The Smiling Death-Chapter 297: Run!

Amon froze on the spot. Cold sweat formed on his back.

’...This one is different,’ he realized instantly.

The pressure alone was overwhelming. Too much for Amon to not notice.

Even from this distance, Amon could feel it. A suffocating presence that pressed down on his chest, making his instincts scream danger. His heart began to pound. He was feeling fear.

’Rank five... no... maybe even higher.’ Amon couldn’t clearly tell the strength of the monster.

His throat went dry.

A single wrong move here, and he would die. He won’t even get a chance to run away.

As much as his darkness concealed his movements and sound. He doesn’t know if it would work on monsters of above rank five. Or even rank five peak ones.

Amon slowly lowered his body, pressing himself flat against the branch. He didn’t dare breathe too loudly. His gaze never left the sleeping monster.

’If it wakes up...’ he thought grimly, ’...I won’t even have time to run. Why does it have to be hear’

The monster shifted slightly in its sleep.

CRACK!

A thick branch snapped under its weight.

Amon’s pupils shrank. His entire body tensed, ready to flee at the slightest movement.

But after a few seconds, the monster settled again. Its breathing returned to its slow, thunderous rhythm.

Only then did Amon release the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

’...I was right to travel at night,’ he thought bitterly.

Slowly, very slowly, Amon retreated, moving backward without turning his back on the nest. Each step was deliberate. He was being careful as much as possible. One wrong step and he’s gone.

He did not stop until the massive tree was completely hidden by layers of darkness and other trees.

Only then did he turn away. His heart was still racing.

"This world..." he whispered under his breath, "...really doesn’t want me to relax."

Without another glance back, Amon vanished into the darkness once more, moving even more cautiously than before.

The moment Amon took another step. Something went wrong.

High above the forest, the huge monster’s eyelids twitched. Its two holes,which were its nose. They also sniff something.

Then its eyes snapped open. Two massive pupils, glowing a dull crimson, locked onto a single direction.

Amon’s direction. A deep, dangerous hunger burned inside those eyes.

The monster lifted its head slowly, nostrils flaring as it inhaled the air.

Sniff.

Sniff.

It sniffed the air again. Maybe Amon could conceal his sound and hide in darkness. But it doesn’t hide his smell perfectly.

And the monster was very high ranking. Its senses were far more sharper than normal monsters.

Its gaze sharpened. A low, rumbling growl escaped its throat. It had caught his scent.

Amon felt it instantly. A chill ran down his spine. Every hair on his body stood on end.

’...No! Why?!’ Amon wanted to curse his luck right now. But he doesn’t have time for that.

Before he could move.

SCREEEEEEEEECH!!

A shrill, ear-splitting scream tore through the forest, shaking the trees violently. Leaves fell like rain. Branches snapped apart under the pressure of the sound.

Amon could see it. Before, Amon thought it was around 20 meters long and tall. But now it feels bigger than that.

Amon’s heart skipped a beat.

"Shit!"

He bolted for his life. At the same instant, the monster spread its wings.

BOOM!!

A powerful gust of wind exploded outward as its massive wings flapped once. The nest shattered, pieces of wood and bone raining down as the creature launched itself into the air.

The ground trembled. The forest screamed in danger.

Amon ran with everything he had.

His expression turned ugly. ’Fuck! I am in deep shit

He leapt from branch to branch, shadows wrapping tightly around his feet, boosting his speed. His body blurred as he pushed his abilities to their limit.

The surrounding darkness wrapped around his whole body. Dark smoky trails left behind as he ran. His shadow also covered around his feet to enhance his speed.

Amon uses his mana to augment his muscles.

Behind him the monster came while screaming.

SCREEEEECHH!

WHOOSH!!

The monster dived. Its huge form lunged above the forest.

If there was a moon in the sky. Its shadow had covered the huge area of the forest.

CRASH!!

Its claws raked across the forest canopy, ripping apart several massive trees like they were twigs. Wood exploded everywhere.

Amon didn’t look back. He couldn’t afford to.

The shrill screech echoed again, closer this time. It was getting closer too fast.

The air pressure alone made his ears ring.

’It’s fast... too fast!’ Amon thought gravely.

Amon gritted his teeth and forced more shadow beneath his legs, launching himself forward. He landed on a thick trunk, kicked off instantly, and shot into the darkness like an arrow.

But the monster adjusted mid-air. Its wings tilted.

WHOOSH!!

It swooped lower, its long beak snapping shut just meters behind Amon’s head. As Amon blurred from his position. He ran more faster.

The simple act of a monster shutting his beak made a huge wave.

The tree near shook violently. While Amon was also thrown forward by the wave. But he balanced his body and somehow used this as his advantage for getting more away from monsters.

CLACK!!

The sound of a monster clenching its beak came. That sound alone made Amon’s scalp tingle.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

He changed direction suddenly, diving downward between two massive trees. His body twisted unnaturally, barely avoiding another pass.

BOOOOM!!

The monster crashed through the trees behind him, reducing them to splinters. The forest turned chaotic.

Multiple huge trees were getting destroyed so easily just by a monster’s few moments.

Branches fell. Trunks snapped. Leaves filled the air. Amon ran blindly, his lungs burning, heart pounding violently in his chest.

’I can’t outrun it in the open...’

He forced himself lower, dashing through dense undergrowth, using the trees as cover. Darkness thickened around him, hiding his presence as much as possible.

But it won’t be enough for Amon to be safe.