Chapter 35: Escape
Perhaps if Blake could have initiated the flaming slash, he would have chopped off the creature\'s hand, but now he could only watch and be grateful that the troll chose to brutally slap him away with the back of its hand and not send its huge knife swinging at him.
"This is painful, so damn painful," Blake thought as he staggered to his feet holding his stinging face with his left hand while his right hand grasped his sword.
"At least I still have both my eyes to see," Blake thought as she spat out the blood that had risen to his mouth, wincing at the pain from his busted lips, scared right face and ringing head.
"I will Kill you" Grommash said with the confidence of an army and bending his legs he gave Blake what he was sure was a smirk and shot towards him once more.
"Damn this beast" Blake roared in his head and raised his right hand, tightening it into a fist a small smile appeared on his face when the troll slowed down and began looking left and right in confusion.
"Damn it\'s not being completely fooled, could it be its instincts telling him what he is seeing is fake," Blake thought as he grasped his sword with both his hands.
Narrowing his eyes at Grommash, Blake steadied his feet and began running forward, his speed neither too fast nor slow, his pace silent.
Keeping his eyes narrowed on the troll, Blake had his sword tightly held to his side as he circled his enemy his every step bringing him closer, but then just as he was getting into attacking range, Grommash began turning in Blake\'s direction, it\'s knife being held to the side.
The option to retreat or go all in was presented before Blake and taking in a deep breath, he suddenly burst out with speed, the blade of his sword being covered in fire once more and then with a determined gaze he charged into Grommash\'s personal space,
"I can make it"
The second Blake had gotten close enough to Grommash, despite the troll being immersed in an illusion where a different Blake was taunting him, the troll had somehow picked up on the position of the real Blake, and though, by the time it completely broke out of the illusion, Blake was already slashing his burning sword at it, the troll realizing that it could not bring its sword to counter Blake in time, let out a snort and then there was another burst of mana from it\'s being.
Blake had suspected that the troll might release a burst of mana and so he had been prepared to charge through it, but this time, the burst of energy that left the troll had Blake stopping dead in his tracks, the flames on his blade drizzling out and him only being able to sigh internally as the flat edge of Grommash\'s butcher knife slammed into his body and sent him shooting through the air and slamming into a tree.
Not to mention his whole back which hurt from crashing into a tree, Blake\'s left arm and side which Grommash\'s weapon had collided with stung like hell and he couldn\'t help but let out a painful groan as his body slipped down from the tree and fell to the ground.
Though Blake was able to ensure he fell on his knees and grabbed onto his sword, he couldn\'t help but bend over and spit out blood, his insides feeling like they were on fire.
"Both you and your friends will die here today," Grommash said as he began walking towards Blake
Hearing this, though his vision was hazy, crying out and having more blood flowing from his mouth, Blake stood to his feet and then shouted.
"Both of you get behind the waterfall and get to the next floor" Blake said and immediately after he created the strongest illusion he could conjure and whilst he did this, he had the system shop open to the side.
"This trick of yours again," the troll said with spite as it began to look around.
Holding onto his stomach, Blake nodded at Yula and Noel who were in the distance and looking at him with scared expressions, Noel looking hesitant to leave him.
Before any of them could speak though Blake agonizingly lifted his hand and put a finger to his lips and then waved at them to go.
The two still seemed hesitant to leave, but luckily Noel was smart enough to realize that they could do nothing in this situation and that their presence would only be a hindrance to him.
Holding onto Yula\'s hand Noel pulled her along with him, dragging her so that they went through the waterfall and to its back.
Seeing them go, Blake let out a sigh of relief and of course, it wasn\'t because they were safe but because Yula whom he could easily get sin points from in case of an emergency was now safe.
If Blake was truly being kind and cared about them, he could have told them to run back the way they had come and go find Kate, but he wasn\'t that generous unless he found some unbelievable trump card in the shop or upgraded his body state with all of his points and hoped that was enough, the only other way Blake could see himself surviving this troll was by going through the waterfall, descending to the next dungeon floor as with his injuries, anything else was an impossibility.
Staring at Grommash who while disoriented by his illusion was still alert, Blake looked at his system shop wanting to spend his sin points, but being reluctant to do so.
"I know I am to an extent able to match him in blows, but what assurance do I have that he has been trying his hardest and that whatever I spend on will be effective."
Thinking on how best to go about his current situation, while clutching his left side with his left arm, Blake began slowly making his way around Grommash, gritting his teeth as sharp strings of pain went through his body.
Blake didn\'t know for how long he moved, but at some point, he found himself close to the waterfall, the troll backing him and being none the wiser of his disappearance.
Blake was surprised at this, but then he shook his head and with several low grunts got into the water and trudged his way to the back of the waterfall, happy to not have to continue the battle.
Back with the troll, seconds after Blake left, Grommash let out a sigh and began walking away
"A knight huh. It seems the humans have gotten weaker, but then he never called upon the blessing of his god, humans are so weird, especially that one, despite being simple and basic, his illusions were actually quite strong, he has a powerful mind.
****** A comment on how the book is going will be appreciated, and also throw me those golden tickets you have In your pockets.
Hey don\'t forget the power stones.****