The Blood Forest

[ YOU HAVE FELLED AN ABHORRENT OF MISFORTUNE ]

[ YOU HAVE GAINED 50 XP ]

[ YOU HAVE OBTAINED A RU… ]

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

I didn't want to hear anything. I genuinely didn't care if I got some fucking legendary item at this point. I was in too much pain to give a fucking shit. I pushed past the agonising pain and dragged my feet to the abhorrent's corpse— taking the Whisper of Rot out of the abhorrent's jugular. I almost fell as I sheathed it.

My legs trembled violently as I stood up— the fabric of the Veil of the Fading Whisper torn in multiple areas– cuts and bruises marred my legs and body. The skin on my knuckles— scraped off leaving only the bone and flesh. Most of my wounds had reopened— it did not feel nice in the slightest.

Trembling.

I stood there facing the grotesque, twisted red trees— if you can call it that. My legs throbbed. My back burned, covered in blotches of black and blue. The trees watched me. I felt it— analysing my every breath. My skin crawled. I didn't want to know what was in there— what it was. I didn't even want to walk in there. I had to bury my feelings to the fucking ground. I had to go through this place. My survival depended on it— even if it is at great risk here.

I didn't want to go in. I didn't want to breathe. I wanted to sleep. To disappear. But I couldn't. Not yet. I walked. I dragged my feet into the blood-red forest— limping in excruciating pain. A voice kept me going— a voice that never stopped saying 'Almost there… Just a bit more…'.

The environment was equally spine-chilling. The soil wasn't normal— it was like large granules of black sand. As if it had decayed— now lifeless. Everything here so far is lifeless. I thought 'Just where the fuck am I…'. I kept walking— barely. Darkness blanketed my field of vision— the sun was setting. I didn't care, I was going to keep walking. I wasn't planning on sleeping in this place— I couldn't even if I tried.

The same silence filled the atmosphere — the kind that eats your sanity. That makes you paranoid… with any type of sound triggering alarms in your head. I felt sick— hurt— tired. I just wanted it all to end— I just want to sleep on a bed. I have to keep going if I want a chance of getting any of those. I wasn't going to let anything stop me. 

Even if it kills me.

Hours passed— the sky now jet black with stars glittering all over. It was a beautiful sight— I chuckled to myself. Ever since I've been in this world— I've been finding solace in the simplest of things. It was quite comical— yet I didn't mind. Yet I couldn't let my guard down— not in the slightest— especially not here. 

To my surprise— on my first night I didn't encounter anything. I wasn't getting my hopes up— but it was nice. Finally some peace— I had to constantly inject mana into the Veil of the Fading Whisper just so I don't get hunted by abhorrents or anything else that lurked. It was exhausting. So this calm I felt now— was a reward to me.

I kept dragging my blistered feet through this wretched land— taking breaks every few hours to rehydrate. I don't know how long I'd been walking for— the sun was already rising— hues of orange illuminated everything in sight. I sat against a tree— its shape grotesque and that of my exposed flesh.

'Just a bit more— I can do this— I made it this far— I'm not giving up when I'm this close'

At this point I was so broken— my joints started to make unnatural noises. Popping and cracking with every step I took. They were in agony— their anger simmered whilst I sat. Every breath I took— unbelievably strained. I looked as if I had been to hell and back. The scabbing of my wounds— the exposed flesh— the conglomeration of bruises.

The pin-drop silence I sat in was shattered by exasperated breathing— far in the distance. My muscles tensed agonisingly— my breath hitched— my heart raced. Paranoia took over— I was too tired to form logical thoughts. My mind only came to one conclusion— kill whatever this was.

Using the Whisper of Rot as a cane— I painstakingly stood up. My mind, muddled by fatigue— paranoia— anger— frustration. I limped to the epicentre of the sound. I didn't care what it was— everything that was breathing has tried to kill me. So I'm going to kill it before it gets its chance.

The exasperated breathing grew louder and I can tell one thing about it— it wasn't human. I steadily unsheathed the Whisper of Rot— injecting mana into the damascus blade making it an artifact of darkness. My eyes narrowed with murderous intent— I needed to kill whatever this was.

Creeping behind a tree— I peeked trepidatiously. When I saw it my eyes momentarily widened. I was right— not human. It was a giant lizard with wings. A wyvern. It was hurt horrifically— holes in its wings— a missing eye— an amputated arm— Its onyx-black scales maimed in gashes and wounds.. It was going to die. 

I was going to make sure it did.

Filling my lungs with the stinging cold air— a glint of pure bloodlust appeared on my heterochromatic eyes. My breath fogging in the air— I stepped out of the refuge of the grotesque tree. The wyvern's breath hitched— it white eyes dilated when spotting me. It snarled ferociously backing into the trees as I bore my gaze into its fucking soul. I limped closer and closer— it bore its carnivorous fangs at me. I didn't care.

It was going to die anyway— I was just going to make it sooner than expected. The wyvern held its ground— refusing to move— as if protecting something. I was now only a few meters from it— it stood on its hind legs towering over me. It was almost double my own height— so what? 

Unbeknownst to me— I wasn't thinking anymore. Not a single thought present in my conscience. My body lunged at the overgrown lizard suicidally— the beast swung its arm in a wide arc trying to gut me. I didn't let it— I leaned back as I lunged, making its efforts go to waste— counter-attacking by driving the Whisper of Rot into its abdomen. It's dark crimson blood spilling on my battered hands and my features. The poison takes its toll causing decay around the entry wound. Mercilessly, I twisted the blade— it roared in agony— I then in a large arc slashed diagonally upwards to the left. Its blood and guts spewed out— I disemboweled it.

Within seconds it was over— yet it felt like hours. The ability to think slowly came back to me— whereas the wyvern was losing its. The wyvern wailed, collapsing into its own intestines, drowning in its blood. I looked down at it— I wasn't shocked anymore, I wasn't disgusted. What had to be done was done. It was either me later or it now.

'I was under the influence of [FLOW]' I thought as there wasn't a single thought forming in my mind and my body moved with pure instinct.

[ YOU HAVE FELLED AN APEX TRANSMUTANT ]

[ YOU HAVE GAINED 300 XP… BONUS 150XP FOR FELLING A HIGHER RANKED BEAST ]

"Good…" I spat as I licked my dry lips.

It's dead.

I stared at the gore I had splayed as I sheathed the Whisper of Rot. If it was in peak condition— I would've died instantly. It's a good thing it wasn't. From the corner of my eye I spotted something— I slowly tilted my head in its direction. My eyes momentarily widened— it was an egg. A tidal wave of guilt collided with my conscience— I just killed its mother. The idea that I orphaned this child tore me apart.

'Even if I didn't kill its mother— it was going to be orphaned either way…' I lowered my gaze.

I limped towards the tiny egg— barely the size of my hand; its colour a dark violet. Sheathing the Whisper of Rot— crouching to its level. I looked at it empathetically— we were both destined to be orphans. Its mother was going to die either way— I don't even know if mine's dead or alive. Extending my arm, I softly graze it with my fingers.

"We're both alone in this world, aren't we lil guy…"

Its shell— exuding the gentle warmth of life within it. I softly smiled, the first time in a long time. It was quite cute… A surge of responsibility grew within me— I pushed it down. I could barely take care of myself— how the fuck was I going to take care of a baby wyvern. I sigh and gently tap the little egg.

"I wish you the best in life lil guy… sorry about your mom… I had to do it…"

I stand up slowly and walk away. The further I walked away— the stronger the feeling of regret I had. I tried to bury it but I couldn't. Exasperatedly I scratched my head.

"Ughh fuck it!"

I do a fucking u-turn and limp back to the lil egg— I couldn't help it alright! I gently picked up the deep violet egg— gently dusting any black soil off of it. I just couldn't bury my feelings this time like I had this entire time. It felt as if… If I abandoned it here— I was abandoning myself. We were both orphans— alone in this cruel, messed-up world. I then tuck it snuggly into an inner-breast fold of the Veil of the Fading Whisper. Its tiny size was quite helpful— it looked seriously adorable. Another plus was that it was kinda like a hand warmer— its shell warming the pale skin of my bruised chest.

With a deep sigh— I looked back at the corpse of the wyvern. My blood went ice-cold— my heart stopped. From the nearest blood-tree— tendrils rose from the black soil. It wrapped around the corpse of the wyvern— unnervingly slow. It constricted all over its body— a mummy with blood bandages. The tendrils dragged the body to its origin— the blood-tree. 

"What… the…" I trailed off— I couldn't form a thought.

The vines wrapped the body to the tree— as if trying to fuse it. Snap! Snap! Snap! Bones snapped and popped like an accursed orchestra. Its body visibly shrunk— its scaly skin becoming shriveled like a fucked up raisin. Then… gone. As if it never existed— not even a single drop of blood remained. My face contorted with horror— my eyes impossibly wide. I instinctively protected my chest area— the egg. 

Without thinking I ran in the direction I planned to go in. I didn't care about the throbbing pain in my feet— the popping of my joints. I needed to get the FUCK out of this place. I ran and ran and ran. Until I collapsed— falling on my back. I closed my eyes tightly— I didn't want to look at the trees. How could I?

'It ate it… the fucking tree ate it…' My mind was in shambles. In utter fucking shambles.

Tightly, I clutched at the egg— making sure it was safe— trying to hide it from the horrifying world it was going to be born into.

'One more day… I'll be out in one more day…'

The sun was beginning to set now— I was so close to salvation I could taste it. Two grueling weeks were going to be paid off. Tomorrow— I will be out of this forest… this carnivorous forest. Just one more day— I kept telling myself. I needed to tell myself that.

'Just a bit more.'

'Just a bit more.'

'Just a bit more.'

I lay on the ground— battered— defeated—covered in blood. My body pulsing with excruciating pain— I was used to it at this point. I just didn't care about it any more. My mind slowly went quiet— my breaths became steadier, My body curling into the fetal position holding the egg close.

A single tear rolled down my cheek. After killing this egg's mother— something within me arose. Questions. So many of them. All of them are about my mom. Like… Who is my mom? Does she love me? Does she know I'm alive? Does she know I exist? So many questions. No answers. 

As I quietly sobbed— I whimpered.

"Mom… please take me away from here… I'm so scared… please mom… I need you so much…"