[Distasteful] Attribute description: "You are distaste by the shadow god, as such the closer your body is to dying, the further you are from death"
It was indeed a powerful double edge sword of an attribute. And Dein couldn't be any less happy he had that.
Due to this attribute, even if Dein has broken bones, organs – maybe even soul; the chances of him dying would still be far too low.
Though, only of course as long as he wasn't one shotted or finished off. The attribute itself doesn't really grant immortality and Dein knows that he would still die if his head got chopped off or if he exploded into pieces. Maybe if his brain stopped functioning all together.
Also, the attribute only says that the shadow god – who is said to be the god of death – distaste him. Not loathed nor despised but merely distaste. So the Shadow god probably just doesn't want him to his realm but would still welcome him if push comes to shove.
Death, after all was inevitable.
On the other hand, what the attribute actually gives was an overwhelming resilience. An ability to survive the most harrowing of perils like a gremlin refusing death at all cost and to the point that if Dein's body still functions even just slightly, he still wasn't going to die.
But that said, he could still be stopped…
It's not like he can heal parts of his body if it gets chopped off after all. And not to mention that pain still hurts fricking bad!
So… he wasn't really immortal, he was just…
'…Stupidly hard to kill!'
Dein said to himself as a conclusion, grimacing as he jumped to his side to avoid another lunged coming from the old man. As he did, he vomited blood once again but instead of stopping to take reprieve he kept on moving. Allowing his wounds to bleed freely and him to suffer in pain.
[Hey kid, do you really know what you're doing?]
A voice erupted in his mind. It came from the serious guy again who kept on bothering him unlike the other two. Well, the other one really because the scaredy cat bastard kept on muttering prayers to himself while the little girl – the only one who actually followed his words and did not utter anything – to keep on laughing. The three was unmistakably annoying.
Clicking his tongue with irritated gesture, Dein snarled loudly in his mind.
'Tsk! I said shut up! We cannot escape the old guy and neither can we allow ourselves to be captured again so what the hell do you want me to do!'
As he said that, he felt a pain and quickly dodge once more to the ground, Bon missing only by hair's breadth and Dein quickly jumped back.
The old man laugh. Boastful and loud, echoing through the forest. "Not bad! Not bad at all! But dodging all day would get you nowhere so come on monster! Fight me like a man!"
Tsk.
Dein could only clicked his tongue. What Bon said was undoubtedly true, as time went on, Dein would only grew weaker and weaker and soon he would be unable to move.
If that happens, then even his attribute [Distasteful] would simply became useless.
And although Dein had arrogantly stated to the "Voices in his head" as he now call the trio, that they were hindering his way to survival, Dein actually doesn't have any actual plan on how to if not triumph, then at least get through this predicament alive.
And there's no way he'll let himself get captured again so how?
Just then, another one of his attributes, the [Dreadful Trepidation] activated again and he sensed his skin erupted in pain making him gritt his teeth hard before forcing his body to move backwards to avoid a kick aimed at his temple.
[Dreadful Trepidation] This attribute was also a work of harrowing art! It allowed Dein to sense where on his body he's going get attacked at the cost of him feeling the pain of the attack – one presented as a burning sensation – before the hit could even land.
It is also a stupidly double edge attribute that will only makes him suffer more like the [Distasteful].
But that said…
'I'm not complaining though' It is still better than receiving a useless attribute like being able to see in the dark or having a good sense of smell.
[Dreadful Trepidation] still works the same way as it did when he first experienced it after all. And just like how he could dodge the arrows as if seeing the future he could dodge the old man's attack the same way.
Not like when he was caught off guard earlier.
Dein sigh. Then a voice suddenly screamed in his mind.
[On your left kid!]
The words made Dein's eyes widen which was a massive mistake that he had just realized as on his left, grains of dirt suddenly flew to his face, blinding him.
'Dammit!'
He swayed to his right, eyes in pain. He really did not expect that. Not from Bon at least, who appeared to be too arrogant to use cheap tricks as putting dirts on his enemies eyes.
And his [Dreadful Trepidation] attribute also didn't activate because initially, dirt cannot really harm him.
'Tsk. Really? I'm finding out the weakness of my own ability mid fight?'
But there was no time for excuses as his attribute finally activated and a pain of burning flesh exploded on Dein's chest. A voice once again screamed in his mind.
[Defend yourself you idiot!]
Dein was already onto it as he use his one remaining arm to cover his front just as a heavy blow, strong enough to crushed trees, hit square on his abdomen, protected only by his weak arm.
The impact and Dein wince and he was lifter to the air for a while, vomiting blood and water coming from his insides.
It was at this moments like this that he remembered how severely battered his gremlin body is and only thanks to [Distasteful] that his body refused to even passed out.
Dein fell to the ground in disarray. Then he felt another burning pain permeat his body and a panicked scream of a crying young man enveloped his mind.
[Ahh! What the hell! Run! We're going to die…!
It was as if a gear shifted in Dein's consciousness, something he couldn't quite explain nor even know existed. But thanks to it – and the scared bastard's influence, Dein's body moved on instinct to roll to the side. Avoiding a stamp coming from Bon that almost shook the ground.
[Wake uppppp Mister!] The cheerful scream of the little girl like she was still having fun even at this extreme situation snapped Dein back to reality.
He let out a continuous heavy breath.
'Dammit! Dammit! I didn't passed out but my mind literally went blank from that punch!'
Of course, a simple punch couldn't have made Dein's mind went blank like that. Instead, it was the fruit of the accumulated wounds that radiates pain lingering on his body.
He knew that well but still! Another one of that punch and he'll be good as dead, whether he lost consciousness or not, he'll probably be unable to move for a long while.
With voices barraging Dein in his mind; one of concern, one of insults and another of blaming cries. Dein get himself together and stood up. His eyes still wet and blurry but able to see.
Cracking a smile while cracking his knuckles, Bon showed a menacing grin and utter in a grating voice. "What, is dodging all you can? I heard you scratch Lei with that sharp fingers of yours didn't you? Come on monster, do the same to me!"
Dein could only click his tongue. 'Does this buffoon bastard have a scratching fetish or something!?' And also, he didn't scratch Lei, he tore his face off!
After a short while, Dein let out a resigned sigh and grimace, gritting his teeth with pained expression.
Throughout the course of this battle – if you could even call it one that is. Dein have been vaguely keeping attention to his surroundings. Why? Well first, to hopefully find something he could use to at least give him a fighting chance – of course, Dein did not see none of that. He was in a middle of a forest after all and there's nothing here that he could actually use to fight.
His second reason was time. Dein had been running out of it from the very beginning after he had managed to escape his cage after all.
And if you remember, a whole dozens of tribesman warriors are on a look out for him tonight so Dein was supposed to be in a hurry. And yet… yet he was wasting so much of his precious time in here with this stupid musclehead.
The fog moved and he took a shaking step back.
Inside this abominable forest, surrounded by ominous fog and much more because there is no moon shining above. It is actually impossible for anyone to perfectly keep track of the time. However, because of the fire Dein had started quite far from his current location — which, as he could see now, had already engulfed a good chunk of the forest and is burning wildly from behind, Dein could surmise that a good amount of time had already passed.
10 minutes maybe? He wasn't sure. But he knows that the only reason the tribe's warriors still haven't caught up to him was either because they trust that Bon could easily finished the job and there's is no need for them to do anything or that behind Dein, a considerable amount of tribe's people… or maybe even all of them, are engrossed to somehow putting the fire out.
And once that that is over, Dein's chances of even escaping Bon would be nothing but a dream...
With the fire burning wildly behind, spreading far towards west and the fog moving ever so slightly in front – as if each time becoming closer than before – here in south where Dein had ran, he groaned. 'I have to finish this now…'
But how? How can he escape? How can he win? How can he Survive? Dein had no idea. He doesn't have a bag of tricks or anything to use in his arsenal after all.
Only his broken body, his mind and the three trespassers inside his brain.
He gritted his teeth and Dein started circling Bon slowly, his eyes fixated on him and watching his every movement.
Seeing this, Bon simply grinned and scoff. "Oh? What's this now? Are you finally getting serious monster?"
Bon then laughed, and just as he finished speaking Dein suddenly stood still. Frozen. His eyes wide which made the old man tilt his head in sudden confusion. "Mm?"
But Dein wasn't listening to him as he was fixated in cursing himself from the shock.
'What the… fuck?' then he smiled, soon turning into a chuckle then to a low laugh.
"Ha… ahahaha! How stupid can I be? Why didn't I noticed it sooner"
The old man's face simply contorted more in confusion.
"Care to enlightenment me what you're talking about monster?" He demanded, to which Dein ignored. Finally having enough of it, he scoffed, "Well, I guess not" before lowering himself on a stance and bursting into speed the next second to attack Dein once more.
In response, Dein bear the pain of his attribute, searching for the best way to dodge before shouting loudly in his mind.
'Hey bastards! Can you guys leave my mind for a second?'
A huge hand breezled past his cheek, followed by a backhand swipe and a kick. Dein dodge them all with relative effort and once again tried to put as much distance between him and Bon.
In his head, voices screamed.
[Mister?]
[Leave your mind you say? As if we could just do that. And you'll just doomed us all so no thank you.]
[No! Absolutely not! I just barely saved our lives and you can't do anything without us, I told you guys already let's just run!]
Another punch arrive at Dein's face and this time he only managed avoid it slightly. The punch grazed him and he stumbled dodging. All while snarling internally.
'just go! I know you guys can separate yourselves from me'
They had already done that after all. Back on Dein's cage when he thought there were only the little girl, so he's sure that they can do it again. And when he said "They" he mean they. Since back then the little girl had refered to herself as "us" instead of "I" like she's doing on Dein's mind so must mean that back then, on their cage and before Dein found out about the existence of the two, the three of them are actually in front of him, in a form of the little girl, separate from his mind but could still influences him, somehow… which was a pity.
Before the trio could retort again, Dein thought of what he had noticed and sure enough, the serious guy quickly caught on on what Dein was planning and the others quickly followed.
They were reluctant at first but then...
With a distainful look, a little girl; serious, stern,and arrogant like how he sounds in his mind, manifested themselves beside Dein. The little girl spoke in three different voices as Dein was thrown to the ground.
"Are you sure about this?"
He did not respond, only focusing on avoiding another hit coming from Bon while he's on the ground. In turn to this, the trio, now merged in one body, gave a long sigh. One of resignation, one of understanding, and the other of fear.
After that they dissapeared. This time however, they did not go inside Dein's mind but instead, moments later, they reappear again, only meters away from Dein and Bon and soon they were gone once more, dissapearing towards east...
Where the tribe was located…
****
A minute haven't even passed and yet a smile already appeared on Dein's contorted face. He grinned. 'They work fast'
Now beside him, the fire blaze wildly, traveling further west while the fog appeared to move closer.
A massive hand suddenly descended upon Dein, however this time, he did not bother to dodge. The pain that comes before and after it, landed at him like shock and Dein's mangled body was thrown away to side.
Luckily, the punch wasn't as strong as earlier as he had jumped back before the impact. Nevertheless, the attack still still rendered him unable to move and reeling in pain for more than a second.
His chest heaving up and down and blood left his body.
'Ah, dammit, 16 meters?'
In the next moment, Bon was descending upon him again and Dein's eyes widen. He stumbled to the ground, dodging which made the old man's smash to only met the solid bark of a tree.
That was really close. Too close in fact that Dein almost panicked if not for the pain of his attribute.
He rolled to the ground and quickly sat up, when Bon rushed at him again, his one hand scooped up a handful of dirt along with small rocks and hurled them towards the old man's face.
And… he did not even flinch.
Dein had hoped that the bastard would at least close his eyes or step to the side to avoid the rocks and dirts but instead, he took the attack at all fours and kept on dashing towards Dein. Rocks just bouncing off his muscled face and dirt cling to his eyes which he paid no mind.
'Fircking monster…'
Why did he even thought that would work? Isn't the whole reason why he refrained from throwing a punch or scratching the man and instead kept his distance was because he's sure none of his attack would work?
'Tsk! Stupid! This is stupiddd!'
Once again Dein tried to dodge a punch… or so he thought as in the next moment, Bon changed his attack and grabbed his broken arm that swayed limply as he moved.
The strength of the grip made Dein drop to his knees in a loud scream.
Meanwhile, Bon grinned. "Where are you going?" At the words, Dein's brows contorted. Not just from pain and grimace but also from shock. "What? You didn't expect that I won't be able to noticed you trying to lure me somewhere right?"
Dein pressed his dark lips together, wincing. Then, Bon continued.
"In just seconds, we moved around 8 meters from where we started. Excluding the fact that you just kept on dodging, moving that far on a fight really is weird isn't it?"
The grip on Dein's arm tightened and he let out a pained screamed.
'What that… hell…?' isn't this guy supposed to be a musclehead? A bulking old man who uses extreme force and violence on a fight is supposed to be stupid to balance their character – at least that's how it's supposed to be on novels and comics Dein had read, so why?
Tsk, how unfair!
By this time, Bon spoke again in resigned, triumphant tone, still brimming with confidence. "What, you aren't going to answer?" Then he scoffed, his muscles suddenly tensing. "Well okay then."
And in the next moment, Dein found himself flying to the air as Bon tossed him to the sky.
He gritted his teeth, bracing for the fall by shielding his head. But it was all to no avail as before he could even hit the ground, Bon was already in front of him and with a kick that made Dein appear like a soccer ball, he fell to the ground, bouncing for meters before stopping when he hit a tree.
For the third time, Dein's world went blank and his ears started ringing loudly.
Just like before, he felt the cold touch of death gnawed on him and yet he didn't die. He just laid there, weak, battered and broken.
He couldn't even form a thought. There was only pain and… a blurry sight of Bon waking towards him with a now serious expression.
If Dein could scream, if he could move, he would've done so already but unfortunately, he can't. All his other wounds had already caught up to him, and though Dein would say that none of the: Fractured bones, broken left arm, damage organs and a concussion, could actually kill him because of [Distasteful], and also partially because his body right is isn't that of a human but of a monster, the damage he took – especially the last one – would still take him quite a while to get over.
To be honest, Dein was quite sure that if Bon did not kick him mid air earlier, he would've been, if not dead, then at least knocked out cold with a much more serious injuries.
Dein strained his eyelids, trying to keep them from closing as to not fall asleep.
He has 8 more meters left.
Everything was blurry and the ringing in his head still doesn't stopped but he could see the old man nearing him. Then he suddenly stopped, his gaze landing on a different direction behind Dein and he exclaimed.
"Hmm?"
****
There, standing behind Dein, a shadow appeared walking out of the dark to reveal a person. Breathing heavily with sweats on his face.
The person then spoke. It was Clay. Wearing the usual clothing and a dagger on his side.
"I… uh… C-chosen Bon… elder…" he paused, then stared at Dein's wounded body sprawled on the ground.
"…Uhm, W-what is… happening here?"
Bon tilted his head.
"Oh it's you, the kid. Did we enter your territory? Apologize to that, I'm just retrieving the escapee"
Clay's eyes lit up with understanding and his earlier awkwardness dissapeared. He waved his hand in the air and explained.
"Ah, no Elder. The place I'm in charge of is far on the north. Me and the others are called here to make sure none of the captive monster gets caught on the fire."
Bon nodded. Understanding what Clay had meant. But then, Clay stared at the monster laying before him again and his eyes widen.
"Is this… Dein?"
By the sound of it, it seems Clay doesn't know that Dein was who started the fire and had managed to escape. It wasn't unexpected but it still was a surprise.
"You know the monster?" The elder, Bon asked. Clay meanwhile, kneeled on the ground, checking up on Dein.
Then he said, his voice strangely wistful. "Only slightly Elder, I chatted with him twice when I'm still in charge here."
"I see" Bon responded, then he resumed walking towards the two.
Sprawled lying on the ground, Dein listened to this whole conversation silently. His hearing had returned and his vision has too. Clay was also here which meant Dein really is close to his goal.
Dein could think again and ever so slightly, he could move again.
He groaned silently and when Bon finally reached them...
"Umm… is he–" but Clay was suddenly cut off as when Bon tried to also kneel to pick Dein's body up who they thought was unconscious, Dein suddenly jumped up, pushing the two out balanced tribe's people down.
At the same time, with a quick motion the dagger was already in his hand.
However, he did not attacked them, he' is a hundred percent sure Bon would be able to dodge, redirect or somehow block his attack after all. And Dein wasn't confident in his physical strength so instead, he turned around and just like what the scaredy bastard keeps on telling him earlier, he ran.
Chest heaving, mind spinning and black blood falling, he ran towards East and sure enough, just steps after he passed through a huge tree, dozens of monsters – some on the ground with their cage while the others… others are still hanging on their tree.
He heard a shout from behind him.
"You rat!"
But Dein ignored it, instead he looked around and then he finally spotted it.
The little girl…
…Who have been waiting for him since earlier while sending coordinates to this exact location.
Seeing that smile who now somehow annoyed Dein, he threw the dagger straight to her annoying face.
Dein gritted his teeth and Bon snarled from behind him, his massive hand already reaching Dein's shoulder.
But just then, the dagger hit straight on the little girl's face and her head dispersed like a fog, behind it, a rope had been cut and behind Dein…
A huge cage housing a gigantic centipede like creature descended to the ground just as Bon shouted.
"Come back he–!"
He was silenced by a loud "bang!" and then a "splatt!" and Dein was thrown to ground, one last time.
A voice suddenly whispered on his ears.
[You have slain a dormant human: Elder Chosen of the Sacred Flame; Bon]