Hack the Bastard!

[The shallow trench carried the foul stench of rotting rats. You believed this was a trace left behind by an "Aberration" after it moved through, and that it had only just left.]

Seeing this prompt, Colin finally let out half the breath he had been holding, though he suspected there were quite a few Aberrations.

But before he actually found one, he had worried about what would happen if this trip turned up nothing.

If the lamp oil ran dry and he lost the ability to explore a second time, he could only wait to die. That would be a truly unjust death.

But now, he could finally set that concern aside for the moment.

"Follow me. These are traces left behind by an Aberration while it was moving."

Colin's words swiftly restored the slightly flagging morale. The two servants had no doubts whatsoever about his judgment, only feeling that they had followed a wise master.

In less than a few seconds, he had sorted through the various subtle clues in the tunnel and deduced that they had been left by an Aberration.

What sharp thinking!

As figures created by the system, they did not know exactly what abilities the lords possessed.

But they vaguely knew what things did not belong to the system.

To the two of them, Colin's judgment undoubtedly came from his own powerful reasoning ability.

This made their admiration for Colin rise even higher.

Colin had no idea what the two servants were thinking, nor did he know that his standing in their hearts had inexplicably risen again. Once he made his decision, he quickly headed toward the shallow trail.

Nearly thirteen minutes had passed since the hurricane lamp was lit. Those thirteen minutes had been completely wasted, with nothing to show for them.

With the remaining time, Colin could only keep moving for around another twenty-five minutes.

If he could not deal with the Aberration within that time, he had to return. Otherwise, he could easily become completely lost in the Gray Fog.

Still, although Colin quickened his pace, he did not lower his guard.

He was observing exactly what had left these traces of movement.

As he drew closer, he discovered that besides the shallow trail left in the soil by the Aberration's movement, there was also sticky, foul-smelling slime, handprints, and marks left by something sharp scraping across the ground.

Taking all the information together, along with the prompts that kept appearing...

For some reason, an image surfaced in Colin's mind: someone lying prone on the ground, crawling forward with both hands, digging their palms into the dirt and dragging themselves ahead bit by bit.

Colin's guess was not without basis. Judging by the stop-and-start interruptions in the shallow trail, this was indeed likely how it moved.

And the marks of some sharp object piercing and scraping through the dirt seemed to indicate that the thing had spikes as well.

A few minutes later, Colin spotted a vaguely prone figure on the ground ahead and abruptly stopped.

After hesitating for less than a second, Colin's gaze sharpened. He quickly bent down and shouted, "Get down!"

The two servants dropped flat onto the ground without even thinking.

At the same moment, a black shadow came hurtling from ahead almost alongside a piercing whistle. Colin and the others only felt a round object carrying tremendous force skim past their scalps.

The violent gust of air blanked Colin's mind for an instant. If that thing had hit them just now, they would have been dead or badly injured.

Behind them came the sound of something heavy striking the ground.

That sound snapped Colin out of his daze. Remembering that moment of terror, an overwhelming sense of relief at having survived a disaster surged through him.

If Colin had not suddenly felt a malicious gaze upon him, followed by a prompt abruptly appearing in his mind, he would very likely have been done for.

The prompt had said: [The "Suffering Citizen" has discovered you! He is charging up an attack. If you are hit, you may very likely die on the spot.]

In that urgent moment, Colin had chosen to drop down.

That decision had spared Colin the price of severe injury or death.

But this was not the time to celebrate. Since the prompt said it was a charged attack, the next attack definitely would not come so soon.

Strike while it was weak, attack its vulnerable point!

"Charge with me!"

Colin quickly pushed himself up from the ground. Carrying the hurricane lamp and gripping the Sharp Axe, he rushed forward less than five meters before seeing that "Suffering Citizen."

Then a word immediately surfaced in his mind—

Monster.

Yes, a monster!

It seemed to have only an upper body. It had no skin, and the flesh on its face had melted and hardened over its skull like candle wax, leaving only five grotesque hollows where its original features should have been.

At first glance, it looked like someone who had been brutally skinned and thrown there.

Scarlet flesh was exposed directly to the air, seemingly subjecting it to ceaseless agony. Low moans that made one's heart tremble with despair continuously escaped its throat.

Unlike ordinary people, the Aberration had long strips covered in thorns growing from its back, wrapping around its body like vines. Those were the source of the sharp scraping marks on the ground.

Its lower body was not so much missing as it was withered, transformed into a nauseating lump of indescribable flesh.

Just as Colin had guessed, this monster moved using its hands.

And because it had only just launched an attack, it did not seem threatening for the moment.

Still, the monster's bloody appearance and the stench rushing into his face struck Colin hard. When he was two meters in front of it, his steps faltered.

Although Colin held the Sharp Axe, he had never fought another person like this before.

Much less something as bizarre and inhuman as this monster.

He had no idea what effect a swing of his axe would actually have.

What if he could not even break its skin, and the monster suddenly sprang up? What if its current weakened appearance was merely an act? What if this was a trap?

Was he being too reckless by charging in now?

He only had one life!

Thoughts rapidly swelled in his mind, fear taking root in his heart. Colin could not stop the urge to retreat from rising within him. All kinds of thoughts flooded his brain, while a decadent whisper echoed beside his ears.

It seemed to be telling him some kind of "truth"—

He was weak. He was no match for it. Facing it meant death. Run. There was no shame in running.

Amid his muddled thoughts, Colin clenched his teeth and bit down hard on the inside of his mouth. The intense pain briefly suppressed every thought in his mind.

"Running means death, and going forward also means death. Then I'd rather gamble my life against its life right here!"

Colin deliberately formed a single thought to suppress the countless chaotic distractions. He had already realized that this influence came from the monster.

But that did not matter.

The monster was right in front of him, an axe was in his hand, and there was no way back.

What else could he choose?

Hack!

Hack the bastard!