A crack appeared below him and he could taste blood on his mouth. His vision was a bit hazy and he was having a difficult time breathing because of the impact. Minutes passed by before he was able to get his breathing back to normal.
He pushed himself up and sat down on the ground. He groaned when felt pain on his chest and back. Luckily, he managed to survive from the eminence's anger. He looked around but the mysterious person was no longer there.
The only sign that he was there were the traces of mud on the ground andnon the chair. Enrick slowly stood up and took his time to leave the room. He clenched his fists because he knew that he couldn't fail again.
The next day, the weather was surprisingly sunny so as Galahad had promised, he assigned one of the servants to accompany Cygnus around the territory. The master thanked the duke and set out with the servant who was happy to guide him. At his request, Cygnus and the servant did not use any carriage and instead rode a horse.
First, they went around the manor so that he could familiarize himself with the lay-out of the place. After that the servant led him to one of the lakes inside the territory. Due to the non-stop rain, the lake was a bit murky but it did not hide the beauty of the place.
He alighted from the horse and walked towards the water. The servant was surprised that he broke into a run to pull away the man. They both stumbled back because of the sudden action that Cygnus couldn't hep but look at the servant with wide eyes.
"What's the matter?" He asked as he stabilized himself after getting pulled for no reason.
"I apologize sir! I was just startled when you suddenly walked towards the lake!" He bowed his head then looked up again. "Even though the lake is beautiful, there are monsters in the depths of the waters."
Cygnus raised a brow, "Will they come out when I am only going to take a quick look?"
"I'm afraid so, it's better to be safe than regret it later and if something would happen to you, I might not be able to keep my head," the servant answered seriously. He was straight forward and didn't try to hide anything.
Cygnus looked at the lake again before giving up. "Alright, I won't go near it. How about that path, where does it lead?" He pointed at a narrow path that was created by people who always use that as a pathway.
The servant looked at it and frowned a little bit. He thought about it for a second before deciding to tell him. "That path leads to one of the mining sites in the area. It's one that has not been really approved by the duke but people will still go there to mine. The place has become a nest for monsters but due to desperation, some people will still try their luck."
Cygnus became interested after hearing the servant's explanation. It's worth exploring. Before the servant could warn him again, he was already walking towards to it. The servant hurriedly followed behind to stop Cygnus but the master ignored him.
"I'm just going to take a look, if you don't want to go with me just stay here and wait." Cygnus turned around with a grin on his face. "I'll be careful."
The servant was stumped because he didn't know how to deal with the young master of Ginehart. He could already see that he was willful and would do whatever he wanted. He looked around in anxiousness before taking a deep breath and following behind.
Cygnus walked for more than an hour before they finally reached the mining site. The place felt unsettling and the negative energy from around was so potent that even the servant could feel it. The area was strangely silent as there were no animals that dare to get near the place.
The master walked around until he reached the opening of a cave where a railway was built to transport the mined stones. He looked at the darkness of the tunnel with interest and wanted to step forward but the servant held him back. He frowned and looked back only to see that the servant's face was pale.
"Sir, let's get out of here. I don't think it is right for us to be in this place." He started looking around and Cygnus could feel the tremble in his hands.
Indeed, the place felt even more ominous compared to the first time they stepped in the place. The wind suddenly picked up and it got stronger for no specific reason. The rustling of the tree leaves made the place looked even more haunted, like something would come out anytime.
"Let's go then," Cygnus sighed. He started to walk towards the direction where they came from but for some reason they were not reaching the end of the path.
The servant who was with him couldn't stop trembling and he also started to mumble incoherent things. His eyes were unfocused and his skin was unnaturally pale. Cygnus tried shaking him and even slapped him a couple of times but the servant remained in a daze.
"This is amazing. This place is really filled with things that suits my taste." Cygnus laughed and pushed the servant away.
A growl came from the tunnel followed by heavy footsteps that shook the ground. First a claw appeared and held the tunnel's entrance followed by a large furry body. It was actually a huge werewolf.
The monster was standing on two feet, much like that of a human, and was growling towards Cygnus. It's eyes were red and its fangs were sharp. Saliva was also dripping down from its mouth. Its midnight fur stained with blood made it even more intimidating.
Cygnus could also smell the scent of fresh blood that was coming out from the tunnel. They must have come while the monster was feasting on some people who tried to come here and mine and they accidentally disturbed it. The master grinned, it was the perfect time for him to have some warm up.
The monster came at him with full speed and tried to claw him but his claws bounced off from the red barrier that the master materialized in front of him. Annoyed by the obstruction, the werewolf continued to claw at the red barrier but no matter how persistent it was, the barrier did not break. The werewolf backed away to try another tactic but before it could move, Cygnus was already in front of it.
He flicked his fingers and the werewolf was sent flying. It hit the side of the mountain where the tunnel was dug up. The werewolf stood up from its fall and let out a howl the echoed to the sky before attacking again. This time Cygnus did not materialize any barriers and faced the werewolf head on.
He used his bare hands to block the werewolf's attacks and everytime he does, he would be pushed back but that did not matter to him. It has been so long ever since he used his bare hands to fight because he had been relying on his magic to defeat the enemy. He used his fist to punch the werewolf and the force of that hit was enough to make the werewolf kneel.
Blood started to seep out from his mouth and from the wound that was created by the fist that hit it. The master's fist penetrated through the werewolf's body but the monster's regeneration closed that wound in the blink of an eye. The werewolf was up on its feet again and was recklessly attacking Cygnus.
On the other hand, the master continued to dodge the claws and fangs that were trying to tear him apart. He was now waiting for a chance to attack. The werewolf used both of his claws to capture the master but he managed to escape by bending down.
While he was bent, he gathered force on both of his fists and propelled himself up. He managed to hit the werewolf and just like how the monster did it, Cygnus did not stop from hitting the monster. Blood started to splatter on the ground and on Cygnus's clothes.
