Chapter 221 The Dark Lands



Erel and Solomon used their best efforts to get as many people as possible to participate in Zayne's search. They had connections, so when they would be able to find Zayne was only a matter of time.

However, exactly how long would it take? And, would they even find the right way before it was too late?

Crackle.

Clutching the black earth with his fingers, Zayne slowly rose from the ground, holding his hand to his head. He felt as if someone had hit him on the back of his head with a hammer as his head rang like a bell.

"Shit... How annoying is this..." Zayne frowned, trying to somehow deal with the pain, echoing inside his head.

Zayne took a deep breath, and the first thing he wanted to do was check his status. However, this time he saw nothing.

[ ... ]

The massive window where all his information should have been written was blank, with only three dots in the center. It was as if all his progress had vanished in an instant.

"That's weird..." Zayne muttered clenching his hand into a fist, "My power is definitely with me, moreover, I feel like I can use any skill... 

Then, Zayne looked around.

"Anyway... Where the hell did I end up? This place doesn't look friendly at all, and how did those hands transport me here?" Zayne frowned.

He was surrounded by ebony, dried-up trees with spiky branches, sometimes randomly creating eerie patterns after the occasional flow of wind. 

There was nothing among the trees but a black mist that covered the entire forest, descending to a strange dark grass with a resin-like liquid dripping from its tips.

However, none of that mattered, even the frightening aura wasn't as remarkable as the blood moon floating in the sky.

"Shit... Did I really get where I think I am?" Zayne gritted his teeth, staring at the almost invisible scarlet streams emanating from the ground. They covered the entire forest, creating a veil that visually colored the moon bloody.

Zayne was ready to face the ordeal, but before that, he had to make one last attempt to avoid the disaster that definitely awaited him ahead.

Crackle.

Zayne swung his hand, trying to create a portal, but as soon as the white particles of energy appeared, they were dispelled by an unknown force. It seemed that it was the very area he was in, and not someone specific, which made the situation even more eerie.

? ? ? ? ? ?

"Hmm... On the maps, I've seen a few forests similar to the Misty Forest that is in front of Zexiton Academy, but I haven't heard that there's a blood moon anywhere... If I really ended up in the Dark Lands, then fuck, I'm in big trouble." Zayne pondered while rubbing his chin.

'Solomon said there are also cities here, it's the same world as the Empire, only much more dangerous... since Chaos is everywhere. However, how do I know where to go and what to do?'

Usually, the Player had a quest that had everything necessary written in it, the conditions, the reward, a general description of the situation, and other necessary data. However, right now Zayne couldn't use that, he didn't have access to the system that a normal person had.

'Before, all but the very first changes were due to Chaos influence, right? Chaos Coin, skills, hidden power, portal, and now this... But isn't this too much? Judging from the color of the fire, those hands were definitely their Chaos Energy, so why did Chaos kidnap me and bring me here? Just to kill me? No, it doesn't make sense!' Zayne said confidently inwardly.

Zayne unlike most of the inhabitants of this world already knew that Fate was not absolute good, as well as Chao's absolute evil. So, he definitely had some purpose and a chance to survive.

Step.

Zayne stepped forward, at the same moment, right after his first step, red pulses traveled along the ground, and then, after a while, the same pulses appeared on the left.

"I see... There's no quest or map, but there's something better than this. Now I know where I'm going." Zayne smiled, then he dashed forward, making his way through the forest.

Even if it was the Dark Lands, he had nothing to fear, he had his gear, skills, and stats. His best option was to get out of there as fast as he could, it was the only way he could avoid something really bad.

Crackle.

As Zayne ran out of the clearing, entering the territory of the dense trees, several shadows appeared among them, flickering from time to time.

Zayne was wary, then as if he had expected it, two massive paws with sharp claws headed for his throat with flashing speed.

'Quick... but predictable...' Zayne commented, bending to the ground and letting the claws pass directly over him, watching the glint pass along the sharp edges.I think you should take a look at

His ring sparkled as a long sword with brightly glowing purple runes appeared in his hand. 

Zayne could use the skill of his sword at any time, but for now, there was no need as there were only a few opponents against him.

"Raaarr!" One of the five beasts roared, slowly moving in a circle, surrounding Zayne.

The beasts had a muscular body, black skin, sharp claws, and an unusual curved back. The spine was literally an ovoid part of their body, slightly protruding from their back, which looked creepy and intimidating.

These were the Dark Hyenas.

'How strange...' Zayne said to himself as he glanced into the eyes of the beasts that were sharp and wild, but completely pure with no admixture of any energy.

'In Chaos Hearth, all the monsters are infected by Chaos Energy, but they look like normal beasts, although they are quite dangerous in appearance... This is while Dark Lands is ruled by Chaos... Well, I can think about it later.' Zayne gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, took a step forward, and channeled the energy towards his back.

Two scarlet wings opened behind him, they were an indication of his intentions and at the same time a signal that their battle had begun.

Whooooooooooooooooooosh.

The wings came into motion just as the five Hyenas came into motion. One of the beasts tore straight at Zayne, but Zayne was too fast, so in a heartbeat, he found himself behind the Hyena.

The beast's head flew off to the side while blood ran down the dark blade of Zayne's sword, reaching the tip and falling to the ground in dark droplets.

Even though Zayne had just killed the monster, no messages appeared in front of him, just nothing. Right now, he felt like an ordinary hunter from Fallen Fate World, not a Player who had entered the game.

"Well, it looks like if I can get out of here alive then my life will change forever. Even more so than before... Shit, that's pretty ironic." Zayne said before rushing into battle.

Dark Hyenas possessed considerable speed and knew how to survive in a dangerous place like the Dark Lands. Their claws were sharp, and their jaws were powerful enough to tear Zayne apart if they had the chance.

They probably would have easily defeated Zayne, and he would have been their lunch if they had encountered each other two weeks ago, but he was a different person now.

'At first, my goal was just to find a way to make money...' Zayne swung his sword, taking a step forward, slicing open the stomach of the second Hyena that jumped at him.

Drops of blood fell on his face while the three remaining beasts surrounded him, but Zayne fought with little thought to his actions. Compared to what he'd been through fighting Enar or Selania, it was nothing.

Back then, all his thoughts were focused on his path and its irony, while his body, experience, and instincts did the rest.

Crackle.

Zayne jumped, dodging the sharp claws at the last moment, then he gripped the hilt tightly, plunging his sword straight into the head of one of the beasts.

'As soon as I started playing Fallen Fate I met Galahan and Alex, those two are amazing people and with them, my financial problems disappeared like they never existed.' Zayne pondered for a moment before doing a somersault forward.

"Raaaaark!!!!" The Hyenas roared, showing their long fangs, as blue runes appeared on their shoulders, making their eyes shine brightly.

Electric shocks ran through the Hyenas' bodies as they turned into blue lightning, simultaneously attacking Zayne.

'However, when one dream was achieved, a whole new world appeared in front of me, gradually revealing its marvelous features.' Zayne took a deep breath before releasing his sword.

The hyenas had already shortened their distance considerably, finding themselves only a few meters away from Zayne, their jaws wide open, about to tear massive chunks of flesh off of him.

'Now that I've achieved what I wanted, I don't want to just spend a quiet life with my sister at all. This world is deep and mesmerizing, it's addictive and leaves no choice but to fight... More and more I'm ceasing to be a Player and... Damn, it looks like that's what I want.''

A blue glint of electricity reflected in Zayne's pupils. 

Step.

Zayne took a step forward, throwing his arms forward sharply and clutching the Hyenas tightly by their throats until their jaws were in front of his face.

Then, he sighed, bringing the beasts down to the ground with all his might, making it crack and their eyes forever empty.