Wu Shuang ran back, much faster this time, not daring to slow down—that lunatic was still shooting arrows at him!
Although the creature wasn't aiming very accurately, Wu Shuang felt a prickling sensation on his back. If even a single arrow hit, he'd probably end up a dead predecessor to some new Hero, and he definitely didn't want that!
"Damn it!"
Wu Shuang clenched his teeth. The corridor window was right ahead, but just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something and slammed on the brakes, ducking backward.
An arrow grazed past him at an angle, slamming into the stone wall. It had nearly hit him—that was far too close.
However, that dodge cost him his balance. The eaves were made of rotting, paint-peeling wood in the first place, and his heavy step caused the loose layer of paint to shear away. His foot slipped, and he tumbled backward, rolling toward the edge.
This was the fourth floor of a grand estate, making the vertical drop nearly fifteen meters. Falling meant absolute death!
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Wu Shuang flailed his hands blindly. Borne by a sudden surge of strength, his fingers dug fiercely into a rotted pit in the wood. He caught himself on the outer side of the eaves, halting his fall, but now he was dangling in midair over a fifteen-meter drop to the muddy ground below.
Was that the end of it?
Far from it!
Wu Shuang turned his stiff neck and looked sideways. That damned living corpse was still there, nocking another arrow and trying to aim.
Its expression... the rotted muscles on its face curled slightly upward in what looked unmistakably like a sneer, shooting at him for sheer amusement.
Here he was, fighting with everything he had just to survive, driven into a corner!
How dared this ugly creature!
"Fuck!"
Wu Shuang felt blood rush to his head, his nose itching as a sound rang out beside his ears...
【Your Humanity has shifted. Current color... Red!】
Bloodshot veins burst across Wu Shuang's eyes, and fresh blood trickled from one nostril. Tensing his muscles, he drew upon an unknown well of strength and swung himself forward.
Moving like a gymnast on high bars, he swung and leaped onto a jutting third-floor balcony just before a new arrow could strike him.
This was probably where the family used to enjoy afternoon tea.
Avoiding a fatal fall, Wu Shuang's hands gripped the balcony's stone table like iron vises. The impact jarred his wrists numb and bruised his elbows and ribs, but he managed to stabilize himself.
He felt as though the entire world had turned blood-red. His heart pumped furiously, yet instead of discomfort, it gave him a strange sense of exhilaration. A fire seemed to burn inside his chest, swiftly dulling his pain.
Then, a sharp pain shot through his back as if hit by something heavy. Needless to say, he had been struck by an arrow after all.
Looking back at the living corpse, Wu Shuang wanted nothing more than to tear its head off. Abandoning any thought of dodging, he glanced toward the collapsed section of the iron fence, his mind instantly mapping out a route.
He began climbing down from the balcony, lodging his feet into the crevices of the stone wall. Ignoring the creature's arrows, he moved downward with reckless courage until, with a final slide and jump, he landed squarely on the ground.
Things like using a ladder or carefully exploiting the height differences between roof eaves were completely thrown out the window.
By now, more than one arrow was sticking out of his back, though fortunately, his thick canvas backpack absorbed most of the impact.
With arrows sticking from his back like a porcupine, Wu Shuang charged forward without slowing down at all, sprinting straight for the collapsed fence. The next two arrows missed him completely.
Stepping onto the collapsed fence, he vaulted out of the estate and landed on the white cobblestone street outside.
Slightly more than two minutes had passed since his "fall" and the start of his counterattack. The physical prowess Wu Shuang displayed was comparable to an elite gymnast, astonishingly agile.
Facing the living corpse a dozen meters away, he let out a low growl and charged straight at it. The creature reached back for its quiver only to find it empty—it had run out of arrows. Wu Shuang had already noticed this, which was why he sprinted in a straight line.
The living corpse quickly shifted to reach for the dagger at its waist, but it had already lost the initiative.
Wu Shuang hurled his hatchet with one hand. The throw lacked technique, but it carried plenty of force; the back of the axe head slammed into the creature's chest, knocking it backward and throwing it off balance.
Wu Shuang closed the distance in an instant. He carried more than one weapon; pulling out a short sword he had prepared in advance, he didn't stab immediately. Instead, he slammed a heavy elbow into the living corpse, using his body weight and momentum to pin it to the ground. Then, gripping the short sword in his other hand, he plunged it into its throat—pulling it out, stabbing it again, pulling it out...
He repeated the motion seven or eight times, driving the blade into every vital spot he could think of, until the living corpse beneath him stopped moving completely. Only then did he stop, covered in dark red blood, gasping for air.
The metallic smell of blood and the stench of rot rushed into his nostrils, but this time, he felt no urge to vomit at all, continuing to gulp down air.
Humans were creatures of incredible adaptability. The first time was always the hardest—the first sight of blood, the first fight to the death. Afterward, one gradually adapted or even grew numb, just like a veteran on the battlefield.
Though Wu Shuang was still far from a veteran, he could be considered a fresh soldier now. He immediately cast the Appraisal Spell on the corpse, but rather than stopping to read the details, he began rummaging through the body to gather supplies, including the bow that had caused him so much trouble. These were all essential items to take.
If possible, he would have loved to strip the ragged clothes off the corpse as well, as even those were resources—good for patching windows or blocking light.
However, what little rationality remained warned him not to loiter on the street. Not only were eyes watching from nearby building windows, but goblins were also roaming the town. The commotion from his fight had been quite loud, and he had shouted without being able to hold back.
After a quick search that yielded the dagger and some gold coins, Wu Shuang prepared to retreat.
He had two choices: return to the estate, but without a ladder, he could only re-enter through the first floor. Furthermore, he couldn't use the front entrance and would likely have to scale the wall, since the old knight guarded the staircase leading from the first floor to the second.
The other choice was...
Wu Shuang glanced briefly at the map, his eyes lighting up. He ran into a narrow alley on the opposite side of the street directly facing the estate. After just a few steps, he spotted a house door on the right resting ajar. Quietly pushing it open, he slipped inside, and the door clicked shut behind him.
Good luck.
The living corpse archer had been standing near Paul's house. The map labeled it as Paul's Residence, and the door had been left open—after all, the homeowner had jumped over to find him not long ago, where they had discussed the issue of noise disturbance and ultimately reached a resolution.
Wu Shuang stood behind the door, gripping his short sword and hatchet tightly. He paused for several seconds before making his move.
It was very dark inside, with rag-covered windows allowing very little light to filter through.
After confirming no one was in the house and that it was temporarily safe, he didn't explore upstairs or search for the cellar just yet. Instead, he took the opportunity to pull out his handbook to check his status, assess his injuries, and tally his loot from this trip.
He felt that a certain change had occurred within him, likely related to Humanity.
Otherwise, how could someone as law-abiding, honest, and friendly as him... suddenly become so fierce and aggressive?
Rate on N.U.
