Depraved Hero's Path-Chapter 52: Undying Archives Of Old: The Ghost & The Trickster

"Fuck!" Léa cursed as the Smilodon roared. ’How did it find me?!’

Her gaze went to the vent from which she had jumped.

’I can’t jump high enough to get there.’ Léa started feeling her heart beat faster and faster as she clenched her teeth.’I don’t have time!’

The room was tiny. Most of the space was occupied by the large desk, chair, and large grey closet.

None of these were obstacles for the Smilodon, which was preparing to leap over desk and chair to reach Léa.

The latter quickly crouched below the desk while calling out her Inventory.

The Smilodon leapt past the desk, and as it turned around,

Grrrrrrooowl! It immediately turned around, aggressively hitting its head with a paw!

’Good!’ Léa thought as she ran out of the room, letting go of what remained of the Snapflare.

***

"Very useful." Elijah muttered. "You just need to snap it and it’ll produce enough light to blind anything around."

"You do need to keep your eyes closed though, or you’ll get blinded too." Rifna added, nodding repeatedly.

"Right." Elijah scratched his chin. ’She used the Achievement Points earned to buy Consumables like the Snapflare. Léa’s strength is low compared to ours since she doesn’t have a Class, but she’s compensating properly. There’s no use saving Achievement Points to buy proper Items or Skills when you don’t have a Class yet. Consumables allow for immediate strength.’ He grinned, remembering a certain Skill. ’I’ll need to save up quite a bit...’

Elijah relaxed back into the sofa, placing his arm around Succubus’ shoulders.

’With Zarath, making money won’t be as hard though.’

Elijah had already made up his mind.

The first S-Rank Skill he would obtain is...

’Master...’ Zarath gulped, seeing his arm around her. ’There are only two things that Master cares about. Interesting things, and useful things. The reason why he took me with him is that I am an interesting thing. A Succubus... However, I’m only interesting now. As the Main Quests advance, Demons won’t be an interesting and new thing.’ She turned towards the screens, her narrow eyes shining pink. ’Being interesting is buying me some time, but I need to be more useful. The Achievement Points that Master got through the betting... I need to do more of that. Be more useful. Right now, I’m just interesting and useful enough to stand by his side. If I want more than standing by his side, then I need to be more than what I am now.’ She frowned, turning her attention towards one of the screens. ’Being a Demon is to my advantage and disadvantage when it comes to Master.’

Especially consider the fact that Zarath was on a timer.

’Léa isn’t the only one fighting for a spot here.’

***

’Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck!’ Léa cursed internally, almost panicking. ’This doesn’t make any sense! The Difficulty is represented by taking into account how many Main Quests have passed. As such, C-Rank is medium Difficulty for people who have passed the 1st Main Quest! I didn’t do much compared to the others, but I’m still one in a hundred, considering that more than 800 people participated in the same Main Quest! I’m not medium at all! So why am I struggling?!’ She thought while running through the museum’s corridors.

Léa had enough presence of mind not to shout, talk, or curse out loud.

’How did it even find me when I went through the ventilation ducts? It followed me precisely and found the room as I was in right away! The bones falling, the ducts escape plan failing, the Snapflare... What else do I have on my side? All I can do is...’ Léa clenched her teeth as she noticed what was up ahead. ’That’s the end... The end of the Natural History section. If I go out, it’ll probably be the end of the Game. I’ll have forfeited.’

Léa debated internally as she ran.

The way was splitting up ahead. While the end of the gallery was about twenty meters ahead, another corridor was five meters ahead and to the right.

Léa could tell that it was the restroom.

Her mind quickly tried to come up with a plan, a way to use the restroom to her advantage somehow.

Three steps away from the restroom corridor. Two steps.

Léa gulped.

One step away.

’What...’

Léa’s mind went blank as the Smilodon silently leapt in her direction, coming not from behind her, but from the restroom corridor.

’The fuck...?’

***

The spike of black liquid moved like a whip. Its sharp end rose into the air, before quickly turning in Marianne’s direction, pointing at her.

As the black spike got into position, the large hands of darkness were clenched into fists, and raised, so that the spike would be in the space between the raised fists.

"That’s no good-" Marianne muttered as she was obligated to quickly jump back and up.

BAM!

Her eyebrow twitched as the ground was smashed by the fists and pierced by the spike.

Cracks had appeared all over the gooey, liquid-coated ground.

’Damn.’ She thought, staring at the impact left on the ground. ’Don’t want to get hit by that.’ ƒгeewebnovёl.com

The next moment, the right fist was swung horizontally.

Marianne quickly jumped up and forward, and momentarily placed her hands on the top portion of the black fist for a front handspring, which allowed her to spread her legs just in time for the spike to pass through, missing her knees.

A moment later, Marianne landed on the ground with her hands raised.

’Guess years of gymnastics weren’t a waste.’ She thought with a smirk, turning towards the Amulet.

Another punch was thrown.

Another one. A swing. The spike launched itself forward. The left hand attempted to grab her.

[One minute has passed.]

’Only two minutes left. I just need to keep dodging to win, huh? What if I actually take the Amulet? Or destroy it? That should give better-’

Marianne’s eyes widened.

[One minute has passed.]

[The Trickster’s Assault Intensifies!]

"Fuck-" Marianne cursed, raising and crossing her arms defensively as a punch approached with unprecedented speed!

BAM!

Her back cried out as it was slammed against the wall.

Her feet were a whole meter off the ground as two spikes approached with wind-piercing speed!