The Ache Producer – Chapter 4: "First Blood"
SOUND FADES IN SLOWLY:
Cursed violet energy completely enveloped Ren's right arm.
A dark purple flame flickered from his clenched fist.
Just as the sword was about to strike, Ren sidestepped and drove his fist into Hunter 1's chest.
THUD!
The hunter was flung backward. His armor melted, and the air filled with the stench of burnt flesh. The man screamed in agony as he hit the ground.
HUNTER 1 —What the hell is this?!
Ren gasped and spun around.
Elara was still standing. Her right arm was twisted, hanging limp and covered in blood. Her face was pale, yet her eyes held a strange resolve.
REN (in shock, voice trembling) Mom… why did you do that?!
Elara didn't answer. She simply shook her head slightly, as if to say, "We had no choice."
Two more hunters stepped forward, drawing their swords.
HUNTER 2 (enraged) This bastard… raising an Echo? And with his own mother?!
HUNTER 3 (cold, hateful) All Producers are the same. You raise your monsters through torture. It's our duty to purge you.
Ren clenched his fist. The violet energy blazed brighter.
SYSTEM VOICE [Crimson Assault – Stage 1 Active]
[Damage Output Increased by 40% Due to Echo Sacrifice]
REN (gritting his teeth, low and dangerous) I'll crush you with one arm… Come and try.
The two hunters exchanged glances, then charged together.
HUNTER 2 Two of us… can't lose to a one-armed bastard!
The second hunter struck. His sword whistled through the air.
Ren sidestepped and threw a punch.
BAM!
The blow landed on the hunter's shoulder. Bone cracked. The man was thrown back, smoke rising from his arm.
But Hunter 3 had circled behind, swinging his sword toward Ren's back.
REN (shouting) Look out!
Ren spun around, his pupils dilating. The blade's reflection gleamed in his eyes.
Just as the sword was about to pierce him—
SHLICK!
A hand burst through Hunter 3's chest.
A bloody hand covered in bone fragments.
It was Elara's arm.
She had impaled Hunter 3 from behind.
Hunter 3's eyes went wide. Blood gushed from his mouth.
HUNTER 3 (choking) How… is this…?
Elara's face remained expressionless. Her left hand gripped the hunter's neck, while her right (though broken) pushed deeper into the wound.
ELARA (in a cold, almost emotionless voice) …Don't touch my son…
Ren stood frozen.
In his mother's eyes, there was something far darker than maternal instinct.
SYSTEM VOICE [Echo Sacrifice Bonus Activated]
[Bond Level: 61%]
[Temporary Power Surge Detected]
Elara pulled her arm from the hunter's chest. The man collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
In the forest, only the sound of rain and the stench of blood remained.
Ren stared at his mother. His hands trembled.
REN (whispering, voice shaking) Mom… what have you become?
Elara slowly turned around. Her face was splattered with blood. But in her eyes were both pain and a strange pride.
ELARA (weak yet resolute) …Until you grow strong… I will do whatever it takes.
A single tear rolled down Ren's cheek.
But this time, he didn't cry.
He clenched his fist.
The violet energy had now spread to both his arms.
Ren stood still.
The energy began spreading through his body more violently.
Just then, Elara's broken right arm began to slowly heal. Bones realigned, torn flesh mended.
But at that exact moment, Ren felt the same pain in his own right arm.
It throbbed as if it were breaking again.
REN (gritting his teeth in agony) Ahh…!
The pain was unbearable.
But Ren didn't give up.
He swiftly turned to Elara, grabbed her hand, and began dragging her.
REN (breathless, urgent) Come on, Mom… hurry! We have to get out of here. More hunters will come!
Elara's hand was warm in Ren's.
Stumbling, she followed him with weakened steps.
As they fled into the depths of the forest, the three lifeless bodies of the hunters lay behind them in the downpour.
The rain fell heavily.
And two souls bound together… had spilled their first blood and begun their first escape.
END OF CHAPTER 4