Free Fall

Chaos Year 3, Day 110, 12:55 am.

"Ahhhhh!"

Screaming at the top of our lungs, we plummeted down the abyssal pit. We knew screaming would not save us, but still could not help but scream in the face of immediate danger.

It was the second time we were free-falling today. The first time, we got lucky and avoided the fall damage because of the snow. But this time, the ground should be rock solid. We had literally no chance of surviving.

If only my teleport was max-leveled, I could have saved them all.

I regretted my decision to keep the skill level of Teleport at one. I did not think of anyone else back then, thought only about how to use my limited skill points most efficiently. Instead of leveling my Teleport skill to level 5, I just used the other 4 skill points on a different skill I might need later.

If only I had thought this through beforehand…

I figured we already had Pinkpika for teleporting us, but I did not see this one coming.

No one could focus enough to chant the whole spell while dropping like this. And we could not even properly see the bottom of the pit from this height. So, Pika could not teleport us to a safe distance even if she wanted to. And when she could see, she would not have enough time left to chant anymore.

Only I could have saved everyone. But now I could only watch my squad mates scream, as they were falling to their deaths.

Shouldn't I just die too?

Nah, I wouldn't hear the end of it from Hikari, if I had died when I had the chance to save myself.

Soon the bottom of the pit came into view. Just before I would hit the floor, I mumbled, "Teleport."

I teleported myself 3 meters higher from the ground, with my falling velocity reset to zero.

Whereas, all my squadmates slammed into the solid surface.

Crash! Splat!

The impact was so great it created small craters on the ground.

[Your squadmate KwonSeokchin has died!]

[Your squadmate Pinkpika has died!]

[Your squadmate Annette has died!]

…………

…………

…………

With a thud, I landed on my feet. The bashed-in corpses of my squadmates sprawled all around me. None of them could be identified properly. Their disintegrated bodies could only be discerned with their ripped-apart clothes and armors. I gritted down the tremble in my body.

I could have saved them but I had to be selfish, didn't I? If only I hadn't made that one misjudgment back then. I could not shake that thought off no matter how hard I tried. Moreover, they were so considerate toward me and I let them all die.

How am I going to even show my face to them? Ah~ I really should've died. I felt like screaming, regret consuming me.

Standing helplessly in the pool of their blood, I stared at the gray sky. I could not bring myself to watch them any longer. So, I tried to focus on my surroundings.

The sky above was nothing but thick fog. The round wall seemed a lot closer than I remembered. And the pit ground was just a barren rock field with nothing much around.

"Oh? One of you actually survived?" Suddenly a female voice echoed across the area. "That's quite the surprise."

I swung my head to the left, alerted by the voice. The speaker was hidden behind the shadow of the Romanesque porch connected to the wall, surrounding the whole area. Soon a woman in her early twenties came out from the darkness, presenting her gothic yet elegant outlook.

She wore a blood-red gown that revealed a good amount of her milky skin. Her breasts were even larger than Annette-san's. Her long dark hair, spread until her thighs, shone beneath the light of the fire lanterns, hanging down the porch columns.

Dragging the hem of the gown behind her, she moved forward and stepped into the pool of blood. Her ruby eyes glowed, as she stared into my eyes, with an amused smile on her face.

Her otherworldly beauty would charm anyone. But right now, I was not in the mood to appreciate that. My mind was too occupied with earlier issues. And to stay sane, I needed to channel all my frustration and anger toward something else.

"Did you kill them?" I asked.

The smile on her face widened. "Not exactly I killed them, but I did break that bridge." Then after a pause, tilting her head, she added, "Well, I guess, you could say I killed them."

My clenched fists tightened, as I ground my teeth together. However, I stayed silent.

Diving in rashly, knowing next to nothing about my opponent, would be the dumbest thing I can do right now. One mistake has caused me enough pain already.

"You seem interesting, young boy." She continued.

Her face still had that beautiful smile. The way she looked into my eyes, it seemed like she adored me for some reason.

"Such a shame, I have to kill you with my own hands."

She lunged at me with nothing but her hand posed into a blade. It swept directly toward my heart.

Shit! For some reason, just that hand seemed deadly enough to me.

"Teleport!" I mumbled, right before her hand could stab me.

I replaced myself 15 meters away from her. But when I glanced back she was also gone.

What the…

"Hoh, so that's how you survived. Interesting." Her chilly voice rang in my ears. She stood right behind me.

Instant teleport, just like me? My heart shuddered from the sudden shock. My instinct screamed, I have to get away from her!

"Volt Charge!" I dashed forward at an insane speed to escape from her incoming strike.

"Kuk!"

But even lighting speed was not enough to get away unscathed. Her steel-like hand had already pierced through my back, just before I began the dash.

"Urgh!" I groaned, getting down to one knee.

[You have suffered drastic damage!]

[You have 20% HP left.]

['Bleeding' has taken effect. You are continuously losing HP.]

Da fuck!? One stab of her hand dealt 80% damage?

Thankfully, she could not get to my heart because of that dash, or else I would have been dead already. But the continuous HP dropping proved to be an annoying problem. My HP was less than 20% now. Therefore, my breathing got heavier and my vision started to get blurry, due to the low HP effect.

"You survived again? I'm thoroughly surprised this time," said the lady. Then affectionately staring at me, she grinned, "I think I found my favorite one."

Then she shifted her bloodied hand closer. Sniffing my fresh blood a couple of times, she stuck her tongue out and tasted my blood like licking the melted portion, dribbling down an ice cream cone.

What the hell is wrong with her? Anyway, why isn't she attacking me anymore? She wants me to die bleeding?

"Riri, Potion, hurry!" I growled.

Looks like she is underestimating me. But the fight only began now.

"Give me the sword too," I added.

Quickly drinking the last couple of potions left in my inventory, I stood up to my feet. I clutched onto my Psion sword, which weighed absolutely nothing, light as a feather. Glaring at the enemy, I prepared myself for the toughest showdown of my life.

"Infuse Electric element!" The sword began sizzling.

My opponent still remained laid-back in her old position, staring at me with the same amused expression.

"Teleport!"

I successfully positioned myself behind her. Then snapping my finger, I commanded, "Tesla Shock!"

Alright! Now you are fucked, lady.

I swung the sword at a great speed. Completing the full swing, I braced myself for her warm blood to spurt onto my face. But my sword strike completely missed. She disappeared from my face.

But soon I realized, she did not teleport herself again. Because I was now in midair, 20 meters higher than the ground.

I am the one who got teleported?

I gritted my teeth as I plunged to the ground. My Teleport skill was on cooldown. I would have to take the fall damage. But the pretty lady had a different plan, she teleported herself beside me and dived for my heart.

I spread my hand at her and yelled out, "Electromagnetic Blast!"

But the explosion, instead of taking place in front of my hand on her face, occurred 5 meters above us.

This time my fucking skill was teleported…

Logic had already left the chatroom when she teleported herself without any chanting. I was sure she didn't acquire my ability too, because these 'Enigmatic' abilities were one of a kind.

Nothing worked. I was completely powerless in front of her. She did not underestimate me at all. Rather, I underestimated her. Losing all my motivation to fight, I did not even try to defend myself.

She thrust her hand forward. It easily pierced my chest and reached for my heart.

"Gahhh!" I screamed, unable to hold it against the searing pain of my heart blasting.

[You have suffered drastic damage!]

[Your HP dropped to zero.]

[You have died!]