Chapter 56: I have a plan, attack
The glowing leaderboard flickered to life in front of Sebastian, the blue holographic light reflecting faintly in his crimson eyes. Names scrolled across the translucent screen one by one until it settled on the top six.
[Current Leaderboard – 00:31:46 Remaining]
1. Nora von Velkaris – 800 pts
2. Annalise Astraeus – 610 pts
3. Liam Luceris – 580 pts
4. Xavier Evernight – 525 pts
5. Kent Takeahint – 485 pts
6. Sebastian Nekros – 455 pts
Sebastian stared at it for a few seconds, then sighed through his nose. ’Sixth place, huh. I’d say I’m doing well, if this wasn’t a one-way trip to baldness.’
The thought alone made him grimace.
{You did make the bet, genius.}
’Shut up, Bastard.’
{What was it again? "If you don’t come first, you have to shave it all off"?}
Sebastian clicked his tongue. "That was not the phrasing."
{Same difference, egghead.}
Sacha’s soft, childish voice echoed gently in his mind. ’Papa... Sacha doesn’t want Papa to be bald. Bald Papas are scary.’
Sebastian groaned. ’I’m not going bald.’
’But Papa said he will if he loses.’
’Yeah, well, Papa also says a lot of stupid things when provoked by smug women.’
Sacha hummed softly from her sword form, her voice airy and sweet. ’Sacha will help Papa win then! No baldness!’
That earned a faint smirk from him. "Good girl."
He swiped at the air to expand the leaderboard, the numbers glowing brighter. "Still... I’m too far behind. Half an hour left and Nora’s sitting on eight hundred points."
{You could always cry about it.}
’Or,’ he thought, looking off toward the horizon where a faint tremor of mana pulsed through the trees, ’I could just win.’
{Oh, no. I know that tone. Don’t do something suicidal.}
Sebastian’s lips curved slightly. "We’re going after the C-rank."
{...You absolute moron.}
’Calculated moron.’
Behind him, Annalise Astraeus adjusted her black and blue coat, watching him with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. Her brown hair was tousled, her breathing uneven from their last fight, even though she hadn’t done anything. "Excuse me, what did you just say?"
Sebastian turned his head slightly, meeting her wide blue eyes. "We’re going after the C-rank monster."
Annalise blinked. "You mean the one worth a thousand points? The one they said not to approach?"
"Yep."
"That’s suicide," she said flatly.
Sebastian shrugged. "So is baldness."
For a moment, Annalise just stared at him. Then she said, "I don’t even know where to start with that."
{You should’ve told her you have a condition. Like chronic stupidity.}
’You’re hilarious.’
’Papa is not stupid,’ Sacha interjected in a proud little tone. ’Papa is very cool.’
Sebastian smiled faintly. ’See? Even Sacha agrees.’
Annalise sighed. "You’re actually serious about this, aren’t you?"
"As death itself."
{Nice pun. Real subtle.}
Ignoring the voice, he raised the sword in his hand slightly, the faint frost-blue light from Sacha’s blade glinting off his black coat. "Come on. The C-rank’s mana is leaking from that way."
Annalise groaned, muttering under her breath, "You’re insane."
Sebastian started walking. "Motivated, actually."
"Motivated to die."
"Motivated to keep my hair."
She rolled her eyes but still followed. "You’re lucky I’m curious enough to see how this ends."
’Curious, huh,’ Sebastian thought as the crimson leaves whispered overhead. ’Or maybe she just doesn’t want to miss the show.’
{Either way, this’ll be fun. Hope you’re ready to disappoint everyone again.}
’Not this time,’ he thought, his grin sharp and cold. ’This time, I’m winning.’
The mist coiled faintly at his feet as he and Annalise moved deeper into the forest, toward the heart of the island where the C-rank guardian waited, and his hairline’s fate would be decided.
Sebastian adjusted his grip on Sacha’s hilt, the faint blue glow of her blade flickering like a heartbeat. He glanced at Annalise, who was brushing dirt off her coat, still looking doubtful.
"Get ready to use your full power," he said quietly.
Annalise blinked. "Excuse me?"
He smiled faintly. "You heard me."
Before she could respond, the ground cracked beneath his feet, and then he was gone.
The wind howled in his wake, trees bending as a black blur shot through the forest. Each step left small craters behind him, leaves scattering like startled birds. The landscape blurred, branches whipping past, the crimson canopy above streaking like blood through the sky.
’Faster,’ he thought, mana coiling in his legs. ’Can’t let anyone else reach it first.’
{You’re burning through mana like an idiot again.}
’Worth it.’
{You’re gonna say that right before you die one day.}
’Then I’ll die farming aura.’
A few minutes later, Sebastian skidded to a stop, boots digging furrows in the earth. He crouched low behind a thick tree, his breath steady despite the sprint. His crimson eyes narrowed as he peered through the foliage.
The ground trembled. Trees ahead snapped like twigs.
And then he saw it.
A C-rank beast, a towering mammoth easily fifteen feet tall. Its hide looked like molten rock and obsidian fused together, steam rising from its nostrils with every breath. Its tusks glowed faintly red, dripping with some molten residue that hissed wherever it fell.
Sebastian’s lips curved into a slow, sharp smirk.
’There you are.’
{You do realize that thing can step on you and end your bloodline, right?}
’Not if I move first.’
Moments later, Annalise stumbled into view, her breathing heavy, strands of brown hair clinging to her forehead. She looked at him, incredulous.
"H-How the hell were you running that fast?"
Sebastian didn’t answer. His eyes stayed fixed on the mammoth.
"Sebastian," she hissed, wiping sweat from her brow. "We need a plan of attack."
He finally turned his head, his grin widening.
"I have a plan."
Sebastian’s voice dropped into a calm, almost amused tone. "Attack."
Before she could even respond, his body dissolved into black mist.
The air cracked as he vanished from sight, the forest shaking in his wake.
And ahead, the mammoth raised its head, its crimson eyes narrowing as death itself approached.