ch10. Those who see beyond
Jeremy exhaled slowly, gripping his chest as he stared at Mordis' new form.
The skeleton was different now.
Not just in strength or presence, but in the way he stood—his movements fluid, his form shrouded in shadows.
The two weapons now hanging at his sides weren't normal.
In his right hand, a curved sword, slightly shorter than an average blade. The metal pulsed with an eerie, faint glow—almost as if it were alive.
In his left, a dagger, thin and wickedly sharp, its edge almost too dark to be real.
Jeremy whistled.
"So, let me get this straight—you just… grew those?"
Mordis flexed his fingers, shifting his stance like he was testing his new balance. His eye sockets gleamed blue, and when he turned toward Jeremy—
He disappeared.
Jeremy's heart skipped.
Then—
A whisper of movement—
Mordis reappeared behind him, blade resting lightly against Jeremy's back, dagger poised in the air.
Jeremy didn't even flinch.
"…Okay. That's terrifying."
Mordis let out a low, rattling chuckle.
Jeremy sighed. "Yeah, alright. I guess we're doing stealth kills now."
Mordis simply nodded.
Jeremy took one last look at the Dead Scar's desolation and continued forward.
---
Hours passed. The deeper he went, the more the world itself seemed to decay.
Rotting husks of once-living creatures lay frozen in grotesque shapes, as if something had stopped them mid-scream.
Jeremy shivered.
That was when he saw him.
A figure—hunched in the distance, wrapped in tattered gray robes, muttering to himself in a fevered whisper.
Jeremy hesitated.
A survivor?
He glanced at Mordis, who tilted his head.
Against his better judgment, Jeremy stepped forward.
"Hey, old man. You okay?"
The hunched figure didn't react.
Instead, he murmured something—
A phrase that made Jeremy's blood run cold.
"The time flows differently for those who see beyond."
Jeremy's breath caught.
That was—
That was what the first stranger had told him. The one who sent him here.
His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching for his dagger.
"Where did you hear that?" Jeremy demanded.
The old man froze.
Then, slowly, he lifted his head—
His face was wrinkled, sunken, aged beyond human years. His eyes—wide and wild—locked onto Jeremy's with a look of sheer terror.
"You… You're one of them."
Jeremy blinked. "What?"
The old man stumbled back, clutching his head. His breathing grew ragged.
"The time… The time flows differently… for those who see beyond…!"
Jeremy's pulse quickened.
This wasn't just some crazy old man.
He knew something.
"What do you mean?" Jeremy stepped forward. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The old man shuddered, grabbing Jeremy's wrist. His grip was surprisingly strong.
"Do not trust them." His voice trembled. "They see beyond. They are everywhere. Watching. Waiting. You have already been marked…"
Jeremy yanked his arm free.
This was insane.
"What the hell does that even mean? Who's watching?"
The old man opened his mouth—
But then—
His eyes widened in pure horror.
"They found you."
Jeremy's body tensed.
Then—
A blade whistled through the air.
He barely dodged, jerking back as a dagger embedded itself where his throat had been a second ago.
Mordis reacted instantly, drawing his weapons, stepping between Jeremy and the unseen attackers.
Shadows moved in the distance.
More than one.
Jeremy's eyes narrowed.
"Well… That's not good."
Figures emerged from the gloom—silent, fast, cloaked in black.
They wore thin, masked hoods, their bodies covered in tight-fitting armor meant for speed and precision.
Assassins.
The old man was already running.
Jeremy barely had time to process before they attacked.
The first came from his right, dagger flashing—
Jeremy twisted, barely dodging—
Mordis met another head-on, parrying the assassin's strike with an unnatural swiftness.
Jeremy cursed.
Why the hell are people trying to kill me all of a sudden?!
Then, it clicked.
They know.
They knew about his class.
His unique power.
And they wanted it.
Jeremy's expression darkened.
"Oh, you guys are in for a bad time."
He grinned—
And dove into the fight.