#9 Survival
Erin, who had been fishing, quietly picked up the trident with the dagger tied to it.
Erin: (in her mind) Damn it, again… another wolf?
In that instant,
it lunged.
Whoosh—
Erin: Noah!! Get up!!
A massive form charged, kicking up the earth as it rushed like a missile.
Erin instinctively thrust the trident forward as she stumbled back.
Bolt upright—!
Noah jolted awake, throwing off his cloak at Erin's shout.
At the sight of Noah, the beast flinched and backed away. It was far larger than any wolf they had seen.
Noah: Erin! Get behind me!
He took the trident from Erin and stepped in front of her, shielding her.
Noah immediately grabbed his Mana-stone and stretched out his hand. He tried to channel Mana—
Noah: …Why… why isn't it coming out…?!
Panic.
His heart raced, but no flame sparked.
Erin: Stay calm, Noah… Just do it like you always do.
But the hand holding the trident trembled violently.
Noah: (gritting his teeth) What am I supposed to do…?
As if sensing Noah's fear—
Pounce—
The beast lunged again toward him.
"Grrrraugh!!"
Its open maw could easily swallow Noah's head whole.
Noah: N-No! Stay back—!!
Desperately, he thrust the trident toward its mouth.
Then—
Crackle! Rattle-rattle…!
Small ice crystals sprouted from his hand,
quickly covering the entire trident.
A white, glimmering frost spread over the weapon.
Noah: (looking at his hand) That's not… fire…?
Erin: Ice…
Thud— Ssshhhk—!
The ice-laced trident smoothly pierced into the beast's open maw.
Noah released it.
Crack… crunch—
And then the beast's body began to freeze.
From nose, to eyes, to its paws—
slowly, like blooming frost flowers—
The massive beast stiffened,
unable to utter even a final cry.
Crack… THUD—
Its huge body
collapsed right onto Noah.
Noah: Ugh—!
Erin rushed over and pushed against the frozen beast with both hands, helping Noah to his feet.
Erin: Noah, are you okay?!
Noah: (panting) What was that just now…? That wasn't fire. It was ice.
From the frozen beast's body—
Crack— crackle—
Tiny fractures began to form.
The ice slowly melted from the tail up.
Noah grit his teeth and grabbed the cast-iron pot,
then charged at the beast's massive frozen body.
Crack—! Clang—! Thud—!!
Noah: Uraaahhh!! Just break already!!!
He smashed the pot with all his strength against the frozen creature. Erin joined in, stomping on the hard ice.
CLANG—! BAM! CRASH!!
The pot dented heavily beyond repair, but the surface of the ice cracked open,
even the frozen innards splitting and bursting apart.
Noah kept pounding, and eventually,
the beast collapsed into shards.
Erin: We did it… huff…
Noah: Huff, huff, huff—
The ground was soaked with a mix of melting beast blood and icy water.
Ping—
Noah clutched his head and slumped down.
Noah: Ughhh… my head… everything's white…
Erin: Are you okay? Are you hurt?
She quickly checked his body.
Noah: My mind… is hazy…
Erin: (worried) But… the ice. Why did that come out?
Noah: (dazed) …I don't really know. I did it like always…
Erin pondered.
Erin: (looking upward) Maybe… your emotions were different this time?
Noah pulled the trident from the beast's mouth.
Noah: It definitely felt different. Like I was being… pulled into something.
Beneath it, something faintly glimmered.
Erin: (tilting her head) …Huh? What's this…
A Mana-stone.
In her hand was a black, semi-transparent crystal—larger and darker than the usual ones.
A subtle vibration buzzed against her fingertips.
Noah compared it with his usual Mana-stone.
This one was darker, heavier, and pulsed with a strange, living energy.
Noah: This thing's a Aberrant beast…
Then—
"Awooooooo—"
A long, deep, sorrowful, yet furious howl echoed from the other side of the forest.
Noah and Erin exchanged a single glance—and that was enough.
Erin: (biting her lip) …It's calling others.
Noah: (calmly) We need to run. Now!
Together, they turned their backs on the beast's corpse and sprinted down the opposite trail.
Rustle-rustle-rustle—!
Wet leaves scattered underfoot.
Behind them—
"Awooooo—!"
The howl returned—louder now.
THUMP THUMP!
A black shadow slammed across the ground, gaining on them rapidly.
Erin: (gasping) It's fast… really fast!
Noah: (running) Erin! Keep going! Don't stop!
He suddenly halted,
spun around,
and raised his trident high.
He inhaled.
Focused his mind.
Drew up the Mana from within.
Noah: …Please… fire, ice, anything, just come out!
FWOOSH—!
Flames burst from his palm.
Noah wiped his brow with his forearm.
Noah: Ugh… my head again…
But it worked… I did it.
The fire spread across the trident's blade—
a fiery, crimson spear.
At the sight, the charging beast hesitated—
It stopped and steadied itself.
Noah waved the flaming spear and backed away slowly toward Erin.
But then—
from beyond the trees—more footsteps.
Thud thud thud—!!
More shadows.
Erin: (glancing back) Another one's coming!
Noah: Dammit…
Two Aberrant beast.
One of them veered off from Noah—
and charged straight for Erin.
Erin readied the dented pan like a weapon.
Erin: Come any closer and you're dead too!
Noah: Not Erin!!
On instinct, he leapt forward several steps,
then hurled the trident with all his strength.
The flaming spear traced a red arc through the air—
and struck the beast charging at Erin right in the side.
THUNK—!
"YIP—!!"
WHOOSH—
Flames burst from the impact point,
igniting its fur.
The beast tumbled to the ground, thrashing.
But—
the trident didn't return.
One beast remained.
Noah: (stepping in front) Erin, get back! Lean against a tree!
Erin silently nodded and backed up to the nearest tree among the dense woods.
Noah stood in front of her.
No trident.
Only his bare hands—
and a single Mana-stone.
Noah: (quietly) Less angles… but no weapon… damn it!
From behind, Erin tossed the cast-iron pan to him.
Erin: Take this!
CLANG—!
Almost like a signal—
the beast lunged straight for Noah.
But before he could catch the pan—
it leapt, mouth open, aiming for his chest.
Noah: (gasping) …Whatever it takes!
FWOOOSH—!
Noah tried to ignite his right hand,
dodging the jaws to grab its fur—
But it was too fast.
He couldn't stop it.
Noah clenched his eyes shut and threw up his left arm.
CHOMP—!!
Its teeth sank in.
Hot blood gushed out.
Noah: (screaming) AAAAAAGGHH—!!!
Agony tore through his arm.
Its fangs clamped down with brutal force.
Erin screamed.
Erin: AHHHH!! LET HIM GO, YOU BASTARD!!
CLANG—CLANG—! WHAM! THUMP THUMP!
She grabbed the fallen pan and struck the beast,
kicked it—
but it refused to release him.
Then, the beast stared directly at Erin, shifting its stance.
Noah: (gritting his teeth) Erin… no…
I… won't…
lose anyone again…!!!
As the beast opened its jaws again—
the flame in Noah's right hand flickered out—
BOOM—!!
From his left hand,
a massive explosion of flame erupted.
The shockwave rippled across the ground.
Tremor.
Light.
Fire.
The beast's head, still biting Noah's arm,
exploded—
shattered into fragments.
SPLASH! CRACKLE—
Blood and black gore scattered into the air.
Erin, blown back by the blast, fell.
Erin: (wide-eyed) …Noah… are you okay?
The fire lit up the forest's darkness.
Noah sat, gripping his bloody left arm.
Erin: (touching his body) What do we do…
"GRRRAAARRGGHH!!"
Three more Aberrant beast appeared from the woods.
Erin stood before Noah, cast-iron pan raised.
Erin: (screaming) No more!!
WHOOSH—!
A sonic boom sliced the air.
A javelin flew in—
THWACK—!!
It struck one beast dead center.
Without a cry, it was thrown sideways, impaled into a tree.
Erin: (eyes wide) …What…?
CLINK… CLANK…
Heavy armor clinked.
A man in a golden-hued suit of armor under a blue cloak stepped in front of her.
His shield was bigger than Erin's torso,
a massive axe strapped to his back.
Without a word or expression,
he lowered into a fighting stance,
shield raised, overpowering the beasts with sheer presence.
Erin gasped and looked around.
At the forest's edge—
two more beasts cautiously approached.
BAM!
The armored man slammed his shield into the ground.
Flinch—
The two beasts turned and fled.
Then—
BOOM! SWISH—!!
A sharp gust burst through the air.
Another javelin struck a fleeing beast's back.
THWACK!
"YIPPEEEE—!!"
The beast collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
A moment later,
a figure emerged from the forest shadows, removing a black cloak-hood.
Wavy red hair,
slender frame,
sharp eyes.
She flicked her wrist and grinned.
Risha: (smirking) Funny thing about running—you gotta be fast. But today… I was faster, huh?
Beside her, the towering Baren lifted his axe and glanced at Erin slowly.
His aura still roared, as if he were mid-battle.
Erin carefully checked Noah, holding him close.
Erin: (breathing hard) Noah… Noah, are you okay…?
Noah: Ughhhh…
He groaned, clutching his head,
suffering.
A deep bite on his left hand,
blood still gushing.
Erin quickly removed her belt.
Erin: Hold still… don't move, I'll…
She silently wrapped his arm.
Then—
his skin began to glow faintly red.
A heat surged beneath the surface.
And then—
he suddenly sat up.
Ignoring his wounds.
His eyes were bloodshot.
Heat billowed behind him.
Something had unbalanced.
Erin: (stumbling back) …Noah? What's wrong…? Are you okay?
He said nothing.
His gaze unfocused,
his breath wild.
Erin: Noah… I'm scared. Say something, please…
Risha: (to Baren) No good. It's starting. We have to subdue him.
Baren: Hoo…
He sighed, then raised his massive shield—
WHAM!!
And slammed it into Noah's torso.
Noah crumpled with a cracking sound, pinned beneath the shield.
Erin: (eyes wide) What are you doing?! Who are you?! STOP!!
She swung the pan at Baren—
but Risha grabbed her from behind, holding her back.
Noah: Grrrrraahh…
Flames erupted from his body.
Risha: Now!
Baren leapt onto Noah's back,
ignoring the fire,
and struck the back of his neck with his axe handle.
CRACK—!
Noah went limp and collapsed.
Erin: (screaming) No… Noah…
Breathing heavily, she trembled between fear and confusion.
Erin: (backing away) …Who are you…? What do you want with us?!
Risha brushed back her red hair.
She glanced at Erin with mild curiosity,
then turned to Noah.
The red aura faded like smoke.
Noah's chest slowly rose and fell.
Baren rolled Noah onto his back.
His armor clanked.
Risha pulled a blue flask from her belt—filled with a shimmering liquid—
dabbing her fingers, she wiped Noah's forehead and neck.
Erin: What are you doing to him?!
Noah: Hh… huff…
The air stank of scorched grass, blood, and torn flesh.
The pale light of dawn crept through the trees.
Erin: (hesitantly) Who… are you…? What is this?
Risha: (raising a brow) Lucky, you two.
You were pretty much dead.
But…
(smiling slyly) You made it. In one piece.