Wu Hei waited a few more seconds before continuing, taking a deep breath, not that he particularly needed it as the energy drink was still having effect. The panorama before him was not particularly noteworthy, it was still the same greyish derelict rooftops as far the eye can see.
But yet, he stood in awe for a second. It was a mixture of relief at having just escaped the wargs and delight at how easy it was for him to move in this new reality. Even in the games he had spent thousands of hours playing, he had never felt such a sense of control.
He leapt onto the next roof, the penultimate one before the clocktower, the pain of the landing dulled by the continuing effect of the energy drink. Exhilarated, he kept running and in no time found himself near one of the stained glass of the clocktower.
Wu Hei approached the stained glass window, its intricate patterns swirling with an otherworldly light. He placed his hand on the cool surface, feeling a slight vibration. Suddenly, the glass dissolved into shimmering motes, revealing an entrance.
He stepped inside the clocktower, his eyes adjusting to the dim interior. Gears of various sizes clicked and whirred around him, their rhythmic sounds echoing off the stone walls. Spiral staircases wound upwards, disappearing into the shadows above.
As he climbed, Wu Hei noticed strange symbols etched into the steps, glowing faintly with each footfall. The air grew thicker, charged with an electric energy that made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
At the top, he found himself in a circular room. The walls were lined with intricate clockwork mechanisms, their golden gears spinning in mesmerizing patterns. In the center, suspended in mid-air, floated a glowing shard. Its surface shimmered with swirling flames, casting dancing shadows across the room.
Wu Hei approached cautiously, his heart pounding. As he reached out, the shard pulsed, sending waves of heat through the air. His fingers touched its surface, and instantly, a surge of power coursed through his body. The shard dissolved, its energy flowing into him like liquid fire.
He gasped, marveling at the sensation. Instinctively, he raised his hand, and a ball of flame burst into existence above his palm. Wu Hei grinned, amazed at his new ability. He tossed the fireball from hand to hand. As he was still marvelling at this newly acquired power, the silence of the room was broken when a warg entered the room.
The warg leapt, its sinister silhouette cutting through the smog-filled air. Wu Hei's eyes narrowed as he unleashed a fireball directly at the charging beast. The impact was immediate, flames enveloping the creature in a scorching embrace. It shrieked—a sound that clawed at Wu Hei's nerves—but propelled by primal wrath, it continued its charge.
"Stay down," Wu Hei muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as another fireball materialized in his palm. With the practiced precision of a seasoned gamer, he hurled the fiery projectile. Despite his efforts, uncertainty gnawed at him; the warg's vitality was an enigma.
The creature swiped at Wu Hei with a paw the size of a dinner plate, its fangs glinting menacingly. The blow landed across his chest with a force that staggered him. His clothes remained unscathed, but the strike tore through his essence, leaving trails of pain that felt like his soul was being shredded. A sense of mortal peril flooded his senses, drowning out all else.
"Enough!" Wu Hei's voice rose as he called forth yet another fireball, this one tinged with desperation. As it left his hand, it struck not the warg but a nearby container, which erupted into a violent explosion. The blast sent both Wu Hei and the warg hurtling through the air, their forms lost amidst debris and flame.
Landing hard on the gritty pavement, Wu Hei pushed himself up, his body protesting. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he scanned for signs of the warg or any more impending threats.
Wu Hei's vision flickered, the colors of the world draining away until only shades of gray remained. Every heartbeat thudded erratically in his chest, reverberating through his body with an unnatural rhythm. With trembling hands, he fished out the two last vials from his pocket – energy drinks infused with a drop of Dimensional Shard Magic. Their liquid shimmered with a faint glow, promising a return to normalcy.
He downed them in quick succession, the potent concoction searing down his throat. Warmth spread from his core, chasing away the monochromatic veil over his eyes. Color bled back into the world, and his heartbeat steadied into a familiar cadence. Wu Hei exhaled in relief, his brush with death a stark reminder of the stakes in this otherworldly contest.
His gaze swept the charred battlefield, searching for the wargs. The creatures were nowhere to be seen, their absence an uneasy silence after the cacophony of battle. Frustration gnawed at him – had his fiery onslaught claimed the beast, or had it fled to lick its wounds? A kill would have been a triumph, a sign of his growing prowess.
Yet Kami's rules echoed in his mind, a cold comfort against his disappointment. "It is not the monsters you must best," they had said, their voice a haunting chorus, "but your fellow contestants." The wargs were mere distractions, obstacles on the path to true victory. The realization quelled his frustration, focusing his resolve on the real challenge that lay ahead.
With renewed determination, Wu Hei turned his attention towards escape, the distant thunder a harbinger of new threats. There was no time to dwell on uncertainties; survival and victory demanded his every effort.
Wu Hei's muscles tensed as he vaulted across the last of the rooftops, his feet barely touching the weathered tiles before launching himself forward again. The city sprawled out beneath him, a ghostly echo of a once bustling metropolis, now silent but for the distant murmurs of encroaching chaos. Billowing darkness gathered to the east, casting an ominous pall over the skyline. He spared no more than a glance at the gathering storm; his mission lay elsewhere.
As Wu Hei descended from the rooftops, his eyes scanned the desolate streets, noting the absence of life and the eerie stillness that hung in the air. Modern relics of transportation – rusted cars, abandoned buses – were notably missing, as if Kami had wiped clean any trace of convenience from this urban labyrinth. He remembered passing a petrol station, its pumps standing like sentinels to a forgotten age. A game, yes, but one where the rules were dictated by an inscrutable arbiter whose motives were as mysterious as their origin.
His footsteps echoed on the pavement, a stark reminder of his solitude. With each step away from the city's heart, Wu Hei felt the weight of his slow progress. In a world fashioned by cosmic will, even the simplest tasks became trials of endurance and wit.
It was then, nestled against an alleyway wall, that Wu Hei spotted a bicycle. Its frame glinted under the waning sunlight, a beacon of hope amidst the desolation. Perhaps it was a mere oversight by Kami or an intentional boon for those keen enough to find it. Regardless, it was an opportunity he wouldn't squander. With a swift motion, Wu Hei secured the bike, feeling the familiar contours of the handlebars beneath his palms.
Mounting the bicycle, he pedaled with fervor, the wind tugging at his clothes as he accelerated. Each rotation brought him closer to his goal, the dark clouds receding behind him as he raced towards an uncertain horizon. There was no thunder to mask the sound of his departure, only the steady rhythm of tires against the road – a solitary traveller forging ahead in a realm where every moment held the potential for both triumph and disaster.
7 - 8
Wu Hei's legs pumped the pedals with relentless energy, his body a testament to his newfound, seemingly boundless stamina. The city blurred past him as he navigated the deserted streets, racing away from the oppressive darkness that loomed behind. His heart thudded in his chest, not from exertion, but from the thrill of speed and the escape it granted.
Suddenly, a resounding crack of thunder shattered the silence, causing Wu Hei to jerk the handlebars in surprise. Instinctively, he skidded to a halt, feet scraping the pavement as he searched the sky. It was an expanse of uninterrupted blue; no clouds dared mar its clarity, especially now that he had put considerable distance between himself and the encroaching night.
The thunder boomed again, more insistent this time. Wu Hei squinted, scanning the sky until his gaze locked onto the source—a solitary figure spiraling overhead. With each elegant turn, the figure cast down thunderbolts that struck the top of a neighboring hill, illuminating the landscape with flashes of electric fury.
Heart still pounding from the unexpected encounter, Wu Hei knew he had to press on. He hopped back onto the bike, the strange spectacle in the skies above a vivid reminder of the unpredictable nature of this game and the powers wielded within it. With renewed determination, he pedaled onward, leaving the city and the thunderous enigma behind, venturing deeper into Kami's grand design.