I turned away from the charred corpse, ready to move on, when a low, vibrating hum rose from behind me.
[Danger Sense] spiked instantly.
Something was coming, and it was moving fast.
I didn't have the time to dodge.
So I did the only thing I could.
I threw up [Mana Shield].
KAAACLACK!
The fuck?!
The impact hit an instant later. My magic barrier fracturing like ice under a hammer.
[Mana Shield] wasn't strong enough to take the full brunt of whatever that was, but it was strong enough to throw it just off course. Lucky me.
The redirected shot still clipped me, skimming along my cheek in a burst of heat and pressure. Unlucky me.
A hot line of pain flared across my face, and I hissed through clenched teeth, twisting my body into a sidestep to break the attacker's line of fire. The sting was sharp and immediate, and I could already feel the thin warmth of blood sliding down toward my jaw.
But there was no time to dwell on the pain.
