When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the dark clouds in the sky. My vision was blocked on both sides by tall cliffs, seemingly impossible to climb.
"What happened..."
I tried recalling the events leading to this point. However, the last memory I had was getting my head smashed by something heavy from the back as I was dancing with the winds of the tornado.
"This place is..."
The surroundings were dark, but it wasn't so dark that I couldn't see anything. I at least recognized that I was on top of some sort of ledge hanging from the side of one of the cliffs. Below is complete darkness, with its depth unknown.
"... Right, where's everyone?!"
I quickly looked around, shouting their names. However, even after a while, not a single response was heard. We got separated.
"I need to go and search for them!"
I quickly stood up and tried to climb the precipice, but it was so steep that I couldn't even try to scale it. I tried jumping up to reach a protrusion above, but it broke upon touch. The rocks here were too brittle. And as if to prove it, the ledge I was on broke as I landed.
"This is bad...!"
Before the ledge completely fell, I immediately used [Shadow Movement] and hid in the shadows. The ledge fell as soon as I took refuge inside the shadow world.
Looking around, I searched for an exit that led somewhere above ground. However, for some reason, not a single shadow connects to the surface. All of it led straight to the bottom of the pit.
"Is this cliff a sealed space or something?!"
I lamented as I went down, having no choice.
As soon as I reached the bottom, I came out of the shadow world. It was extremely draining to stay there. As I wiped the sweat off my forehead, I felt a gaze on my back.
"..."
I let out a long sigh before I slowly turned around. As expected, something was staring at me. Furthermore, it isn't just one or two, but about a hundred of them...
"Uh, sorry to disturb you. I'll be taking my leave."
I smiled and bowed before turning around to run. The "something" that was staring at my back immediately gave chase, each step of their horse making a clippity-clop sound.
"Hey, at least tell me that the place is a Dullahan's Lair or something!"
I cursed the [Shadow Movement] that landed me in this situation. The Dullahans, riding their headless horses, were equivalent to 6th-level in power. They were definitely faster than I was.
Before I could run a hundred meters, the first one had already caught up to me and slashed its giant halberd straight at my neck. I ducked down and used the motion to leap a few more meters forward before taking out the gun from my storage ring.
"Take this!"
The gun, already in shotgun mode, quickly peppered the chasing Dullahan with metal pellets. Although the shotgun lacked the range of the rifle, it was unparalleled at close range.
The Dullahan's upper body got blasted to smithereens as it died. The horse it was riding vanished in a black mist as its rider fell off. However, after seeing their comrade die, the other Dullahans became enraged and began chasing me in a frenzy.
"Hey, stop! I don't have a mount; that's cheating!"
I tried shouting as a couple of blades managed to swipe in my direction. In the instant that they were reeling from their actions, I pumped the fore-end of the shotgun, pulled the trigger, and blasted them.
"Guh!"
However, after the third shot, I could feel the bones in my arm cracking. If the energy inside the shells hadn't deteriorated while I was out cold, then the first shot would have broken my arm completely.
"Wait, time out! Time out!"
I jumped up and landed on a Dullahan's shoulders, assuming that its allies would hesitate to attack. But to my surprise, they didn't even give a f*ck. The halberds, swords, and lances pierced the poor Dullahan in an instant as they tried to hit me, who was riding on top of it.
'This can't go on like this!' I thought.
I desperately scanned the surroundings, looking for something to save my hide with. However, the bottom of the precipice was just a straight road with no bends. There's nowhere to hide, nor is it possible to climb.
"Should I just use [Shadow Movement] again?"
Although it is a convenient skill, it consumes my stamina like there is no tomorrow. In my current state, I doubt I could escape the angry mob's pursuit before time runs out.
After firing the shotgun one more time, my right arm bent in the opposite direction from the recoil. I panicked and caught the gun with my left hand as the System's Heavenly Halo activated automatically.
However, even if it was healed instantly, the pain remained like a phantom. It ate through my concentration, leading to one sword slash landing on my back.
By reflex, I went along with the slash as I jumped forward. Although I avoided a deep wound by doing this, I lost the mobility to dodge the succeeding attacks.
I raised the shotgun to block the incoming lance and was sent flying backward at an incredible speed. After bouncing and rolling on the ground, I landed back first on the wall with force enough to knock the air out of my lungs.
By a stroke of luck—no, maybe due to a miracle—I found a small crack in the wall beside me. It was enough for me to barely squeeze through. Without waiting for the approaching Dullahans, I quickly dove in and crawled deeper.
"Hey, wait, stop! Don't poke me!"
The Dullahans with a lance peered through the crack and trusted their lance in. I couldn't dodge within the cramped space, so I had no choice but to trust my boots and kick the tips toward the sides instead.
One lance slipped in and managed to pierce my thigh. I was thankful that it didn't hit my family's treasures, just a few inches away. The pain was nothing compared to what I usually endure, so I braved it as I continued forward. Just as I was out of their range, I suddenly felt a powerful sucking force from further inside the hole.
"Huh... Wait..."
I was sucked in by the force, leaving the Dullahans behind. However, I worried that I had just made my situation worse. As I could not even squirm inside the hole, I just patiently endured the walls scraping my shoulders and back.
"Please, God, let there be a peaceful being at the end of this!"
I prayed.
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