Chapter 108: Chapter108-Escape from the Cat and Mouse Game
Midway through the jump, I almost lost my balance and nearly fell face-first, but I managed to regain control just in time.
Damn it...
This building was the last one still standing. Beyond it, all I could see were the ruins of once-thriving structures.
Fuck those Abominations.
Couldn\'t they have spared a few more buildings?
Frustration surged through me, but I quickly forced myself to calm down and think clearly.
The Abominations were still hot on my trail, and I had to make a plan fast.
What should I do now?
With no buildings left to jump to, running was no longer an option.
Even though I could run on the ground, it wouldn\'t help much since I was already exhausted from all the jumping.
As I approached the rooftop\'s edge, I spotted something surprising...
Isn\'t that...?
I never expected to come across this place...
What a luck...
As I marveled at my good fortune, a sudden idea struck me.
I whispered to myself, "Hold on! I could actually try that, right? I can definitely do it!"
But still...
Really?
Could it work?
While I was excited about the possibility, another part of me was unsure, making me question if it would really work.
It was a massive risk.
The plan I was considering was extremely risky and had a high chance of failure.
Yet, something inside me felt it might be a good call.
If it worked, the reward could be significant...
As I was only a few meters from the entrance, a huge blast sounded behind me, and I knew exactly what had happened without even turning around.
**ROARS**
The roar that came next confirmed my suspicion even more.
I hurried to the entrance of the building, ducking through the door and racing downstairs as fast as I could.
Name: Michael Frostburne
Total Rules Broken: 1
Current Rules Broken: 0
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Alright, just another half an hour more to go...
A Abomination had burst through the entrance with the force of the explosion, smashing the door to pieces in its wake.
Meanwhile, I was on the brink of reaching the bottom of the building, currently on the second top floor...
I had no exact count of the building\'s floors, but considering that all the other buildings I had jumped from were shorter than the first one, I guessed this one might also have around 9 or 10 floors.
If that was the case, I was in serious trouble. Being on the second-to-top floor meant that jumping to the ground for a quick escape was no longer an option.
My only choice was to find a way to hide and then trail behind the Abominations, making my way to a safe location before it could spot me or catch up...
I picked up my pace, trying to get to the next floor as quickly as possible.
This floor didn\'t have many desks or chairs to hide behind, so I decided to move on to the one below.
I wasn\'t sure if the next floor would have what I needed, but I hoped it didotherwise, I might get caught in this game of cat and mouse.
I reached the stairwell and darted down to the next floor, my heart pounding in my chest.
As I pushed open the door, I silently prayed that this floor would offer more cover...
The door creaked open, and I stepped into a large, open space.
And it seemed I was incredibly lucky.
Relief washed over methe room was filled with desks and chairs, scattered haphazardly as if people had left in a hurry.
Yes... Finally...
It wasn\'t much, but it was enough to hide.
I scanned the room quickly, spotting a cluster of desks in the corner that were still mostly intact.
Perfect.
I ducked low, weaving through the rows of desks until I reached the far corner.
I crawled underneath the nearest desk, pulling a chair in front of me for added cover.
Uff... Uff...
My breathing was shallow, and I focused on keeping as still as possible.
The Abomination was close, and I could hear its heavy footsteps pounding down the stairwell, getting louder with each passing second...
Where is it?
I peered out from my hiding spot, just enough to see the stairwell door slam open.
The Abomination burst into the room, its massive frame barely fitting through the door.
Damn... By any chance did it seems me?
My pulse raced as I watched it sniff the air, its glowing eyes scanning the room. It was looking for me.
The creature hesitated for a moment, its gaze sweeping across the room.
Fuck... How much time more to go?
I checked my watch and saw that it was 6:42 p.m...
Alright, about 20 more minutes to go.
I pressed myself further into the shadows, praying it wouldn\'t notice me.
My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it drowned out every other sound around me.
The constant thumping echoed in my ears, reminding me of the danger close by.
\'When will it leave? Just go... Please...\'
The fear was almost too much.
My breaths were quick and shallow, and my body was on the edge of losing control.
**BOOM**
Suddenly, a loud explosion tore through the air, making my ears ring.
I flinched, my heart nearly stopping from the shock.
Huh? Did it just?
For a moment, I was too scared to move, but curiosity got the better of me.
Slowly, I peeked out from my hiding spot.
"What?" I whispered, my voice shaky with confusion.
I expected to see the Abomination charging at me, but instead...
There was nothingno monster, no threat, just silence.
Where did it go?
The hallway in front of me was empty, the only sign of the Abomination being the destruction it had left behind.
I looked around again, still half-expecting the creature to come back, but there was no sign of it...
It was like the creature had disappeared into thin air...
As the seconds passed, the realization hit me...
So, it finally moved on?
It didn\'t even bother to search the floor...
The creature seemed more intent on catching up to me, convinced I was still fleeing downward...
The door slammed behind it, and I exhaled a breath I didn\'t realize I\'d been holding...
My entire body trembled with the adrenaline that had surged through me...
I had been so close to being caught, but the Abomination hadn\'t even stopped to check properly.
Maybe it was too focused on the chase, or maybe it thought it was impossible for me to hide on a floor like this, but either way, I was overthinking and, safe for now...
I stayed hidden for a few more minutes, listening carefully for any sounds that might indicate the creature was coming back.
But all I heard was the distant echo of its footsteps as it continued down the stairwell.
Finally, when I was sure it was gone, I slowly emerged from my hiding spot...
Damn... It\'s gone, but...
I quickly hid back in my spot because another Abomination was coming down the stairs above.
The room fell silent again after the first Abomination left, but I knew better than to relax.
My instincts screamed at me to stay alert, and sure enough, I soon heard heavy footsteps echoing down the stairwell above me.
Another Abomination was on its way.
I quickly ducked back into my hiding spot beneath the desk, pulling the chair closer to cover myself.
I sighed...
I wasn\'t sure how many more of them would show up, but hiding here and waiting for the quest timer to run out might be a better idea than heading down.
The door to the stairwell creaked open, and I could hear the second
Abomination\'s heavy, ragged breathing as it entered the room.
I dared not look, knowing that even the slightest movement could give me away.
No noise... Not even the slightest sound...
I stayed completely still, barely breathing as the creature\'s footsteps came closer.
Maybe if I pray like last time, I can get lucky and stay safe again...
\'Please don\'t see me... please don\'t see me...\' I repeated in my head, willing the creature to move on like the last one.
For a moment, it seemed to hesitate, and I held my breath, my entire body tense with fear...
But then, to my relief, the footsteps continued past me.
Ok, so it\'s finally going...
The Abomination moved toward the far end of the room, seemingly uninterested in the corner where I was hiding.
\'Thank God...\'
But just as I was about to let my guard down, I heard something that made my blood run cold.
"Fueuh~"
It was a sound that I hadn\'t heard beforea low, rough breathing coming from right behind me.
My body went rigid.
Huh? That sound was like an old man struggling to breathe...
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as the sound grew louder, closer.
"Fueuh~"
The... There... Is no way, right?
I didn\'t want to look, but I knew I had to.
No way?
I must be overthinking...
Yeah... I am sure..
Slowly, painfully slowly, I began to turn my head, my breath catching in my throat.
And then I saw it..
No... Why?
Towering over me, just behind the chair, was another Abomination.
Its massive form loomed over my hiding spot, its glowing eyes locked onto me with a terrifying intensity.
For a split second, time seemed to stop. I was frozen in place, staring into the creature\'s monstrous face, my mind blank with terror.
Then, it roareda deafening, earth-shaking roar that echoed through the room.
Why can\'t move like the previous?
The creature raised its massive arm, and I knew exactly what was coming next...
Without thinking, I threw myself to the side just as the Abomination\'s fist came crashing down.
The desk I had been hiding under shattered into pieces, wood splintering and flying everywhere.
I felt the rush of air as the punch missed me by mere inches, and I knew I had to move fast if I wanted to stay alive...
I scrambled to my feet, fear surging through me, and bolted toward the stairwell...
My legs pumped furiously as I raced across the room, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum.
I heard the Abomination roar again behind me, furious at having missed its target.
But I didn\'t look back.
I couldn\'t afford to.
All I could do was runrun as fast as I could, and hope that I could stay ahead of it.
I hit the stairs at full speed, leaping down the steps two at a time.
My footsteps echoed loudly in the narrow stairwell, but I didn\'t care.
All that mattered was getting as far away from that monster as possible.
I could hear the Abomination crashing through the floor behind me, its footsteps heavy and relentless as it gave chase.
I pushed myself harder, my muscles burning with the effort, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
I had to keep going.
I had to outrun it.
"5th floor!"
The stairwell twisted and turned as I descended, the moon light making it hard to see where I was going.
But I didn\'t slow down.
I couldn\'t.
4 more to go...
The creature was right behind me, its growls echoing through the stairwell, spurring me to move faster.
My legs ached, my lungs felt like they were on fire, but I didn\'t stop...
I kept running, driven by pure fear and the instinct to survive.
"I just need to make it a little further..."
I told myself, even as exhaustion threatened to take over. "Just a little further, and I might have a chance..."
I was probably on the 3rd floor right now, and the Abomination was just one floor below me.
I don\'t understand why the Abomination is using the stairs.
It could easily jump to the bottom and wait for me there, or it could leap down two or more floors and catch up with me that way.
But never mind that for now.
My only hope is to reach the bottom and find a way out before the Abomination catches-
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a massive hand swung toward me.
What is that?
I didn\'t have time to react properly, but I instinctively tried to block the incoming strike by crossing my arms in front of me...
But it was a terrible mistake.
The moment the hand collided with my makeshift defense, I was hurled through the air and slammed into the wall with brutal force.
"Ouhhhhhhh!"
The impact left me gasping, blood spilling from my mouth.
"Ueghhh..."
I was disoriented, unable to grasp what had just happened.
I had been so close to reaching my destination, only to be blindsided like this.
Pain exploded through my arms and spine.
I tried to move my right handit was functional, but my left hand was another story.
It was broken, hanging limply at my side, too painful to lift.
"Ufhh, fuck... I messed up..."
A colossal figure came into view.
It was someone I never expected to see hereAnnihilation, the mutant bear.
"Huh? What... is it doing here?"
Wasn\'t it supposed to be...
I had thought that the others would at least be able to handle it, but clearly, they had failed...
This thing was far too powerful for them.
Unlike the Abominations, Annihilation didn\'t roar or make any noise.
It approached me silently, its presence chilling and ominous.
For a moment, it felt as if I were face-to-face with Allen.
The thought was alone disorienting.
Why was he coming to mind now?
If Allen were here, he would have taken this beast down within seconds...
I could almost picture him fighting it, the way he used to handle monsters without hesitation and, finishing up within seconds...
Yeah...
While going through Michael\'s memories, I was shocked to see Allen fighting high-ranking monsters.
I wasn\'t sure what this guy was doing there in that particular time, but they showed me just how powerful Allen was.
One fight really blew me away.
Allen faced off against a Platinum-ranked monstera harpy famous for its incredible speed.
The speed of harpies were so fast that even some Higher-ranked monsters would have a hard time keeping up.
I was eager to see the fight, thinking it would be intense and thrilling.
But as soon as the fight began, it ended almost immediately.
In just five seconds, the harpy exploded into feathers and blood.
The speed and violence of it were so shocking that I could barely process what had happened.
Allen stood there calmly as the harpy\'s remains rained down around him.
Blood splattered on the floor and on me, making the fight\'s brutality clear.
Allen\'s expression was completely unfazed, as if he had just dealt with something insignificant...
The way he took down the harpy with such speed and efficiency only made me respect him even more...
That\'s why I was certain that if he were here, things would have turned out differently...
I again sighed...
As Annihilation drew closer, stopping just a few meters away, it fixed its gaze on me...
My vision blurred, and I felt an overwhelming drowsiness wash over me.
My eyes struggled to stay open.
No...
Why am I thinking about sleeping now, of all times?
Forget about it
I looked up and locked eyes with Annihilation, who was watching me intently.
Huh? What happened? Why stop all of a sudden?