Chapter 2444
She could hear its breathing. Only that wet noise echoed out.
The room that had previously seemed so vast seemed like such a small place as cloudy grey distortions gathered at the periphery. Laplace looked around with his bloody and gouged eyes and Devick shivered.
After a few moments of consideration, the bloated serpent used its two arms to drag its body slightly forward. Each movement sent a shudder through its flesh. Each shudder dislodged a few more fresh drops of blood, which hit the ground and echoed strangely out through this perfect Pinnacle environment. The weird glassy quality swirled out from Laplace’s body. The air felt sticky as Devick breathed, her heartbeat becoming alarmingly rapid.
She could feel its sweat against her skin, suffocating her. Its image clogged her airways and constricted her muscles.
“Flee, girl. I have taught you all I can,” The monkey bounced forward and hopped up to stand on Devick’s shoulder. It had continued to grow over the last few minutes, so it was almost half as large as Devick was. It looked at her with blank eyes. “I appreciate you would give so much for me… but I have my pride. And have been alone for a long time. Heh, laboring without any appreciation is just my existence. I do not need your help with this foe- oof!”
The monkey, toward the end of its speech, made to leap off Devick’s shoulder and go face the monster. But as it jumped, Devick’s hand snapped up and grabbed its tail; the unexpected tug halted the monkey’s progress and its face planted into the ground.
“You think we should face this?” Devick snorted while she gathered the monkey up in her arms. Then she pivoted on her heel, condensed Malice around her body, and began sprinting away across the vast, featureless plain. Each step was a supreme effort, forcing her way through the pressure released by the Eternity. Even through her shoes, she could feel the thump of those massive drops of blood hitting the ground behind her. “I’m unreasonable, not stupid. We should not fight-”
This time, it was Devick who was cut off. The breath seemed to freeze in her lungs. Her movements turned sluggish. A horrific intention spun around her. Soon her movements ceased. Then, inexorably, her trembling legs began to reverse. She ran backward, her stride bringing her back to stand in front of the invading Eternity.
As her traitorous body pivoted on her heel, she bit her lip until she drew blood. Malice lashed back and forth inside of her body. Yet she could not escape the grasp of the Eternity.