Whispers from the forbidden horizon Chapter 3: Death flag - 3

Read chapter 3 of Whispers from the forbidden horizon by Zenostromz on NovelPedia.

"Huff... Huff..." Lein continued to run away—the weight of his rucksack made him feel slower and sluggish. The continuous maneuver, repeated tensing of muscles, the despair of death behind him—Lein had no reason to stop. He needs to continue running. His father, Velo, is fighting someone right now. There is not one moment to spare and waste precious time—Lein has to run. Knowing what would happen if he had tried to catch his breath, He kept going. Without a thought of turning back, he kept running. Soon, fatigue is slowly building up in his limbs, making the rucksack heavier than usual. Lein's breathing became even more irregular—his heart pounding off his chest like a cannon repeatedly firing. Before long, the trees cleared, and a clear blue color panned throughout the sky. Just as Lein's father said, there is a body of water below. Lein took a peek, the river cascading to the bottom with a loud crash—its power formed small waves that ripple throughout. Looking at it from above is rather... Terrifying. But, compared to what Lein saw earlier—it was nothing. Nonetheless it's still scary. Lein tried to steady his breath, and prepared for a leap. However, he was doubting whether or not he had to jump. Sure, his father told him to jump—but Lein was skeptical. He doesn't know how deep the water below is—if the depth were shallow, Lein would suffer either permanent leg damage, paralysis, or death. Lein looked around to see if there was any other way to scale down the cliff. Vines of a tree are way high up for a normal human to reach—but Lein isn't technically what you'd call a 'normal human.' In quick succession, Lein grabbed vines from nearby trees—in each turn he tenses his already-tired muscles, the last ounce of strength will grant him rest and safety. Crafting a rope, Lein tied it to the thickest tree he could find. From there, he threw the rope off a cliff and began to descend. Lein had reached the bottom, and the thunderous sound of water splashing was much more audible than before. The peaceful sound of birds singing echoed throughout. Without much time to think, Lein dropped to his knees. He was exhausted after repetitive tensing. His muscles screamed, barely even able to exert themselves. However, after all this running, only one thing was on his mind. A phrase that continued to resonate within his self. "Never be guided. Never be guided." Lein repeated that phrase, trying to decipher its meaning. Meanwhile, somewhere far away from Lein, the sound of steel crashing each other can be heard. An Unholy Swordsman and a Father were neck and neck against each other. While The Unholy Swordsman released a barrage of slashes using his crimson blade, Velo perfectly parried every single one of them. Velo retreated to the jungle at lightning speed, and for a moment, the usual barrages stopped. The Unholy Swordsman descended to the ground, his blade tracing the earth as he moved forward. Velo, on the other hand, expeditiously moved from tree to tree, creating a yellow trail that formed a cobweb. In an instant, he stood in front of The Unholy Swordsman with a smirk on his face. Seeing Velo in front of him, the Unholy Swordsman swung his blade vertically—but before he could slice him into pieces, Velo was already gone. The next second, multiple silhouettes rushed towards The Unholy Swordsman—all eager to try and pierce every vital spot that was exposed. However, with the flick of his wrist, the blade stood firm and aloof. It drew in a circular motion, completely cutting all the silhouettes. "Tch." Velo struck the ground, rocks and rubble began to ascend and fall down—creating an uneven surface and little to no leg space. The Unholy Swordsman was caught in it. Seeking a chance for a fatal blow, Velox compressed his right arm with all his strength, causing burns and tears in his muscle. None of that mattered; what Velo only needed was a single punch, a single swing to the face, and his enemy would disintegrate. After tensing his right arm,