Scale-kin (Part 1)

"Are you so scared you're begging for mercy?" A man holding a one-handed axe watched Chris kowtow with excitement. "What legendary ranger? Before death, you're just this pathetic."

"Then the spot to become a Crow Man is mine!" The axe-wielder rushed to the front, his face alight with excitement as he hacked at Chris.

"Whoosh..." The sound of breathing did not alert the axe-wielder. Chris's kneeling body shot forward, and with a push of both hands, he struck the enemy's running feet precisely. Then he rolled aside, dodging the falling axe-wielder.

Chris raised his head. A wound had been smashed open on his forehead, blood streaming continuously down his face. Those Black Crow pathogens wriggled along with the blood toward the wound on his forehead, exposing Chris's mouth.

"My apologies. Rhythm Stripping." Chris grabbed the Black Crow pathogens clinging to the blood on his face and used an advanced application of the Breathing Method. Everything possessed its own Rhythm. By attuning oneself to the Rhythm of all things, one could gain their perception and even their power, such as Rhythm Gold. But if one altered one's own Rhythm to repel theirs, one could cast that thing away. Earlier, when he had used the Breathing Method to expel the pathogens he had inhaled from his body, he had used precisely this technique.

The blood on Chris's face trembled. He seized the pathogens on his face and flung them onto the fallen axe-wielder.

"These pathogens possess only instinct. They instinctively want to burrow into living creatures, and naturally, they instinctively chase blood as well. You kept the pathogens from flooding into your throat only because you were holding a mouthful of blood too, weren't you, woman?"

Chris continued breathing, using Rhythm Stripping to expel the pathogens that had already entered his body with each breath. Meanwhile, the pathogens flung onto the axe-wielder's face poured into his body through his mouth and nose.

He howled in agony as black spots began appearing on his face. Before long, he would likely die of Black Crow Disease. Becoming infected with Black Crow pathogens did not mean one would become a Crow Man; otherwise, there would not be so few Crow Men, nor would there be a limit on the available spots.

"As expected of a legendary ranger. Even in that situation, you still discovered the Black Crow Pathogen's characteristics." Dessa slowly raised her half-broken slender sword. She could be cautious and let others kill Chris, but when faced with such a situation, she would not choose to retreat. Just as she had said, if she were in the same position as Nozades, she would make the same choice.

"Become part of Lord Negary, climb to the summit alongside him, and seize the chance to become a stepping stone through a battle to the death!!" Negary extending a hand toward her appeared in Dessa's eyes. People always needed acknowledgment and need from others. The reason Dessa worked so hard was so she would no longer be judged as something useless.

"Do none of you value your lives?" Chris looked at the attackers who had been frightened back, then at Dessa, who had previously hidden behind them but was now stepping forward with determination. A flash of admiration crossed his eyes.

Whether they were enemies or not, whatever beliefs they held, those who clearly understood their own needs, held fast to their convictions, and were willing to give their lives for them—you might despise their beliefs as wrong, but you should praise such perseverance.

"That's enough, Dessa!" A voice came from the distance, halting Dessa's advance. Adre stood atop a rooftop in the black robes of a Crow Man, his expression solemn as he said, "Rea still needs capable people. For Lord Negary's sake, please preserve your useful life."

"...I understand." Dessa stared fixedly at Chris across from her, lowered her broken sword, and hurriedly retreated.

"A new enemy." Chris continued breathing, adjusting his condition. Two consecutive battles had already drained a great deal of his strength. Judging by Rhythm alone, this newly appeared enemy was even stronger.

"This is really unpleasant. My body's condition is getting worse and worse." Chris narrowed his eyes. The Breathing Method was a wondrous technique. If practiced purely on its own, it could regulate one's Rhythm, strengthening the body and extending one's lifespan.

But Chris had constantly taken risks and constantly used the various operational forms of the Breathing Method in battle. Instead, his body had worsened by the day. Take Rhythm Gold, for example: using a human body to attune to the Rhythm of metal disrupted one's own Rhythm every time it was used, throwing it out of harmony.

After long accumulation, this disharmony of Rhythm had formed hidden injuries. Once they erupted, Chris would likely die on the spot.

"Who can kill me? Who can kill me?" the axe-wielder cried like a madman. Infected with Black Crow pathogens, he felt twisting pain coursing through his entire body. Death had become a release to him now.

He staggered toward Chris, who was closest to him, forcing Chris to devote part of his attention to him.

"You have caused enough chaos. Sleep here forever, Chris Mordo!" Adre paid no attention to the axe-wielder. His gaze was stern, and his voice sounded somewhat strange. "Scale-kin, kill him!"

A dark golden flash streaked past. The axe-wielder's body was instantly torn apart. The light appeared before Chris amid flying blood, sharp claws slashing toward him—then, as if sensing something, it hesitated for an instant.

Blood splattered as Chris fell to one side. A long wound had opened across his right waist. Had it gone a little deeper, his organs might have been visible. If that thing had not been slightly delayed by the axe-wielder, and if it had not hesitated slightly, his body would likely have been torn in half in an instant.

"Thank you..." The axe-wielder's mostly torn-apart body lay on the ground and uttered two words. With a look of relief, he died.

"What was that? An animal?" In his daze, Chris had seen only some dark golden scales. "And that utterly discordant Rhythm—it reminded me of Komoro, Rea's leader. No, that thing is even more discordant than Komoro!"

"Continue!" Adre's cold, strange voice rang out, making Chris hurriedly straighten himself. What he feared most was facing opponents whose speed or strength far surpassed his own. Against such foes, the various techniques of the Breathing Method were extremely difficult to use.

Chris immediately leaped into an alley. The main street was far too open; there was nothing to impede something that fast. Only by entering the complex terrain of the alley would he have a chance to restrain that thing and defeat it.

"There's still one question. Why did it hesitate when it clawed at me? Is there something on me that can affect it?" Chris's mind spun desperately.

A dark golden flash swept past. Chris hung halfway up the wall, evading the attack.

"Continue... Scale-kin!"