Chương 225: No Choice But To Fight!

"Sun-touched," Azure confirmed.

"There's one transforming near the village edge, approximately seventy yards behind us."

"How long until it completes its transformation?" I gasped, forcing myself to maintain my current pace despite the burning sensation choking my lungs.

"If we base it on our previous observations, perhaps around ten seconds?" Ten seconds to reach the safety of the forest before a creature with enhanced strength, regenerative abilities, and uncontrollable bloodlust caught up to me. Yeah, it was going to be close. One hundred and fifty yards. One hundred yards. The forest edge loomed larger now. Fifty yards. It was then the howling behind me deepened into a guttural growl that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The transformation was rapidly progressing.

"Five seconds to completion," Azure updated.

"You're doing well, Master. If you maintain this pace, you might even reach the forest with a second or two to spare." While Azure's analysis sounded positive, I wasn't so confident. The spiritual essence boost had faded completely now. But converting more wasn't a quick process when multitasking, so in the meantime, I would need to rely on my mortal endurance. And while this body might be reasonably fit for a village miller's son, it was nowhere near the supernatural condition of my original cultivator form.

Already, my legs felt like lead, each step becoming a struggle against the growing exhaustion. Thirty yards to the forest. Twenty. Ten. Behind me, the inhuman growling had suddenly stopped. Now replaced by heavy rhythmic pounding that could only be footsteps. Footsteps that were massive, powerful, and rapidly gaining speed.

"Master, the transformation is complete!" Azure confirmed my suspicions.

"It is gaining speed!" The tree line was right there. If I could reach it in time, I could disappear into the cover of the forest. And while it didn't guarantee my survival, it increased my chances drastically compared to being out in the open as I was now. Just a few more steps…

"Behind you!" Azure's warning came just as I reached the first trees.

"Dodge!" Without hesitation, I dove forward, rolling beneath the low-hanging of a pine tree as something massive sailed through the air where my head had been less than a second before. The ground shook behind me as the Sun-touched landed with a heavy thud. The impact sent pine needles raining down from the branches above. For the first time, I got a clear look at my pursuer.

It was obvious that the creature had once been human, there were still traces of the raider it had been prior to its transformation: the tattered clothes, the remnants of red face paint. Now, the red sun's corruption had twisted into something truly monstrous. Its muscle mass had doubled. From its joints and spine, bone spurs protruded outwards creating a natural armor. But what was most disturbing were the eyes: solid crimson orbs that glowed with the same light as the sun in the sky.

Eyes that were fixed on me with the intensity of a blood-thirsty predator.

"Master, while it may have enhanced strength, aggression, and the ability to regenerate," Azure began as I scrambled backwards, putting a tree trunk between me and the monster.

"It still has vulnerable points. Target the eyes, throat, and the joint connections."

"I can't waste time or energy fighting this thing," I muttered, ducking around another tree as the creature charged forward, swatting away the trunk I had been hiding behind with a casual swipe of its arm.

"Just focus on esca—" My words were cut off as I had to dive again after the Sun-touched hurtled a broken branch like a javelin at me. The improvised weapon embedded itself into a tree, mere inches above where my head had been moments before.

"Understood, Master. The creature appears to hunt primarily using sight rather than scent. Take advantage of the dense forest to make rapid changes in direction to break its line of sight." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Taking Azure's advice, I began to make my way deeper into the forest, weaving between the trees while using their trunks as shields.

It seemed while it was faster than me when running in a straight line, its increased muscle mass made it less agile, especially among dense trees.

"Master," Azure called out.

"More raiders are converging on our position." I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw that he was right. There were other shapes moving through the trees, probably drawn in by the commotion.

"How many?" I asked, ducking beneath another low-hanging branch.

"There are three approaching from the left and two from the right," Azure replied promptly.

"But they're ordinary raiders, not Sun-touched, and they seem to be moving cautiously." That made sense. Even raiders would be wary of a fully transformed Sun-touched. Who knew when it would turn on them? The red sun's influence affected everyone differently. There were some, like the creature chasing after me, who transformed dramatically. While others didn't undergo any physical changes but experienced increased aggression and strength. And some, like the village defenders, seemed largely unaffected.

Whatever the case may be for the approaching raiders, I had to make a decision fast. Running would only draw this out, and while my agility had surprised the Sun-touched, the monster seemed to have adapted in brute fashion, smashing through undergrowth and smaller trees instead of going around. And now, it was slowly gaining on me. If I didn't do something now, I would soon be trapped. Facing the monster rather than continuing to flee was risky, but it didn't seem like I had much option.

Azure had previously mentioned that while the Sun-touched might seem powerful in comparison to my mortal vessel, it wasn't without its weaknesses. If I were to time it just right, I might be able to deal with it with my rusty sword before the other raiders caught up. But first, I needed more spiritual essence. The Tri-Essence Harmony had still been active as I ran, slowly converting soul essence into spiritual energy. By the time I was ready, the creature was hot on my heels, I spun around abruptly.

The sudden change must have surprised the Sun-touched because it seemed to hesitate mid-lunge for a fraction of a second, but that was all I needed. I ducked under its reach and slashed upward in a single fluid motion. The qi-enhanced blade sliced across the creature's face, cutting deep through one glowing red eye and straight into the other. A howl of agony rang through the air as the Sun-touched staggered backwards, its massive hands clutching at its ruined eyes. Black ichor poured between its fingers.

I didn't wait to see its response. While the blinded monstered thrashed and roared, I was already sprinting deeper into the forest. Behind me, I heard shouts of alarm. The raiders had arrived, and from the terrified screams and the crash of breaking wood that followed, it was clear that the blinded Sun-touched was taking out its rage on anything it could hear.

"Master, the creature can no longer differentiate between ally and enemy," Azure confirmed as I put more distance between me and the chaos.

"You should be safe now." Despite Azure's reassurance, I didn't slow down, I continued to maintain a steady pace, only allowing myself to breathe a little easier once the sounds of combat had faded completely.

"That was too close," I muttered, checking the rusty sword. The impact with the Sun-touched's unnaturally dense skin seemed to have chipped the blade's edge, making it even less effective weapon, but it didn't matter, it could still serve as basic protection.

"It was a calculated risk but executed perfectly," Azure replied. I nodded, still moving forward at a brisk pace. The plan had worked out better than I could have hoped. Not only was I able to escape, but I had done so without engaging in full combat. That kind of chaos might have drawn Vayara's attention, and against her, my little tricks wouldn't be enough to escape, let alone kill her.

The forest grew denser as I moved north, ancient pines giving way to mixed woodland with thick undergrowth that made progress more difficult but provided better concealment. After what felt like hours but was probably only twenty minutes of steady movement, I finally allowed myself to slow, then stop, leaning against a massive oak to catch my breath. My legs trembled with exhaustion, and sweat plastered Tomas's simple tunic to my skin.

"Is there any danger nearby?" I gasped, still scanning the forest around me for signs of pursuit.

"No immediate threats detected," Azure replied.

"And Vayara? Any sign of the Skybound?"

"None in detectable range. However, based on previous iterations, the Skybound would have arrived at the village by now and began her massacre." I nodded, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

"There's nothing we can do about that now," I said.

"We need to focus on reaching the Blue Sun Academy." I pushed away from the tree, wincing as my sore muscles protested.

"How close is the nearest settlement?"

"Based on information gathered from Tomas's memories, Hyelin City is approximately two days' journey northwest of here." Two days of travel through wilderness with the constant risk of encountering more raiders or wild animals. Not to mention the lack of provisions. Unfortunately, spiritual energy wouldn't be enough to sustain this mortal body, eventually it would require real food. Where was a storage ring when you needed one?

But while the situation wasn't ideal, it was far better than remaining in the village to face Vayara's judgment or the raiders' brutality.

"We'll need to find water soon," I said, already scanning the forest floor for signs of a stream or spring.

"And something to eat before nightfall."

"There is a small stream approximately half a mile north," Azure offered.

"It should provide clean drinking water and potentially fish for sustenance." I nodded gratefully, without Azure's help, surviving would be much more difficult.

"North it is, then," I said, orienting myself using the position of the suns. The blue one was barely visible now, a faint cerulean disk partially obscured by the red's dominating brilliance. By nightfall, it would be the primary light source, its gentler radiation supposedly offering healing to those in need. As I started walking again, I felt a strange restlessness in my inner world, a disturbance I couldn't immediately identify. I paused, frowning, and turned my attention inward.

"Azure, is something wrong with the Genesis Seed?" I asked, probing for the source of the disquiet. There was a brief pause before Azure replied, his normally confident tone tinged with uncertainty.

"The Genesis Seed appears stable, Master. The celestial bodies remain concealed beneath its canopy as intended."

"Then what's causing this turbulence I'm feeling?" Another pause, longer this time.

"I don't wish to alarm you unnecessarily," Azure began, which immediately had the opposite effect, "but it appears that Yggy has disappeared."

"Disappeared?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What do you mean, disappeared? How can it just vanish from my inner world?"