GLITCH

Pinch

SILVER ISLAND

Monday, November 22, 2500

2:49pm

"Oy, oy…don't tell me you're just gonna drop? Aren't you the one that killed Cassiopeia as easy as pie?"

"Who said it was easy as pie? I almost died during that time. I'll tell you that", I said while panting.

This guy is cheat-tier like those individuals who became one of the Fallen (I know two of them. One's still alive, and the other one died by my hands). Still not in level 100, yet those stats are already incomprehensible! Talk about a devilish difficulty spike.

As I'm still in the pinch here, I monitored those three while they're still fighting against that golem. Good for them to have that opponent; I wish that golem is the same as this Executioner. This encounter definitely is unfortunate.

"You still have time to worry about your companions huh?"

Eh?

Did he sense my [Soul Read] skill? As what I know until now, this skill can only be sensed if the person being directed has the [Skill Interpretation] skill and that person is the one being targeted by the skill. However, it seems like he was able to detect it even though he's not the one I'm monitoring with. With those two conditions not met, how did he know?

"W-what are you talking about?"

"You avert your gaze from me right? That alone is a hint. Or are you using another skill that I don't know of?"

Whew, that was a huge misunderstanding there. I let out a sigh after regretting upon thinking too much about it.

"Oy, what's that sighing for? Am I not a challenge to you?"

After Dubes said that, he suddenly vanished from where he used to be and appeared in front of me in a split second.

"Popsicles! Kuh, what in the blazes is that bizarre movement?"

I clenched my teeth and attempted to outmaneuver his offensive move with the help of my Tech Gloves. At the nick of time, I managed to take it out of my inventory via voice activation, and detonated a couple of blasts on his face. With all those effort, I am able to avoid a direct hit from that ferocious raw power, and eventually thrown away for a few meters thanks to the wind pressure.

This guy is a walking calamity – wait, all of those Fallen retards are calamities.

It's a one-sided beat down, with me on the bad side. He relentlessly attacks; I on the other hand could seldom evade it by a hair's breadth, and get battered with the wind pressure that follows suit. It's more like it's his secondary attack attached unto his fists that hits me like a bat being swung. With my lab coat, I was somehow able to withstand the damage accumulating like there's no tomorrow.

However, this doesn't mean that I can't get hurt. I'm already battered, and the enemy still hasn't exhausted. Seriously…it's just him toying me.

"What a farce, I thought you're a decent challenge but it seems that I overestimated you."

"Well, since I didn't meet your expectations, would you kindly go away now?"

I'm breathing heavily, and my body is experiencing tremendous pain that it's quite a feat that I'm still standing. After I said that, he laughed…with his eyes unfazed and is fixed towards me with tremendous pressure.

"Oh? You're a weakling and a coward to boot I see. Well, who says that I'm going to let you live?"

"Me."

"Huh?"

Out of nowhere, a voice came out from someone, alerting both me and my enemy.

"Who's there…?"

All of a sudden, the trees around us wilted; the grass seems to do the same. The atmosphere itself appears to have changed. A man shrouded by a cloak of darkness walked towards and stood between us.

"It's you!"

"It seems that you haven't forgotten about me. That's sweet."

"Don't mess with me! More importantly, why are you siding on that brat?"

"Hmm, you can say that I'm a person that has taken a liking to this lady. With your power, I think you know that you can't land a single hit on me."

"Oh?" Dubes just scoffed and continued saying, "It is as you say cloak guy, I can't hit a phantasm-type like you. But that also applies to you right?"

Phantasm-types…they're the types that are referred to as "the ones that manifested their powers (Mantle) and morphed their physical state partially". So you could say that this person isn't totally human now. They also have this attribute that they can double their damage to anyone who can hit them but can't deal damage to anyone who can't hit them.

Well, it might be better to take a peek on his status.

Ghast Fleming HP: 500000/500000 MP: 4500/4500

Mantle: Darkness Phantasm Lv. 100

Strength: 2000

Dexterity: 7000

Constitution: 2600

Intelligence: 5980

Skill:

Teleport [Active]

- Can teleport to any designated area travelled

Ghost Veil [Unique Active]

- Shrouds the user with a veil that can negate status defects

Shadow s***h [Unique Active]

- Launch an aerial s***h of shadow to the enemy

Shadow Manipulation [Unique Active]

- Manipulate shadow at will

Dusk Requiem [Unique Active]

- Make the environment awry and create an artificial sphere that'll act as a dark moon; [Embrace of Darkness] skill attribute will be in effect; if casted during nighttime, the status increases tenfold.

Embrace of Darkness [Unique Passive]

- A skill that enhances status when the night falls

Shadow Dance [Unique Passive]

- A skill that buffs evasion status

Status Condition:

Phantasm – the ones that manifested their Mantle and morphed their physical state partially; can double their damage to anyone who can hit them but can't deal damage to anyone who can't hit the status holder

Curse of Plague – anyone within the radius with weak resistance against [Rot] and [Wilt] will have their HP shaven by 2% every second

Eh, another cheat-tier individual? It's just like a broken character from a game I played before. So he's a phantasm of darkness. I wonder why he intervened with us and tried to settle this peacefully.

That curse of his is quite alarming. I hope that it didn't affect me.

Wait, a Fleming?

"Heh, if that's what you want…okay, I'll withdraw."

Thankfully, he's letting me go.

"—not."

In an instant, he appeared behind me and was about to use his [Execution] skill to finish me off for good. But the next moment is more appalling.

A bubble made out of shadow enveloped Dubes, which is revolting inside it and shouting something but I can't hear it for some reason.

"You fallyen guys are ones that can't be neglected. Even though I can't hurt you, but still I have ways to make you scram. I bid you farewell for now– [Teleport]."

With a snap of his fingers, the shadow sphere dissipated with Dubes disappeared within it.

"Er…thanks for saving me mister."

"Oh, you don't need to give your thanks. In fact, I should be the one thanking you for avenging my beloved sister."

Sister…? By sister you mean –

"Are you Granny Lucy's sibling?"

I previously thought that he having the Fleming surname is a coincidence. But to think that he is Granny Lucy's brother.

"Indeed I am. To be honest, I'm also there during the fight she died. However–"

"However due to the existence of your curse, you can't dare yourself to go near any normal human right?"

He twitched upon hearing it.

"I see. You have [Appraisal] skill."

"Y-Yeah…I have it…more or less."

"Hmm? What do you mean 'more or less'?"

"A-Anyway, why are you here? And why did you come to my rescue?"

Mister Ghast scratched his head before answering.

"Oh that? It's payback for avenging my sister. Also, I'm here to talk with you about the future. Since we don't have time, here please take it."

He throws a crumpled piece of paper towards me, which I caught and read afterwards. Written on it is his G-Watch contact address.

"The cogs of fate have started to move. I'll send a message in due time."

O-okay…did he say "cogs of fate"? Does this mean that there'll be a war or something going on? I'm getting a bad premonition.

Without me knowing, he disappeared and the environment came back to normal. Around me are hundreds of plant monsters, trees and all sorts of greenery that no longer shows the life of nature that should've been within them.