Chapter 5 - Cooldown

[Trigger warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of gore and violence. If you are sensitive to these topics, please proceed with caution.]

[Narrator: Author]

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How does one defend against the imperceptible?

And the answer is simple.

'...Forget defending, dodge it.'

In a swift, fluid motion, he nimbly lowered his body, narrowly evading the second unseen attack aimed at his neck.

The invisible force whizzed through the air above him, leaving only the unsettling sensation of air being cut, as if by an ethereal blade. It sliced through a small part of his hair, leaving behind a chilling realization.

'Now that's terribly messed up! Its attacks were indeed invisible!'

As Reiji processed the chilling realization of the invisible assailant's capabilities, a looming shadow cast itself on the forest floor. The form was small, and as he looked up, the once-invisible creature revealed itself.

"?!"

No longer shrouded in invisibility, it prepared to unleash a downward kick with its right leg, aiming directly at the momentarily unguarded human. The situation escalated, demanding Reiji's immediate response.

In an instinctive reaction, Reiji swiftly raised his forearms, stacking them together as a makeshift shield against the impending attack of the creature.

Swiiiish!

Thwack!

The forceful impact echoed through the forest, akin to a crowbar striking bones. The collision reverberated through Reiji's arms, additional from his wounded arm, sending shockwaves of pain up to his whole body.

"Keuk—!"

The once-hidden strength of the creature became painfully evident, but Reiji's determination solidified.

As the throbbing pain in his forearms subsided, Reiji's mind raced to understand the shift in the creature's tactics. Puzzled, he contemplated why the creature had abandoned its invisible assaults and revealed its true form. A realization struck him like a slap on the back of his head.

'Its skills – both invisibility and invisible attacks – have durations and cooldowns, just like in games…!'

The ebb and flow of the creature's abilities became apparent, and he now grasped the rhythm of its tactics.

'Now that its skills are in cooldown, it's going to attack physically, huh…'

Still in contact with the creature's legs on his forearms, Reiji swatted the creature away. Leaping backward, he created distance, a practical move to anticipate the creature's next move.

As the creature's toes touched the ground, it seized the foothold to lunge towards Reiji with surprising speed. Despite Reiji's attempt to anticipate its next move, the creature's agility surpassed his expectations.

'This thing—!'

In a swift and unexpected turn, it executed a flying kick, and before Reiji could guard himself, the creature's right leg struck him square in the stomach.

THWACK!

"HU-AAAK!"

Upon the forceful impact of the creature's flying kick to his stomach, a guttural sound escaped Reiji. He couldn't contain the physical reaction as a spatter of saliva involuntarily projected from his mouth. The unexpected blow left him momentarily vulnerable.

As the creature's leg remained lodged in his stomach, Reiji sensed a subtle movement, alerting him to an impending attack.

"!!!"

With a quick glance downward, he caught sight of the creature's other leg, poised to deliver an upward kick to his jaw.

'This thing is not really fond of rest!'

Reacting swiftly, Reiji clenched his teeth and guarded himself, stacking both hands together in a defensive posture.

The creature executed its upward kick, but Reiji, unshaken and determined, seized the opportunity. In a feat of strength, he grabbed the creature's leg upon impact, receiving a small blow that made his head twitched, and slammed it forcefully onto the ground.

Not once or twice, but thrice!

WHAM!

WHAAM!!

WHAAAM!!!

The forest floor echoed with the reverberations of each slam, and in the aftermath of the intense struggle, the creature's long, curving horn gleamed with an otherworldly light. Sensing danger, Reiji, with a burst of strength, abruptly threw the rabbit-like creature away from him.

'This creature, really!'

In an unexpected turn, a white, crescent-like attack, matching the size of the creature's horn, surged forth. Instead of targeting Reiji, it struck the branch of a nearby tree above him. The impact sent ripples through the air, creating a luminous display as the crescent attack dissipated.

'That was its supposed-to-be-invisible attacks?! Glad I threw it!'

Reiji observed that because the attacks were visible to the naked eye, he inferred that they would only become invisible if the creature itself was in its invisible state.

Reiji deduced that the creature's skill attack had entered a cooldown phase after that attack. He counted each passing second, waiting for the creature to cast its skill again. However, the creature displayed no intention of allowing him to finish counting. The moment its toes touched the ground, it swiftly leaped towards him with another flying kick, this time targeting his head.

'Uh-huh… As I expected…'

Anticipating the attack, Reiji acted instantly and sidestepped the incoming assault.

'6 seconds had passed...'

Yet, the creature, seemingly adapting, gained more momentum. Instead of striking the tree trunk, it executed a nimble movement; using the trunk as a foothold, it lunged towards Reiji once more.

Unbeknownst to the creature, Reiji had acquired a makeshift weapon. The branch that had been cut earlier fell conveniently onto his head. Using his left hand, the branch resembled a sword—somewhat sizable, but not excessively large like a great sword. His rough fingers found purchase on the gnarled, grippable end of the branch.

'I may be ambidextrous but I'm not used to this… though it's not like I can complain.'

Armed with the weapon, Reiji sidestepped, predicting the trajectory of the creature's attack. He positioned himself strategically, knowing that the creature, with its speed and mid-air momentum, wouldn't be able to halt its assault.

As the creature closed in, aiming for where it would plummet and launch a downward slam, the creature suddenly vanished.

"Huh?!"

Reiji had anticipated the invisibility tactic, expecting to see the impact on the ground and promptly moved towards that spot. However, to his surprise, the creature was nowhere to be found.

It was then when a subtle itch on the top of his head alerted him that the attack was imminent.

'What?!'

'Above—?!'

Instinctively attempting to evade the impending attack, Reiji moved to get away from the spot. However, the creature's flying leg attack was executed with remarkable speed. His head narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the swift assault found its mark on his left shoulder.

Fwoosh!

Thwack!

"FU—ACK!"

The impact reverberated through his body, prompting a pained sound to escape from his mouth.

Seizing the opportunity, Reiji attempted to thrust his makeshift weapon towards the creature atop his shoulder. However, the creature swiftly leaped and perched on top of the impromptu sword,flashing a smirk.

"..."

Undeterred, Reiji mustered up his strength and tried to slam the weapon to the ground, but the creature leaped upward once again, eluding his attack.

As the creature hovered above, its horn gleamed with a white glow. Recognizing the telltale sign, Reiji deduced that the attack's cooldown was approximately...

'25 seconds...'

With a gleam of light from its horn, the creature launched a downward crescent attack towards him. However, Reiji was keenly aware of its trajectory, and he effortlessly dodged the attack.

Swoosh-thud!

The calculated evasion left the creature visibly irritated, grinding its teeth in frustration.

'...I can hear it grinding its teeth.', Reiji chuckled awkwardly.

As the creature descended towards Reiji, he poised in an attacking stance, preparing for the impending confrontation. The creature entered the range of his makeshift weapon, about chest level, and Reiji swung it horizontally.

However, instead of connecting with the creature, his weapon sliced through empty air. The creature teleported slightly below the weapon's path, aiming to touch its foot on the ground.

'So, it's teleporting over short distances…!'

Upon contact, the creature leaped from the ground towards Reiji's face. Reacting quickly, he blocked the attack with his makeshift weapon, the clash of two resonating through the forest.

Seizing the moment, Reiji swatted the creature away with a determined motion. In an instant, he raised the makeshift weapon and swung downward towards the creature. However, the creature teleported above his weapon, using it as a foothold to leap towards his face.

'It's as if it can cast the teleportation anytime. I just need to endure a bit more, a source required for it to be able to cast the skill must be the general source, mana… that is if that's the case…'

Quick on his feet, Reiji tilted himself leftward, narrowly dodging the creature's flying attack as it passed through on his right.

As the creature's attack unfolded, Reiji couldn't help but note its teleportation ability. A thought crossed his mind - it could teleport consecutively, but the range was limited.

'Based on those previous casts,' Reiji speculated, 'it likely has a range of around 1 meter.'

Just as Reiji was about to turn around to chase the rabbit towards the direction where it would land, the creature vanished from his sight. Instinctively, he guarded his stomach that itched, but to his surprise, the attack landed slightly to the right-side of where he expected. The force struck him square on the stomach, eliciting a momentary shock that made him involuntarily choke in response to the unexpected impact.

"GUH—!"

Without missing a beat, the rabbit-like creature relentlessly attacked Reiji in every direction. Despite his efforts to block some of the assaults, he couldn't escape unscathed. Bruises, wounds, and scratches formed on his whole body as the creature moved with great agility, striking from various angles.

The intricate dance of combat continued, and when 25 seconds had passed once again, the creature attacked Reiji with its white crescent attack.

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|TO BE CONTINUED|