Kowalski opened his eyes.

The surroundings were dark. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the absence of light. He froze for a moment.

I am in an alley?

He felt a dull ache on his back. From the edge of his vision, he looked at his surroundings. Some sacks of garbage, puddles of spilled drinks and a few days old vomit from a probable drunk. Where he laid on was, nevertheless, the cold, rough ground of the city. As his senses started to function again, he felt the chill invading deeper inside his body. He spurred forward to stand up.

He collapsed right away. There was no strength in his limbs, only pain and numbness. Even his thoughts were only regaining their clarity by now, and they said mind worked quicker than body.

Why I am here? Was his first question. As an instinct from his childhood, he reached with his palm to the back of his head. To scratch, of course, as he heard from a family friend that it would help with garnering his thoughts. His hands touched the wet, sticky hair.

Wet? It was supposed to be dry and rough, no? His hair had always been like that after all. Not like a bouncy smile. Kowalski swirled his hands around the strange texture on his hair for a second. Then he raised his hand to his eye line, peeking with utmost attention on his forearm.

Then several drops slided between the gaps of his fingers. Drop of crimson blood. They covered his hand like a horrible paint, and it was still fresh. But why couldn’t he smell it? Kowalski tried to sniff. Air coudn't go further than his nostrils, something hard clogged up his nose. Kowalski took a deep breath from his mouth and released it from his nose. With a small crack, and a slight burning sensation, small patches of dried blood spilled out. Some even hit his outfit and Kowalski felt the need to inspect the rest of his body. He raised his head a bit from the cold ground to look. He froze for a second time.

The state of his body was...meh. His chest had a trail of blood going from shoulder to shoulder, yet it looked much serious than that. He tried to raise his head further but the wound burnt like a bee sting. It was a horrible pain, since the bee stung came not from the skin but the flesh inside. Kowalski gnashed his teeth, once more lifted his head, and gazed at his lower body. There were no wounds there, only a few torn fabric and wet hair visible from the gaps on the parts of his robe. He raised his hands to inspect them again but found nothing.

What happened? He couldn’t remember.

Kowalski squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the last bits of visions inside his head.

Yuan Shu kicked...sent him away from the walls and he fainted from the shock. I remember that at least...I hope he is fine.

Then he woke up and some monsters who came inside with the initial crack on the barrier attacked him. Or the group he was with, a gathering of experienced veterans. They put up a good fight and took care of their adversaries with no casualties. Then...they encountered some civilians. Crushed under the rubble and slates of their houses or wounded by monsters. He didn't have to mention the dead, at least. This made him remember-

My family!

He thought about them. He made a irrational request to check on his family, but the group ignored. They had much important things to do then looking for a stranger's family. They were right to refuse, his family's house was not in a precarious place. They were far from all three walls and the castle, and the retreat line started way ahead of them. So he separated from the group. He rushed through the roads and sections of the city to the northern side, where his house was.

Then I encountered that goliath...

The monster appeared out of nowhere, like it was waiting in ambush for weaklings like him. He didn't like that, but it was the truth. Anyway, the thing blocked his path and tried to kill him. Kowalski was no match for the beast. He realized the reality a few seconds into the fight when the claws of the beast made the wound on his chest. So he ran.

Then there is nothing else.

He couldn’t see anything further that point in his memories. Did I escape from it? Did it die under the hands of another? Or is it still searching for me? He didn’t know. But the thought of his family, his father and mother and sister, being in danger made him much restless. He didn't want to waste further time on pondering over things in the past(Even if they were only a while ago.)

Kowalski tested his strength again. His hands worked fine, but his chest itched and stung like crazy when he moved. How bad did the claws affect him? He didn't know again. But all he knew right now was that he had to go. Come on! He shouted inside his heart and threw himself to the side. He rolled to the side, face-down. At least this way, facing the ground, he could lift himself with his arms. For a moment, his eyes slanted to the red puddle beside his face. Did I bleed that much? Will I be fine?

Worrying and questioning would do no help to him though. I can find a corpsman later. He decided. Retreat line must had some corpsmen too. Kowalski pushed the ground with his arms, his chest heaved up and down as his breath turned irregular. With a strong push, his body straightened and he stood on his knees. Good! He smiled, weak, and grasped the wall's corners as a support to stand up. He was on his feet now. Albeit unstable, but still on his two-foot. His smile grew healthier, the pale tone of the colour turned a light red.

His chest pain also seemed lighter now, the power was returning back to his body. It was a slow process, he felt like compared to a moment ago he could stretch some fingers now. So it was going to be better. He felt relieved. Kowalski walked, step by step, slow yet steady, to the exit of the alley. From afar, the light of the barrier seemed...weak? He took two more steps and got out of the dark alley.

Kowalski stopped in his tracks. He forgot about standing straight or protecting his balance. His hands dropped in reflex, and his knees too, to the ground. Barrier? He questioned, the answer lay in front of his eyes. There was no barrier. No dome of light, no milk-white sphere that kept the monsters at bay. Only the same, dark clouds of the winter.

I need to hurry! Of course he had to. If they managed to break through the barrier, then it wouldn’t be long before the beasts overwhelmed the city. Their numbers were outrageous. And their power was no small thing again. Soon, not already since no sign of fighting or sound of clashing metal sounded. Soon, they would swarm over the streets and slaughter everyone. So he had to go fast. No, he didn't have the power to retaliate against them. But him being near them would sure ensure some kind of safety. Kowalski held onto the walls to stand up and started to tread towards his home.

I have to go fast-

His steps hastened. Although strength continued to fill him up, he still had to hold onto some support to walk through. His chest pain seemed to lessen again, he almost let go of the wall to walk on his own, but things didn't go his way.

A tremor passed through the ground.

The earth trembled under his feet and Kowalski felt a rush of heat exploding in his nose. He looked down, his eyes reddened from the gush of pain, and he saw fresh blood dripping down his nose again.

‘’Haah-Haah!’’ His chest throbbed, the pain much unbearable than before. Long, deep breaths would help with pain, he learned. And clutching something, in this case where his heart was, would lessen the stress. He also hoped that it all would end soon. The mental resilience and optimism was a factor in resisting pain, he didn't forget them as well. But instead of finishing, the wound, the pain, flared again.

‘’Ugh!’’ With a gasp, Kowalski's knees went weak. His legs gave away and he fell to the ground, face in the dirt. ‘’Wha-Pugh!’’ Blood spurted out of his mouth and his chest. I was good just a bi- HAAGH! His mind couldn’t handle the pain, no matter the optimisim or self persuasion. It hurt too much! Why was it hurting like this? Kowalski didn’t know. He kept taking deep breaths and exhaling, but he heard another breath at that time.

No, it was sniffing. A long, loud sniffing so violent that even he could hear. And it came right above him.

With a great effort on his part and a process of swallowing some dirt, Kowalski managed to turn his head to the side and gaze above.

He regretted looking.

Two huge, bloody tusks came in vision first. Then the wide, sharp teeth inside the disgusting, wrinkled mouth. His eyes rolled above, to the irises flashing with relief. Relief? Why would a monster feel relief? How could a beast feel relief? Questions sprang one after another as he felt a terrible feeling brewin inside his heart.

The goliath let out a swindler's smile and it grasped Kowalski from the waist. He felt thick, big fingers wrapping around his lower body. Then it raised him high, high enough for their eyes to meet at an equal level.

And Kowalski felt terror, the feeling inside his heart surfaced as pure horror. The smile, the expression, the wide-open mouth and the endless hunger he felt from the monster's eyes. Together, tey cracked his will in an instant. He wasn't some expert or a seasoned warrior. He was no sect master or a real immortal. He was only a youth who never left his city, learned about medicine, and cultivated in his free time. And for a little one like him, looking at the death in the face was fatal.

‘’An-’’ Kowalski tried to speak, his mouth opened and closed, and a mouthful of blood spurted out from his lips. It sprayed to the face of the goliath. ‘’Anyone!’’ He managed to shout this time. From this high, he could see the monsters going between the city's streets and alleys. They roared and howled, some drowned in the blood of people Kowalski wished he wasn't acquiented with.

Then the goliath in front of him laughed. Its lips let its thorny tongue escape from the mouth. The green tongue swirled around the lips and licked the little stains of blood near its face. It let out a delighted squeal. From the taste of blood, one could say with no difficulty.

‘’ANYONE!’’ Kowalski cried out, fear overwhelmed his rationale. Tears formed and fell around his eyes. ‘’PLEASE HELP ME- ANYONE!?’’ His voice reached no one. His cries of help couldn’t reach anyone but the monster in front of him.

The goliath opened its mouth full-wide and lowered Kowalski to the gap between its lips. The teeth teased the numbed legs of the Kowalski with their sharp tips.

‘’PLEASE HELP ME! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!’’ He squirmed like a worm to escape, to slip between the robust hands of the monster. His movments caused the dripping tears and sweat and blood mix together on his chest. His face and outfit a mess, he struggled more. But he was weak. Weak enough that the monster let him do what he wanted for a while.

‘’I-I-I-I-I’’ He stuttered as the goliath pulled him inside the mouth, showing him his new and last living place like a real estate agent. His voice faltered at the smell of the yellowed teeth and the stinking tongue. ‘’...please.’’ He mumbled, at last.

Kowalski closed his eyes. He didn’t want to look, he couldn’t look. Even if he wanted, he found no strength inside his body to open his eyes.

He gave up.

*********

‘’Just give up already!’’ Sid caught the flying angel forsaken from her wings. The sturdy feathers pushed his arms back, almost bended them and broke his bones, but he managed to hold on. He grasped with greater force to keep her from escaping and slammed his knee to her belly. It barely scratched her clothes as she twisted her body and shoved her long nails into the wounded side of Sid. The sharp nails pierced both the cut open skin and the muscles underneath. Blood sprayed.

Ubel watched Sid’s shaking back. He felt dread. Why was he so resilient? He looked at the screeching angel forsaken. Why was she so unwilling?

Dust rose from the step Sid took back, let out a grunt and tilted his head. ''F**k off!'' he lashed out with a headbutt against the pain in his side. His forehead slamme to his adversary’s. A popping sounded from their heads. The pain must have been great for both, Ubel recognized the sound of the fracture. They parted again, trickles of blood trailed behind them. Sid turned his head back just in time to see Ubel nock a Qi arrow to his bow.

‘’Don’t interfere, you are distracting.’’ He said. Ubel wanted to refute but he had no valid reason to do. He acted on an impulse to help and distract the forsaken in the breathin time. But, Sid knew better than him in this matters. Every action he took had a purpose, he supposed, and him interfering could be detrimental. Ubel caught him sneaking a peek at the Embodiment. Hm? Sid returned his attention to the angel forsaken. What caught his interest? Ubel wondered. But even before his thought process started, the angel forsaken attacked again. With a flap of her wings and a gust of wind from the back, her body spurred forward like a horse and flew over Sid.

Ubel, feeling threatened, forwarded the Embodiment to his front and nocked an arrow to his bow. Sid couldn't catch her in time, he assessed in a moment's notice. He had to slow her down. So he pulled on the bow, stirred his Qi and gathered them around his fingers. The bowstring extended all the way back and he aimed right on the now not so fast forsaken’s other wing. Death River Qi flowed like a river and took the shape of a dark, slender arrow between his fingers. Sid didn’t await their retaliation, it relieved Ubel, and with that resolution in mind let go of the string. With a shrill piercing sound it found its way towards the angel forsaken.

He then saw Sid, who took quick steps to the back and shook the chain bound to his hand again. The chain crashed to the ceiling and the ground, clanking, and revolved in the air. ''Down the ground!'' City lord shouted and swung his arm downward, the chain followed his movement. Its wide body came right above the angel forsaken's head. Taken by surprise, angel forsaken flapped her wings to evade the chain. It almost smashed her head to bits, Ubel felt pity. It whizzed past her body and struck the ground, raised clouds of dust that covered her vision. So she couldn’t evade the arrow Ubel sent forth. Ubel seized the chance and willed his Qi to change directions, strands of Death River Qi gathered on the arrow's shaft. He pulled on them and the arrow tilted to the right, away from the wings and closer to the head. But Angel forsaken was no puny prey. Her increased senses, most likely, picked up the vibrations in the wind.

With a twist of her body and a flap of her wings, she managed to reach the chains and pulled on them to rotate. The arrow still found its way and scratched the surface of her cornea. It didn't stop, Ubel packed it with more Qi than before, so it took a stripe of flesh from her glabella as well. Then the shaft exploded right before her ear. From the small explosion of Death River Qi, a cloud of dark miasma shot up and started to molder the left side of her face.

Angel forsaken screamed, her hands shot up to her face to cover her eyes. Sid followed behind her at that time and raised his arm to swing the chains again. But the angel forsaken reacted faster. She stomped on the chain's lead on her hand and broke it from the rest. Parts of the strange metal dropped to the ground with tinkerings. Sid's strike failed, he grit his teeth and levitated himself in the air to reach them. In that frenzy, meanwhile, angel forsaken shot forward. With a flap from her wings, uncaring of the damage she suffered, she arrived in front of the Embodiment. Her shoulder crashed to the bulky Embodiment's chest. It tried to put up a fight but was too slow compared to its adversary. Embodiment couldn’t stop the forsaken for even a second. With a wave of her wings, Embodiment flew away to a side and crashed to the ground with a boom.

‘’Damn it!’’ Sid spat, his speed at its max, and his eyes turned red.

Ubel’s eyes widened as he sent forth another arrow, hurried and low on power. The angel forsaken evaded with no difficulty, nothing interfered with her this time. And her damaged, unhealed eyes met with his eyes. With only a few inches distance between them, she snarled and opened her mouth wide. Rows of sharp teeth glinted.

Imitate! Ubel's mind worked way too fast for him to understand what happened. A cluster of Qi gathered at his left shoulder, unshaped and uncontrolled, and exploded. The burst of power sent him tumbling to the side. The angel forsaken’s teeth only scratched where his cheeks stood a second ago. She howled again and turned toward him, gnashing her teeth. But even before she moved once more, Sid reached to her and struck. The blinding degree of Qi amassed on his fist slammed on her head like a cannon. As if she were a ragdoll, her body shot backwards and crashed on one of the piles of boulders and rubble. Tremors from the collision made Ubel stumble on the ground.

‘’You steal my move?'' Sid looked at him, eyes wide. ''Nice one.’’ He said and hurried over to the angel forsaken with the same reddened eyes. Ubel noted that. Sid's muscles trembled as he rained punches and swift kicks to the angel forsaken, struggling to regain her momentum. Finding the breathing room for a moment, Ubel decided to look at his side. The Qi explosion he tried tore the cloth on his left shoulder. A bit of the skin burnt, it looked like a patch of ashen grass. Yet he managed to bear the pain. It came as a surprise, too, as he never had a serious injury for almost twenty years.

How old was I, actually? He couldn’t remember the exact number, but it should have been around the early twenties.

My thoughts are scattering- Was it fine? He didn’t think so. City lord cornered that forsaken to defend him from danger. It didn’t come off as fair to him to relax for a second or two when city lord faced danger. But his hands and feet were tied up, too. He couldn’t do anything to lessen the burden on the city lord.

Or he could.

Amidst the shouts and the screeches of the two a bit further from him, Ubel reached out to feel his necklace. His fingers almost froze from the cold surface. Strange. The Embodiment tumbled to his side at that time, it held its broken arm. It hopped on a single leg and collapsed right beside him, and made a head motion as if it was sighing. He watched the thing, then, reconnect the limbs to its broken parts and regenerate the cracks on its chest.

So he doesn’t have any organs? There wasn’t a skeletal structure underneath those muscles, he knew that. So it wasn't a big surprise that it lacked organs as well. From the both, the lack of the former was a bigger deal, actually.

He leeches off my Qi to shape himself, so it would make more sense if he looked more human inward. That was, considering it was a golem and not the embodiment of an abstract concept like death.

Ubel shook his head. He could try changing its form or whatever piqued his curiosity next time. The matter at hand right now was...whether to use the pendant or not. The lightning that struck the Quan and wounded him that bad must also work on the forsakens, or so Ubel hoped. And Quan held it only for a second, yet suffered devastating wounds. Well...he rejuvenated after that night but the angel forsaken was much weaker than Quan. Ubel was at that point to know, at least, the limits of people.

The real problem was to make her contact with it. Or shove it to her face. He wasn’t fast enough to catch up to them, no matter what he did. And Ubel had no confidence in his physique or Qi barrier to protect himself from the retaliation. His escape from the bite, as well, was only an instant occurrence. The kick of his survival instincts, momentary decision making, and a bit of luck. He couldn’t get away safe once more, Ubel didn’t believe in that. And in himself. City lord was also out of consideration. No matter how valiant the man was and how hard he tried to protect him, Ubel didn’t...trust. He didn’t trust the man enough to entrust his beloved father’s remnant.

But I have him- Ubel turned to look at the Embodiment, now standing in front of him like a meat wall. It gazed at the battling duo. I don't know what he thinks. Ubel thought. Embodiment might have sensed him, as it looked down at Ubel with its hollow eyes. When did it gain eyes? Ubel questioned for a moment, deciding it was not the time to question. He then relayed his intention to the Embodiment.

Wait- Before that, he took out the pendant from the spatial pouch. Of course, he put it in there to be sure he didn’t lose it in the pandemonium. But that wasn't important. Give me your hand- He told. As he raised the pendant, Embodiment, with a swift motion, snatched the necklace from his hand.

Hey!

Before Ubel could protest, Embodiment grasped the stone in its palm. Ubel’s eyes widened. The stone shined with a dark red aura, something he remembered when he broke through to the path finding. It spread all over the Embodiment's body and cracking of bones sounded inside his hears. It started to compress, Embodiment's muscles submerged further into the skin, now darker. It gave off a fearsome aura.

What is this supposed to be? He just wanted to test whether the thing would suffer the same thing with Quan, but it reacted much different. He looks...stronger. Ubel didn’t know how much, but it definitely improved for the better. And he felt bitter, remembering how he could see the limits of people.

Is it permanent or not? He wondered about that. But again, he didn't pursue that thought further. Time was essence. Ubel didn't know what kind of an attack Sid hit the other forsaken, but the man was not in sight even after half a minute.

Forget it. Now, go shove that to the face of the forsaken! He ordered and prepared his bow, ready to help if needed.

Embodiment nodded, then flashed. With a stomp, it propelled itself towards the duo. It traveled in the air for a few seconds, then fell. Sounds of its loud steps reached to the duo fighting and both looked at its way at the same time.

Ubel sent a Qi transmission to the city lord as the Embodiment closed on them.

‘’Senior, help his punch connect with the forsaken. He holds a strong artifact.’’ He felt awkward, since he had no idea on how to call the man.

‘’Are you serious!?’’ City lord lashed out at him. ''Then why did you keep it a secret?'' Ubel saw the man glaring at him for a second. Sid returned to dealing with the forsaken, but Ubel got the message in his eyes clear. He felt bitter.

Why? Because he didn’t think of it. He...no. Ubel had no excuse in his mind other than keeping it, his secret, safe. It didn't matter he...trusted Quan now. Sid was no Quan, and Ubel had no intention to use the necklace of his father in every dangerous situation. If he did so, who knew what could possibly happen to it?

Ubel shook his head. Instead of thinking more, he looked at the embodiment, now only a few meters away from them.

‘’Now-’’ Ubel transmitted and city lord moved. He bowed his head and let the angel forsaken’s nails cut through his shoulders. Her screech didn't seem to bother him as he proceeded to hold her head with his right arm. With a snarl, angel forsaken sent another stab with her nails. City lord seemed to be expecting that. His left leg and left arm moved at the same time and the hand of the angel forsaken stopped. It stuck between the elbow and the knee of the city lord. Then the Embodiment arrived right next to them.

Embodiment clenched its fist, its muscles bulged and veins burst out of its glinting dark arms. Winds screamed at its speed and the fist, free of obstruction, slammed right on to the face of the forsaken. They connected. Her body followed the direction of the fist and crashed to the ground, cracked and splintered.

Embodiment released its clenched fist.

Its open hands showed the pendant for a moment, enough for everyone to glance. Ubel's eyes widened, city lord leaped back in horror, angel forsaken spat light yellow blood.

Embodiment's hand moved further. The necklace was only a few centimeters away from her face. Then it touched her face.

A metallic clang sounded out, a shadow in his vision made Ubel froze.

White lightning erupted. It scattered in dozens and hundreds, each of them as wide as a adult's thigh. The heat inside the castle rose from hot to burning in an instant and the crackling of the bolts ruptured Ubel's ears. Onslaught continued for...a single second.

They disappeared in the same speed they appeared. As they were a flicker of flame, all extinguished. City lord came out of the smoke of dust and ash covering the area, his body tattered and burnt all the way to his face. His pupils shook as he gazed over at Ubel.

‘’It didn’t work.’’ He said. The Embodiment fell out of the cloud after his words, only a single arm remained. And Ubel looked at the man who stepped after embodiment.

‘’Senior Luo!’’ Angel forsaken let out a squeal behind the man, fine and...healed.

‘’I am sick of waiting for someone who isn’t here.’’ The biggest senior of the forsakens mumbled. He flipped his spear and stabbed to the remaining arm of the embodiment, to its palm. With a flick, the spear’s tip caught the necklace from the ropes. Slightly swinging the shaft of the spear, the man inspected the stone with an exotic gaze. He was ignoring them.

‘’My pendant...’’ Ubel muttered, his eyes went back and forth between his necklace and the man’s burnt hand. It didn't heal. The immortal had no more words coming out of their throats.

‘’But I welcome Cindersnow scum anywhere, anytime.`` He pulled back the spear's tip and grasped the necklace from the ropes. Careful of not contacting the stone, he got it right above his nose and observed it.

‘’This is...a Seal?’’ Forsaken's eyes widened. ''Hahahaha!'' he started to drown in his own laughter. ‘’A Seal in the hands of an immortal!? What a joke!’’ He disappeared from everyone’s sight. Except Ubel’s.

Like a ghost, he materialized right in front of him.

‘’No-’’ Ubel managed to utter a defiant mumble, yet the incoming spear pierced through his right chest. It went all the way through his flesh and impaled him to the ground. Blood poured out. Ubel gasped, his eyes teared, but the man paid no heed. Instead, he reached out with the necklace in his hands, aimed for the blood.

He dipped the stone of the pendant to the blood, rotated it inside the puddle to cover its whole. Then he pulled it out. The stone emerged, covered in his blood. Yet...the color of the blood turned from red to...dark yellow.

‘’Hahaha...a child of Shamo and the Forsaken? What kind of abomination are you!?’’ The forsaken shouted and grasped the handle of his spear again. His muscles compacted so hard that they almost tore apart the cloth and armor covering his arms. It was as if they would explode. He retracted his hand, took the spear slightly out, enough to leave the tip still sticking out of Ubel’s back.

Then without any stop, he swung with all his might. The spear rotated in the air, Ubel’s body trembled and blood gushed out of his mouth, and his body slipped out of the spear. He flew into the sky. ''Gurghk!'' Ubel spat a mouthful of blood along a shout of defiance, yet failed miserably. Embodiment's arm twitched at the sound and city lord, seeking the chance, leapt towards the forsaken Luo's back.

''Back off, murderer!'' The forsaken Luo spun like a wheel and swept his spear like a tidal wave. City lord tried to slide but the trajectory of the spear moved, abruptly, to his head. ''Damn it!'' City lord failed, the spear cut through half of his right shoulder and stopped right before the neck. Blood sprayed like a fall and the upper flesh of his shoulder fell. It splashed blood all over the ground and city lord fell right onto them.

''Who are you!'' Forsaken Luo ignored him, and instead, turned back toward the Ubel.

Unbeknownst to him, a cluster of flames appeared behind Ubel. It flashed with bright red fire, and in an instant a chocolate skinned youth exchanged places with the flames. He held Ubel by the hand, glared at him, and disappeared as the flame rematerialized.

‘’No you don’t!’’ Forsaken Luo shouted. Like a ghost he emerged right behind the blazing flames and pierced its intangible body with his spear. The flame flickered and exploded, it left behind hundreds of smaller seeds of fire that shot towards him.

Forsaken Luo only flicked the tip of his spear, and all the seeds burst into small flicker of flames, then died.

Then he blinked. His red eyes took a darker color and a blood red aura sprang out of his pores. His head suddenly turned ninety degrees to the left, and he laughed.

''There you are!''