The Forsaken King-Chapter 39: Two Minutes

The full moon shined brightly.

Sylas stood in front of the gate—like a guardian, waiting. A single white lily sprouted from the ground beside his feet.

The familiar scent of Veil monsters drifted through the air. Rotten flesh mixed with iron. Thick. Sour. Heavy.

The ground vibrated underneath him. He could feel it rising through his boots, humming in his bones.

They were near—and there were too many of them.

He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.

"They’re near... please, boost me now."

Power surged through his body.

He could feel it—rushing through every limb, every nerve. Like lightning in his veins.

Each muscle fiber sharpened. Responsive. Controlled.

He slowly opened his eyes. His once-red eyes now glowed bright gold.

They walked toward him, and he waited.

Their skin was inverted, like they had been peeled inside out. Bones stuck out of their bodies like spikes, dripping with blood. One leg dragged behind them like it was broken. A few were missing body parts. With every step, they groaned—like they were in pain.

They kept moving forward mindlessly.

While moving, they started fighting among each other, trying to steal each other’s weapons... or any body part they didn’t have.

They tried to speak, but their mouths were sewn shut with strands of gold. Only muffled noises slipped through the gaps.

"Mmmph... mmfgh..."

"Were they once human?"

He questioned himself. He wasn’t sure.

Behind them was a silhouette of a different monster.

It was not massive, like the lizard-like beast he had fought before.

This one... was different.

It was tall.

Its body was long and thin. Its gray skin was ragged. Its arms dangled past its knees, fingers dragging like hooks.

Its head barely moved. The face was smooth. Pale.

Almost human.

Except it had two small eyes. They looked like glowing dots. Cold. Hollow.

The monsters continued to fight among themselves. The slender-looking monster glanced at them—he didn’t move his head, just his eyes. He was annoyed by their childishness.

It raised its hand—placing one of its long fingers to its lips.

"Shhhh..."

The sound echoed through the wind like a whistle.

They instantly stopped.

Then it lifted one hand and pointed at Sylas—

And they all ran toward him.

Their growls echoed.

Sylas raised his sword and stepped forward.

He stopped. Planted his feet. Then swung his blade from the side, heavy. Instantly cleaving them in half.

But they didn’t stay down.

Even when split in two, their limbs kept crawling toward him.

But he noticed the ones whose heads he removed stayed dead.

He hacked through another. Then another. To test out his theory. They were still moving. He realized he had to go for the head.

He stepped forward and carved a path through the horde, trying to reach the monster in the back—the one controlling them all.

One lunged from the side. He twisted and drove his blade straight through its skull.

That one didn’t get up. Soul sank into his body.

They came from every direction. Some crawled. Others charged. Some leapt at him with broken limbs. Others swung rusted blades, limbs—anything they could get their hands on.

Sylas didn’t stop. He kept moving, trying to reach the slender-looking monster.

He ducked beneath a strike. Spun. Severed two heads in one motion. Another lunged from behind—he turned and pierced its face clean through.

But over time, his movements slowed down. The buffs were slowly wearing off. Pain started flaring through his muscles again.

Still, he pushed forward—slicing, dodging, slipping between blades, stepping over half-dead bodies.

As his movement got slower, so did his reaction time. One managed to graze his side, but he barely felt it. Numbness dulled the pain.

Another swiped at his leg—he rolled to the side, then slashed its head clean off.

That one stayed down.

But there was no end.

They kept coming.

Sylas looked at the monster in the back.

It was sitting, watching. Waiting. Wearing a mocking smile. Letting him wear himself down.

His breath came uneven. His eyes stayed sharp.

The pain from earlier returned. His strength... fading.

The slender beast’s eyes locked on him. Its smile stretched wide, reaching its ears.

It tilted its head. Curious. Watching. Waiting.

He kept moving. Swinging. Stepping closer. That was the only way. He had to kill it.

He still needed two more minutes before he could activate his Domain.

He didn’t need rest.

He needed time.

Soul fragments sank into his body with each kill.

He leapt back, putting distance between them.

The monsters paused. Heads twitching like broken dolls.

Even the slender one stood still, rubbing its chin. Studying him.

Sylas turned to Ana.

"Please... enhancement. Strength and speed. Again."

Each word came out breathless, full of effort.

Ana’s face filled with worry. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he gasped. "Can you cast any abilities that would clear those monsters?"

She nodded. "Yes. I can control nature."

"Can you get me closer to that monster?" he asked, pointing at the tall beast.

Another nod.

He told her his plan.

"You think it’ll work?" she asked, her voice cracking with fear.

"Ready?" he said.

The ground began to shift.

Her eyes glowed green. The earth cracked and began to rise. The battlefield started to change. The monsters stumbled backward, losing balance.

Sylas carved through them as the ground lifted him higher—until he was face to face with the monster.

He stood on the raised ground. He finally got a clear shot.

He planted his foot, locked his stance, and channeled every bit of strength into his legs.

He raised his blade—gripping it with both hands—and pulled it to his side. Aimed for the head. Ready to cleave.

He took a deep breath.

Then launched forward.

The ground shattered beneath him from the force.

He became a blur of gold light.

The puppets tried to stop him—but he sliced through them like paper.

Once he got closer, only then did he realize how tall the monster truly was.

And it was already prepared.

It lifted one of its long arms up—slow and casual.

Its grin reached both of its ears.

Sylas sensed the danger, so he raised his sword—

But it was too late.

The monster slapped him out of the air like a fly.

The world spun sideways.

He was blasted through the air—then slammed into the gate.

Hard.

He lay there. Eyes wide. White. Empty. Staring up at the sky—unblinking.

He tried to breathe. His chest twitching. He opened his mouth, trying to breathe. But no air came.

Like he’d forgotten how.

Ana ran to him. Panic in her eyes.

She dropped beside him. Her hands glowed soft green light as she pressed them to his chest.

"Breathe," she whispered, her voice came out shaky. "Please... just breathe."

[Soul Core Fragments Collected: 200/200]

[Evolution Available.]