Chapter 27 - 27- Ride Of a Lifetime (Part 2)
Chapter 27: Chapter 27- Ride Of a Lifetime (Part 2)
The sight they witnessed made Talon almost slip with the bike and fall. So, he quickly squeezed the brakes and stopped the vehicle in the middle of the street, facing the scene head-on.
The 24th route was a very wide one with multiple lanes so it was safe to say that it could fit at least 6 cars stacked next to each other. Another interesting detail was that this street was in fact built over a residential area like a bridge. Yet, even with that kind of wide space, the whole of 24th Street was filled with monsters.
Weak Dimension Walkers and stronger ones were like ants everywhere. They were seemingly clamped up like a disgusting hive of insects. Amidst this clamp of terror were also numerous odd-looking monsters.
Gigantic bees with horns as long as Talon's forearm, weird white creatures that stood on two feet and had two heads and four eyes. They were akin to a more disturbing version of Dimension Walkers and more dangerous. Not to mention the giant rabid-looking dogs, a multitude of felines, and even creatures that Talon didn't know how to describe in words. That's how grotesque they looked.
"... What the fuck..." Not even his words could describe the sheer terror Talon was seeing at that moment.
Hyun-Jae had the same expression if not worse. Not even in the worst-case scenario did she expect to see this many creatures. She thought that after 2 days, they would've moved away or at least reduced in numbers.
As they were like that, the monsters seemed to have noticed them too and what happened next was simply something straight out of nightmares. The whole horde suddenly rushed toward them like a huge tidal wave.
"What are you waiting for?! Move!!" Acrypha, who was floating around them, yelled to wake Talon up.
Her words shook Talon and made him realize what was happening.
"Hold on!" He said as he drifted with the bike, turning it around and accelerating as fast as he could.
The bike roared loudly as it moved through the street. Behind it, shrieks and howls filled the whole place as monsters chased after them. The normal ones weren't able to keep up and fell behind.
However, the same couldn't be said for the other evolved ones. The felines and other distorted monsters were way faster and so Talon and Hyun-Jae found themselves being chased by these things as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Talon cursed. "Come on, move faster!!" Looking back with a dark expression, he called for Hyun-Jae. "Push them off as much as you can!"
"Do you have a plan?!" Hyun-Jae asked as she gripped her sword harder.
"I don't know! But, I have an idea! It could work! I need some time!" He said.
"Ok, I trust you!"
With that being said, Hyun-Jae suddenly turned around and put her back against Talon with her legs on the other side. Then, she gripped her sword with both hands.
Facing these disgusting creatures, her heart raced faster and faster. However, she swallowed all of that dread and pointed her sword at them.
*Roar*
The first monster to reach the bike was a twisted cheetah hybrid with needles all over its body and a set of chainsaw-like teeth.
*Roar*
Coming from the side, the monster leaped in the air with its paws aiming for Hyun-Jae. Noticing that the girl quickly changed her grip on the sword and sliced as fast as she could.
The blade moved through the air and hit the monster's paws, digging deep into its sharp claws.
*BOOM*
Because of the hit, the monster's momentum was ruined as it shrieked from pain. However, that didn't completely stop it from hitting the bike as it was falling.
The wheels of the bike screeched loudly as Talon found himself tilting left and right.
"Oh no!" Using his full strength, Talon was somehow able to rebalance the bike somehow.
"Are you ok, Hyun-Jae?!" He turned around to check on his companion.
"Yeah..." The girl nodded as she looked at her arm. The claws of the monster had still sliced through her skin but not too deeply.
However, even then, she didn't have time to actually take a breather as monsters started surrounding the bike.
Without a word, Hyun-Jae gripped the sword with both hands again and got ready.
"Be ready, Talon! They're going to try and make us fall!"
"I know!"
"Good! Now focus!"
With those words, the insects and the evolved dogs finally leaped on the bike. Defending against all of them all at once was going to be impossible.
'Oh no!' Talon's face paled as he quickly glided to the side, avoiding some of them before he moved to the side again to avoid others.
Meanwhile, Hyun-Jae seemed to have oddly gone silent again. Her erratic breathing calmed down and her tense muscles relaxed. Then, her beautiful eyes slowly opened again as Aetheris channeled through her body.
[Ding!]
[You have activated the skill: Lightning Manipulation.]
*ZZZZZ*
Out of nowhere, the sound of electricity echoed in the vicinity as Talon felt a weird sensation on his back. Looking behind him, he was shocked to see Hyun-Jae's arm sparking with lightning that quickly channeled to her sword.
'What the?!' Blinking in shock, Talon noticed Hyun-Jae's blade suddenly move as she sliced with it as fast as she could.
The slash didn't hit any monster but the effect it left behind was devastating. Visible electricity in the form of a slash emerged from the blade and flew toward the hordes of monsters.
*BANG*
The moment it made contact with them, it exploded, sending shockwaves all over the place. A number of monsters fell, shaking as if they were electrocuted while others were outright fried. However, Hyun-Jae didn't stop there and slashed again, hitting another group of monsters. The girl's face was pale as a sheet of paper by the second hit and yet she still bit her lips till blood leaked out.
'Come on! One last one!' She cursed as she inhaled a deep breath.
*Swish*
The third attack was launched, hitting the closest enemies to the bike.
By the third hit, the electricity vanished and Hyun-Jae returned to normal. When that happened, her body suddenly slumped over Talon with her head resting on his shoulder.
"Hyun-Jae? Oi, Hyun-Jae! Wake up!"
"Mmm..." Moaning in pain, Hyun-Jae's eyes opened slightly as she seemed to regain some of her consciousness.
However, it seemed that the skill she activated had spent all of her Aetheris and she was temporarily out of it. So, Talon could only tilt his back forward so that Hyun-Jae could rest closer to him. He can't let her fall off the bike.
However, it wasn't done there as a few more monsters closed up on them from the other side and attacked.
"You got to be kidding me..." With no other choice, Talon pulled out his spear and quickly stabbed to the side, piercing an unlucky evolved cat with no eyes and only a big gaping mouth.
[Ding!]
[You have killed a level 6 Mandorian Cat. +2 Strength.]
Then, he quickly swung his spear, hitting a few more monsters but not dealing a finishing blow. At the same time, on the other side of the bike, a sneaky big rat with 6 legs had reached them and attacked the front of the bike.
Its sharp claws slice through the metal, almost cutting Talon's leg in the process too. Dark liquid exploded out of the bike.
"You bastard!" quickly shifting the spear to the other side, Talon sliced the monster's head off cleanly.
[Ding!]
[You have killed a level 6 Serebeth Rat. +1 Health.]
However, even with that kill, the bike's fuel was still gushing out endlessly.
'The bike won't hold on for longer! Ah, goddamit!!' Cursing under his breath, Talon decided that he couldn't really push it any longer. He wanted to move a little farther away but with the situation getting critically bad, he could only try his luck with his idea now.
"What do you want to do?" Acrypha asked as she noticed Talon suddenly change the direction toward the other side of the street.
"Something that might kill us. But, if it works, we will survive." He said as he accelerated harder.
Acrypha frowned as she looked at the direction Talon was heading for.
"Are you serious?"
"More serious than ever! Now, can you tell me which side is the best one to do it?!" He asked.
"..." Acrypha seemed hesitant for a moment before she took a deep breath and finally moved ahead of them and took a look.
"Hurry, hurry!" Talon murmured to himself. The monsters were now already around the bike and closing in. Talon had no way of defending anymore.
"Here! Do it from here!"
"Ok!" Without even hesitating, Talon moved toward Acrypha as he tilted the bike up.
'Please... Please...' Talon prayed in his head as he took a deep breath.
*VNNN*
At the last moment, right before the monsters could catch up, the bike jumped over the edge of the highway.