Author Of Worlds: I Reincarnated Into My Novel As A Random Character
Chapter 22: Decay vs Lightning?

Chapter 22: Decay vs Lightning?

Elsewhere, a groan escaped the lips of a man lying almost lifeless on the ground. His eyes snapped open.

He stared at his surroundings in a daze, blinking several times as he tried to recollect himself.

Then, without delay, he turned to the young man beside him.

"He knocked us out? I thought he’d kill us... just who is he?" the guard muttered, stunned.

But he quickly tapped the other man beside him, jolting him out of his daze.

Without wasting time, he turned his attention to a watch-like device strapped to his wrist and pressed a series of buttons.

Moments later, an alert rippled through the communications channel, sounding in the devices of the remaining guards stationed throughout the area.

Within seconds, voices echoed faintly through the trees as figures began converging from various directions.

In just a few minutes, more than five guards had arrived at the location, their footsteps sharp and precise against the forest floor.

One of them, his gaze sharp and brows furrowed, looked over the two guards sprawled on the ground, their faces bruised and dust-covered.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice was cold and filled with curiosity.

The guard who had awakened first hesitated for a moment, then relayed everything that had transpired.

As his words settled in the air, disbelief crept onto the faces of the others.

"You’re telling me there’s a masked Rank 9 Esper running loose inside our academy?" one of the guards asked, his tone laced with shock.

The guard nodded grimly.

A heavy silence descended for a brief moment. Then, a taller guard stepped forward.

His pale blue hair reflected the moonlight faintly, and his dark brown eyes, framed by heavy circles, scanned the group with an unreadable expression.

"Inform the dormitory sector. All guards must be on the lookout for any signs of a Rank 9 Esper. Assign a team to watch over the students," he ordered coldly.

His commanding tone caused a few of the others to frown, but no one dared to object.

They all knew the man.

Desmond.

His aura radiated quiet menace, and the air around him seemed to warp under the weight of his presence.

As someone who belonged to the sleeper origin path, Desmond was known to be exceptionally lethal.

Hence, due to this, no one crossed him.

Desmond turned slightly, his gaze falling on a slender guard standing at the edge of the group.

The man was trembling slightly, as though he felt out of place among the group of guards.

A look of disappointment flickered across Desmond’s face.

"Summon the beast and track his presence before the wind erases it," Desmond ordered coldly. "You’re a guard. Stop acting like a coward."

His voice held no sympathy.

Having participated in a Sleeper Trial himself, Desmond’s perspective on life and death had shifted.

Fear meant nothing to him now. And seeing it in others only irritated him.

The trembling guard flinched but nodded quickly, fearing what Desmond might do if he hesitated again.

He moved his hands swiftly, forming a series of intricate seals.

Energy surged from his origin crystal, flowing into his hands, which twisted unnaturally with each completed seal.

Soon, a translucent silhouette began to form before them.

The shape quickly solidified into a creature which looked lean, nimble, and fox-like.

Gasps spread through the group.

"Is that the Feron Fox?" one of the guards asked with clear surprise.

It was his first time seeing someone from the Summoning Path in action. His eyes shone with curiosity.

"Yes. It’s said the fox can track others if not much time has passed," the guard beside him answered softly. "No one knows how long the trail lasts, though."

The rest of the group listened quietly, nodding slightly as their attention shifted to the fox.

The creature’s eyes glinted with intelligence.

It tilted its head, sniffed the air, then moved toward the two injured guards, taking in their scents.

After a few seconds, the fox growled lowly, its ears twitching.

Its head turned toward the distant monolith.

Without waiting, the Feron Fox sprinted in that direction, its little frame weaving effortlessly through the underbrush.

Desmond narrowed his eyes, watching the creature’s direction. He let out a quiet yawn, then turned to the others.

"Don’t lag behind. Be careful," he said flatly before racing after the fox.

As he moved, a thought passed through his mind.

’I can’t hold on much longer. But I’m barely certain if I’ll survive the next Sleeper Trial.’

In the Sleeper Origin Path, awakening a high-grade ability was akin to signing one’s death warrant.

And Desmond had done just that.

...

Just as Leo thought he had escaped the danger, particles of decay similar to drifting sand and dust caught the wind and blew directly into his eyes, blinding him.

He winced sharply as pain lanced through them.

He tried to clear his vision, blinking repeatedly, then forcing his body to stabilize.

But the moment he managed to focus again, he saw a calm, slow-moving hand, which exuded pure malice, reaching straight for him.

A chill ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed internally.

’What is this... Why do I feel like I’ll die if that hand touches me?’

Terror surged through him.

Without hesitation, arcs of lightning exploded from his body, illuminating his figure in a bright, crackling aura.

For a brief moment, he looked like a deity clad in lightning.

He vanished from the spot, retreating with all the speed he could muster.

Matthew’s hand missed, brushing only the edge of Leo’s clothes.

Leo skidded backwards and came to a halt, panting.

As he steadied himself he felt a burning sensation.

Glancing at his arm, Leo’s heart dropped.

Particles of dust clung to his skin.

The cloth surrounding that area had decayed slightly.

Even the skin beneath had turned a faint shade of grey.

Horror spread across his face.

’What the hell kind of ability is that?’

He raised his voice, making it hoarse to disguise his identity.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to suppress the fear creeping into his voice.

The distance between them, paired with the dim lighting, made it difficult to discern Matthew’s face. All Leo could see was the man’s dark, shoulder-length hair that shrouded him like a funeral veil.

He looked like the incarnation of death.

Not far from them, Sylvia watched from the shadows.

She had been preparing to act, but the sudden turn of events left her frozen in place.

Her eyes widened.

’How terrifying...’

She exhaled slowly, grateful she hadn’t acted on impulse.

If she had stepped in recklessly, she might have faced that same deadly hand.