Bam!
With a simple push, the shelf on me was thrown to the side with ease, and I slowly dragged myself up to my feet. My caved-in chest had healed, but there were holes riddled across my rusty armor. Without a proper defense, defeating this Red Priest would be near impossible.
I may be the one who dies in this fight. I had to admit, while my eyes darted across the room in search of something worth absorbing.
Unless… My gaze narrowed as it fell on a rifle not too far away from the hovering Red Priest.
Not only was it made of steel, but it was also powered by aetherium. This was the edge I needed to win this fight, but the question was:
"Can I reach it?"
Swoosh!
My chain of thoughts was shattered as an invisible claw shot toward me at a terrifying speed, leaving me blinking in shock.
"Is this really a test for 11-year-old kids?" I blurted out while sidestepping to the left, but I was a tad bit late.
Bam!
Bam!
I felt something brush against my shoulder while still airborne, knocking me off balance. With no resistance of any sort, I spun twice before falling face-flat!
Aaaah!
Instinctively, I reached for my burning left shoulder, my eyes widening at the sight of my bone. My flesh had been shaved clean by the attack, leaving behind a bloody wound. The burning sensation was intense, making it hard to think straight, but even in this condition, I could hear something soaring through the air and flying in my direction.
Bam!
Gritting my teeth, I mustered as much strength as possible and pushed myself to the right, only to hear a deafening boom at my previous location. Rolling a few times, I sprang to my feet—only to notice the Red Priest hovering over the towering shelves as two more invisible claws hurled at me from the front while the last two invisible claws tore through the ground, swiping at me from the side.
This man wasn't planning to give me a chance to recover!
"Shit!" I screamed and dashed to the left as fast as I could.
Looking over my shoulder, I realized all four invisible claws were chasing after me, knocking down everything in their path. By the time I looked ahead of me, I noticed the shelf by my side burst apart as a fifth claw charged in.
BAM!
GAAAAH!
I hurled across the room, smashing through everything in my path until I hit the wall.
My lips yanked open, but no sound came out. Slowly, I shifted my gaze to my right arm, which was twisted in ways no arm should fold. The stench of blood was fresh in my nose as I felt a warm liquid leak from every part of my body.
I was numb… I was certain I was in pain, but the pain was so much I couldn't feel a thing.
"I didn't even stand a chance," I mumbled as I watched five invisible claws charge in my direction.
BOOOM!
The feeling of my bones snapping and my flesh tearing as I burst through the wall, flying amongst debris as the scorching sun rays nearly blinded me for a moment. The fall was the most peaceful part of it all—while it was short, it felt endless.
The wind brushing against my scorching skin offered a brief relief to the pain.
The stench of blood was blown away, and I had a breath or two of fresh air before hitting the ground.
Bam!
The world turned black, but only for a moment.
[Get a hold of yourself, it's only a simulation. Don't use my power!] A familiar voice warned, but it was distant.
Lyxor?
Even without being told, I knew who it was. Even now, as I suffered greatly, my mind was still clear. I could hear chattering from the side—some sounded amused and others anxious.
My eyes fluttered, but my vision was blurred and stained with blood. Slowly, I began moving my hands, using my palm to push my body off the ground. Gasps and the sound of guns getting cocked resounded from all directions, but I didn't pay much attention to it.
My fate was sealed.
Without my full Xenovian power, my regenerative abilities were greatly limited. It was far from what I needed to survive this world.
"Lord Blackwater, are you okay?" Constable John's voice was a mixture of amusement and mockery.
This was the man who begged for mercy just last night.
If only I clawed out his throat last night, all of this would have been avoided, I reminded myself.
My hesitation to deal with the problem directly when it was standing right in front of me led to this pathetic moment. Things would have been different if I killed this man last night.
I understand now, I whispered to myself while standing upright.
"Hesitation kills." I chuckled, only to start coughing hard.
My throat hurt really bad, but at least my vision had cleared up a bit—though not perfect, it was enough to see the faces of Constable John and several policemen pointing their rifles at me.
A smile crept up on my lips, and a feeling of satisfaction washed over me. Even though I failed the test and I'm about to get killed, I learned a vital lesson from all of this simulation. As for Constable John and his little band, if I can return to this simulation and start all over again, I'll do just that—and I will give them a gruesome death far worse than what I'm experiencing right now.
Shoot.
Xiu! Xiu!
Xiu! Xiu!
---
Huff!
Abruptly, I sat up with my hand clutching my chest tightly. My senses were disoriented, and my body trembled violently as I grabbed the edge of the pod and pulled myself out.
Blegh!
My breakfast poured out uncontrollably while the upper half of my body leaned over the edge of the pod, hanging loosely.
"Lucius!" Ralph's panicked voice rang like a bell in my head, but it slowly faded just like my vision.
I could only gasp for air while vomiting uncontrollably until the world turned dark and peaceful.