Yunji (4)
* * *
We were forced to kneel in the snow, the cold seeped through our clothes and numbed our limbs. The harsh wind cut across my face as we faced the man in the Viking helmet, who stood tall and imposing before us.
His presence commanded attention, and the smirk on his face radiated a cold confidence.
The man took a step forward, his voice carrying over the wind.
"My name is Damon! I am the king of this apartment complex," he announced with a grandiose flourish. "And not just this complex, but also the office building next door. I've wiped out everyone who was there, and now they're all under my command."
He paused, clearly savoring the moment, and continued, "I have nearly a thousand people in my army, all loyal to me. You see, I control this entire area, and there's no way you'll ever challenge my reign. I've consolidated power, and my grip on this area is unbreakable!!"
As Damon bragged about his conquests and strength, my mind raced with calculations and desperate thoughts.
There were four main areas on this street: the school, the mart, the office building, and the apartment complex.
I was the king of the school and the mart. Damon had claimed dominion over the apartment complex and the office building.
That meant there were only two kings left on this street: Damon and me.
Despair began to settle in. I was about to die.
I had thought that knowing the future of this novel would give me an edge, that I could overcome every challenge and emerge victorious.
But now, faced with the sheer number of Damon and his followers, it seemed like all hope was lost.
My mana was depleted, leaving me powerless.
I had fought so hard to get this far, but now I was facing an end that I had tried so desperately to avoid.
I was going to die in round five of phase one, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The thought was suffocating. I had hoped to become the strongest, to change the outcome, but now it was all slipping away.
Damon gave a nod to the men surrounding us. They drew out their axes, their cold steel gleaming ominously in the dim light.
The sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air, mingling with the howling wind. They were going to cut our heads off.
"Any last words?" Damon asked, his voice dripping with a sadistic amusement.
I stared up at him, my mind a haze of resignation and anger. The reality of the situation had set in.
There was no escape.
I was at the end of the line, facing the inevitable conclusion of my journey. I took a deep breath, feeling a surge of defiant rage.
"Fuck you," I spat out, closing my eyes. It was the only act of defiance I could muster. I braced myself for the end, the icy breath of death seeming to close in around me.
I braced myself for the end, my eyes clenched shut, waiting for the inevitable.
The chill of the snow against my knees and the harsh breath of the wind were the only reminders that I was still alive.
I had expected the strike to come, to feel the cold bite of the axe, but it never came.
Instead, there was a sudden, sickening thud that echoed around me.
My eyes snapped open, and my breath caught in my throat. To my shock, I saw the head of the guy that was behind me with the axe, laying on the ground.
The sight was grotesque and surreal. The man's eyes were still open, staring blankly at the sky. Blood pooled around the severed head, seeping into the snow.
A split second later, a similar thud echoed from in front of Elena.
I looked and saw another headless corpse lying there, its head resting a few feet away, a look of frozen horror etched onto its face. My heart raced, confusion and dread mixing in my mind.
"Wh…what?" I muttered, my voice barely more than a whisper.
I turned my gaze toward Yunji's side, searching for an answer.
And there she was.
With a scythe that seemed impossibly large and ominous.
The weapon was as tall as she was, its blade gleaming with a menacing shimmer of black and red.
* * *
In the cold, unforgiving snow, as they all knelt on the ground awaiting their grim fate, Yunji felt a rush of desperation and fear.
Damon's voice echoed ominously, "Any last words?" The words felt like a death knell, sealing their fate.
Yunji's mind raced. They were about to die, and that thought was unbearable. The looming shadow of death was not just for her but for Erebus.
Her heart clenched at the thought of losing him. He was the only person left who truly mattered to her, the only person who had ever cared for her in a way that made her feel valued.
The despair she felt was suffocating. When Erebus spoke, his defiant "Fuck you" seemed to mark the final moments before their end. It fueled something inside her, something she couldn't ignore.
No. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let Erebus die here.
In an act of sheer willpower, Yunji stood up, her resolve hardening.
She extended her hand, her fingers trembling slightly, and summoned the weapon she had acquired just the day before.
It was a weapon she had been saving for a moment like this, a weapon that had cost her everything but had become her last hope.
When Erebus had given her and the other higher ranking officals 2000 karma a few days ago, she knew there had to be a way to exploit the system.
A way that Erebus had used to gain so much karma.
And through sleepless nights and relentless effort, Yunji had discovered the secret: a discount coupon and the karma-to-coin exchange. However, after she had bought 3 coupons, no more showed up. But it was okay.
By duplicating her karma through the store, she amassed a fortune, managing to gather millions in karma.
And she had used the majority of her karma to purchase a single legendary item from the store.
The Blade of Hades.
The weapon was said to be unparalleled in its might, its power drawing from the depths of the underworld.
Buying it had cost her every last bit of her karma, but she had believed it would be worth it.
Now, as the weapon materialized in her hand, its dark and gleaming form seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
The scythe was as tall as she was, its blade sharp and foreboding, radiating an aura of deadly power. The air around her seemed to hum with its energy.
Without hesitation, Yunji swung the Blade of Hades through the air.
The scythe moved with a speed and precision that seemed almost unnatural. The head of the man behind her was cleaved cleanly from his shoulders, falling to the ground with a wet thud.
The sight of his decapitated body was grim but provided the clarity of the grim situation she was fighting against.
Yunji didn't stop there. She turned and advanced on the enemies behind Erebus and Elena. The scythe cut through the air with a lethal grace, severing the heads of those who threatened them.
Each swing was a testament to her resolve, her fury, and her determination to protect the only person who mattered to her.
The enemies fell one by one, their bodies crumpling to the ground in a mess of blood and snow.
The power of the Blade was undeniable. It sliced through armor and flesh alike with ease, and Yunji moved with a focus that was almost terrifying.
Erebus had saved her countless times before, guiding and protecting her when she was vulnerable.
Now it was her turn to save him, to repay the countless times he had put himself at risk for her sake.