Beyond the Horizon(An apocalypse novel)

Chapter 25: Reward

[You have slain an Anomaly]

[Soma-class Larva slain: Ghoul]

[You have gained a skill.]

[You have gained 10 points. Approach the nearest pylon to use them.]

The flash of a notification appearing before him knocked Miles out of his daze. Staring at the floating interface, his mind finally registered that the monster was dead.

A strange warmth flowed through his body, returning some feeling to his arm. It was followed by a wave of weakness.

He balanced on his knees, barely stopping himself from face-planting into the corpse below him.

Shaking his head, he shifted his bat to one hand, its dented surface covered in black blood, before pushing himself off the corpse, not looking at its face even once.

Using a nearby wall as support, he dragged himself up. He kept a hand against it as his breathing slowly stabilized.

It was only then he properly noticed the state of his body.

A strange warmth pulsed within him. Like a little bonfire in his chest, pushing waves of heat through his limbs, pressing against the cold still seeking to burrow its way in.

’Wha...’

Miles pushed the thought down. He could investigate it later; there were more important things to worry about.

Looking around, he found the rest still lying in their positions. The fight had done little to disturb them. The only difference was another body lying with them.

The snow demon.

’No. Ghoul.’

It was what the system had identified it as, after all. His eyes passed over it before looking at the gym door down the narrow corridor, then back to the bodies.

He had to get them in there. The damage from the cold was only getting worse. Their skin was deathly pale, with bluish patches spreading from their most exposed parts.

Kyle had it the worst. He’d been dressed in only a shirt and some shorts. Large patches of skin on his legs, face, and arms were bluish-purple.

His body shivered relentlessly in the wind, yet his eyes remained shut.

Death was certain if they stayed like this, and he’d die first.

He certainly wouldn’t be able to carry them on his own. Not with his body in a worse state than most of theirs.

Just moving his fingers still sent jolts of pain through them.

"Hey!"

He screamed into the corridor. There was no response.

"We need your help! Come out!"

The sound of people moving behind the door was barely audible over the storm. He could hear whispers; then, all of a sudden, the whispers stopped.

The metal door slowly opened, and from behind it, Ryan and Mrs. Kathy peeked out.

He watched in real-time as their faces moved from suspicion to confusion, then shock. Mrs. Kathy rushed forward.

"What happ-"

"Stop! Don’t come any closer."

Miles stopped her with a raised hand.

There was a high chance she’d fall into the illusion if she approached him. They’d all fallen the moment they stepped out.

Before either of them could question him any further, he added,

"Something bad will happen if you come. I can’t explain it now, but just trust me. We need to get them back in as soon as possible."

Mrs. Kathy opened her mouth, then closed it, before nodding grimly. Ryan followed suit.

Miles looked at the closest person to him, Chloe.

Dropping his hand from the wall, he tested his balance, then bent and hooked his arms under her before dragging backwards, pulling her into the gym’s corridor.

The moment they were in, he stopped before looking at Ryan.

"You can carry her back from here. I’ll bring them in. Don’t step out of the corridor."

Ryan looked at Mrs. Kathy, the woman nodding, before he stepped forward. Mrs. Kathy glanced at the door before heading in to call more people.

It wasn’t long before Ryan reached him, stopping at the very edge of the corridor. Miles let out a sigh of relief, seeing he didn’t faint.

The boy nodded to him before picking her up in a more dignified manner than Miles had and heading back to the gym. More boys poured out, each with looks of shock at Mrs. Kathy’s call.

Miles stared at the rest of the scouting team, then got to work.

Dragging Kyle back first even though he was the farthest from him, then Mr. Morgan, and finally Grimm and Brandon.

The last two seemed the least affected, even with Brandon essentially wearing the same thing as Kyle. Now that he’d finally killed a Ghoul, he had an inkling as to why.

Shaking the thought from his head, he turned to face the window. The scenery beyond it was obscured by moving drifts of snow. The sharp winds from it still cut painfully across his face; even with the strange heat within him, his face was growing numb.

He was the last one in the hall now.

Miles turned to find Ryan standing at the very edge of the corridor. He was staring tersely at the corpse behind him.

Then, noticing his gaze, the boy looked back at him, a hint of shock still in his eyes.

"N-need any help?"

Miles paused, considering it for a moment, before nodding. Besides pride, there was no reason to deny it. He had very little to be proud of.

Stepping into the corridor, Miles let the boy sling his free arm over his shoulder for support. They both moved forward at a pace slow enough for him.

It wasn’t long before they reached the entrance to the gym. Yet right as he stepped in front of the door, the world around him twisted.

Miles found himself in an endless corridor again. Rows and rows of endlessly repeating silver lockers lined both walls. Ryan completely vanished from his side.

His thoughts froze, and almost instinctively, he turned to check the window.

It was whole again.

’Again? How did I fall again?’

He’d been in the corridor this time. Ryan and the others had been able to use it safely. Why not him?

’Is it something else?’

He forcefully calmed any thoughts of panic. There was no need to find out the exact cause now; he only needed to escape.

At least, he wasn’t completely helpless this time.

Miles closed his eyes, ignoring the illusion entirely, firmly denying it in his mind before activating [Delusion].

The cold floor pressing against his head was the first thing he felt. Opening his eyes, he found himself still in the corridor, lying on the floor now.

Above, he saw Ryan shouting into the gym, looking between him and the open door with a panicked look on his face.

It was all muffled and distant; Miles couldn’t quite make out what he said.

Before he could speak, he felt a sudden, yet familiar crushing blow slam into his mind, rattling his brain. It knocked him out instantly this time.