THE PEAK OF OBLIVION - A Cultivation Adventure Novel

Chapter 8 - Hellhounds on the Horizon

Chapter 8 - Hellhounds on the Horizon

A pair of weary and dishevelled figures fled across the desolate landscape. The air was filled with a relentless chorus of chilling howls and shrill barks, growing louder by the second. Behind the two figures, half a dozen terrifying demonic beasts were in hot pursuit. A dark cloud hung over the beasts, partially obscuring their true forms.

Rin glanced worriedly at Nayla. Her pace had already slowed to a jog, and the hellhounds were closing the gap steadily. Rin's dark expression became even grimmer as he felt the cold aura of imminent death fast approaching. His dark eyes constantly roved across the wasteland as he desperately searched for a way out of this current predicament.

But the once vibrant Endless Forest that had Rin known and loved was now utterly unrecognizable. The earth was permeated with an air of desolation, devoid of any life or shelter. Nothing remained except dirt, soot, and the charred husks of burned-out tree trunks.

"How could every single tree burn down like this?" Rin raged. "If there was even one left standing, we could at least climb to safety and try to outlast the hellhounds' patience!"

Rin took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the feelings of despair and panic that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Nayla, your water powers... do you think you could use it to scare off those dogs?" Rin asked.

Nayla didn't respond for several moments. All of her focus was devoted to simply putting one foot in front of the other. In her exhausted state, it took her some time to grasp what Rin had asked.

"Hellhounds are infernal beasts. They possess the fire attribute so they naturally fear water." Nayla said between breaths. "But in my current state, it's hopeless... I am too weak to pose any real threat to them right now."

Nayla looked down with a despairing expression. "If we could find a natural body of water, I could draw on its elemental energy to increase my power. But this place is practically a desert..."

Rin's eyes lit up. "A body of water? There are dry riverbeds and ponds around, could you still draw power from them even though the water is gone?"

"Even if a lake dries up, the source of elemental energy will remain for some time. However, this would only stimulate my own elemental water energy slightly. It wouldn't be enough for me to fight off the hellhounds."

Rin frowned. Time was rapidly running out for them. The hellhounds would probably be nipping at their heels within the next half hour.

[Is this really the end? No, there has to be some way out. I just have to calm down and use my head...] Rin gritted his teeth.

Nayla looked at Rin, a flash of guilt appearing in her eyes. Rin had saved her, but now her weakness was going to get him killed. Nayla didn't mind too much if she had to die, but she couldn't bear it if she were to bring Rin down with her. There was no way she could accept this outcome.

Nayla's gaze hardened as she came to a sudden decision.

"Rin, we should split up. Although I can't kill the hellhounds, perhaps I can distract them long enough for you to escape." Although Nayla tried to make her voice as calm as possible, she was unable to conceal a slight tremble.

"Not going to happen. I can't just abandon you to die." Rin dismissed her words without hesitation.

"Don't forget, I no longer possess a real physical body. My current existence is similar to a half-life already." Nayla smiled, but there were tears shining in her eyes. "Sometimes, I'm not even sure if I am even alive, so whether I can truly die is unknown."