The monster was searching for Riven. He had doubled back when he saw Kivara make her move, but he saw her fail and get attacked by the skeleton.
The only place he could hide was in the gash created by the monster's attack. His heart was beating almost unnaturally fast in his ears, but it wasn't only fear. He was thinking about one thing. How much energy will I gain if I kill the monster? I bet I can create my four stars... and maybe even directly evolve to rank one.
The thought made his blood thrum, but thinking about it was different from actually doing it, and so far, he couldn't think of a way to go about it.
It's getting closer to my place! Riven thought and froze, doing his best not to breathe loudly and willing his heart to beat slower. The monster's sword dragged on the ground, grating loudly in his ears.
And then the monster was there, right where he was hiding. He waited for it to move, but he didn't hear the next step from the monster. He was afraid to do it, but Riven looked up and locked eyes with the monster that was looking down at him.
"Ah..." Riven said. "I'm dead again."
He jumped out of the hole as fast as he could, and the monster struck down at the same time, its sword a blur so fast that Riven didn't get a chance. Pain blared in his left shoulder, and he stumbled, but he didn't stop running, his feet slapping hard on the dry ground.
The monster didn't give chase. Instead, it raised its sword again and brought it down. This time, Riven had no time to dodge, and he was cursing in his mind when he was suddenly yanked sideways by a force.
Boom!
The attack slammed into the ground, throwing up dust clouds and stone debris. And when it cleared, Riven had disappeared. The monster stared at the place he had been, tracing the line of blood and even sniffing the air multiple times with the hole it had for a nose, but Riven had completely disappeared.
They were hiding behind a small boulder. Riven's right shoulder was wrapped in a black piece of clothing torn from Kivara's robe.
He hissed in pain as she tied it tighter, but she grinned at him, slapping his shoulder lightly and ignoring his glare. "You are the most troublesome no-rank I've ever met."
Riven managed a smile. "Are you saying I'm the strongest no-rank?"
"Maybe, but that's only because the rest are children," she said.
Riven sighed and leaned his head against the stone. The pain was bad, but he'd felt worse. He grimaced as they heard the sound of the monster patrolling out there.
"This is bad," Riven said.
Kivara snorted. "That's an understatement. There's no way we are defeating that monster. We can only try to escape... maybe. But this is a wasteland, and we'll die in weeks. Maybe you'll live a bit longer with the undead aura in the air.
"We can only act now while we still have a bit of strength. Who knows if there's something much worse out there?"
Riven hesitated, but finally, he sighed. He'd thought about it. Even with the two remaining lives he had, it would be useless if he couldn't do anything with them.
Besides, he would get four brand-new ones when he ranked up.
Right now, with his passive ability and Kivara's rank, they could probably pull something off. But it boiled down to whether he was willing to share his secrets. He had known her for less than three days, and he couldn't boast that he trusted her one hundred percent.
Here lay the problem. He couldn't survive alone, and she wouldn't be able to do it either. But only one of them had something to lose besides his two lives.
Was it really a choice when the other option was to starve to death in the wasteland in some forgotten catacomb? He decided to make one of the biggest mistakes in his journey as an aura practitioner. Or not. Only time would tell.
Besides, he didn't have to tell her everything.
Riven smiled and asked her, "Have you heard of people who are born with three lives?"
Some time later, two forms blurred out from behind a boulder. Riven and Kivara. Both of them were shouting at the top of their lungs, and the monster responded.
It turned toward them, its sword raising dust as it dragged it on the ground.
Riven was at the lead with Kivara behind him. Gradually, her form fell behind and eventually blended with the wasteland, leaving only Riven to run toward the monster.
The monster almost paused at the boldness, but it didn't stop advancing. Riven stopped when he got within striking distance. "You bastard! You think you can take me out just like that? Well? Do what you must, you gigantic, big-for-nothing pile of bones!"
Riven didn't know if what he said had any effect, or maybe it was his imagination that the monster gripped its sword tighter. But it swung without hesitation.
He saw the rusted sword fall in a streak of dirt brown, and it took every bit of instinct in him not to flinch away. He had faced death three times in a few days now. At least this would be fast and painless.
But then the monster suddenly slowed down and yanked its hand back. The sword missed Riven. Almost. The tip smashed into his chest with a crunching sound. Ribs snapped like twigs as he was slammed into the ground.
His chest had been carved in, right down to his abdomen, ripping out his intestines. But Riven wasn't dead yet, and he felt every bit of the pain.
His mouth opened in a soundless scream, but only blood bubbled out. His eyes were feverish with pain. And then the monster loomed over him, and Riven knew that it chose not to kill him. It was intentional.
To spite him.