Law of The Web - Volume 1 Chapter 5 - The Pit I

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A jarring noise snapped me awake, my heart pounding. I bolted upright, disoriented, the world a blur.

My eyes flared instinctively, painting the night in stark clarity.

The dirt road was gone, replaced by dark woods looming around us, their branches clawing at the moon’s pale light.

My vision cut through the gloom like a blade.

“This Decipher ability allows me to use Night vision as well eh?”

I muttered, unimpressed despite its use.

The banging continued, paired with a gruff bellow.

“Up, you brats!”

I turned to the source, my gut twisting. The man was a giant, six foot two, his tan skin gleaming under the moon. His bald head shone, a jagged scar slicing across where his left eye should’ve been.

A spider tattoo sprawled over his forehead, its legs creeping like ill omens. His sleeveless leather shirt, unbuttoned to show rippling muscle, and worn boots matched his brutal air.

But it was his soul that stopped me cold.

My ability pierced past his frame, revealing a monstrous thing, a crab-like beast with snapping pincers and a coiled scorpion tail, ready to strike. Crimson words floated above him, clear and chilling.

Name: Clark Maddian

Age: 47

Born: 6th December, Year 704

Death Fated: 3rd October, Year 752

Cultivation Type: Orthodox

Classification: Orthodox Awaken | Hunter >> 2nd Transformation

Transformation Abilities: (1st Transformation Hunter: Tracking, Scale, Dodge), (2nd Transformation Great Tracker: Monitor, Slo-mo)

Soul Quality: Mortal Grade

Cultivation: Mortal Ascension Stage

Status: Happy, Hungry, Craving Ale

Injuries: None

Danger: Too Strong

I blinked, my breath catching.

This man was no mere brute, his soul was a nightmare, his power far beyond us.

As I studied the details, one glaring thought rose to the surface.

‘Back when I provoked Clark and he killed me, I was in way over my head.’

My jaw clenched.

Comparing my soul to Clark’s profile was like comparing an ant to a boulder.

Mine was entirely different; I had these so-called transformation abilities, new classifications, and something called a Law Beast.

It was overwhelming.

The sharp text in my vision only highlighted how little I understood. Yet, my gut screamed that my Primordial Spider Lily was not all for show. It was my Law Beast… And given what little I know about the transformation abilities.

I conclude that thes monsterous is what giving the people of this world their weird powers.

For example my time reversal, and my decipher, and one other called the Thread of Fate, still I have no idea what that does.

I also had the weird voice in my head, an even more clueless venture. But I think it’s just act as informant, and nothing more.

But when I dug deeper into the idea of a Law Beast, I started questioning myself. What the hell is a Law Beast, anyway?

But before I could dwell too long, Clark’s sharp orders yanked me back to reality.

Two of his men stepped forward. The first was wiry, with sharp features, a crooked nose and sunken cheeks.

He moved with a twitchy energy, like he was always on edge. A jet-black crow perched on his shoulder, its head tilted unnaturally. The bird was huge, its wings spanning a meter wide.

But he was right within analysing sight, so I went ahead and decipher as much information I can from him, and what I saw gave me more information on what these law beast might be.

Name: Tint Face

Age: 33

D.O.B: 11th January, Cycle 719

Date of Death: 3rd October, Cycle 752

Cultivation Type: Orthodox

Classification: Orthodox Awaken | Hunter >> 1st Transformation

Transformation Abilities: (1st Transformation Hunter: Tracking and Scale)

Soul Quality: Mortal Grade

Cultivation: Awakening Stage

Status: Wants to visit the local brothel inside the Pit

Injuries: None

Danger: Moderate

The second man was broader, with a barrel chest and a shaved head marked by a jagged scar running from temple to cheek in similar fashion as Clark. His crow was smaller, sleeker, its liquid-black feathers glinting in the faint moonlight.

Name: Horace Denholm

Age: 29

D.O.B: 3rd August, Cycle 723

Date of Death: 3rd October, Cycle 752

Cultivation Type: Orthodox

Classification: Orthodox Awaken | Hunter >> 1st Transformation

Transformation Abilities: (1st Transformation Hunter: Tracking)

Soul Quality: Mortal Grade

Cultivation: Awakening Stage

Status: Just wants to sleep for the night, lay back, and drink

Injuries: None

Danger: Easy

Watching them, I pieced together that all three were hunters, going off this I wonder if these classification are like Classes in a video game.

Still I had no one to confirm my suspicions.

But just by this information alone, it was clear to see that Clark was on another level on his own when compare to his two grunts or team mates… I know not what their relationship are.

But while those two where Hunters, he was classified as a Great Hunter. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what their abilities did, but Clark’s advancement made him far stronger and more skilled than the others.

Between the two lackeys, Tint Face, the wiry guy with the twitchy crow, was clearly the stronger of the pair.

Horace, the scarred one, seemed the weakest of the three. Still, I knew taking on either of them would be no joke. Facing Clark? That was a pipe dream at my current level, utterly impossible.

My gaze shifted to their Law Beasts. All three had jet-black crows, same species. Tint Face and Horace’s crows sat obediently on their shoulders, their beady eyes sharp with an unnatural glint.

Clark’s crow, though, was something else.

It didn’t perch like the others. It soared high above the treetops, its wings casting massive, unnatural shadows that rippled across the ground.

This wasn’t just another Law Beast. It felt more. Its presence loomed, even from a distance, radiating an aura that set it apart. If I had to guess, it was an evolved form, tied to Clark’s higher cultivation stage.

Before I could study it further, a coarse rope was yanked over my eyes, the blindfold’s scratchy fabric blocking my sight.

Most would’ve been plunged into darkness, but I let decipher flow through me. The world snapped into eerie clarity, duller hues, but sharp and precise.

The children around me were chained together, their shackles clinking as Tint face and Horace secured the line. Clark led the way, his heavy boots crunching through the undergrowth.

“Move.”

He barked at us, his voice leaving no room for defiance.

The line of children stumbled forward, chains rattling with each step. I kept pace, my mind racing as I scanned my surroundings through my enhanced vision.

The forest towered around us, its gnarled trees twisting toward a starless sky.

Tonight was really dark out, as thick clouds loom above us.

Then I felt it.

The other kids didn’t notice, but I did. Each step felt… off, like I was being slightly distorted.

It started subtle, like a shift in the air, one notice as it moves or glide suspiciously on the skin. But the further we went, the stronger it got, a ripple in reality itself. The dark woods wavered, their outlines softening, distorting.

I took another step, and everything changed.

It was like passing through an invisible curtain in space.

One moment, we were in the dense forest; the next, we stood in a vast hall.

My breath caught, my enhanced sight taking in the surreal scene.

“What… is this place?”

I muttered under my breath.