Vilewarren

Their hearts pulsed with magnificent speed. Ash and Aeris encountered something that they shouldn't encounter. Not now and not even after 3 months of leveling!

 That Fluffbane, or whatever it is, wasn't just a higher tier. No, it contained two names in the panel describing it. That alone tells how much powerful this beast is.

The Vilewarren, a humanoid Fluffbane which walks on two legs. This creature has two razor-sharp claws with a palm of that of a grizzly bear. The color white was never seen, its fur was fully gray except for its limbs which were pure black that evoked darkness.

Ash and Aeris didn't pay all of those details any attention. Only one thing made them shiver... Its horns!

It wasn't none like the Fluffbanes or just only one like the Fangbanes. No, they wished it had only one.

The Vilewarren had four horns!

'Ah hell nah!' Ash thought. A sense of horror appeared on his face once he spotted its horns.

They were tall and twisted, covered in black ink. They emanated such a tremendous power.

Aeris gulped.

Fortunately, the Vilewarren was a dozen meters away from them. They were hiding behind a tree anyway.

Ash never left his gaze away from the Vilewarren. Until, suddenly, the Vilewarren stopped in his tracks and switched his three enormous eyes towards the tree they hid behind.

The Vilewarren felt something there!

'Ah shit!' Ash cursed and pulled his gaze away instantly. Maybe the Vilewarren noticed their gazes.

But, that wasn't the case.

There was something they had completely forgot about. The scent of blood!

once they realized this vital point, Aeris, in an instant, placed his hand on Ash.

Ash let out a whisper of groan before shutting his mouth closed with his hands. Aeris had placed his hand on Ash's torso, the most sensitive part of his body. At that moment, at least.

Aeris's palm emanated green particles which has infused with Ash's body.

His body was healing! Every slash on his arms, every burn he suffered, even his peeled skin. All of his mangled figure started fading, although not entirely.

The pain subsided at a wide angle, his peeled skin, the most weakest point to him, had vanished.

Aeris broke into a heavy sweat, his body trembling as the healing process drained him of nearly all his stamina.

Breathing hoarsely and quietly, Aeris gestured to Ash, counting to three, two and then one!

A second later, both of them dashed to the sides of the tree. Aeris to the left and Ash to the right.

Just at the same time, a flash of a sudden gust tore past the tree, its force so intense that even from behind cover, they felt it slam against the tree like a bursting shockwave.

Yet, it wasn't an attack. They hoped it was.

The Vilewarren, from several meters away, dashed like a flash of a hollow. Its speed was something their minds couldn't imagine.

Its second name wasn't the Hollowbane for nothing. And now, they knew a part of its devastating potential.

Aeris ran as fast as his legs could endure, away from the area.

Ash was running too, escaping for his life. But the Vilewarren had another choice, he wanted Ash's life. But Why? Why Ash himself?

"SHIT! does my blood taste like a grape juice for you or something?!" Ash cursed as he ran away.

The Vilewarren dashed to him, closing the distance in no time.

'Second rule of manipulation...' Ash thought as he instantly, after running away just for a second, dashed to right side with tremendous speed.

'Never underestimate the powerful fools!'

Ash was right. Although the Vilewarren was still a monster without the mind of a manipulator like Ash, but brute force destroys everything. The laws changes once force and power enters the convo.

Ash took his first steps into the Fluffbane forest with a fall on his forehead. When he rotated, he saw the Hollowbane still behind him. Yet... it ignored Ash completely!

'Huh?!'

The Vilewarren was standing near the edge of the river, his spine straightened and stared, just stared in front of it.

Ash was now on its right side so he could never be him. But what exactly made him stare like this? A monster with a slim body yet evokes such pure devastation. What the hell caught his attention over a well-served, weak prey?

Of course, it was another pray!

Ash stood on his feet and kept staring at it as well and shifted his gaze to where it stared.

'...Another traveler!'

Ash stood in silence, not knowing what to do.

Run as fast as he can and escape the area? Or scream to the other traveler to warn him?

He felt a heavy burden in his heart for letting that freak kill one of his fellow travelers but also he appreciated his life more than anything else. Even more than the smiley Aeris.

'I hate this...' No one can blame him.

The clock is ticking. Ash still can't decide what to do. Several Fluffbanes surrounded the traveler that the Hollowbane stared at.

Its claw twitched. Ash tensed as he fully understood that he has to act now or it's good bye for the traveler.

'SHIT! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!!'

Ash, from inside the territory of the forest, ran with all of his might. Hoping that he would overrun the Vilewarren. A desperate hope.

Ash sprinted among the trees and jumped atop of a dead tree that lied horizontally on the ground.

His speed was formidable. Even Ash himself felt his speed increased two folds. After dodging every tree that came across, he glanced at the Vilewarren to see if he started moving or not.

Ash was about to reach the traveler. He felt so close to him, that's when the Vilewarren moved.

Like a hollow drenched in darkness and silence, The Hollowbane reached the traveler within a second.

He outran Ash who sprinted for 15 seconds in just a mere one second.

'Its main affinity is agility. No doubt about that!'

The miserable traveler was surrounded by many Fluffbanes and Fangbanes, ranging from LV.1 to 5.

The Vilewarren stood in silence in front of him and waited for sometime. Ash wondered in silence. Why would it wait?

The traveler was really pathetic. He was afraid and scared. Even the LV.1 Fluffbanes could damage him and feast on his flesh. He screamed in agony and pain.

'What a foolish system to bring a weakling like that.'

Ash was totally right. Although he and Aeris are considered weak, below weak actually, they still had the spirit and a will of a monster to fight the Fluffbanes.

Ash stopped mid his track. He was still within the forest territory. Watching as the Fluffbanes ate the traveler's flesh, the Fangbanes waited from afar. Unlike the Fangbanes, The Vilewarren Was so close to the scared traveler.

Ash had an inner conflict at this time. He even grabbed his face and scratched it intensely, trying to find an answer in between. But, he knew very well that it doesn't exist and it will never will.

Aeris... Aeris was the first one who echoed in his mind.

'Aeris... what would you do if you were in my place?'

Ash thought for a moment. What Aeris would do will obviously be the choice to save the traveler, just like he had saved Ash when the Fangbanes showed up.

Ash's face darkened. This choice isn't something he would do. His character of a manipulator refused to accept doing this.

Yet, when he saw the traveler falling on the ground with so many Fluffbanes clinching on his flesh, did his instincts move by itself.

His body moved by itself and ran outside of the forest. The Fangbanes spotted him immediately and dashed to attack him.

But, Ash was now faster all thanks to Aeris's healing technique. Ash wasn't a mangle anymore. Well, almost.

One of the Fangbanes caught him and reduced his speed, then another and another.

Ash became surrounded but he fought, fought with all of his potential. Ash gripped two of the Fangbanes' heads with his two hands, there were still three left eating him alive.

And then, Ash realized something vital.

The Vilewarren didn't look at him. It didn't even noticed him.

'I... get it now!'

Suddenly, Ash's voice echoed in the whole area.

"TRAVELER!! GRAB ONE OF THEM AND EAT IT!! QUICK!! SPLASH ITS BLOOD ON YOUR BODY!! THIS WILL SAVE YOU!!"

The traveler noticed Ash and looked at him with tears running down his face. He wasn't someone who deserved being saved.

Weather Ash screamed or not, the Vilewarren raised his claw high in the air.

Its sharp and razor claw clad with darkness, descended upon the traveler right after.