Chương 371: A Beast of certain Death

Vale took several quick steps backwards until he reached Nym, who still stood frozen, staring toward the source of the deafening roar. Her eyes remained wide, fixed on the distant forest as though expecting the creature to burst from the trees at any moment. Without wasting another second, Vale seized her wrist.

"Come on." He pulled her after him.

"We need to put some distance between us and that thing before it decides we're worth chasing." Nym barely had time to react before Vale forced her into motion. Her feet moved as the two disappeared into the denser parts of the ancient forest. They ran at a pace no ordinary human could hope to maintain, fast enough to cover ground rapidly, yet measured enough that they could continue for hours if necessary.

Thorn-covered bushes scraped harmlessly against their armor as they pushed through them without slowing, while tangled roots scattered across the forest floor became little more than obstacles to leap over in a single stride. The forest blurred around them as they ran. Branches whipped past their shoulders while leaves exploded beneath every step, the ancient woodland becoming little more than streaks of green and brown around them. Neither dared slow down.

After several minutes, Vale finally spoke without looking back.

"You still with me?" Nym remained only a few steps behind him, one hand resting firmly on the hilt of her sheathed blade as she kept pace.

"Yeah." She drew a steady breath before asking, "How much longer are we going to keep running?" Vale never took his eyes off the forest ahead.

"Until I stop feeling that damn thing." His answer made Nym frown.

"You can actually sense it? I figured with your abilities..." She slowly shook her head.

"No." Without another word, they reached a narrow cliff concealed beneath thick vegetation. Vale caught the rough stone with practised ease, lowering himself several meters before releasing his grip, catching another ledge, and repeating the process until he landed silently below. Nym followed a moment later, and only once she reached the bottom did he begin moving again.

"Whatever that creature is..." he muttered, resuming a cautious jog, "it's bad. I don't even need to see it. The bloodlust alone tells me everything." Nym looked at him uncertainly.

"How can you tell something like that?" Vale remained silent for several minutes. The only sounds between them were their footsteps, the rustling canopy overhead, and distant birds scattering deeper into the forest before he finally answered.

"Back in my First Trial... where I was trained... There were high-ranking Spawn constantly invading." His expression darkened as the memories resurfaced.

"At first I couldn't distinguish them, but eventually my senses adapted. I learned to feel intent. The stronger someone's desire to kill... the more my body reacted." A faint shiver ran through him.

"It always started with my spine. The deeper the killing intent... the colder it became." He glanced back toward the direction they had fled.

"But there was one major difference." A bitter smile crossed his face.

"Their bloodlust wasn't aimed at me." His voice lowered.

"This time... it is. I'm almost certain of it." He paused before continuing.

"That thing didn't choose our group. It chose me." Nym's eyes widened.

"So... it tracks us by scent?"

"I think so." Vale finally eased into a cautious walk, his gaze sweeping across the unnaturally quiet forest surrounding them. There were no territorial cries, no heavy footsteps, no signs of larger predators lurking nearby—only the whisper of leaves drifting through the canopy. For a moment, his attention lingered on Nym before he covered part of his face with one hand and sighed. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I'm sorry." She blinked in confusion.

"For what?"

"I should've told Korin to stay with me instead of you." Nym lowered her eyes before quietly shaking her head.

"No... It's alright." She hesitated.

"But what do we do now? We know it's hunting us, so what exactly is the plan?" Vale leaned against the trunk of an ancient tree, carefully considering their situation.

"From what I can sense, there aren't any other aggressive beasts nearby. Maybe it'll lose interest. Maybe it'll find easier prey." He pushed himself away from the trunk.

"Let's keep moving. If we're lucky... it'll eventually lose our trail."

"... Alright." Nym nodded quietly.

"I'll follow your lead." The two continued deeper into the endless forest. Silence gradually settled between them once again. It wasn't comfortable, but neither of them seemed capable of finding the words to break it. Eventually, after several long minutes, Nym gathered enough courage to speak.

"Hey." Vale glanced toward her.

"I wanted to apologise again."

"For what?"

"For how I reacted... when you told me Chrome was your friend." She tightened her grip around her own arm.

"I wasn't really in control of myself. My emotions... they weren't entirely mine." Vale smiled softly.

"Yeah. I understand." He looked ahead once more.

"Feeling the emotions of an entire academy full of terrified teenagers... that couldn't have been easy." A quiet laugh escaped him.

"Maybe this is finally my chance to meet the real you." He looked back with a small smile.

"You know... when nobody else is around." A faint blush spread across Nym's cheeks.

"I suppose... if that's what you want." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"It's kind of unavoidable now." Vale couldn't help smiling in return.

'She really doesn't know who she is when nobody else's emotions are influencing her.'

'That has to be exhausting.'

'Living your entire life without knowing which feelings are actually your own...' The thought lingered before curiosity finally won.

"Can I ask you something?" She nodded.

"What's it actually like? I mean... your abilities." He searched for the right words.

"From everything you've told me... they're basically the power to read people. Aren't they?" Nym thought quietly before giving a small nod.

"That's part of it." She looked down at her hands.

"But... I discovered something while we've been here." Vale's curiosity grew.

"Oh? What is it?" She hesitated, almost embarrassed to admit it aloud.

"I think... the easiest way to explain it... is that I can copy other people's abilities." She looked away.

"For a short time." Vale stopped walking entirely. His thoughts raced through everything Kealix had ever taught him.

'Reading emotions...'

'Copying abilities...'

'No.'

'There isn't a single Plane I know of that grants both.' Slowly, he looked back toward her.

"The ability to understand others... and imitate them." He frowned thoughtfully.

"I don't know any Plane capable of both." Nym sighed.

"I guess that's why I'm considered an anomaly. It would be strange if you could explain it." Vale chuckled.

"I suppose that's true." He leaned against another tree, crossing his arms as his expression gradually became more serious.

"Hey."

"There is something I've wanted to ask." Nym stiffened.

"What?" Vale met her eyes.

"Why?" She looked down at the grass.

"Why what?"

"You rejected me." His voice remained calm and surprisingly gentle.

"But... you clearly like me too." A quiet silence stretched between them.

"So... why?" Nym swallowed hard. Her heartbeat became so loud that even Vale could hear it echoing through the silent forest. She clenched her fists before finally forcing herself to answer.

"Because..." Her voice trembled despite her determination.

"I've hurt you too many times. I don't deserve to stand beside you like that." Small tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"I don't deserve someone like you." She struggled to keep her composure.

"So... please. Don't ask me again." Vale slowly closed his eyes. He deliberately steadied his breathing, calming his heartbeat before the emotions threatening to overwhelm him could take control. After several seconds, he reopened them.

"Alright." He offered her a gentle smile.

"But if you ever change your mind... just tell me." Without waiting for another response, he turned and continued walking.

'It probably won't take long.'

'She's convincing herself she isn't worthy.'

'Not that she doesn't love me.' The thought had barely formed before every instinct inside him screamed. His senses exploded back to life. His eyes widened.

"Nym!" He launched himself toward her with everything he had. At that same instant, a massive shape burst from the forest. Trees exploded apart as though struck by artillery, ancient trunks shattering like brittle glass. The creature crossed the distance almost faster than Vale's eyes could follow. He slammed into Nym, wrapping both arms around her before throwing them violently to the side. The enormous beast tore straight through the tree where she had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.

The trunk snapped apart with a deafening crack before crashing into the forest. Vale twisted beneath her, taking the impact himself as they skidded across the earth. Nym stared at him in complete shock.

"W-What's happening?!" Her face burned from both panic and the sudden closeness. Vale rolled to one knee and immediately released her. Both black blades flashed into his hands as he scanned the surrounding trees.

"I don't know how..." His eyes swept frantically across the forest.

"... but it caught up to us." The threat detector attached to his armor suddenly erupted into a violent series of shrill beeps. Vale glanced down. His expression immediately changed.

"... You've got to be kidding me." He ripped the device free and hurled it into the undergrowth while it continued screaming. The creature had already vanished back into the trees. His eyes darted from trunk to trunk. Nothing. It blended perfectly into the ancient woodland. Even now, he couldn't distinguish its true form. Only movement. Only killing intent. Nothing more.

"Vale!" Nym called, drawing her own blade.

"What is that thing?!" His gaze never stopped searching the shadows.

"I've got bad news." His voice remained unnervingly calm.

"I have absolutely no idea what it is." A tense silence followed before he tightened his grip around both swords.

"But I do know one thing... It's a Category Five." Nym's entire body went rigid. The weight of those words settled heavily between them. Vale lowered his stance, both blades angled toward the darkness between the trees as his pale eyes remained fixed on every shifting shadow.

"So.. please survive." Despite the danger surrounding them, a faint smile crossed his face.

"... For both our sakes."