-The Specter Guardian(3)-

Kenshin and Maria ran through the smoke screen, following their respective tracking device to locate the monster. Kenshin was using his system’s identification option while Maria was using the Radiation Watch. Both of them are walking, huddled together while high on alert. Their eyes are scanning all over the place, analyzing their surroundings for any potential dangers.

Suddenly the cloud in front of them parted as a thin boney crescent scythe of the Guardian broke out of it and headed towards Maria. Earlier, Maria’s attack had sent it flying while shaving off a huge amount of its HP. As a result, it had gained a huge amount of ‘aggro’ towards her. After the explosion, it remained inside the smoke screen and sent two of its minions to deal with them.

Unexpectedly for it, they couldn’t finish off the humans as such it had resorted to sneak attacks. It had perceived that Maria was the dangerous one as such it targeted her first. As an undead type monster, it had a very high sensitivity towards living. Even within the smoke screen where there was no visibility, it could accurately sense the positions of Kenshin and Maria.

Kenshin’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. He had never expected to receive a sneak attack at such a time when the vision was so poor. His body trembled and his legs felt like it had become jelly. It was like he would collapse at any moment. He was unable to do anything about the speeding scythe.

But Maria had predicted this. She had more experience in dealing with high leveled monsters and knew how they fight. She had simulated all possibilities in her head while running inside the smoke screen. Without stopping, she bent he body a little to the back, making the scythe to miss its target by a hair’s breath. It was a perfect dodge, using her flexibility and agility to its maximum.

“It’s very sensitive towards the living. Be careful! It can perfectly sense us inside this smokescreen” Maria advised. On the other hand, Kenshin was giving a very good impression of a fish out of the water. His mind still couldn’t get over the perfect dodge performed by Maria. It was on a level of masterful control of the body.

In reality, it was not that grand. In higher level dungeons, monsters with all kind of weird attacks and high intelligence roam. They had learned the way of using the terrain to their advantage. Maria had roamed such dungeons as such she was very experienced in the attack patterns of monsters. Dodging such attacks had become an instinctual reflex to her.

Kenshin changed his opinions about the high-level hunters. He had always assumed that it was their strong skills and fighting prowess which defined their strength but now seeing Maria’s awareness of her surroundings made him reconsider that thought. One must need more than that to become a high-level hunter.

Suddenly Kenshin realized that he was taking the profession hunter too lightly.

‘No wonder I am still wondering these low leveled dungeons since last five years’ he thought in self-jeer.

“Don’t get distracted” Maria shouted towards him, bringing him from his self-mockery filled thoughts.

Maria eyed Kenshin as she felt he was behaving weirdly ever since she had dodged that strike. It was as if he has realized something about himself that he was lacking. Although it was good when someone realizes what they were lacking, the timing must be favorable for that. She had developed a very good impression of Kenshin in her heart. Earlier, he had saved her from that sneak attack from the monster when she was least prepared. She would have lost her life if it was not for Kenshin’s interference.

As such she doesn’t want anything to happen to Kenshin while under her watch.

“Ah! Sorry!” Kenshin weakly apologized to her and concentrated on his surroundings. His hold on his sword tightened as he strengthened his resolve.

‘I will become stronger’ he shouted in his heart. He desired to be strong.

Suddenly a tremor ran through his body as if he had just experienced an earthquake. He felt like he had become courageous all of a sudden, its as if he could defeat the strongest of the monsters if they are to appear in front of him. This unnatural feeling felt quite familiar to him.

[WIL +1]

A notification popped in front of him. His self-understanding had allowed his WIL to grow by one. A smile formed on his face, the APs are very important and leveling up was becoming harder and harder. Every stat had their use so he couldn’t neglect them, as such he ought to find some way to increase them aside from the usual point allocation.

This sudden increase of WIL had given him a very good inspiration. Somehow, he was now able to understand a little about how the stats are quantized. With this understanding came the knowledge to increase them.

Putting all these thoughts to the back of his mind, he concentrated on the battle. A few seconds later they could finally see the silhouette of the Specter Guardian who was floating a few meters above the ground while holding its scythe.

“There it is” Kenshin shouted as he ran towards it with a renewed vigor. Maria followed him close behind.

This time she changed her fighting strategy, she was going to fight the same way she had fought those minions earlier.

“You go left I go right,” she said while waving her hand in a pattern.

Nodding his head, Kenshin ran towards its left. The Specter’s full attention was now on Maria.

Flames started to lick his sword as he started using his Flame Slash. Rotating his sword above his shoulder, he sent a slash towards the monster.

‘-120’

A red damage point floated above the Specter Guardian’s head. It turned it’s head towards Kenshin, with a silent scream it moved its scythe towards Kenshin. Taking advantage of its distraction, Maria opened her palm and touched the monster a few times on its legs before jumping back.

Kenshin used his sword to block the incoming scythe. Unlike before, he didn’t have enough power to cancel out the force of the scythe’s strike. The force was too much for him, but due to his high agility, he used that force to make the distance between him and the monster.

Seeing Kenshin getting away from the monster, Maria snapped her finger.

KABOOM!!!

Another mighty explosion occurred, sending the Specter Guardian rolling backward.

Kenshin used this chance to check out its HP;

[HP 500/2000]

Only a five hundred remained of it’s initial 2000 HP.

“Maria, It has weakened a lot. Let's finish it now. You must use that AoE skill of yours, while I distract it” saying so, Kenshin ran towards the Skeleton Guardian.

“Hey! Wait! How do you know that it has weakened?” though Maria shouted her question, Kenshin acted as if he didn’t hear her.

“Grrr…” growling in anger, she nonetheless complied with his plan as it was the same strategy they had used earlier.

As Kenshin entered the monster’s strike zone, it lifted its scythe and started swinging like a stick. Halting in his path, Kenshin began to use complex acrobatics to dodge it perfectly. Suddenly, its eyes flashed a purple color as it glared towards Kenshin.

A sudden wave of fear attacked Kenshin out of nowhere, paralyzing him in his tracks.

[WARNING* You are affected with Death Stare. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds]

“Shit!! Not again” Kenshin shouted in his head as he saw the incoming scythe towards his neck. Fear struck his heart as his life flashed through his eyes.

“Kenshin!! Move!!!” he could hear Maria’s shout from somewhere behind him.

‘Move! Move dammit!’ Kenshin started chanting in his head. While he was paralyzed and was chanting the mantra, the scythe neared him. It was just a few centimeters away from his neck.

‘Move!’

‘Move!’ while chanting ‘move’ like a mantra, Kenshin used his everything to fight off the effects of the Death Stare but to no avail.

It was not a skill that affects the physique but the psyche.

Maria already abandoned her chanting and was now running towards Kenshin. Fear and worry gripped her heart as she witnessed the incoming doom of Kenshin.

Just when the scythe was just a hair’s breath away from his neck…Kenshin closed his eyes.