NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 636: open wounds
The tendrils, reborn and angrier than before, lunged toward him, slamming into his position. He twisted his body, feeling the rush of air as he narrowly avoided the acidic grasp. Each swipe and dodge was a dance between life and death, and Ty could feel his muscles aching under the strain, every movement a testament to his refusal to give in.
He took a stone stance, channeling a memory that flickered at the edges of his mind—the stance of the flame guard from that first planet he had visited. It was almost nostalgic, the way the memory leaked into his consciousness, despite this not being his original body anymore. When he had consumed the guard's soul, it hadn't just given him power; it had given him techniques, instincts. He let those instincts take over now, trusting in them as he dodged and sliced through the tendrils that sought his life.
The cold air around him contrasted sharply with the blistering heat he summoned, flames licking his skin, keeping the deadly frostbite at bay. The ground beneath him began to fracture, the icy surface giving way to the heat he exuded. Ty realized the danger—too much heat, and he would fall through into the unknown. The tendrils kept coming, their attacks relentless, pushing him further toward the crumbling edges of stability.
"They all come from the center," Ty muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the movement of the tendrils. There wasn't time for deep contemplation, not with death seconds away, but the realization was enough. The tendrils were centralized, originating from the very middle of the once frozen, now chaos-ridden arena.
"No time to think—just move!" Ty pushed his body into action, dropping into an extreme low stance, his sword held at the ready in a draw position. He could feel his muscles coil like a spring, ready to unleash. The tendrils converged, merging into one massive strike aimed right at his chest. Ty breathed in, his focus absolute, and in the next instant, he released—launching himself forward, barely skimming beneath the acidic mass. Flames burst from his lips, black and raging, as he remembered that scorching attack, the time he had needed to showcase his true power.
He shot forward, straight toward the acidic ground. The cameras hovering around whirred, capturing every movement. The spectators, those nameless faces hidden behind screens, watched in shock, gasping as they saw him leap into the acid. Their voices melded into a cacophony of disbelief.
"Did he just decide to kill himself?"
"Pathetic!" Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
Their mocking voices didn't reach Ty, but he could imagine them. He wasn't doing this for them—never for them. He submerged, the acid enveloping him. His skin burned instantly, the searing pain unimaginable as it ate away at him. But he was prepared. He turned up the heat, his black flames engulfing him, battling back the acid as he sliced through, his speed pushing him through the thick, deadly sludge. He cut through the liquid like a blade through flesh, every second an agonizing eternity until—
The ground gave way, and Ty found himself falling. He landed hard, his body slamming into a stone floor, his senses momentarily stunned. He looked up, his vision blurred from the acid and the strain. There, standing in front of him, was a tall man in blue robes, his hands outstretched toward the ceiling, just inches away from touching.
"H-how did you get here?" The man's voice cracked, his eyes wide in disbelief. Ty followed the man's gaze upward, seeing the acid hovering above them, held in place as if by some invisible force.
Ty pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling. "This... this is all yours?" His gaze shifted, noticing something glinting around the man's neck—a golden key.
The man sneered, panic evident in his eyes. "That damn Heissman said you'd die in the acid! I was just supposed to kill you if—" His words twisted into a frantic yell. "JUST DIE!"
The man swiped his hands downward, and the acid above them began to fall. Ty didn't hesitate. He moved, his sword a blur, slicing through the man's wrists before he could react. The golden key fell, and Ty caught it, his gaze never leaving his opponent.
The acid cascaded down, swallowing the man whole. His screams echoed in the chamber, chilling, desperate. "Pl-please, help me!"
Ty's eyes narrowed, his grip on the key tightening. "Isn't this your skill?" he asked, his voice cold.
The man's face twisted in agony. "No! I just ma—" His scream was cut off as the acid consumed him, his body dissolving, his final words lost.
Ty clenched his teeth, his mind racing. "Why the hell should I care?" The thought repeated, almost like a mantra. But then, the faces of those he had met began to flash before him—Lt. Daemon, Yun-Jin, Rosana, even that small blue fairy, her hands trembling as she looked at him. He closed his eyes, cursing under his breath.
"Damn it!" He dived back into the acid, the searing pain immediately attacking his senses. He reached out, grabbing the man's cleaved wrists, hauling him onto his back. The acid bore down on them, its weight crushing, burning, but Ty pushed through, launching himself upward. His muscles screamed in protest, every ounce of his being begging for relief, but he refused to stop.
He landed hard on the small crumbling platform, the door in front of him. The man on his back was barely conscious, his breath shallow, his skin blistered. Ty didn't look at him, didn't acknowledge the suffering—he simply shoved the key into the lock. The door clicked open just as the clock above flashed its final seconds.
His foot hit the ledge on the doors opening and stumbling crashing to the ground inside as the door closed a few seconds after opening.
Ty grumbled as he took in the aftermath, the man sliding against the wall in agony. The ground shook with the aftereffects of the explosion. "Blew up the damn room, huh? Man, what the hell," he muttered, voice tinged with exhaustion. He couldn't help but wonder if the Demon King and Elithira were having a better time than he was. Groaning, he shifted, attempting to stand but instead fell to his knees, the blistering pain searing through his entire body.
His eyes wandered over to the man, now covered in blood, burn marks, and blisters. A thin, burnt string was tied around his leg, a half-smoldered bag dangling from it, barely holding on.
"Ahhh," the man groaned, his voice cracking. Slowly, consciousness seemed to filter back into him, and with it came the full force of his pain. It rolled in like a tidal wave, overwhelming and relentless. He screamed, his hands instinctively trying to grab at his body, but that only made it worse—his hands had been seared off, leaving little more than smoldering stumps. His screams grew louder, echoing painfully through the destroyed space.
Ty sighed, looking down at the charred rope around the man's leg. It took him a second to realize it had been his bag of supplies. Frayed, burnt holes riddled the fabric, and inside were just a few remaining items—a partly melted shovel, some half-full bottles, and scattered pills.
Ignoring the man's pained cries for a moment, Ty ripped the bag away. He examined the pills, reluctantly allowing a small smirk to form when he saw they were painkillers.
"Here, take these," Ty said gruffly, sitting the man up against the wall. He pressed the back of his hand against the man's charred neck, forcing the pills into his mouth. The man's desperate, ragged breaths barely allowed him to swallow them.
"I probably should've just left you to die," Ty grumbled, watching as the man choked the pills down. "So much more work."
After swallowing the Pills Ty noticed his face had almost been untouched by the burns as Ty passed around his body searing off any open wounds and helped the man to his feet.
His short black hair lay disheveled, his kingdom's uniform tattered and filled with holes. The man struggled to catch his breath, his face drawn with pain.
"Th-thank you," he murmured, his voice cracking. He shifted his weight against the wall, as if bracing himself. "For saving my life... even though I was trying to kill you. Why would a demon ever do something like that? Maybe you think I can help you out or something, but I can't. There's nothing I can even do for myself..."