Noah's lungs burned as he ran, his feet pounding against the damp earth as if the ground itself were warning him. The cold air bit at his skin, and every low-hanging branch seemed to claw at his arms, but he kept going, he could not stop.not now.. Lucas was right behind him, gasping for breath, tripping over hidden roots and uneven ground, yet somehow managing to keep pace. The sounds of chaos still echoed behind them, shouts, screams, and the guttural growls of a beast tearing into its latest victim.
Noah did not dare look back. He knew what he would see, Dante and his group fighting desperately for their lives. That terrible monster had come out of nowhere, its black claws flashing like sharp daggers and its jaws snapping shut on flesh and bone with a force that left no time for mercy. In mere seconds, it had turned everything upside down, giving Noah and Lucas the opening they desperately needed. Their mission now was clear, get as far away as possible before Dante could regain control of the situation.
Lucas, still struggling for each breath, wheezed between gasps, "I swear… when we get out of here… I'm never running again. Ever." His voice trembled with both fear and a hint of humor in the face of such dire circumstances.
"Shut up and run faster," Noah barked, his tone rough but determined.
Lucas groaned in resignation yet pushed himself harder, alongside Noah.
There was no time to waste; every second could be the difference between life and death.
"I…I can't," Lucas panted, his voice breaking as his legs trembled with fatigue and pain. His body felt as if it were about to give up, weighed down by exhaustion and fear. Noah gritted his teeth, his own determination hardening with every labored step. They couldn't afford a single misstep here. A single mistake meant death, and Noah was not about to let that happen. He glanced back, considering whether he might throw Lucas over his shoulder If needed, but before he could act, the forest abruptly ended.
Noah barely managed to stop before his foot tumbled over the edge of a steep ravine. His stomach lurched as he stared down into the abyss, a chasm shrouded in thick, ghostly mist with wind that whispered like lost souls. The ravine was too wide to jump and too deep to climb down without risking certain death. Lucas, in a state of shock and fatigue, collapsed onto his hands and knees at the edge, desperately sucking in air. "W-We're trapped," he stammered, his voice barely more than a whisper amid the chaos.
Behind them, the sounds of battle raged on. Dante's group fought fiercely against the Abyssal Beast, their clash echoing through the forest. The seasoned fighters managed to hold their ground for a moment, but Noah knew that it wouldn't be long before they broke free and then they would be the ones chasing him and Lucas. The tension was palpable, and the threat of being caught was almost as deadly as the creatures themselves.
Suddenly, a twig snapped to their right, its sound startling in the heavy silence. Noah spun around, his fists clenched and ready to fight whatever emerged from the darkness. Out of the gloom stepped a girl, her dark cloak hanging tattered and worn, her green eyes sharp and calculating as they took in the scene. It was Alisha. Noah recognized her immediately, an Iron Rank student like himself, but one who had been on her own for most of the survival challenge. Rumors had swirled about her; some believed she was dead, while others whispered that she had become something far more dangerous.
Alisha studied them in silence for a long, tense moment before exhaling sharply. "You two are out of time," she said in a cool, measured tone that brooked no argument. Lucas looked up weakly, trying to muster some defiant humor. "Yeah, we noticed," he said, his voice laced with both exhaustion and a hint of sarcasm. But Alisha ignored his comment and fixed her gaze on Noah. "Dante's group won't stop hunting you. The Abyssal Beast will only distract them for so long. And if they get past it, they'll come for you." She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "You need an ally."
Noah narrowed his eyes, skepticism clear in his tone. "And you want to help out of the kindness of your heart?" he asked, the words heavy with mistrust. Alisha 's lips curled into a slight smirk. "No. I want to survive," she replied simply. There was a pause as Noah hesitated; trust was a dangerous commodity in a survival match, but so was facing the threat alone. Finally, he nodded once. "Fine. But if you try anything…" he began, but she cut him off quickly.
"I won't," Alisha said easily, as if the idea of betrayal was as distant as the stars. "Because we have bigger problems." She pointed across the ravine with a steady hand. "There's a way across a fallen bridge of trees further down. We can use it to lure Dante's group in." Noah frowned, considering her plan. "And then what?" he asked, his voice low. Alisha reached into a small pouch at her belt and pulled out a set of dull, fist-sized crystals. "We blow it up," she declared.
Lucas blinked in disbelief. "Excuse me, What?" he managed, his tone a mix of astonishment and fatigue. Alisha simply shrugged. "Explosive crystals. I scavenged them earlier. They'll be enough to bring the bridge down." Noah studied her for a moment, weighing the risk. The plan was dangerous, but it might be their only chance.
Behind them, the sounds of battle shifted suddenly. The Abyssal Beast let out one final, earth-shaking roar before an eerie silence fell over the forest. In that silence, it was clear: Dante's group had emerged victorious in their encounter with the beast. There was no time to hesitate now. "Let's move," Noah ordered, his voice filled with grim resolve.
They ran together, weaving through the trees with desperate speed until they reached the narrow bridge, a makeshift structure of fallen logs held together by tangled vines and sheer luck. Every step Noah took made the creaking wood groan under his weight; it wouldn't take much to collapse the fragile bridge. Alisha quickly began to work, planting the explosive crystals along the weakest points with practiced precision. "We detonate when they're all on it," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
Noah nodded and turned just in time to see Dante's group emerging from the treeline like a dark tide. Four of them stepped forward, wounded, bloodied, and filled with furious determination. Dante's piercing gaze found Noah instantly, and with a cold command he shouted, "Kill them." The chase was on in an instant.
Noah, Lucas, and Alisha bolted across the precarious bridge, every step sending up loose bark and shaking the unstable logs beneath them. Behind them, Dante and his group pursued relentlessly, their heavy footsteps pounding on the fragile wood. "Now!" Noah yelled at the top of his lungs, and Alisha flicked her wrist with precise timing. In a moment of explosive chaos, the bridge shattered in a violent eruption of fire and splintered wood. Dante's men were thrown into the abyss; their screams echoed through the canyon as they fell, disappearing into the thick, swirling mist below.
Dante himself barely managed to grab onto the edge of the crumbling bridge. Noah stepped closer, watching as the older boy struggled to pull himself up, fear and desperation flashing across his face for the first time. Dante looked truly afraid, a rare sight that sent a shiver down Noah's spine. And then, before anyone could catch their breath, a shadow moved silently behind Dante. A chilling, inhuman growl filled the air, freezing Noah in place as his breath caught in his throat. It was the Abyssal Shadow Stalker.
Dante's eyes widened in horror as the creature's long, spindly fingers wrapped around his shoulders. He turned his head just In time to see a gaping maw open behind him, and in that horrifying instant, he was dragged into the abyss. Silence fell over the ravine as Dante disappeared from view, swallowed by darkness. Noah exhaled shakily, his hands trembling uncontrollably. Lucas let out a breathy laugh of disbelief, as if it were all a sick joke, while Alisha simply stared, her eyes dark and unreadable.
The survival timer on their wrists continued its relentless countdown. Four hours left, it read in cold, unyielding numbers. Noah turned away from the ravine, his voice steady despite the turmoil Inside him. "We need to move,"