and the sound grew louder.

It wasn't tapping. It was the metallic clink of claws against the pavement.

Miles' breath caught as he saw the Fallen Puppets, their ragged forms moving in disjointed jerks as they clawed at the ghostly green barrier protecting the edges of the [Safe Zone]. The barrier shimmered faintly with every strike, the protective glow wavering ever so slightly under the assault, but standing still, protecting the building against the assault of the nightly enemies.

"Great," Miles muttered, gritting his teeth. "They don't know when to quit, do they?"

Through the thinning cover of the clouds in the sky, Miles could see the horizon beginning to lighten. Dawn wasn't far off, and it meant only one thing.

The [Safe Zone] automatic buff was going to deactivate as soon as the sun broke through the horizon line, and the monsters were going to be able to invade the building.

"But why are there no players around to kill these things?" Miles bit his lower lip.

He glanced toward his bedroom door, where Diego was still unconscious. For a brief moment, he debated staying put, letting the barrier do its job. But time was not on his side, and the Puppets did not seem to even think of giving up on him any time soon. Which only could make things worse.

"Guess I'm not getting any rest tonight." Miles sighed, rubbing his temples.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the building's entrance, the chill of the early morning air prickling his skin. The Puppets turned toward him immediately, their glowing green eyes locking onto his silhouette.

There were five of them in total, their elongated limbs twitching as they twisted toward him, kicking the concrete sidewalk with their weird jump-walking wooden legs, their movements unnervingly erratic.

"Alright, you fucks," Miles muttered, summoning the [Harbinger's Scythe] in a swirl of black sparks. The weapon hummed in his hands, eager for battle. "Come get some."

The closest Puppet lunged first, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Miles ducked, spinning the scythe in an arc to deflect the blow. The impact reverberated up his arms, but not nearly as intensely as it did back in Wonderland. So, he held his ground, stepping back to put some distance between himself and the others.

Before he could counter, another Puppet leaped at him from the side.

Miles twisted his body just in time, the claws grazing his coat. He swung the scythe in a wide arc, forcing the Puppets back, but they moved with an unsettling coordination, closing the gap almost instantly.

"Damn it, you're persistent!" Miles growled, gritting his teeth.

The Puppets attacked in unison, their jerky movements disguising an eerie efficiency. One swiped low while another struck high, leaving Miles scrambling to block and dodge.

Testing his the limits of his current stats, Miles jumped as soon as the attacks were about to land on him. He shifted his center of gravity, and raised his legs, giving him momentum enough to twist his body into a horizontal pirouette, the Puppets' attacks barely grazing his coat and hair as Miles dodged it like an acrobat.

"Whew!" Miles smirked beneath the mask. "Did you guys see-?"

His heightened stats from the [Wonderland Madness] synergy helped him keep up, but the Puppets' relentless assault tested his limits, when they lunged at him even before he could finish his sentence.

"I guess not…" Miles blocked a blow from above, but one of the Puppets managed to slip past his guard, its claws raking across his shoulder. Miles hissed in pain, stumbling back as blood seeped through the tear in his coat.

"Okay, enough of this. I only just recovered from my previous wounds, you asshole!" He muttered, tightening his grip on the scythe.

Focusing, Miles felt the scythe's dark energy flaring as he swung it with renewed determination. The blade connected with the closest Puppet, slicing it clean through its torso. The creature let out a distorted screech as it collapsed into a pile of fragmented parts, dissolving into black mist moments later. The system echoed in his mind as the sun began breaking through the horizon, the clouds assuming a pinky, almost reddish hue.

[You have killed a Beast – Fallen Puppet]

[You received-]

Without paying too much attention to the system's voice, though, Miles assumed an offensive stance, as the remaining Puppets hesitated for a split second, their glowing eyes flickering as though processing what had happened.

He didn't give them a chance to recover. Surging forward, Miles carved a deadly path through the air with his scythe.

Two more Puppets fell in quick succession, their bodies disintegrating before they hit the ground. But the final two adapted, their movements becoming more erratic, their attacks more unpredictable.

[You killed-]

[You killed-]

One Puppet feigned a lunge, drawing Miles' attention, while the other struck from behind. Miles barely managed to twist out of the way, the aberration's claws grazing his side. He swung the scythe upward, catching the attacker off guard and slicing through its head.

[You killed-]

The last Puppet let out a guttural snarl, its movements becoming frantic as it lunged at him in a final, desperate attack.

Miles planted his feet, gripping the scythe tightly as he swirled it and swung with all its momentum's strength. The blade cut through the Puppet's arm and torso, splitting it in two as its screech echoed into the night.

Breathing heavily, Miles watched as the final Puppet dissolved into mist. The silence that followed was almost deafening, broken only by the faint hum of the [Safe Zone]'s barrier.

The system's voice echoed in his mind again. This time, accompanied by a flurry of notifications.

[You killed a Beast – Fallen Puppet]

[You have received: ??? EXP]

"Not even a loot? Useless shit…" Miles grimaced. "What are you, though? I'm sure I never saw you guys before, back when the game started…"

Shoving the question to the back of his head while intending to find proper answers when he was rested enough, Miles turned back toward the building, the scythe disappearing in a swirl of black sparks as he ascended the stairs, sunlight already bathing the streets with a soft warmth.

Back in his apartment, Miles let the door swing shut behind him with a heavy sigh. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, leaving him acutely aware of the dull ache in his shoulder and side. He made a mental note to take the day off and try the [Ether Teapot] later.

"Let's see how you're doing, buddy…" He muttered, heading toward the bedroom where Diego lay.

Pushing the door open, Miles smiled as he saw Diego standing at the window.

"Did you see what I did down there?" Miles' smile widened, but when Diego turned around, he had a look of shock and dread on his face as his body began to tremble, and a scream of pure fear escaped his throat.