Surviving the Ancient Angst Novel [Transmigration] - Chapter 14

Teleportation is unlike movement techniques. With the latter, there are traces to follow. With the former, you simply vanish on the spot, leaving no opportunity for pursuit.

Thus, the Silver Hunter stood frozen, looking around in a daze, utterly unable to determine which direction to chase.

But I wasn’t actually far from him.

I wasn’t sure if it was a bug in the provided skills, but I couldn’t control the direction or distance; everything was randomized. Not only was the Silver Hunter bewildered, but it also took me several seconds to regain my bearings.

The countdown on the mission interface had already begun.

With no time to lose, I leaped out and waved my hand. “Hey, Silver! Over here!”

The Silver Hunter’s head snapped toward me, and he lunged with incredible speed. Excellent movement skills! I praised him in my heart. Simultaneously, I used “Grass-Skimming Flight” to snatch the motionless Xiao Si from the bushes and shamelessly used him as a human shield.

The Silver Hunter reacted instantly, raising his scimitar and swinging it toward the boy’s head without hesitation, as if intending to split him in two. The blade caught the sunlight as it descended, reflecting a glare that danced across the boy’s skin.

In that light, he looked as fragile as a porcelain doll. In a few seconds, this doll would be split into a bloody mess, becoming one of the hunter’s countless victims.

The smile on the Silver Hunter’s face grew more frenzied. I smiled too, my hand finding Xiao Si’s stiff forearm and circling it gently. Once the notification for 【Adrenaline: 100! Maximum Value!】 appeared, I used Teleport again.

The hunter’s blade hit nothing but air, slamming into the ground and leaving a narrow, deep gash. Watching from the shadows, I was a bit taken aback. As I said before, these Level 10 Teleports didn’t cover much ground, and this time was no different.

Holding Xiao Si’s arm, I exposed him once again to the hunter’s murderous gaze. Being “toyed with” twice had driven the hunter into a rage; he beat his chest in frustration and continued to leap forward with his blade.

I glanced at Xiao Si. The boy turned his eyes toward me; his forehead was wet with cold sweat that matted his hair to his skin. He looked as if he’d been caught in a light rain. His lips were pressed together, pale and bloodless, yet he stubbornly refused to utter a single plea for mercy.

Looking at this excessively quiet boy, I felt a spark of confusion. If you’re this scared, why don’t you try to run?

Xiao Si blinked at me, and tears slowly began to pool in his eyes. He belatedly tried to pull his arm back, as if wanting to escape my grasp. The harder he pulled, the tighter I held on. We were in a literal tug-of-war, though I clearly held the upper hand.

I thought that if this scene were photographed and turned into an ink wash painting, it would likely earn the elegant title: An Image of a Bully Abducting a Good Citizen.

Just then, the white-clad hunter reached us. He raised his blade and, with obsessive madness, swung it toward my own head. How obsessed is this guy with splitting people in half?

I repeated my trick: I brutally pushed the delicate Xiao Si in front of me as a shield, and the moment the blade was inches from the boy’s skin—Teleport!

Third rescue successful.

And so, I repeated the operation several more times.

【Adrenaline: 100! Maximum Value!!】 Good. Teleport.

…

【Adrenaline: 100! Maximum Value!!】 Teleport again.

Finally, the sixth time. The Silver Hunter looked at me as I stood nearby, intentionally exposing my position. He turned around and walked away.

I called out to him twice. “Hey! Silver! Silver!! Come back and play some more~~”

The Silver Hunter stumbled. I used “Grass-Skimming Flight” to catch up to him and patted his shoulder with mock sincerity. “Young man, don’t give up so easily.”

His body went rigid. He slowly, very slowly, turned his head to look at me, his eyes filled with a level of terror that was off the charts.

I acted frightened and used another flight skill to return to Xiao Si’s side, beckoning to the hunter. “Come on, Silver. Just one last time.”

The Silver Hunter suddenly let out a high-pitched, hysterical laugh toward the sky. Then, he raised his blade and slashed it horizontally across his own throat.

The blood sprayed a great distance, a vivid, jarring red. Against the lush green grass, it was exceptionally striking. The Silver Hunter collapsed into a heap like a broken puppet, his body twisted in an awkward pose.

I was stunned. Is that necessary, Silver?

System: 【Impressive. You’re the first person in history to play with a hunter until they committed suicide.】

I didn’t feel particularly proud. This was the first time a living person had turned into a corpse right before my eyes. The word “death,” when it jumps out of a book and becomes reality, is not so easily accepted.

I stood frozen, my mind a complete blank, until the system nudged me back to my senses. His death was completely outside my expectations. To distract myself, I turned my attention to the system panel only ten seconds remained on the countdown!

It was now or never. Having come this far, I didn’t want to fail. Just one more time…

I looked at Xiao Si, who was squatting on the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. His face was a terrifying shade of blue-gray, and he was soaked in cold sweat as if he’d been pulled from icy water. His body temperature was alarmingly low. His head was shaking uncontrollably.

The boy still sat there in silence. No sobbing, no kneeling for mercy, no panicked flight. The entire scene was as quiet as a silent film.

System: 【…He’s nearly at his limit. A normal person would have a heart attack from the stress you’ve put him through.】

I told the system: ‘A fool like him is likely the type of background fodder whose IQ was intentionally lowered by the author—the kind that exits the stage as soon as they appear.’

So, help me this once. In the future, I’ll make sure you live a long, long life!

The system agreed: 【That’s a given. He helped you win Teleport, which is basically giving you infinite lives. You’d have to pay this debt back with your own blood and flesh!】

‘Pay back with blood and flesh…’

I was choked by the system’s choice of words and let out a fit of coughing. Time was running out. I leaned down, picked Xiao Si up in a princess carry, and used a few “Grass-Skimming Flights” to reach the edge of a nearby cliff.

I set Xiao Si down. The boy leaned submissively into my arms, his dark eyes staring vacantly into the bottomless abyss below. I leaned in close to his ear and whispered: “Are you afraid of heights?”

Xiao Si’s lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

【Adrenaline: 30!】 【31… 32… 33… Still rising!】

Watching the numbers climb steadily, I was certain, he was terrified.

Countdown: Five, four…

I’m sorry. Blame the inhumane mission requirements. I’ll make it up to you a hundredfold in the future!!

I extended my cold, ruthless hands and shoved the fragile Xiao Si off the cliff.

【Adrenaline: 100! Maximum Value!!】