The creature charged.
Rliqs moved at the same time.
David barely saw either of them.
BOOM!
The two collided in the middle of the street.
The shockwave rolled through the surrounding buildings, rattling broken windows and sending dust pouring from damaged walls.
David raised his arm.
Through the dust, he caught flashes of movement.
A claw.
Rliqs’ fist.
A burst of energy.
Then another impact.
BOOM!
Rliqs was driven backward several meters.
His boots carved two lines into the pavement.
The creature didn’t give him time to recover.
It charged again.
Rliqs planted his foot.
The monster’s claw came down.
Rliqs caught it.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them.
For a moment, neither moved.
The creature’s other arm swung toward Rliqs’ head.
Rliqs tilted his body aside.
The claw missed by inches.
He grabbed the creature’s arm and twisted.
The monster’s body rotated with the motion.
Rliqs drove his knee into its stomach.
BOOM!
The creature folded.
Rliqs grabbed the back of its neck and slammed it into the pavement.
The street cracked.
David watched from several meters away.
’He’s still holding back.’
He could tell now.
The difference between Rliqs’ movements and the creature’s was obvious.
The creature fought with everything it had.
Rliqs fought like he was waiting for something.
The monster pushed itself up.
Rliqs kicked it across the street.
It crashed through the remains of a concrete wall.
David flinched.
"That’s got to hurt."
Rliqs looked at him.
"It does."
David blinked.
"You can tell?"
"No."
Rliqs turned back toward the rubble.
"It just looked expensive."
David stared at him.
’He really said that.’
The rubble shifted.
The creature emerged.
Its body was in worse condition now.
Cracks covered its shoulders and chest.
Dark energy leaked from several of them.
But its eyes were still glowing.
And once again—
They found David.
David’s smile disappeared.
"Seriously?"
The creature crouched.
Rliqs stepped in front of him.
The monster vanished.
Rliqs vanished too.
CLANG!
The impact came from somewhere to David’s left.
Then another.
CLANG!
Another.
BOOM!
The creature was thrown across the street.
It rolled several times before catching itself with one hand.
Rliqs landed nearby.
The creature rose.
It stared at him.
Then at David.
Then back at Rliqs.
Something changed.
Rliqs noticed.
"So you’ve finally remembered."
David frowned.
"Remembered what?"
Rliqs didn’t answer.
The creature’s claws slowly opened.
Its body began trembling.
Not from exhaustion.
From rage.
David’s eyes narrowed.
"What’s wrong with it?"
Rliqs’ expression became colder.
"It knows me."
The creature roared.
The sound was different from before.
There was no mindless aggression in it.
It sounded almost human.
Rliqs lowered his stance.
David looked between them.
"You’ve fought it before?"
"No."
The creature charged.
Rliqs met it head-on.
The monster’s fist came toward his chest.
Rliqs blocked.
The creature’s other arm followed.
Rliqs caught that too.
The two locked together.
The creature snarled directly into his face.
Rliqs’ expression didn’t change.
Then the monster suddenly pulled back.
Its claws extended.
A wave of dark energy exploded from its body.
Rliqs was forced backward.
David raised his arm as the pressure swept past him.
The creature screamed.
Then it disappeared.
David’s eyes widened.
’Not again.’
He looked around.
Nothing.
Then—
THUMP.
His chest pulsed.
David froze.
The creature appeared behind him.
Its claw was already coming down.
Rliqs moved.
CLANG!
His forearm intercepted the attack.
The claw stopped inches from David’s head.
Rliqs’ eyes hardened.
"I told you."
He grabbed the creature’s wrist.
"Don’t touch him."
The monster snarled.
Then something strange happened.
Its eyes moved from Rliqs to David.
The creature stared at him.
THUMP.
David’s chest pulsed again.
The creature’s body shook.
Its grip weakened.
Rliqs noticed.
Again.
THUMP.
The monster suddenly staggered backward.
David stared.
"What is that?"
Rliqs didn’t answer.
He was watching the creature.
Its gaze remained locked on David.
But now there was something else in its expression.
Confusion.
Fear.
Recognition.
Rliqs slowly turned his head.
"It isn’t afraid of you."
David frowned.
"Then why did it back away?"
"Because it recognizes what’s inside you."
David’s stomach tightened.
"You keep saying that."
"Because you keep ignoring it."
Before David could respond, the creature roared again.
This time, it didn’t charge him.
It charged Rliqs.
Rliqs’ eyes narrowed.
"There it is."
The creature swung.
Rliqs blocked.
The impact drove him backward.
The monster attacked again.
And again.
Rliqs blocked every strike.
But he wasn’t counterattacking.
David noticed.
’He’s testing it.’
The creature’s movements became faster.
Its claws tore through the air.
Rliqs ducked one.
Blocked another.
Sidestepped a third.
Then the creature slammed both fists toward him.
Rliqs crossed his arms.
BOOM!
The pavement beneath him collapsed.
Dust erupted.
David took a step forward.
"Rliqs!"
A hand emerged from the dust.
Rliqs grabbed the creature’s arm.
He pulled.
The monster stumbled forward.
Rliqs drove his forehead into its face.
CRACK!
The creature reeled.
Rliqs grabbed its throat.
"You remember now."
The creature struggled.
Rliqs lifted it off the ground.
"You remember what happened."
The monster’s claws tore at his arm.
Rliqs ignored them.
David’s eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
Rliqs didn’t look at him.
The creature suddenly stopped struggling.
Its glowing eyes stared at Rliqs.
Then its mouth opened.
A distorted sound came out.
Not a roar.
A word.
"Master."
David froze.
Rliqs’ expression changed.
Barely.
But David saw it.
"You said something."
The creature’s voice came again.
"Master..."
Rliqs stared into its eyes.
Then he released its throat.
The creature dropped to its knees.
David looked between them.
"What does that mean?"
Rliqs stepped back.
"It means it remembers me."
"From where?"
Rliqs didn’t answer.
The creature slowly rose.
Its body shook.
Its eyes burned brighter.
Then it pointed one claw at Rliqs.
"You..."
The voice was broken.
Almost impossible to understand.
But the word was clear.
"You killed..."
It took another step.
"...him."
David’s expression tightened.
Rliqs remained silent.
The creature roared.
The entire street shook.
"You killed my master!"
Dark energy exploded from its body.
BOOM!
Rliqs was thrown backward.
He crashed through a concrete barrier.
David stared.
’So that’s what this is.’
The creature wasn’t hunting him anymore.
Not really.
David had been the target at first.
But Rliqs was the reason it was still fighting.
The monster charged toward the rubble.
Rliqs emerged.
The creature swung.
Rliqs caught the fist.
The monster screamed.
Rliqs’ feet slid backward.
The creature pushed harder.
"You..."
Its other fist came.
Rliqs blocked.
"You..."
Another strike.
"You killed him!"
BOOM!
Rliqs was driven into the side of a building.
The wall cracked behind him.
The creature grabbed his shoulder.
Its claws dug into him.
Rliqs looked down at the hand.
Then back at the creature.
"Yes."
The monster froze.
Rliqs’ eyes were cold.
"I killed him."
The creature roared.
It slammed Rliqs into the wall.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The building shook.
David instinctively moved forward.
Rliqs looked toward him.
"Stay back."
David stopped.
"But—"
"I said stay back."
Rliqs turned toward the creature.
"This is mine."
The monster attacked again.
Rliqs ducked.
The claw tore through the wall.
Rliqs grabbed the creature’s elbow and twisted.
The monster spun.
Rliqs drove his fist into its ribs.
BOOM!
The creature flew across the street.
It crashed through three abandoned vehicles before stopping.
Rliqs walked toward it.
The creature pushed itself up.
Its body was falling apart.
Dark material peeled away from its arms.
But its eyes remained bright.
It charged one final time.
Rliqs didn’t move.
The creature raised both claws.
Rliqs stepped forward.
His hand caught its throat.
The monster froze.
Rliqs’ other hand pressed against its chest.
"Your master was stronger."
The creature’s eyes widened.
"But he made the same mistake."
Energy gathered around Rliqs’ palm.
David felt the pressure from several meters away.
His chest pulsed.
THUMP.
The creature reacted.
Its eyes snapped toward him.
For one second, its expression changed.
It looked almost desperate.
Rliqs noticed.
"So that’s why you wanted him."
David’s eyes widened.
"What?"
Rliqs didn’t answer.
He pushed his palm forward.
BOOM!
The energy exploded through the creature.
Cracks raced across its body.
The monster screamed.
Rliqs held it in place.
"Whatever your master was searching for..."
The cracks spread.
"...he didn’t find it."
The creature’s body began to disintegrate.
Its glowing eyes flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Gone.
The creature collapsed.
Its body hit the pavement.
This time, it didn’t move.
The street fell silent.
David slowly lowered his weapon.
Rliqs stood over the remains.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then David walked closer.
"You killed its master."
Rliqs didn’t look at him.
"Yes."
"Who was he?"
Rliqs remained silent.
David stopped beside him.
"You can’t just drop something like that and expect me not to ask."
"I can."
David stared at him.
"You’ve been around me for how long?"
"Long enough."
"And you never thought that was worth mentioning?"
"No."
David exhaled.
"Why?"
Rliqs finally looked at him.
"Because you weren’t ready."
David frowned.
"Ready for what?"
Rliqs looked down at the creature’s remains.
"To understand what is happening to you."
David’s expression hardened.
"Then explain it."
Rliqs shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Not yet?"
"You felt the pulse."
David instinctively touched his chest.
THUMP.
The sensation came again.
Both of them felt it.
David’s eyes widened.
Rliqs looked toward the creature.
A faint glow remained inside the remains.
Not the same dark energy as before.
Something smaller.
Contained.
Rliqs crouched.
He reached toward it.
The moment his fingers came close—
THUMP.
The glow reacted.
It pulsed toward David.
David took a step back.
"What the hell?"
Rliqs’ expression became serious.
"Interesting."
"That’s your response?"
Rliqs ignored him.
He reached down and picked up a small fragment from the creature’s chest.
It was black.
But something silver moved inside it.
Like a thread.
David stared.
"What’s that?"
Rliqs turned the fragment over.
A symbol appeared across its surface.
Three lines through a circle.
David’s expression changed.
"That’s the same symbol."
Rliqs nodded.
"It belongs to the master."
David stared at the fragment.
Then at the remains.
Then at Rliqs.
"So the creature wasn’t hunting me randomly."
"No."
"Then why?"
Rliqs looked at him.
"Because its master was looking for you."
David’s stomach dropped.
"What?"
Rliqs stood.
"That’s what you need to understand."
David stared at him.
"You said you killed him."
"I did."
"When?"
Rliqs looked toward the destroyed street.
"Three nights ago."
David’s expression tightened.
"Three nights ago?"
Rliqs nodded.
"I found him searching for something."
"What?"
Rliqs looked down at the fragment in his hand.
"You."
David went silent.
The answer landed harder than he expected.
Three nights ago.
Before the creature had appeared.
Before any of this.
Someone had already been searching for him.
And Rliqs had killed that person.
David looked at his hands.
’Why me?’
The pulse came again.
THUMP.
This time, the fragment in Rliqs’ hand reacted immediately.
A thin line of silver energy shot from it.
It crossed the distance between them.
David barely had time to react.
The energy touched his chest.
His entire body stiffened.
Pain exploded through him.
He dropped to one knee.
"David!"
Rliqs grabbed his shoulder.
David clenched his teeth.
The pulse inside his chest became stronger.
THUMP.
The street disappeared.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter