Lockeroom's Pandemonium

Chapter Eight: The Undark

“Alina!” Silver immediately grabbed Alina who had been outbalanced from running. The stone peering over the ground made her stumble and kiss the soil.

Silver did his best to force Alina to stand up; for if he did not, it would be her end. And he did not want that to happen.

One of the nighthounds launched towards them. Before it could bite Alina, Silver already managed her to stand up, to ran, and to escape death.

But the nighthounds were very persistent. As they ran the best that they could, the nighthounds followed them persistently.

Left and right, they were hearing growls and barks from the nighthound that afters them. One of the nighthound managed to close the distance between them. Silver knew that in no time, the other nighthounds would manage to get close to their vulnerable figures too.

Those nighthounds were three times bigger than them, more muscular than them, stronger than them. It would be impossible to escape their hungry fangs and growling stomach.

They were really in a dire situation. Soon enough, if they don't act, it would be their end.

The nighthound that managed to close between them has jumped.

While in the middle of the air, Silver saw how its mouth were widely opened. The fangs were too sharp, the green saliva escaping at the corners of its hungry mouth.

He grabbed Alina, and then jumped away of the place where he estimated that the nighthound will land. Because of the force and panic, Silver and Alina rolled in the ground. The leaves were rolled over their sweat-sticky body, the soil and mud made them dirty.

They immediately stood up, afraid that the nighthounds’ opportunity to eat them has come.

“Silver! It would be very impossible to escape their wrath!” Alina shouted as she increased the pace of her run.

“I know! But what will we do?”

Alina stared at the screen on her wrist.

“Show loots,” she said.

The LCD screen released a holographic figures of the loots that she all gathered yesterday, after the dark clown told them what are the rules for the level 2 of the game.

“I—I will find something useful,” Alina told as she nervously scrolled the items inside her screen. Her breath was heavy.

Silver then, nodded. It was a good idea—at least the very best that they could. He opened his screen too. The items inside his screen were displayed in his front.

As they ran, they became extra careful not to get tripped over another peering rock, a recoiling vine, or of their own feet— for if they do, it's a goodbye. They were not able to slow down from running as the nighthounds are still chasing after them.

Because of panic, Silver cannot properly read the functions of the items he's scrolling. He have no time reading if death is just one step behind them.

Instead, he grabbed the whip of vines item. It was the most familiar weapon that he could use as of now, knowing the fact that he already used it to slay the three-headed reptilian beast, and . . . to murder a man during the first levels.

When he glanced Alina, she was already wearing the hairclip of the Sabertooth's wisdom. Her eyes were furiously scanning and reading the functions of every item inside her holographic screen.

The Sabertooth's wisdom might have been helpful for her, Silver thought.

“I'll cover you.” He stopped, then faced the direction where the nighthounds are running.

“What are you doing, Silver?!”

“Just read and find items that could help us! I'll try my best to cover you!”

One of the nighthound hurled towards him. He immediately wielded his whip, then s***h it furiously towards the beast. He heard its tiny squeal and then soon the cry. The blood bursted and smeared his face. When the nighthound finally touched the ground again, it was already lifeless, horribly divided into two, few flesh are scattered, intestines are grossly displayed.

The other nighthound took few steps backwards. Their stares alternated between the dead nighthound—which is surprisingly their leader—and to the man who was standing while blood bathed all over his body. For a few moment, they hesitated.

But then as one of the nighthounds stepped forward, head is proud, face is stoic, presence is incredibly felt, the nighthounds started baring their fangs again.

A new leader, Silver thought. He just hope, Alina already found useable items to defeat and kill this deadly creatures.

He then, opened his screen.

“Tiger's cloak,” he said as he neared his wrist on his mouth. Sooner, he is already wearing the tiger's cloak that Alina gave him.

So items can be activated by voice too, Silver concluded.

He believes he needs the cloak. It became helpful to him to become more agile when they fought the snake, yesterday.

The wolves started to attack him. He immediately activated his stealth, and then went incredibly fast and unnoticed towards the back of the last nighthound in the pack.

He whipped the beast. But then he was surprised when the nighthound bursted in shadows. Black smoke swirled as the whip hit the supposed to be body of the beast that he wanted to kill.

“What?!” he blurted.

Then, the nighthound that bursted in the shadow suddenly appear beside him, ready to crunch the bone on his neck.

Good thing, he immediately used his stealth.

Wh-what's happening? he asked himself. The inside of his mind were chaotic. He was confused.

When he went on attacking another nighthound, the same thing happened again. They popped into shadows, and appear either in his back, in the side, and below the ground. The nighthound is surprising him in the simultaneous attack that they were doing.

Now, the tables had turned. If earlier, he planned to attack every nighthound in a stealing manner, now he needs to dodge and get away with its fangs who are trying to bite him in a stealing manner as well.

The only thing that made him safe was the ten-second stealth that the tiger's cloak gave as a buff.

He was just glad that early in the morning, its skill has already refreshed.

But the dilemma comes bigger. The ten second on his skill ran out. He won't be able to use it again.

And he would be very vulnerable to the savage beast of the night—that attacks every morning.

“Alina,” he whispered, “what's taking you so long?” he said as he constantly check the whole place.

The nighthounds were not appearing anymore. But he knew it was just in the surrounding, hiding, waiting for the perfect timing to perfectly execute their predation.

Silver sighed. “I hope this is not my end.”

Then, his hope suddenly slipped away as he saw nine shadowy figure simultaneously approaching, attempting an attack to his vulnerable self.

He had no way out. He would die.

And then, there a white blinding light suddenly illuminating in the forest. The nighthounds squealed, crying from the restraining effect that the light is giving.

When Silver took a glance of it, he saw an orb: a small ball who is giving an insurmountable amount of light on the whole surrounding.

A light orb.

He then saw four sharp knife flying, darting towards the nighthounds. As it pierced the body of the beasts, flames started to ignite. Sooner, four nighthounds were ablaze with fire; while the other are still agonizing from the restraint that they're experiencing from the brightness of the light.

Silver took the opportunity.

He whipped one of the beast, making its head sharply severed from its body. He ran towards the second nearest nighthound and divided the body into two as well. The third nighthound did his best to move and tried to attack him. But he has the advantage, for he can move freer than his opponent. Sooner, its head were also decapitated.

He was about to whip the last two remaining nighthound, when a huge pressure hit their head, causing them to burst in a sudden split second that they never realize would come.

As the light orb ran out of energy, the light of the forest turned back to usual.

Silver looked at the direction where the air pressure that killed the nighthounds came from.

He then saw a beautiful woman whose bow was wielded, breathing was deep, face was painted with a worried look.

“Are you okay?” Alina asked.