Call His Name (6)

Azihiro stirred beneath the faint, comforting warmth of SOL's core chamber. Though his mind had no dreams to speak of, his body remembered the aching fatigue of the previous day. Muscles still throbbed faintly, and the wind's cold bite lingered in his skin.

It had been another day of silence, of survival. Another day where his mute voice never stirred the air. He blinked slowly in the low light of SOL's resting pod. The smooth walls around him glowed faint blue, casting a calming ambiance that soothed his nerves and helped him recover.

The potion he had consumed yesterday, thin and silvery, with no taste at all, had somehow kept him fed for an entire day. It hadn't erased his hunger, but dulled it to a manageable ache. That, too, felt like a miracle. But as the night drew deeper, Azihiro noticed a change in the air.

He pressed his palm against the inner glass of SOL and flinched. It was cold. Far colder than yesterday. His breath misted slightly as it touched the transparent barrier, fogging it for a second. Frowning, he turned his gaze outward.

The sky beyond SOL was shifting. Where once it had been cloaked in bloody red and copper streaks, it now slowly turned a violet hue, like dusk surrendering to an alien winter. From the upper sky, strange crystalline flakes fell, not snow, but sharp-edged ice that glinted like glass shards in the faint light.

The ground outside shimmered with a thin layer of frost, thickening quickly. A deep groan echoed across the plains, like the land itself was sighing under the cold's burden. Even SOL, powerful as it was, could not keep the encroaching cold from pressing in.

The artifact's protection extended only to the core of its chamber. Outside, Azihiro would need to rely on himself. By morning, everything in sight was frozen. The sand that once shifted under his feet had hardened into ice-glazed ridges.

Rocks were sealed under crystalline layers, and jagged formations of frost clung to the horizon like spectral towers. When he requested assistance from SOL, a cloak was granted, thin but light, and lined with nanofiber. It covered most of his body, shielding him from the worst of the wind's fury.

Still, walking on the frozen ground was a test of endurance. Each step sank slightly, slipping on unseen ridges of ice. His feet, though no longer bare, grew numb with the cold. He wrapped the cloak tighter, breathing shallowly through the cloth near his mouth.

He moved in silence, as always, unable to call for help, unable to mutter a curse against the biting wind. Midway through the long morning march, he spotted dark silhouettes ahead. He paused, narrowed his eyes, then quickened his pace.

His heart surged, beast corpses. Several of them. Slumped in broken postures across the frozen field. The joy that welled up in his chest surprised even him. Another chance. More credit points. More chances to survive.

Fate is merciful! But, how did those creatures die? Was it due to the freezing weather?

Azihiro approached cautiously, scanning the area. The last time he'd stumbled upon such a scene, the beasts had been obliterated by some unknown force. This time, their remains were even more gruesome, cracked metal shells, torn joints, and frozen viscera.

Something strong had killed them, and recently too. He reached out and placed his hand on the nearest beast. It dissolved in a shimmer of blue light, and a holographic screen appeared.

[Beast Identified: MIMO]

[Level: 3]

[Type: Land Crawler]

[Abilities: Enhanced Physical Strength, Accelerated Movement, Dig and Mine Ores]

[Diet: Special energy-containing Ores]

Azihiro's eyes widened slightly. A level three creature. The strength required to destroy such beasts… it meant either another apex predator roamed these lands, or someone like him, perhaps stronger, had passed by. He moved swiftly, touching each of the five corpses in turn. With each contact, his credit balance rose.

[You have earned 15 Physical Credit Points.]

His heart beat faster. This was a huge gain. With these points, he could hold off death for a while longer. Rebuild what the harsh world had eroded. But fate, it seemed, was not content with small victories. As he reached for the last MIMO, the ground beneath him cracked.

Azihiro's eyes darted downward just as the ice split open like shattered glass. A massive vine shot upward, snaring his leg in an instant. He tumbled to the ground, his breath knocked from his lungs as he landed hard on the frozen floor.

Panic surged. He thrashed, pulling against the vine, but it only tightened, dragging him slowly toward the crevice. And then he saw it. Bursting through the ice came a monstrous, alien flora, thorny tendrils and a thick trunk of azure vines.

At its center was a bulbous mouth lined with rows of glistening, jagged teeth. It opened wide and screeched silently, no sound reached his ears, but the vibration echoed through his bones. A blue-colored carnivorous plant. Unlike anything he'd encountered.

Azihiro's hands scrambled for anything, anything at all. He tried to scream, but nothing came out. His throat ached with the effort. Mute. Helpless. His fear was trapped in silence, smothered in the cage of his own body.

SOL! Distribute the points evenly! He screamed in his mind.

[Points distributed successfully.]

A rush of warmth and adrenaline surged through his limbs. He gasped as breathing deepened, energy burst through his muscles, and strength returned to his grip. He twisted his body hard and reached for the slot on his belt.

Can I borrow a weapon from you? He asked, mentally projecting the plea.

[A knife.]

The blade materialized in his hand, a slender, curved knife with a reflective edge. He didn't hesitate. Azihiro slashed downward, cutting at the vine that gripped his ankle. It bled, not sap, but a blue glowing liquid. The vine shrieked in silence and recoiled, dropping him back onto the ice.

But the reprieve was brief. More tendrils rose from the cracks, flailing wildly. Azihiro tried to dodge, but his footing was uncertain. He slashed again, but this time the vine wrapped around his arm, pulling him toward the plant's open maw.

His body couldn't keep up with the speed and precision required for close combat. The knife was clumsy in his grip, his strength only just returned. This wasn't enough. He was too slow, too weak.

His gaze darted left, searching for any cover, any weakness in the plant's trunk. Then he saw it, small, flickering orbs embedded at the base of the plant. Weak points. He had to strike them, but from this angle…

He made a split-second decision. Azihiro let the vine pull him closer, but braced himself. Then, with every ounce of strength, he twisted and hurled the knife, aiming for the flickering orb. The blade sailed through the air and struck true.

A burst of blue light erupted from the plant's base. The entire creature convulsed, screeched, and then began to disintegrate. The vines released him just in time, and he rolled away, gasping.

Silence returned. The field was once again empty. Azihiro lay on the ice, panting silently, chest rising and falling. He had survived. But just barely. And again, the voice returned to his thoughts.

Dear God, please save me...