Chapter 130 First Island



"This will take some time..."

Currently, I was standing on the edge of an island, overlooking many more islands levitating in the dark sky.

I could see at least a dozen of such floating islands, each uniquely shaped and connected with massive obsidian chains that glittered under the dusky light.

Clang... Clang...

From time to time these black vines would sway gently, emitting an eerie metallic sound that echoed through the ether.

However, for some reason, I didn't feel fear. 

It was rather calming. 

I don't know why but Hell seemed mesmerizing to me.

"..."

Spending another moment in silence, I finally decided to take action.

I didn't have a lot of time to complete this quest anyway, so I better hurry. I don't want to be late for class and my ass beat by Robbin that's for sure.

Tap... Tap...

Without hesitation, I approached the chain leading out of the island and carefully placed my foot on the first link.

Clang...

The chain slightly swayed as I balanced myself, feeling the strange coldness of the obsidian seeping through my shoe.

The sensation was unnerving, yet I could only grit my teeth.

I for sure didn't want to fall into the Lava ocean below so it was either I endure the cold or I embrace the fiery abyss.

"Hah..."

Taking a step forward, I could feel the chain beneath me sway a little, but nothing that would deter me from continuing.

Tap... Clang... Tap...

With measured steps, I moved along the obsidian vine that stretched across the Lava abyss as I made my way toward the next floating island.

After a few minutes of walking, I became used to the rhythm of the chains and the steady swaying beneath my feet.

I wasn't confident enough to run on the chain, but I gained enough trust in my balance to pick up the pace.

"..."

As soon as I reached the next floating island, I took a moment to catch my breath.

Even though I mentioned that I didn't feel fear or discomfort while being in hell, I couldn't deny the physical and mental exhaustion this gave me.

I didn't want to die in this place, I didn't want to die anywhere!

Although I find myself in the most dangerous situations it doesn't mean that I've lost my mind.

Everything that I had done so far had been for a single purpose...

To save this world.

Well, it's actually to survive on my own, but saving the world sounds more noble and heroic.

Yeah, I'll just say that...

Plus having no people around in the end would be kind of sad.

I want at least Oscar to survive... 

Rose could stay too...

Drake, Tess and Kai would probably survive as well.

Robbin is also not that bad once you get to know him...

Scratching my chin, I looked toward the red horizon and the crimson glow that illuminated the rugged landscape.

It seems that there are some people I do not want to die.

However, it doesn't mean that I value them more than myself...

If I had to choose, I would still prioritize my own survival.

I wouldn't even hesitate to end hundreds if not thousands of lives for my own. It's not that I devalue the importance of human life, but in a survival situation where my own life is at stake, self-preservation becomes the ultimate priority.

I simply do not care what I need to do to survive, I will do it.

"..."

Raising from my kneeling position, I looked over the landscape of the island I was currently standing on.

This floating platform was different from the first one. It had some strange greenery that seemed to defy simple logic.

There was a small forest of twisted trees that were entirely made of crystal clear quartz. The translucent branches shimmered in the faint light, casting an ethereal glow over the surrounding area.

It was a mesmerizing sight, well at least it would be if I wasn't aware of the danger this forest poses.

'They think they are sneaky...'

Muttering under my breath, I picked up a pebble lying near my feet and used my other hand to engrave a rune of the explosion into it.

I also made sure to draw another rune of activation on its back, so the explosion would trigger upon impact.

Huff...

With a small grenade made, I held it firmly in my hand before tossing it toward the dense forest of crystal trees.

Boom...

As soon as the pebble hit one of the crystal tree branches, it detonated with a deafening explosion, causing a cloud of dust and shattered crystal to fill the air.

"..."

However, even with all the destruction and chaos caused by the explosion, my eyes were glued to the tree that the grenade had targeted.

As the dust settled, I could see the outlines of a face emerging from the crystal structure of the tree.

It was a face of a human, frozen forever in the embracing of the tree's icy grip.

This was a grievous sight...

These beautiful quartz trees are not just trees, but demonic beings, each containing a trapped human soul.

They are like plants but instead of receiving CO2 and making O2, they consume the life force of trapped souls, creating Dark Mana.

If I were to accidentally touch one of these crystal trees, my mind would become ensnared by its dark influence, and my soul would be trapped within its icy grasp forever.

"Fucking hell..."

I muttered to myself, trying to ignore the humans captured within these trees. They were too far gone to be saved or revived.

Sure, I could hunt down a Phoenix and extract its blood to create a potion that would revive these trapped souls, but it was simply too risky and time-consuming.

There was simply no way, I was going to go and hunt an SS Rank Monster for some random people trapped within crystal trees.

You can go and ask the protagonists if they're willing to take on that kind of mission, but for me, it's a hard pass.

Anyways...

The forest wasn't the only thing that irked me. On the other side of the island, there were strange ruins that seemed to be inhabited by some kind of hellish creature.

From here I couldn't quite make out what that creature was, but I could tell that it wasn't bipedal and had wings.

Oh, the creature seemed to also notice me and locked its gaze with mine.

Although we were some distance away, I could easily see its glowing red eyes piercing through the dim light of the environment.

It probably heard the explosion caused by my Enhanced Pebble and that's why it had taken notice of me, but I didn't mind it.

I needed to eliminate ~all~ the beings from these islands, to ensure that the Void would close and no Dark Mana would seep into our world.

"..."

Eyeing as the monster raised, its massive wings, reading for flight, I grabbed a couple more pebbles from the ground, quickly engraving Runes onto them.

Kliek...

As I was about to finish enhancing the fifth pebble, I realized that my focus had shifted too far.

The monster was right above my head!

Swish...

Instinctively, I jerked my body to the side, avoiding the creature's sharp claws that sliced through the air with a swift deadly motion.

It was very fucking close!

My eyes instantly locked onto the monster gliding above me, observing its appearance and movements with intense focus.

It was a Hellbat, a type of flying monster that is usually found lurking high above the ground, in dark and desolate places.

Hellbats are known for their razor-sharp claws that can tear through metal and massive wings that allow them to soar through the skies of hell with grace and agility.

These hellish creatures also possess fire affinity, meaning that they are capable of casting spells.

Yes, a monster can cast a fucking spell! 

I don't know what the game creators were smoking when they came up with the idea to create this creature, but I'd like to try it too.

"Ughh..."

Anyways, there was no point in complaining about the monster's design or abilities. 

Honestly speaking, this monster was weak. 

Not as weak as Goblins but I knew that a single well-executed strike would be enough to take it down.

So... Why was I crying about its design before?

Boom...

That's exactly fucking why!

I quickly rolled to the side, seeing a fireball hurtling toward me at an alarming speed.

Hellbats are not the biggest fans of close combat, in fact, they rarely get inside your strike range, hovering above the ground and attacking from a distance with their fiery spells.

You can already tell how frustrating it is for a swordsman to fight such a creature...

All you can do is wave your fucking sword at them, hoping that the Bat would hit a tree or something and plummet to the ground.

I once even threw my sword at it...

Let's just say that I missed and never found my weapon again.

However, this time it will be different...

A small grin appeared on my face as I touched the Enhanced pebbles in my pocket.