Ceti had no choice but to swallow the potion under his crude threat, her throat contracting against the cool, soothing liquid that immediately brought a numbing relief. But the look in Asher's eyes had shaken her.
Could it be...
But there was no time to ponder. Asher's eyes were fixated on the red circles converging on them, an indicator of approaching enemy forces.
Without wasting a second, he dug into his spatial bag, pulling out a wrapped parcel.
"Eat this," he commanded, lifting her effortlessly into his arms, "It should slow down the poison," Asher noticed the bloody claw mark with a dark green glow on her shoulder and knew she got poisoned by Serkan.
Ceti squinted at the offered food. To her surprise, it was the same one she had given him earlier. Her heart twisted at the thought. He had kept it, despite everything. She began to eat, knowing full well what he might say if she didn't.
As she chewed, her thoughts shifted to the growing number of red circles. Despair welled up within her, dark and cold.
Even if they only had ten minutes left for the bounty to end, they wouldn't make it. They were outnumbered, outmaneuvered. By now, there must be a lot of groups who must have gathered in this vicinity.
Asher, who was slowing himself down to carry her, wasn't looking good as well.
His skin was sickly pale, and his eyes held a flicker of exhaustion. She felt he must be suffering the cost of using his mysterious abilities earlier.
She grabbed the fabric of his shirt, her eyes pleading, "L-Let me go…" she whispered, her voice barely audible and her eyes quivering, "You…have a better chance without me. I am dead…either way," Ceti knew her body rendered half of the poison ineffective and, in turn, gave her the strength to finish off Serkan.
However, the rest of the poison was enough to easily start to break down her body from within.
She also no longer had any mana nor the strength to fight off the remaining poison coursing through her veins.
Whatever mana she gained from eating the food was immediately consumed to slow down the poison. But the poison has gotten too strong in her body by now that no matter how much mana she gains, it won't prevent the inevitable.
Without an expert healer, she wouldn't stand a chance.
"You're not going to die, Ceti," Asher said, determination steeling his voice, "Isola can help you heal. We…We just need to hold on for a few more minutes," But his reassurances fell on deaf ears, Ceti knew the reality of their situation. Isola and her mother were nowhere near them.
Asher also knew, but he still didn't want her to give up, not until her fate was sealed for sure.
Just then, shouts echoed from behind them, the noise amplifying in the silent tunnels. Ceti's heart sank as she saw one of the red circles had already reached near them. Asher shifted his grip on her, sprinting towards the distant glimmer of the teleportation gate.
"There he is! He's trying to teleport!" One of the Hunters shouted, his voice echoing through the tunnel.
"I'll get him!" Another voice joined, a sharp note of determination in his voice. A blazing arrow zipped through the air, its trajectory aimed straight for Asher.
As Asher jumped into the teleportation gate, the arrow struck him in his back. He grunted in pain, falling on his knees as they teleported, appearing in another tunnel. Yet, his grip on Ceti was firm, keeping her from tumbling to the ground.
"Your...Your Highness..." Ceti's weak voice echoed in the tunnel, her eyes wide at the sight of the arrow sticking out of his back.
"Fuck..." Asher grunted, yanking the arrow from his back, wincing at the raw pain that followed. He got up, holding Ceti firmly in his arms as he continued running.
He realized that because of fighting Serkan's group, things weren't going as he calculated. His mana reserves were running on fumes, and he had only 30% HP which he was still sacrificing slowly to his ring.
But even if he manages to escape to the Damned Dimension, he can't stay there forever. It was not like he could keep drinking Health Potions and inflict mana poisoning on himself. He will surely not survive on his own.
The only way he saw was to somehow survive this Bounty Hunt and not let Ceti die.
Maybe if he manages to keep her alive long enough using whatever he can find, then there might still be a chance. He refused to give up just like that. He realized her value and he couldn't afford to lose her or so he was feeling right now.
Asher moved as fast as his legs could carry him, sweat trickling down his forehead and down his pale face.
He shifted Ceti's weight onto one shoulder, freeing his hand to summon his ring blade.
His eyes glinted with determination as he charged through the weaker groups of Hunters in his path, his blade slashing through them with an unyielding force.
But each victory came at a price, every clash leaving him with more injuries as he shielded Ceti with his own body.
He shifted Ceti back into his arms as he leaped through another teleportation gate, stumbling as they arrived in yet another tunnel.
But their troubles were far from over, as a couple of red circles on the map indicated even more danger closing in on them.
Only five minutes remained. Five long minutes. Ceti could feel her heart tightening as she took in Asher's battered form. Sickly veins pulsed on his skin, a telling sign of his fading strength.
She looked at him with teary eyes, her voice weak, "Tell...my mother that I..."
"I am not going to tell her anything. You are going to...So you better stay alive, or do you really want to leave your mother alone in my hands?" Asher asked with a weak smirk as he grimaced and began to run again, his ragged breaths filling the silent tunnel.
His words hung in the air, echoing in Ceti's mind as they ran. Her heart pounded in her chest, a complex wave of emotions overwhelming her, making her clutch tighter to his shirt.
She watched him grit his teeth with every step, yet he didn't slow down, didn't falter. There was a determination in his eyes, a resolve that was staggering.
Her lips quivered as her heart flooded with regret. She had spent so much time building walls against him, searching for faults, for reasons to despise him.
His cockiness, his bravado, his cunningness, and crudeness; they had always overshadowed his intentions in her eyes. She had labeled him as a villain, an opportunistic manipulator.
He was probably one for the most part but something within her was telling her that there was so much more to him than that.
And now, this man, who she had been quick to judge, was proving her wrong with his every action.
A wave of guilt washed over her as she realized her blindness.
In that moment, Ceti's heart ached for the countless times she had scorned him, the moments she had disregarded his kindness as a ruse.
Her eyes welled up with unshed tears as she clung tighter to him, whispering a quiet apology that was lost in the wind.
Ceti looked ahead and saw dozens of red circles closing in on them. The warning signals on her map were closing in fast and hard, and there was no sign of a teleportation gate nearby. The realization sank in: they were trapped, and this was the end. She turned to Asher, trying to say something, but,
*Whizz!*
"Urgh!"
A sudden sneak attack from behind struck violently on Asher, throwing him off his feat.
They were airborne for a moment before crashing hard onto the stone floor. Ceti could still feel one of Asher's arm still wrapped around her body while pain was shooting through her body. She forced her eyes open and gasped, "A-Asher…" She coughed out, her voice strained and barely audible.
Asher lay there, unconscious, his face pale, and body broken.
Ceti could see his chest rising and falling unevenly, barely clinging to life.
Suddenly, a horde of Hunters and demons broke through the darkness, their figures highlighted by the eerie glow of the tunnel. Some of them radiated power as potent as Serkan's. Their eyes were trained on them, and their hands held weapons, gleaming menacingly in the low light.
Despair washed over Ceti as she watched the advancing horde. Her body refused to move, the poison had paralyzed her. She felt a sharp sting of helplessness, her heart thundering against her chest. Her gaze shifted back to Asher's lifeless form. His face was peaceful, so starkly contrasted to the chaos around them.
Tears welled up in her eyes, reflecting the gloomy light around her. Her heart ached as she whispered, "I am sorry..." Her voice was feeble and almost lost amidst the cacophony of the hunters' chatter, but it was laced with regret and despair. All she could do was watch, and wait for the inevitable.
At the same time, the Hunter groups and Demon groups that had gathered around, snarled at each other, trying to claim that the bounty belonged to them. Each was becoming more and more restless as only only two minutes were left.
The entire place was brimming with so much tension and clashing auras, the entire tunnel was subtly vibrating with the clashing, loud echoes.
But the squabbling Hunters and Demons suddenly fell silent as a looming figure leaped over, landing with a ground-shaking thud near Asher and Ceti.
A hulking, muscular werewolf, he was covered in dark crimson fur that seemed to dance in the cavern light. His dark green eyes glowed with an intimidating menace, causing the surrounding Hunters and Demons to step back instinctively. His presence exuded a palpable aura of power, authority, and sheer danger.
He was known to them all. Even the most headstrong Hunters and arrogant Demons dared not cross him. He was Varg, the son of the Rustblood Clan's Chief, a prodigious warrior who had ascended to the frighteningly powerful realm of Soul Devourer not too long ago, but much earlier than anyone else of his age among his clan.
The surrounding atmosphere became chilly as Varg let out a low, yet spine-tingling growl. His voice boomed throughout the tunnel, "The bounty...I don't care. But these two..." he gestured toward the prone figures of Asher and Ceti, "...killed three of my pack members. And I won't let anyone else claim their blood."
His statement hung heavily in the air, laden with an unspoken threat, "Any who think otherwise, step forward," As he finished, a handful of equally imposing werewolves with the same crimson fur stepped up beside him, their powerful auras seeping into the already tense environment while baring their sharp fangs.
None dared to refute Varg's claim, not when he held such a fearsome reputation. Who would even dare to go up against a Soul Devourer who also has Soul Purgers beside him?
They were also shocked to learn that these two managed to kill 3 pack members from Varg's pack. Just killing one was enough to make him grant you a very brutal death since it was so hard to train someone to be strong and loyal to the pack...A process that could take dozens of years and form close bonds on the way.
And so losing 3...His blood must be literally boiling.
Varg's menacing gaze shifted from the surrounding crowd to the two unconscious figures lying before him. Even though the bounty was placed on Asher, his cold dark green eyes rested on Ceti.
His pack mates, whom she had killed, demanded vengeance and he would deliver it. A deathly silence enveloped the vicinity, as all eyes were fixated on the looming threat.
Raising his claw high, it shimmered with a deadly, viscous venom. His only regret was that she was already on the brink of death, preventing him from dealing a proper punishment. Yet, he wanted to bathe his claws with her blood.
"You will die by my hand, Ceti...And so will your family," Varg's growl echoed ominously in the silent tunnel as he prepared to plunge his claw into Ceti's unprotected throat.
