Chương 5: Pixies

Ch 5 - Pixies They were so screwed. That was all Evan could think as the pixies flew around them. They might look small and harmless, but he refused to be fooled by appearances. Anything encountered inside a Rift was dangerous. And it was highly unlikely to find something that could be reasoned with. Considering Evan's string of horrendous bad luck, there was no chance he would ever run into the "nice" kind like the ones in children's stories.

Judging by their grinning faces, these things were thinking less about flowers and tea and more about ripping eyeballs out or gnawing flesh off bones with their sharp little teeth.

"We gotta run!" Evan said as he grabbed Yuyan's arm and pulled her up. The girl stumbled, and from her uneven steps, Evan could tell the fall must have twisted her ankle. Yuyan grimaced in pain but didn't protest. The pixies didn't attack immediately. Instead, they continued to circle them in a widening ring. Occasionally, one would dive in and swipe at them, leaving shallow gashes across their skin. Evan knew they could kill them in seconds if they attacked as a group, but instead they held back, toying with them.

Their snickering laughter made that clear. To them, Evan and Yuyan were nothing more than helpless prey. He was going to make them regret it. As they passed another tree, a low-hanging branch came into reach. He reached out instinctively, intending to use it as a makeshift weapon, when Yuyan grabbed his hand.

"No, don't!" Yuyan said.

"These pixies live inside the trees! They only came out because you broke that other branch!"

"Just great!" Evan said as he twisted away from another swipe, the attack leaving a slash on his cheek. How was he supposed to know these little monsters were hiding inside trees? This was a life-and-death situation, and he hadn't exactly paused to think before snapping off that branch to kill the wolf.

"Kekekekekeke!"

"What should we do then?" Evan said. At this rate, both of them would die from a thousand cuts. He wasn't sure if the claws were poisonous or just sharp, but every wound sent a sharp sting of pain through his body.

"These are Woodbound Pixies," Yuyan said.

"Um, the book said that if you encounter them, the best thing to do is move as far away from their host tree as possible. They don't like to stray too far from home."

"Should've said that sooner!" Evan and Yuyan hastened their steps, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the demented buzzing fiends. Yet with each step they took, the more agitated the pixies became. Their flight grew faster, and they lashed out at them even more aggressively.

"Aaaah! My hair!" Yuyan screamed as one particularly vicious pixie latched onto it and gave it a brutal yank. It pulled so hard Evan could almost see strands being ripped from her scalp. Evan picked up a nearby rock and threw it hard at the monster. It dodged at the last moment and stuck out its long silvery tongue at him.

"Bastard," Evan muttered. He picked up more rocks and, as they continued moving, threw them at the pixies, trying to keep them away. Yuyan followed along, but it quickly became clear that the pixies were far more agile than they could handle. Their rocks flew everywhere, never hitting a single one. To make matters worse— Crack! One of Evan's thrown rocks instead struck a tree branch, leaving a deep split.

"Oh no," Yuyan said. The two bolted from their spot, trying to get as far away from that tree as possible, but the pixies living inside were already coming out. The attacks intensified as the swarm doubled in size. Their maddened laughter echoed through the forest as they tormented Evan and Yuyan. Fwish! Gashes appeared all over their bodies as skin and clothes were torn. One hit Evan in the eye. He barely managed to shut his eyelid in time, but a deep cut still ran across it.

That's definitely going to scar, Evan thought as he pressed his palm over the bleeding wound. But that was the least of his worries. The intensity of the attacks kept increasing until Evan and Yuyan could only hunker down on the ground, protecting their vital spots. It only delayed the inevitable. They couldn't move under the barrage, and staying here meant certain death. Is this how I'm going to die? Evan thought.

He had only just been dumped into this other Earth today, and now he was going to die because his System hated him. Yeah, that sounded about right for his life. If this was how it ended, maybe it wasn't so bad that he got transmigrated. At least his last meal had been decent. He recalled Reid's smiling face as he watched Evan eat his homemade noodles. Would he be sad? Probably. He would grieve the death of his little brother, never knowing that another soul had already taken his place. Maybe that was for the best.

If Evan died here, Reid would never have to learn the truth. Fwoosh!

"Kek!" The pixies' demented laughter was cut short as a massive sword was flung through the air. It cut down several of the monsters in a single sweep, though the others managed to dodge. They snickered at the failed attempt, but Evan's eyes widened as the sword curved back like a boomerang and struck more of them on its return, cutting them down midair. The sword flew back into the massive grip of Harlan. His warm eyes now burned with intensity as he stared at the monsters tormenting Evan and Yuyan.

"Stay down, kids!" Harlan shouted as he swung his sword. A powerful gust of wind blades erupted from the strike, cutting down the remaining pixies. They shrieked as they fell, their bodies crashing to the ground in bursts of dust.

"Evan! Yuyan!" Marcus said as he ran from behind Harlan toward them.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Do I look okay to you?" Yuyan asked, glaring at him through her disheveled hair and cut-up face. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Um… no."

"Here, I've got some potions that you can use," Harlan said as he sheathed his sword and pulled out small vials from his gear pouch. Evan examined the thumb-sized glass vial, sealed with a tight cork stopper. The liquid inside was a faint, glowing red, thick like diluted syrup rather than water. Even in stillness, it seemed to shimmer slightly when it caught the light. Glancing at Yuyan, he saw her pour some onto her handkerchief and dab it on the worst of her wounds before drinking the rest.

Following her example, Evan dabbed some on his bleeding eyelids and other deeper wounds before consuming the potion. Though the potion looked a bit like syrup, it tasted nothing like it. The moment it hit his tongue, Evan was met with a thick, metallic bitterness, like rust dissolved in warm water. It was slightly sweet at first, just enough to trick the senses, before the taste quickly soured into something medicinal and harsh.

A dry, burning aftertaste clung to the back of his throat, lingering long after he swallowed. Evan coughed.

"You'll get used to it," Harlan said, patting him on the back. I hope not, Evan thought.

"How did you guys end up being chased by pixies?" Marcus said.

"I thought you guys knew better than to mess with Woodbound Pixies' trees."

"It's not my fault," Evan said, shooting a glare at Yuyan.

"I-it's not my fault either!" Yuyan protested, her cheeks flushing.

"I was staying still in the spot I found myself in after getting sucked into the Rift, but then a Six-Eyed Wolf found me and started chasing me. Am I supposed to just let it maul me?"

"And then you found me and got me into trouble too," Evan said.

"You were the one who broke the tree branch!"

"To save your life!"

"Okay, okay, I see what happened," Harlan said with a smile.

"You guys did well. Emergency guidelines are useful, but reality doesn't always fit neatly into rigid rules. Still, I'm very glad you two are okay."

"So what are we going to do next?" Evan asked. With an actual Awakener now with them, he could feel the tight coil of anxiety around his heart easing a bit.

"Let's assess our situation first," Harlan said.

"Based on the monsters we've encountered, I suspect we're inside a B-rank Rift. Both Woodbound Pixies and Six-Eyed Wolves are commonly found in dungeons of this level." The three students nodded.

"Good news is that it's not hard at all to clear a dungeon like this," Harlan said. Seeing his reassuring smile, Evan suspected the man was trying to calm them down, but the issue was that he knew something Harlan didn't.

"But if that's the case, where's the rescue team? The Rift opened right inside an Outer Zone Security Station. Shouldn't we see another Awakener aside from you?" Marcus and Yuyan frowned.

"That's true," Marcus nodded.

"Based on the guidelines, if conditions permit it, an incoming rescue team will release a flare to inform trapped civilians of their presence. And with this dungeon being an open field, we should be able to see one."

"But how long has it been since we were trapped here?" Yuyan asked.

"It's possible they're still preparing to send a team." Harlan checked his wristwatch and said, "Around an hour has passed since we entered the Rift. With a Rift level like this, we can expect to wait around 30 minutes to 2 hours."

"So we should wait some more?" Marcus said. Yuyan's expression tightened.

"Let's find a good place to rest while we wait for rescue," Harlan said.

"I've got a flare with me, and I'll send it up after another hour." Yuyan and Marcus nodded in understanding, while Evan merely bit his lip. He doubted that waiting longer would help. He wasn't sure what this dungeon being irregular meant, but he felt like rescue wouldn't come for them.

Reid was in the Western Sector's Zone 19 on the Outskirts, providing field support alongside Hye-jin for a newly formed Rift that had appeared a short distance from the barrier. Its estimated rank was A, prompting an immediate response from the authorities. After the bureau pinpointed its likely location, residents were swiftly evacuated, and the area was placed under quarantine. Officers and Awakeners moved throughout the secured zone, preparing for the Rift's emergence.

Before either of them could say another word, both Reid's and Hye-Jin's phones chimed simultaneously.

"Alert: Potential B-rank Rift detected. Location: Outskirts, Western Sector, Zone 3, Outer Zone Security Station. Three students are currently unaccounted for. One C-rank Awakener entered the Rift shortly after their disappearance. Immediate verification and response requested." A cold, unseen grip seized Reid's heart as he heard those words.

"Hye-jin, I'm going there," Reid said. Without waiting for her response, he headed for his field response vehicle and drove toward the location where the new Rift had appeared. Reaching it took more than half an hour, even using the elevated expressway that crossed the inner Outskirts. By the time he arrived, barricades had already been erected around the B-rank Rift. One officer moved to stop him, but Reid simply showed his badge and identification.

Realizing he was from the Rift Control Bureau, the officer stepped aside.

"I heard the Rift Response Unit is still on its way, sir," the officer said.

"I was nearby handling another Rift and thought I'd check on this one," Reid replied.

"What's the situation?"

"The Rift appeared approximately fifty-five minutes ago and immediately pulled in three nearby students, two males and one female. The C-rank Awakener serving as their tour guide entered shortly afterward. The remaining students have been evacuated to safety, and a team of Awakeners has assembled to enter the Rift."

"Do you know the students' names?" Reid asked. The officer checked the written record on his tablet and said, "According to the teacher, the children who are missing are Zhao Yuyan, Marcus Reed, and Evan Whitfield." Reid took a deep breath as his fear turned out to be true. Yet this was not the time to panic. He headed toward the group of Awakeners gathered near the Rift. Fully geared with weapons secured across their bodies, they stood in a tight formation.

After a brief exchange, Reid returned to his vehicle, opened the rear compartment, and, with the officers' assistance, quickly assembled the equipment needed to assess the Rift. While the devices initialized, he sent a message to headquarters confirming he was on site. Under normal circumstances, he would have been with Hye-Jin assisting with A-rank Rifts as backup. Higher-ranked Rifts were more unstable and unpredictable, and a single monitoring system wasn't always enough.

But there was no way Reid could stand by while his brother was trapped inside one. Moments later, the scan confirmed it was a B-rank dungeon. Although the signal suggested it was neither particularly large nor immediately dangerous, the unusual energy wavelength made Reid frown.

"I think it should be safe for you to enter," Reid said as he handed the Awakeners communication devices synced to his equipment. If his assessment was correct, the Rift was stable enough for one-way communication. The team inside should be able to relay information or call for backup if necessary. That alone was a relief. A-rank Rifts rarely afforded that luxury.

"However, there is something off with the data. I fear there is a chance this could be an Irregular Rift," Reid warned.

"Irregular?" the team captain frowned.

"Yes, but the fluctuations seem minimal, and the chance of it increasing in rank is extremely low," Reid said. Looking into the captain's dark eyes, Reid wondered if the man was going to call it off. Entering a Rift always came with risks, especially when dealing with irregular ones. Sometimes it was something like time distortions, other times there were mutated enemies. The worst case was when an Irregular Rift increased in rank.

"Let's do it, Captain," another Awakener said.

"Harlan and the three kids are trapped inside. We can't just sit on our asses like this."

"Yeah, our team has three B-ranks and two C-ranks with us. We can handle this!" another added. The captain nodded and said, "Alright, let's head in." Reid gave them a nod and said, "Please be assured I will send backup as soon as it becomes necessary." The team of five Awakeners marched toward the open Rift, the captain leading. He raised his hand and reached forward to enter the portal— Bzzzt! Sparks flew. The captain pulled his hand back as a floating System window appeared in sight. [Entry Limit: 4 / 5]"…What?"