Soon after, we sat in silence for a while, just staring at each other. Then he spoke.
"I'll take the night watch. Creatures are always active. We might get attacked at any time."
I gave a grim nod as he turned off the light he had used earlier to cook that foul soup. He stepped out of the tent and took up position outside.
I was hesitant to sleep. My instincts screamed at me to stay alert. Even as I lay still, my guard never dropped. I tried to resist the pull of exhaustion, but my consciousness kept slipping. Time passed slowly. An hour went by, maybe more.
Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, it was still night. The darkness in this world was complete, thick and oppressive, like it devoured light itself.
"You're up," Anvil said quietly. "Stay watch. If you see anything, wake me immediately. I want to rest for a little bit."
"Okay," I replied.
I sat on the cold ground just outside the tent. The sky above was strange, with a black moon casting a faint and eerie glow. I stared at it in silence. Several hours passed.
Eventually, Anvil stirred. "Let's move out."
He quickly packed his portable tent, and we began walking again. We moved for hours. My stamina was nearly gone, but Anvil didn't seem affected at all. He kept going, and so did I.
After a while, Anvil suggested we take a break. We sat down. He pulled out a bottle and handed it to me. I accepted it, took a sip, then passed it back. The drink helped. I felt a bit more alive. He finished the rest.
Just as we were about to continue, a sound came from behind us. We both turned at the same time, but there was nothing there. Anvil immediately drew the short, double-edged sword from his back. He stood at the ready, eyes sharp. I had nothing to defend myself with.
Then the sound came again, this time from a different direction.
Without warning, four intangible slashes cut through the darkness, aimed straight at me. Anvil reacted instantly, swinging his blade to deflect the attack to the side.
We were in a terrible situation. We couldn't see where the attacks were coming from, and the surrounding darkness offered no cover or clue.
Then we saw it. A figure with a humanoid shape emerged from the shadows. As it stepped into the faint light, Anvil's face darkened.
"Variant," he muttered.
The figure was wrapped head to toe in cloth. It was at least eight feet tall and held two curved daggers in its hands.
"Look at you. Running from me like pathetic rats," the Variant spat.
Anvil didn't wait. He charged at full speed. Their blades collided with a deafening ring. Wind roared from their clash, making it nearly impossible for me to see clearly.
Anvil was being pushed back. But something felt strange. The Variant wasn't even fighting seriously. His movements were relaxed, almost playful.
Then everything went quiet.
I blinked.
In that single instant, the Variant had already closed the distance and stabbed Anvil in the stomach. Blood poured out as Anvil collapsed, groaning in pain.
I ran.
But the next moment, the Variant was standing in front of me. He grabbed me in midair with his left hand and flung me across the clearing. Before I could recover, he was already on me again, kicking me with brutal force. I rolled and crashed near Anvil, who was lying on the ground, barely conscious.
His sword was nearby. I reached for it and gripped the handle.
The Variant laughed. "You really think you can hurt me with that?"
I ignored him. I didn't care about his taunts. My focus narrowed to a single thought.
Survive.
"Come at me," he said.
I waited.
He moved first, striking fast with his dagger aimed at my head. I stepped back just in time. The blade missed by inches. He followed with a second slash, this time pretending to strike my chest, but shifting his aim to my stomach at the last moment. I barely moved out of the way. The edge cut close to my ribs.
I stumbled back, gasping. My breath was shallow. Blood was already soaking through my clothes. I was in terrible shape. No wonder Anvil's team had been forced to split.
Behind me, Anvil's voice came out hoarse and weak.
"Run."
Run? Run where? This monster could kill me at any second.
The Variant stepped forward again.
Then, at that moment
the world stopped.