Chapter 62: Returning To The Real World

The Rusted Reaper continued its assault, and Elias found himself forced to retreat beneath the relentless barrage of its twin scythes.

One blade swept toward his waist while the other descended toward his shoulder, forcing him to twist his body between the two attacks before stepping backward. The first scythe missed his armor by barely an inch, but the second scraped across his chest with a harsh metallic screech.

CLANG!

Elias’s body was pushed sideways by the impact, and several sparks scattered across the street as the curved blade dragged across his armor.

He immediately regained his footing and raised Lastbane.

’I am getting slower.’

His breathing had become noticeably heavier, and although his perception remained sharp enough to follow the Rusted Reaper’s movements, his body was no longer responding with the same speed as before.

The fatigue from his earlier battles was finally catching up with him.

Elias narrowed his eyes as the monster lunged again.

Its right scythe stabbed toward his stomach.

He shifted sideways, allowing the blade to pass beside him, but the creature immediately twisted its torso and brought its second scythe toward his ribs.

Elias blocked.

CLANG!

The force rattled his arm.

He pushed the blade away and retaliated with a slash toward the monster’s neck, but the Rusted Reaper raised its arm and caught the strike against its rusted armor.

CLANG!

The two weapons separated.

Elias stepped backward while the monster advanced.

’At this rate, I will eventually make a fatal mistake.’

He glanced at the damaged section of his armor where the scythe had scraped him.

It hadn’t pierced through, but the fact that the creature had managed to touch him was enough to remind Elias that fatigue could become fatal if he allowed the battle to drag on.

He tightened his grip around Lastbane.

’Add ten Stat Points to Stamina.’

[Stamina/Endurance: 24 → 34]

A strange sensation immediately spread through his body.

The heaviness in his limbs gradually disappeared, and his breathing became steadier as his muscles recovered their strength. The exhaustion that had been building throughout the battle didn’t vanish completely, but it became considerably easier to bear.

Elias exhaled slowly.

"Much better," he mumbled.

The Rusted Reaper charged again.

Elias met it head-on.

Its first scythe swept horizontally toward his chest, and he lowered his body beneath the blade before stepping forward. The second scythe immediately descended toward his head, but Elias raised Lastbane and deflected it upward.

CLANG!

The monster’s arm was forced aside.

Elias twisted his wrist and drove Lastbane toward its exposed abdomen.

The Rusted Reaper attempted to retreat, but Elias followed.

His blade struck the rusted armor.

CLANG!

The armor held.

Elias didn’t stop.

He shifted his grip and pushed forward with both hands, forcing the silver blade against the corroded plates as the Rusted Reaper attempted to pull away.

The armor began to crack.

KRAK!

Elias’s eyes sharpened.

"Got you."

He drove Lastbane forward with all his strength.

CRACK!

The silver blade finally pierced through the rusted armor and sank deep into the monster’s chest.

Dark red blood immediately poured around the sword.

The Rusted Reaper’s entire body convulsed.

Its lifeless eyes widened as its arms jerked violently, and the scythes scraped against the surrounding stone without finding their target.

Elias twisted Lastbane inside its chest before ripping the blade free.

Blood splashed across the ruined pavement.

The creature staggered backward.

Elias stepped forward.

His sword flashed toward its leg.

Slash!

The blade severed one of its bent legs beneath the knee.

The Rusted Reaper stumbled sideways, its remaining leg scraping desperately against the ground as it attempted to regain balance.

Before it could recover, Elias swung again.

Slash!

One of its scythe-like arms was severed at the shoulder, and the curved blade crashed onto the pavement beside the monster.

The creature convulsed again and attempted to raise its remaining scythe.

Elias didn’t give it the opportunity.

He stepped forward and swung Lastbane across its neck.

Slash!

The silver blade passed through the remaining flesh with almost no resistance.

The Rusted Reaper’s head separated from its body and rolled across the broken street before coming to a stop beside a collapsed wall.

The tall corpse finally fell.

THUD!

Elias remained still for several seconds before lowering Lastbane.

He wiped the dark blood from the blade with a piece of cloth before carefully returning it to its sheath.

The five rangers stared at him.

Their expressions were so stunned that they looked as though they were staring at a ghost rather than another human being.

Elias glanced across them and immediately noticed something was wrong.

His eyes moved from Dane to Ravy, then Lorey, Smith, and Jessie.

"Was not there supposed to be six of you?" Elias asked.

Ravy and Lorey exchanged uncomfortable glances before both looked toward Smith and Jessie.

Jessie’s expression became bitter as he lowered his head.

"That monster killed Charles..." he answered quietly.

The atmosphere immediately became heavy.

Smith clenched his fists while Dane’s expression darkened.

Elias remained silent for a moment before nodding solemnly.

"I see."

His gaze shifted toward the dead Rusted Reaper.

Then he looked at the remaining rangers.

"We have to leave this rift," Elias said.

Dane’s eyes widened.

"What?" he muttered. "How can we return without any information?"

"Do not worry," Elias said calmly. "I met another type of monster near the city walls. We have enough information for the raid team."

He glanced toward the ruined city around them before continuing, "However, if we do not leave, none of it would mean a thing because all of us would be dead."

Everyone gulped.

Dane looked toward the Rusted Reaper’s corpse and reluctantly nodded.

"Understood."

The group began walking toward the exit, following the narrow path that led back through the ruined forest.

Elias remained near the rear while the others walked ahead, but his attention repeatedly shifted toward the corpse behind them.

’That armor managed to stop Lastbane several times.’

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

’I cannot leave something like that behind.’

He wanted to store the corpse inside his Inventory, but with the others watching him, there was no reasonable explanation for how he could make an enormous monster disappear.

Elias continued walking for several moments before suddenly stopping.

"Wait," he said.

The others turned toward him.

"I forgot something."

Without waiting for an answer, Elias turned around and sprinted back toward the battlefield.

Dane frowned.

"What did he forget?"

Meanwhile, Elias quickly returned to the street where the Rusted Reaper had fallen and immediately placed his hand against its corpse.

"Store."

The body vanished.

’The armor is too valuable to waste.’

He glanced around before storing the severed head as well, but then his expression changed.

The arm he had cut off was nowhere to be seen.

Elias searched around the battlefield for several moments, but he couldn’t find it.

He clicked his tongue.

"Forget it."

He didn’t have time to waste.

Elias turned around and ran back toward the others.

"Found what you were looking for?" Dane asked suspiciously.

Elias nodded casually.

"Yes."

Dane stared at him for a moment and decided not to press further; he quite liked living.