Thump... thump... thump...
His heart beated like crazy; he felt as though he might lose consciousness from the absolute horror of the vision before him. Nevertheless, he fought to remain conscious and forced himself to think logically. "User stage? So, it is a component of the system. Clearly, I stand no chance of victory against that eldritch being; I must escape in a manner that does not offendthat thing."
The young man began to crawl, retreating backward as slowly as humanly possible, struggling to maintain his composure and stabilize his breathing.
"I hope that thing takes its pups with it and leaves me alone. The only sanctuary available for me right now is the forest; however, judging by the existence of that entity, the woods may be an even more hellish environment containing even deadlier creatures. I will attempt to move with the river's flow instead."
Every second felt like a century to the young man, yet he was making progress, gradually distancing himself from those things. Suddenly, the creature emitted a horrifying growl, closed its eight-piece head, and fixed its gaze directly upon him.
"Please, do not chase after me; I have done nothing," the young man thought, doing his utmost to escape as peacefully as possible.
The entity began sprinting toward him with terrifying speed. The young man nearly suffered a heart attack at the sight, but he quickly jumped to his feet and began running for his life. The creature was exceptionally fast, in fact it was so fast that it would overtake him momentarily,so the young man suddenly decided to enter the forest. The trees there were broad and dense; he calculated that the narrow spaces between them might hinder the creature, which was significantly larger and wider than he was.
Upon entering the forest, he found himself surrounded by massive trees that resembled giant towers reaching for the sky, making him feel really small. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Thump-thump, thump-thump. Behind him, the creature was closing the gap. Its eight-petaled head produced a terrifying clicking sound, resembeling the colliding of dry bones.
He scrambled over thick roots that looked like giant snakes scattered across the ground. His feet slipped on the damp moss, but he did not falter. He pushed through low-hanging branches that scratched his face and tore at his silk attire.
"Help! Someone!" he attempted to shout, but he was breathing too heavily to produce a sound.
The giant trees seemed to blur past him. He ducked behind a trunk so wide it could have concealed a house, yet he could still hear the heavy thud of the monster's paws striking the earth. It was growing louder. It was getting closer. He did not know his destination; he only knew he could not allow those monstrous head-pieces to reach him.
"There is only one way to evade it: I must climb one of the trees. I am breathless, and while the forest has slowed the entity slightly, it will catch me in no time."
The young man spotted a massive tree with low, thick branches and dashed toward it. Without a second thought, he gripped the rough bark and began to pull himself upward with every ounce of his remaining strength.
"Get up! Move!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
The bark was hard and rough. As he ascended, his fingers slipped against the wood. He gripped the tree with such intensity that his fingernails began to crack. The pain was sharp and stinging, but he refused to let go. He dug his fingertips into the deep ridges of the bark, lifting his body higher and higher as the monster drew near.
He could feel warm blood dripping from his hands. His nails were crushed, torn, and bleeding from the pressure, but the terror of the creature below far outweighed the pain in his fingers. With one final, desperate scream, he pulled himself onto a high branch. Then he leaned against the trunk, gasping for air, and looked down at his ruined, bloody hands. Below him, the eight-petaled head of the monster slammed into the base of the tree with a heavy thud. The creature continued to slam its body against the trunk, staring up at the young man.
"Thank goodness; it seems it cannot reach me here. I am approximately fifteen meters above the ground."
The creature repeatedly opened and closed its eight jagged head-segments, producing an unbearable noise. The young man pressed his hands over his ears to muffle the sound as best he could. After a while, the entity settled down in front of the tree and fell asleep.
"Why did that thing chase me? Is it because I am prey to it, or because I touched its kin? I must be cautious not to touch anything in this place. I hope it grows hungry and seeks out some other poor soul to devour."
The young man watched the creature closely to ensure it made no sudden movements, but he was suddenly struck by an intense pain in his hands. When he looked down, they were a bloody mess. Because he had climbed using his nails, they were crushed, and several had been dislodged from the nail beds. The young man tore a section from his silver tunic, rending it into smaller strips, and wrapped them carefully around each nail.