He alone stood amidst the dead forest, seemingly unbothered by the air tainted with the putrid scent of demon blood.
Above the lone figure was a dark, eerie yet foreboding orange moon, filled with ill intent which gave off an ominous presence.
The still, chilling breeze carried an unfiltered aroma of death, decay, dried blood, and an unseen but chaotic energy capable of rupturing each and every vein in the human body.
Yet he stood unmoving, staring apathetically into the distance, his thoughts, pure chaos, contrasted perfectly well to his calm appearance.
"South…", he mumbled out thoughtfully, his eyes, cold and near lifeless, stared off into the distance southward of him.
It seemed as though he was looking at something far away, however he was merely contemplating his journey.
A journey he never intended on taking.
That dream had been a terrible wake up call, but all it did was simply remind him of how insignificant he was in this world without knowledge nor power.
'But I'm not the same.'
He said internally in response to that thought, and then remained in silence while walking south.
Rustle.
The air seemed to shift with every step he took, and under the charming (dangerous yet attractive (alluring)) moonlight, his form was fully revealed.
Slightly long jet-black hair, blue eyes with an alluring luster, a handsome face that betrayed no emotions, and a crude but comfortable outfit which made him appear common and weak, despite his unique features.
Whoosh…
The breeze blew once more, it's hollow sound made its way to his eardrums and caused his ear to twitch in response to its eerie melody.
His fingers twitched slightly as he kept moving, and his steps slowed just enough to prevent a change in atmosphere.
For in the next instant, a demonic creature attacked him with an unreal speed, barely giving him time to react despite his preparation.
But in that instant, he had drawn out his sword from thin air.
With practiced movements, he split it in half, splattering blood everywhere but his clothing, and the ground he stepped on.
Clang-
Breathing heavily, he confirmed the demon's death with a simple glance, and sighed softly at his awful luck.
Although he managed to slay the demon, his sword was forced out of his hand and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Ignoring the fallen blade, he bent down slightly and searched for the demon's core.
But as he began, he interrupted his actions and made a swipe in the air with his left hand.
Swish-
He grabbed the dagger which appeared in thin air, and swiftly threw it at his ambusher.
Accurately hitting its glabella, and disabling it from moving on.
It was an immediate death for the demon's acquaintance, and a surprisingly easy win for him.
"Haa… Haa…"
Once he confirmed the demon's death, he moved breathlessly to his fallen sword and picked it up.
He was losing stamina at a terrifying pace, and would have loved to collapse on the hard ground. But the thought of how much mana he wasted for such a mediocre bath, made him hesitant to give in to his exhaustion.
'It'd be dangerous if a demon attacked me in this state'
He reflected over his current situation, and thought of his journey ahead.
And as much as he wanted to conserve his potions, he currently had no choice but to use one.
While opening a portal he thought, 'Jupiter was right, I really shouldn't have used so much mana.'
Click-!
He had been here for quite some time and still couldn't get used to the difference between his past life and his current life.
His mood turned somber when his thoughts progressed that far, but he could only suck it up and move on.
He was still being watched after all.
Hhing
An intricate bottle filled with lime coloured liquid fell from the portal above him. He tapped on the small, average plate sized portal and an interface appeared in front of him.
…
STA: 34
…
'I have about 30 bottles left and this damn miasma isn't helping!'
Az turned back to the purified area and muttered, "If I stay here for a week or two, I'll be able to get the Mana back."
But his eyebrows crinkled when he thought about the cons, 'But the amount of demons I'll have to beat off would consume even more mana.'
He chugged down the potion and kept the bottle away, as he deliberated his choices.
Neither were good options, considering he didn't have much time before the main storyline began, so he could only ignore this free mana recovery method, and move on.
Downcast, he walked away from the first demon and approached the second one.
"So that's where it was."
He muttered softly, and thought back to the first demon.
He had cut that one into two, but this one was killed by a headshot and was now inedible.
"It's infected. What a waste. That could have been my next dinner."
His words seemed to have reminded him of a memory because his thoughtful expression turned menacing, and his previously negative emotions heightened his bad mood.
Tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, he tried to restrain his anger.
'Just you wait, Anya.'
She came to mind once more, but with different emotions.
He stopped by the corpse and with a cold gaze filled with burning fury, he spat out, "I'm coming to get you."