As his eyes locked onto the bushes rustling in the near distance, Tuziku's heart pounded heavily with anticipation.
Rustle... Rustle...
A deer poked its head from within the foliage.
He exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness... it's just a deer...
Exhausted, Tuziku sank against a tree, hoping he could steal a moment to catch his breath.
I should try and stop this bleeding...
He tore off his shirt and strapped it tightly around his wounded stomach.
Shit...! I forgot my leg got caught in that guy's attack.
I doubt I'll be able to walk on it for a while.
It doesn't seem like that guy is after me anymore.
Thank goodness...
As he scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, he noticed something unsettling—the deer had never left.
As though it were frozen in place, it remained perfectly still, its eyes locked onto Tuziku.
Is that deer... looking at me?
It's almost as if it's studying me...
An eerie sensation crawled up his spine.
Tuziku tried to chase the deer away.
"Shoo! Shoo!" he shouted.
The deer didn't budge.
Glancing to his left, Tuziku spotted an old branch that had fallen from a tree.
"Get out of here!" he yelled, throwing the branch at the deer.
Thud...
Still, the deer didn't flinch.
Its head tilted at an unnatural angle.
Huh?!
An ominous aura radiated from the creature.
What's up with this deer?!
The deer began twisting its head in a slow, counterclockwise motion—until it completed a full 180° rotation.
Tuziku's face drained of color as he realized the horrifying truth.
This deer... is not normal...!
Stepping fully into view, the creature revealed its grotesque form: a deer's head atop a deformed, human-like body, dozens of parasitic, worm-like tentacles writhing across its torso.
Tuziku's instincts screamed at him to run.
"Sh-shit!"
What the hell is that thing supposed to be?!
I have to get out of here...
As he struggled to stand, his left leg refused to obey him.
He fell flat onto the ground.
M—my legs!
"Ahhhhh!" he screamed.
The tentacles slithered toward him.
Sllshhh!
He rolled aside just in time.
The tentacles stabbed into the soil with a chilling impact.
Skrrk! Krsh!
The creature's head rotated in a full 360° motion as it retracted its tentacles and prepared for another attack.
Tuziku's mind raced with fear.
What's happening?
Am I going to die here? In a place like this...?
Just as the deadly appendages lunged at him, a mysterious man appeared, snatching Tuziku away and pulling him out of harm's way.
Skrrk!
The tentacles struck a tree in their path.
Krrk! Krch! Thud...
The tree toppled with a crash.
"Whew! Close one there, huh, kiddo?" said the stranger, holding Tuziku securely in his arms.
CHAPTER END