CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 98: PAYBACK

Axelius stood by the window, stretching his arms as he looked out. A soft breeze passed through, and in front of him was a thick forest not far from the estate. He narrowed his eyes, then looked down below the window.

Without saying a word, Axelius grabbed Owen, who was still sleepy and suddenly jumped out the window.

"Aahh!!" Owen yelled, his gooey body flailing in the air as they dropped.

They landed with ease, Axelius crouching as he touched the ground smoothly, then letting Owen go. The little slime bounced twice and glared up at him.

"There’s a door, Axel! Stop jumping out the window!" Owen scolded.

Axelius just laughed. "Sorry, I thought you already knew what I was about to do. Let’s hurry. We’re going there." He pointed toward the forest.

He made sure no one saw him sneaking out. Keeping quiet and moving fast, he walked through the open field, looking around for any signs of people. When it was clear, he headed straight for the trees. As he entered the forest, Owen followed behind but paused when he noticed a small wooden sign hidden behind a rock.

It read: "WARNING: Do not enter –"

"Axel! Wait! This place has—ugh, never mind..." Owen muttered as he bounce in after him, knowing Axelius was already too far to stop.

Axelius stood still for a second once inside feeling the heavy air. "Wow," he muttered. "This place is full of monsters."

Darkness clung to the air like smoke. A thick, cold energy spread around them, making the air heavy and strange. It was hard to breathe for most people, but Axelius walked calmly, unaffected.

Owen let out a breath of relief. "Good... you’re not affected by the miasma."

Miasma was a dangerous, invisible poison that gathered in monster-filled places. It slowly made people weak, dizzy, or even sick if they stayed too long. Some monsters could even hide in miasma, making it harder to see them until it was too late.

"Give me the katana," Axelius said, and Owen opened his inventory. A sleek black katana appeared in Axelius’ hand. He held it without fear, walking deeper.

It hadn’t even been two minutes when something rustled in the bushes. Axelius stopped.

A rabbit stepped out. It looked normal at first—small, white fur, soft paws—but when its red eyes locked onto Axelius, everything changed.

Its body twitched, bones cracked, and in an instant, sharp teeth grew from its mouth, its face twisting into something ugly and terrifying. With a screech, it jumped toward him.

Axelius didn’t flinch. In one smooth move, he raised his katana and slashed through the air.

SWISH!

The monster rabbit was sliced clean in mid-air. A splash of dark blood flew out, some of it landing on Axelius’ cheek as he stood calm, the katana dripping with monster blood.

Axelius wiped his cheek with his sleeve. "One down," he said, his voice cold after the rabbit’s body fell. Axelius crouched and reached out to the corpse. The moment his hand touched it, the rabbit’s body crumbled into black dust and vanished into the air, its remains absorbed into Axelius like smoke being pulled into a vacuum.

Owen watching. "Axelius, try absorbing the miasma around here too. You’re not affected by it... maybe you can take it in."

Axelius nodded. "Good idea."

He closed his eyes and stood still. Slowly, the thick black fog that filled the forest began to swirl. The miasma moved toward him, thin wisps at first, then thicker streams. The black smoke coiled around his body and was drawn into him like air into a flame. His veins glowed faintly under his skin, his breath deepened, and the dark energy filled his chest.

Time passed—one hour, then two.

Finally, Axelius stumbled and dropped to one knee, coughing hard. "Argh... I can’t absorb more. The miasma here... it’s too much even for me."

But then he smiled, his lips curling up. "...But this is the best place for me. Let’s go then! Go and fight, idiot."

"I know, I know," Owen replied,

They started walking again, Axelius holding his katana lazily by his side. Every few steps, a strange sound echoed, the forest whispering and shifting like it was alive.

Then he stopped.

Something moved in the shadows near him—a silhouette just a bit darker than the trees, standing silently as if waiting.

Axelius narrowed his eyes, then grinned.

"Finally... we meet again."

He stepped forward without hesitation. In the gloom, the monster stepped out slowly.

It had the round, unblinking head of an owl, eyes glowing from the darkness. Its body was long and humanoid, but thin and sickly pale, with deer-like antlers curling up from its head like black branches. Feathers covered its shoulders like a cloak, and it made no sound—just stared, The Schattler.

The first monster that had ever made Axelius afraid back in Farenhald Forest.

"I don’t like how you make owls look scary," Axelius muttered, rolling his neck and swinging the katana once through the air. It whistled as it cut the wind.

The moment his foot stepped forward again, the Schattler moved.

It rushed with inhuman speed—one second it was still, and the next it was right in front of Axelius. Its owl face opened wide, not with a beak, but rows of tiny, needle-like teeth hidden in its feathers. A clawed hand slashed toward Axelius’ face.

Axelius’s eyes sharpened, and he raised the katana just in time—steel clashing against claws.

Axelius held the katana with both hands and jump back, The monster came fast again, its claws sharp and long, slicing through the air. Axelius moved his blade to block the first slash, then quickly stepped to the side as the second claw came from below. Sparks flew when claw met steel.

He pushed his blade forward, forcing the monster back. Its feet slid across the dirt, but it kept its balance, eyes glowing brighter.

Axelius glanced around and saw a large rock behind him. He quickly stepped back, climbed it in two strides, and used it to jump high into the air. As he came down, he twisted his body and aimed both his feet at the monster’s head.

CRACK!

His boots slammed into the Schattler’s owl face, sending it flying back. Its body rolled over the dirt, crashing into a tree, but it stood up again with a loud screech that echoed through the forest.

Owen, watching from the ground, shouted, "Make sure your aura won’t leak out, or else it’ll run away"