Chapter 193: Bloodbath
Leif awaited the inevitable arrival of his enemy in the clearing of swords, sensing the uncomfortable prickling against his aura as it grew closer and closer. A family of birds roosting in a nearby tree panicked as the overbearing scent of blood washed through the forest, only to fall to the ground, dead seconds after taking flight. Even the grass seemed to shudder, the tiny creatures living among the verdant blades and below in the moist soil shrivelling up and dying, drained of vitality.
A swarm of rodents dashed out from the undergrowth, paying Leif no mind as they sprinted, panicked into the clearing, only to succumb moments later, their small bodies withering as they died, tiny trickles of blood running in a river back towards the direction they were fleeing from. Leif’s perception was being battered by the sanguine aura, but he could still sense every tiny life being extinguished. It was an appalling sight, the unnecessary slaughter.
Laughter, base and haunting reached Leif, each sound was like the crunching of dead leaves. The approaching presence was gleeful and eager, and its malicious intent battered against him like the tide against the shore. The thing melted out of the tree line, loping on all fours, its front limbs twisted replicas of human arms, the back two that of clawed beasts. Bat-like wings sprouted from its back, though they seemed too small to allow for flight.
The monster was all bulging muscle pressing against crimson skin, and its madness tinted eyes stared down at Leif like a predator eying its next meal.
“Hideous.” Leif said, raising both wooden swords, each weapon blazing with amber energy.
The laughter stopped. Then an invisible vice grip grabbed him by the neck, tugging him forward with such force that Leif stumbled several steps. He resisted, surging vitality through his body, layering his aura like a shield before him to block the things control over his body. It worked, though only with significant effort.
What happened? Leif thought, deliberately backing away with careful steps. This is far more powerful than when I faced it back on Dimid with Marcus. Is it this strong because it killed and ate the hunting party? Is the clone actually multiple skills working in tandem?
He raised a hand and pushed the sword towards the monstrosity. The construct of blood didn’t attempt to move, its glowing red eyes tracking the projectile as it slammed into its middle. It didn’t flinch, instead its gaze flicked back to Leif, its unhinged, inhuman grin spreading. Leif cursed as the golden radiance of the blade faded away, the construct lowering itself and shuddering with pleasure as it consumed the amber life-force.
He had suspected as much, and was glad he had only infused two such weapons prior to the fight. With a brief effort of will he made the sword vanish into his spatial ring, though the task was made much harder as the aura of the monster sharpened into dagger-like blades, raking down his projection of self like nails on a chalkboard. Leif had one gilded wood bomb left, but the weapon may end up feeding the beast more than harming it.