Chapter 134

134 The Red Tornado

Leo was desperately longing to remove his hood. The heat in hell was unbearable, and he felt like he was suffocating under the weight of the cloak. He made a mental note to visit Kilgros as soon as he made it out of hell and request that climate control be added to the Shadow Cloak.

He could try to obtain the Fire resistance, but it would take a lot of time and effort, especially since his level wasn’t high enough yet. It would be more efficient to spend his time acquiring overpowered gear and other equipment that would make him more powerful instantly.

Leo and Ava had been walking for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it had only been an hour. Despite their efforts, they had been unable to locate a Portal. All they had come across were the ruins of ancient structures, long since abandoned and left to crumble. They also came across a few forests with tall, reddish trees, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.

Ava and Leo scoured the horizon, their eyes focused on the distant landscape as they searched for any sign of a pyramid-like structure.

Leo’s confidence was starting to waver as they trudged through the unfamiliar landscape. He had thought he knew the general direction of one of the pyramids, but now he wasn’t so sure.

‘Maybe we should have gone a little more north...’

He muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in frustration. He threw a glance at Ava, who just kept quiet, focusing on the surroundings rather than panicking like Leo.

As Leo looked at her, he was struck by her calm and collected appearance. Despite the situation they were in, she seemed to be completely in control of her emotions. He couldn’t help but be drawn in by her beauty, and found himself struggling to untangle his thoughts as he gazed at her.

‘I wish I had such mental strength’

.....

Leo quietly clicked his tongue, making Ava glance at him. She had already become bored of the silent journey. Her black wings could somewhat protect her from the sunlight and the heat wasn’t unbearable, because she was a fallen angel. The only thing that was bothering her was the silence.

Under normal circumstances, Ava would have enjoyed the peaceful silence that surrounded them. However, with Leo, an enigmatic stranger whose peculiar personality had piqued her curiosity, she found herself wanting to break the silence and get to know him better. She was drawn to him, and her desire to understand more about him was overwhelming.

During their late night talk yesterday, Ava and Eli uncovered some of her feelings and one was particularly prominent: Ava’s curiosity was piqued by Leo.

Unfortunately, Ava struggled to find the words to start a conversation. She would open her mouth to speak, but then hesitate and swallow her words before they could escape her throat. She had no specific subject in mind and felt at a loss for what to say.

Swish...

The hot wind blew in their faces, Leo had to squint his eyes tightly against the harsh gusts. The wind was scorching, as if it had been blowing across a desert for miles before reaching them. It carried with it the scent of dry, parched earth and the distant promise of a storm.

Leo suddenly felt a faint, metallic scent in the air that he realized what it was. Blood. Leo had read about the Corrupted Phantom in his past life and knew enough about the Corrupted Phantom’s habits to know that they needed to get out of there, fast.

“Ava, Can you look around!”

Ava gave him a curious look, but hearing Leo’s serious voice, she knew that this was no time for questions. She extended her wings and rose into the sky, trying to scout the horizon for any signs of danger.

“What are we looking for?”

She called down to Leo, her eyes scanning the landscape below.

“Anything red and abnormal!”

Leo replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. Even if he died, he wouldn’t suffer that much. His level was low, so retrieving it wouldn’t be hard, but it’d be time costly.

Leo replied, trying to keep his emotions in check. Even if he died, it won’t be too much of a loss. His level is relatively low, so it wouldn’t take too long to recover his levels.

The only problem was the durability of his Shadow Robe, which was already showing signs of wear and tear. If he took any excessive damage, it would likely break and disintegrate, forcing him to go search for another Dark Sapphire to craft a new one. He could also remove it before his death, but that would mean revealing his true appearance to Ava.

Leo sighed and glanced down at the tattered fabric of his robe. He had a feeling that this was going to be a tough journey, and he wasn’t sure if his gear was up to the task. He glanced at his inventory where the Clown Mask was stored and sighed. He can’t use it, not until he is alone.

Grimly, Leo squared his shoulders and glanced at Ava, who was still hovering in the sky.

“Is everything alright...?”

Leo squinted his eyes as the bright sun shone directly into them, obstructing his vision. Despite this, he could still see the pale expression on Ava’s face, a look of worry and concern etched into her features. It was clear that something was wrong, and Leo could only imagine the worst.

He tried to focus on the task at hand, pushing away his own concerns as he scanned the horizon for any sign of danger.

Swish...

In the far horizon of the red, desolate wasteland, a huge tornado was emerging from the sandy dunes. The swirling mass of wind and dust was a fierce shade of red, as if it were a living, breathing entity made entirely of red sand and destruction. The tornado seemed to stretch up into the sky, reaching for the very clouds above. It was an intimidating sight, one that struck fear into the hearts of all who saw it.

As the tornado drew closer, it became clear that it was not natural. The red color seemed to pulse and swirl within the funnel, almost as if it were alive. And as it approached, the ground began to shake and tremble beneath their feet. It was as if the very earth itself were afraid of the destructive force that was coming for it.

“Ava, quickly! Fold your wings!”

Leo shouted over the roar of the wind, his voice barely audible over the noise. He summoned Fenrir, his wolf companion, as he glanced over at the red tornado that was quickly approaching them.

The tornado was a fearsome sight, its red color swirling and pulsing within the funnel as it tore across the desert landscape. It was getting closer and closer with every passing moment, and Leo knew they had to act fast if they wanted to survive.

Ava quickly obeyed, folding her wings tightly against her body and landing on the trembling ground. She jumped on Fenrir’s back and Leo followed soon after.

“Run as fast as you can!”

The black wolf darted through the sand with lightning speed, leaving a huge cloud of red dust in its wake. The creature was a blur of movement, its powerful legs propelling it forward at an incredible speed. Its fur was ruffled by the wind, but it didn’t seem to notice, its focus solely on outrunning the massive tornado that was fast approaching.

Roar...

Leo could hear the roaring winds blowing behind him, but it sounded more like the scream of a beast than the wind itself. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the monster that was chasing them, but all he saw was a swirling mass of red. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and it filled him with fear.

He turned his attention back to the horizon, searching for any sign of salvation. They had been running for what felt like hours, but the tornado showed no sign of slowing down. It was as if it was determined to catch them, to consume them in its fiery vortex.

“Leo, there’s a strange building ahead!”

Leo’s attention was grabbed by Ava, who was pointing at the horizon with a look of desperation on her face. He followed her gaze and saw a dark silhouette on the horizon, stretching out as far as he could see. It was a wall, a massive structure that seemed to rise up from the ground like a mountain.

“The wall!”

Ava shouted, her voice barely audible over the howling winds.

“We can take shelter there!”

Leo’s heart skipped a beat as he saw the glimmer of hope on the horizon. The wall was their only chance, their only hope of escaping the red tornado.

“The great wall of hell...”

Leo muttered under his breath as he patted Fenrir on the head, his eyes fixed on the wall in the distance. It seemed so far away, yet it was their only hope of escape.