Volume 2 Chapter 6: Part 3: Refusal

"Damn! Where are the monsters?!" Onyx frowns. He can't find any monsters at all. He ventured deeper into the Forest Of Death. Going further meant more monsters would be clustered together.

But there aren't any!

Onyx can't believe it. The last time he fought a heavy battle was with the blood kongs. It was a tough battle.

He thought he would've died from it as well. But that was a couple of days ago! And when he continued to travel deeper, there were monsters. But the number kept dwindling.

All the way to where he is now.

The only thing he can see that can make him money is the herbs. All are high-class herbs. Onyx isn't going to complain about this. But it's too strange what's going on. He looks down at his map.

There should be saber tigers near here? But they aren't near here. As he's thinking about what's going on,

"RAWR!" Onyx turns around to see it. A horde of monsters. The saber tigers are in the mix. And so are others that Onyx saw on the map before.

Oh god! But he can't focus on that. Onyx's expression pales as he stares at them. The monsters are charging in his direction! I know I said I wanted monsters. But not like this!

The number is way too much for him to handle all at once. To make it worse, they're running so tightly together that there's no space for him to dash through.

"Dammit." Onyx begins to think about what to do. He quickly jumps up into the trees! No monsters are leaping through the trees.

Watching how the monsters run for their life, Onyx frowns. They're scared. He sees it all. Pure fear is in their eyes as they run away with all their might!

What are they running away from? That's the main concern Onyx has as they run. What could cause all these monsters to flee with pure terror in their eyes? Whatever the case,

I'm not going there. Onyx quickly jumps away and follows the monster.

Going toward the direction where the monsters came from is a bad move.

Onyx knew he had to focus on hunting down the monsters right here. This is a perfect time. The monsters don't know where he is and are blinded by fear. He got at least 3 to 4 days to collect as much as possible.

...

"Would this be enough?" It has been two days since Onyx started hunting the monsters. Onyx killed most of them off. But on the second day, he only found stragglers.

He checks the demon crystals and herbs he collected in his bag.

Everything in total should get me 15 platinum coins. The number of herbs Onyx got was around the same as when he brought it to the guildhall. He grabbed everything that was on the ground.

Those monsters really destroy everything around them.

With the monster's crazy stomping, herbs and fruits would have been obliterated by it. Onyx was still 5 short of what Michelle told him. And there isn't much time either.

Onyx realized he had to take off 1 to 2 days off. Those are the days for him to return to Advent City.

Plus, with the beast in his path, he might need an extra day maximum to travel back.

Should I go there? Onyx turns over in a direction. It's none other than where the monsters ran away from. The thing that made the beast afraid may be the only thing that could change the tides.

But that means he'll have a higher chance of dying. Thinking about it, Onyx made his choice. Let's go! He knows it's a suicide mission. But it might be his only chance.

I should prepare. Going deeper in half-hearted will get Onyx killed. He takes out a vial of strength and agility potion. I'll need this. Onyx didn't need to use them for the last week and a half.

But not this time.

When the situation becomes dire, he'll pop it into his mouth and escape.

Onyx goes deeper into the forest, the color of the forest changes. More so, the trees went dead. The green leaves are gone and what's left is only a lifeless gray color.

What happened to them? It isn't dead like something destroyed it. Rather, it's as if the life force got sucked out of the tree! The moment Onyx touches it, the trees disintegrate, turning into powder!

Onyx frowns. What can cause something like this? He doesn't know what caused the trees to decay and become brittle like this, but it sent shivers down his spine.

His mind's telling him to leave now! This place is not for someone like him.

But then,

The image of Rena comes into his mind. Onyx slaps himself in the face! Don't you even think about it, Onyx Silver! You are a man of your word! You will save her! Do you want her to be treated like this?

Onyx shakes off the fear as he continues to walk deeper into the forest.

TSS tss. Onyx quickly turns around, "Who's there?!" Onyx raises his sword up, ready for a fight.

"..." No one responds to him. Onyx looks suspicious. Did I hear wrong? He swore he heard something. But looking at the barren forest, it seems not.

He doesn't think about it more as he continues to walk. And the second he turns his head away, a slow mass starts to move around in the shadows of the trees.

As Onyx walks deeper in, he notices it. He found something he didn't expect.

In the middle of all these dead trees is a pond. Serene. That's the only way to describe Onyx's feeling. The flowers are crimson spider lilies that have a pink glow.

Onyx takes a step forward as he stares at it. His eyes turn wide. Want! A burning desire burst out from his chest!

His heart beats so quickly that he can't hear it anymore. It's as if Onyx's reasoning got thrown out the window.

Stop! Onyx's mind goes into overdrive, and he slaps himself in the face! As an added measure, he starts pinching, trying his best to keep himself from going crazy.

What was that?!

What happened to him was too strange. He got sucked in by the bizarre aura coming off the flower. Onyx becomes wary of it.

But something even stranger happened to him!

My wounds! Onyx feels the cuts on his body closing up. Looking at his reflection in the pond, he sees it closing up. There's a warm aura. Besides the desire, Onyx feels a gentle warmth surrounding his body.

But it's not just his physical wounds being healed. Onyx can feel his mind calming down!

He can't believe it.

I need it. Realizing the effects of the spider lilies, Onyx knows he needs to have it. It's going to pay a lot. As Onyx was about to dip his leg into the water, the shadow made its move!

The charming effect of the flower wasn't entirely out of Onyx's body! That's why; what happened next was something he never expected coming!

"Gahh!" Onyx's body got a direct hit, making him fly away like a kite. His body tumbles on the ground. The thing that stopped him was when he smashed into a boulder.

If Onyx's mind was still out of it, that blow snapped him out completely.

What in the world?! Onyx blinks a couple of times. His head was going in circles from that attack! He needs a few seconds to clear his head.

Onyx looks up and sees what hit him.

"HIIISSSSS" A giant python. Its black and gray scales blends in with the trees. The fangs in its mouth are stuck out, showing how razor-sharp they are. Its gleaming emerald eyes glare down at Onyx.

So that's what made those sounds. Onyx realizes. The python blended with the trees, camouflaging it as it slowly got closer to him.

The python quickly dashes towards Onyx!

"Crap!" Onyx jumps away from the python. It realizes Onyx was trying to take out something. The vials of potions. Because of that hit, the two vials got smashed.

Onyx had his hand behind his back, trying to get the vials out.

"Hiss!" The python hisses at him, and an endless assault flies at him! And Onyx quickly ducks down and rolls behind a tree. Just need a few seconds.

That's what he gets as he takes out two vials.

Onyx quickly down the two potions. Another warm sensation overflowed in his body.

CREEK!

Onyx quickly moves away from his spot. The next second, the tree shatters into a million pieces!

The python took a bite out of it! And it wants another, as it charges at Onyx!

"No way!" Onyx jumps up from the ground. No way was he going to get eaten by the python. He lands on the python's body and starts to run.

It's working. Onyx's body felt lighter.

He's running faster than before.

"Take this!" Onyx slams his sword down onto the python's body. Huh? His expression turns blank. He quickly kicks himself away from his body!

"That didn't do any damage at all." Onyx frowns. This is a first. Whenever he cut down a monster, his sword would cut everything, bone and all. Yet, there was only a little cut on the python's body.

And this is when he used his full strength.

"Tsk!" In the next second, Onyx uses his shadow bind, hoping that it will keep the beast in place.

But there's a miscalculation with using this magic.

The shadows did bind onto the python's body. But the python quickly slithers out of the binds!

Its body is limber and smooth so the binds can't lock it down!

Ahh shit! Onyx's eyes go wide as he realizes it. But it's too late! He got slammed down by the python again!

It used its entire body to crush him!

"Gahh!" Onyx coughs out blood when that happens. Now he understands why the monsters ran for their lives. The python is the strongest monster in the area.

The spider lilies are the perfect hunting spot. Monsters would get drawn in by the aura.

And the python would take advantage and eat them whole! It's the perfect way to catch prey. And Onyx has become one!

"No way! Grr!" Onyx growls. I need to get out of here now! Onyx was not going to become this python's chow! Using all of his muscles, Onyx picks up the snake's body. Luckily, the python raises its body, ready to smash it down again.

He quickly uses the momentum and rolls away.

Gotta run! This was too much for Onyx to handle. He can't damage it even after he drank the strength potion. And his magic doesn't work on it either.

Onyx quickly dashes away. And what's surprising is that the python isn't chasing after him.

!

His senses go on high alert, and he quickly puts on the brakes. This is the correct move. What flies down in front of him is the tip of the tail!

Like a spear, it strikes down lightning quick. If Onyx didn't stop, then he would've been killed.

How big is its body? Onyx's eyes go wide as he sees the tail.

He was already far enough not to see the python's head. And yet the tail is right in front of him! Onyx realizes it now.

I'm trapped. As Onyx looks around, he realizes the python's body lay on top of every tree! When he went into the dead area, Onyx walked into the python's home. No matter where he goes, he will be stuck there.

The python would block with its body.

"HISSSSS!"

Onyx looks back to see the python glaring at him. The look it has is pure joy and bliss.

It's like a cat and mouse playing tag. And now the cat is having fun with the mouse.

But not Onyx. He picks up his sword, "Since you want to look down on me, I'll make your life a living nightmare." If that python thinks he is easy prey, it got a screw loose.

He will make himself the worst prey!