Bab 1: Breath of the Behemoth
Vyn, watch out! It's about to open its mouth!"
A voice cried out urgently from the scene. The battlefield stretched out, rugged and scarred with patches of earth and burnt grass, evidence of previous battles. Smoke billowed from smoldering craters, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of charred earth and blood.
At the forefront of the group stood a stunned-looking boy, gazing up at a large, horrendous monster. This two-headed cyclops bore a fierce visage, its eyes brimming with hatred and resentment. Its skin was rough and mottled, like ancient tree bark, and its muscles rippled with power as it moved.
The monster assumed a formidable stance, its chest thrusting towards the sky as it bellowed towards the clouds. Its roar was deafening, shaking the ground beneath their feet and sending tremors through their bones.
"Again...?"
Vyn clicked his tongue, bitterness etched on his face. "We barely survived the first few attacks, how are we going to handle this?" He scanned the battlefield, assessing their options. The other members of their party looked equally grim, their faces set in determined frowns.
How could this monster be so powerful? This was supposed to be a D-rank dungeon, and all the monsters they had faced so far felt like weak twigs easily dispatched by their group of six D-rankers. But this creature... it was something else. It was a behemoth, a titan among monsters, and they were woefully unprepared to face it.
A Twin-headed Cyclops, an ordinary D-rank monster. With the strength of their party, dealing with it shouldn't be too difficult. However, this one was far from ordinary. Its sheer size alone was daunting, towering over them like a mountain. Its two heads swiveled, each one scanning the battlefield with a malevolent gleam in its eye.
Firstly, the aura emanating from it was incredibly strange. It was so thick and violent that they found it hard to breathe. This monster's aura alone was crushing them, leaving them with no choice but to focus on defense. The very air around them seemed to vibrate with its power, making their skin prickle and their hearts race.
"Everyone, prepare! Hold your ground! It's releasing another breath!" Vyn bellowed at the rest of the party, his voice echoing across the battlefield. He raised his shield upright, bracing himself for the impending attack. The others followed suit, arranging themselves in a defensive formation around him.
A low, ominous vibration rumbled through the air, followed by a deafening roar. A bright, flame-like beam shot forth from the monster's mouth, hurtling towards the group with terrifying speed. The force of the attack was immense, causing their bodies to tremble under its power. Vyn, positioned at the forefront of the formation, felt his entire being jolt as the attack struck his shield. His armor screamed and shredded under the force, barely holding together.
Bright red flames engulfed the group, searing their skin. They mustered all the world energy they had left, directing it to their skin to act as a protective barrier. But the relentless force of the attack pierced through their defenses, cooking them from the inside out. They felt as though they could melt at any moment.
"This isn't just a D-rank monster. No, we can't handle this. We'll die if we stay here," Vyn thought, realization dawning upon him. He was at the brink of collapse, his body pushed to its limits.
Suddenly, the momentum of the breath attack weakened, and the force behind it diminished drastically. Vyn seized the opportunity and shouted to the rest of the group, "Scatter and flee to the exit! This is your chance to survive!" His voice cut through the chaos, just as the monster's breath came to an end.
"What about you? We can't leave you here!" Dorian exclaimed, his voice filled with concern.
Vyn replied, his tone resolute, "Don't worry about me. Just go. Run! Do you think you can survive this? It's better if I distract it while you find a way to escape."
Dorian's jaw clenched. "Then you die. A pointless sacrifice. You think you're some kind of glorious hero?"
Vyn's tongue darted out, a bitter counterpoint to the rising anger in his eyes. "Hero? What does heroism have to do with this? I'm just trying to find a way out! If you don't warn the guild, the others will also suffer the same fate when they get here!"
"We'll handle this together," Dorian declared, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hand.
"Damn it, Dorian! Why are you so stubborn? This isn't some competition! This is about survival! It's the only way to save the others! Just get them out of here and let me handle this!" Vyn roared, his frustration bubbling over.
The raw desperation in Vyn's eyes finally pierced Dorian's resolve. With a heavy sigh, he placed a hand on Vyn's shoulder, his grip surprisingly gentle. "This isn't a suicide mission, you hear me? You come back alive." His voice was a low growl as he turned and barked orders, herding the rest of the group towards the exit with a fierce urgency.
Vyn watched them go, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips. "Come back?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper against the pounding of his heart. He looked back up at the monstrous behemoth, its form a grotesque silhouette against the smoke-filled sky.
"How the hell can I survive this?"
A cold dread settled in his stomach. 'Stall it,' his mind screamed. 'That's all I have to do. Stall it long enough for the others to escape.'
With a shaky hand, Vyn adjusted his dented shield, the metal warped from previous clashes. As he did, the monster seemed to sense the shift. Its gaze snapped toward him, burning with renewed fury. It let out a bone-rattling bellow and charged, a monstrous blur of muscle and rage.
Vyn reacted on pure instinct, hurling himself to the side just as the monster's massive claws raked through the air where he had been standing a heartbeat ago. The wind pressure from the attack slammed into him, sending him sprawling in a heap of dirt and rocks.
He spat grit from his mouth, his ears ringing.
"What the...?" he gasped, staring at the gouges ripped into the earth where the monster's claws had struck. How could something so colossal move with such terrifying speed?
The ground trembled as the monster ripped its claws free, hurling itself towards Vyn again. This time, there was no time to dodge. Pure terror locked his limbs, but adrenaline surged through him, forcing him to act. He raised his shield in a desperate attempt to block the blow.
The impact was deafening. The monster's claws slammed into the iron, the metal groaning under the immense pressure. Vyn felt his arm scream in protest, his entire body straining against the blow. With a surge of desperate strength, he managed to twist slightly, the monster's claws glancing off his side instead of a full-on strike.
A searing pain erupted in his side. He gasped, feeling the hot sting of blood blooming through his clothes. Instinctively, he lashed out with his sword, a primal urge to fight back. The blade met the monster's hide with a sickening clang. It was like striking solid steel. The impact vibrated up his arm, shattering the sword in his hand. The force sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder, leaving his arm numb and useless.
He stumbled back, his vision blurring at the edges. A choked sob escaped his lips as he looked down at the jagged gash on his side, blood staining the battlefield crimson.
Vyn gritted his teeth, a metallic tang of blood blooming in his mouth. Each ragged breath sent a fresh wave of agony through his body, but he forced himself to remain still, a statue carved from pain. The monster loomed over him, its single massive eye burning with a cruel amusement. It regarded Vyn for a long, agonizing moment, savoring his fear like a predator toying with its prey.
Then, with a snort that rattled Vyn's bones, the beast charged. The earth trembled beneath its immense weight as it bore down on Vyn, its colossal maw snapping open wide enough to swallow him whole.
'So this is it,'
Vyn thought, despair threatening to engulf him. Two years spent grinding on this damned battlefield, pushing himself to the limit, all for this? A pathetic end, crushed to paste beneath a monstrous claw. A bitter laugh escaped his lips, a sound lost in the deafening roar of the approaching beast.
Was this the life he was destined for? Born weak, ostracized, forever struggling in a world that demanded strength he simply didn't possess. Had the gods themselves cursed him, dooming him to a life of powerlessness?
'Did I do something so terrible in a past life to deserve this?'
Vyn wondered, a tear tracing a hot path down his cheek. He imagined his childhood, the constant taunts and scorn he'd endured. No matter how much he trained, how much he pushed himself, his limitations remained, a cruel reminder of his inferiority. He was a burden, a liability, the words echoing in his mind like a venomous curse.
"No,"
Vyn suddenly snarled, a spark of defiance igniting in his eyes. He may have been born weak, but he wasn't broken. He'd refused to let his circumstances define him. He had worked, he had bled, he had pushed his body beyond its limits, all to contribute something, anything, to this unforgiving world.
This was his final act, his sacrifice. He'd bought his teammates precious seconds, a chance to escape. Maybe his death would save his guild, save his friends. At least he wouldn't die completely useless, wouldn't he?
A dark chuckle escaped his lips, a defiant sound that echoed through the battefield. Raising his head, he locked eyes with the monstrous beast, a flicker of amusement playing on his bloodied lips.
"Come on then, you overgrown lizard," he rasped, his voice surprisingly steady. "Lets make a grand exit shall we?"
Just then, a soft breeze swirled around him, pushing him with surprising force to the side. He stumbled, barely dodging the monstrous claws that snapped shut a hair's breadth from his head. The stench of rotten flesh and rage filled his nostrils as the beast roared in frustration.
"Are you so eager to die?"
Vyn stared, bewildered, as a figure materialized from the swirling mist. It was a young girl, her beauty otherworldly, clad in shimmering white robes. Her eyes, the color of twilight, held a power that sent shivers down his spine.
Bab 2: Glacier's Embrace
Vyn's vision swam, the world blurring at the edges.
He dimly registered a figure before him – a stark contrast to the monstrousity looming over him. Her appearance was ethereal, clad in flowing white that seemed to shimmer in the battlefield's dust. But this delicate beauty was a facade. An aura emanated from her, sharp and potent, like a blade honed from moonlight that could cleave through the thickest darkness.
Was she a god or something? A hallucination conjured by his fading consciousness? In that desperate moment, the line between reality and fantasy blurred.
A soft voice, like the tinkling of wind chimes, pierced through the haze. The girl knelt beside him, her gaze holding a depth that seemed to pierce his very soul.
"True strength," she murmured, her voice laced with an undercurrent of steel, "lies not just in brute force, but in the wisdom to choose your battles."
Her eyes, the color of a stormy sky, flickered with a hint of disapproval. "You possess courage, that much is clear. But courage without reason is foolishness. Did you truly believe you could overcome that monster with your current abilities?"
Vyn flinched, a wave of shame washing over him. He stammered, trying to form a defense, but the words wouldn't come. He was a warrior, raised on tales of valor and glory, and her words stung with a bitter truth.
"As expected."
The girl sighed, a hint of disappointment tinging her voice. But then, a change flickered across her face. Her eyes, alight with a sudden intensity, locked onto the monstrous beast.
"This aura," she muttered, a low growl forming in her throat. "It's far too strong for a mere D-rank creature."
The monster roared in response, the very air vibrating with its challenge. Her own aura flared in response, a blazing counterpoint to the creature's darkness.
Without a second thought, the girl launched herself towards the beast.
"Stay back!"
She called over her shoulder, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Vyn gritted his teeth, a surge of anger warring with the embers of gratitude flickering within him. This girl, this stranger, had appeared out of nowhere, judged him, then rushed headlong into danger. It felt patronizing, a blatant display of her perceived superiority.
This world, he thought bitterly, was a hierarchy carved in power. The strong reveled in belittling the weak, using pronouncements of weakness as currency to fuel their own egos.
'Why?' he fumed silently. 'Couldn't she have just fought the creature without those disdainful remarks?'
Didn't she realize they were likely the same age? The injustice of it all burned in his gut.
Vyn gritted his teeth, frustration burning in his gut. Not only had this infuriating young girl saved his life, but she'd mocked him for his weakness. It wasn't his fault he was born this way! His anger simmered, a tempest brewing beneath the surface. He silently cursed the cruel fate dealt to him, the unseen hand of the gods twisting his life into this powerless existence.
Lost in his swirling emotions, Vyn barely registered the girl's movements. With a flick of her wrist and a quiet incantation, she unleashed a spell, the words rolling off her tongue like a chilling melody.
"Glacier's Embrace!"
The air crackled with power as the temperature plummeted. A colossal wave of ice surged forward, a tide of shimmering blue that froze everything in its path. The monstrous beast, charging at her with ferocious intent, was instantly robbed of its momentum. Its terrifying aura, once potent and domineering, faltered against the overwhelming power of the spell.
A symphony of cracking and sizzling filled the air as the ice climbed, engulfing the creature in a crystalline tomb.
Vyn watched, mesmerized, from a distance of over a hundred meters. Even here, he could feel the tendrils of the spell's frigid power reaching out, threatening to freeze him solid. Instinctively, he stumbled back, putting further distance between himself and the encroaching cold.
The sheer potency of the attack stunned him. It had to be at least an A-rank spell! How was it possible for someone who looked no older than him to wield such immense power? She stood close to the pinnacle of this world's magic, while he remained mired in his own incopetence.
'This world truly is a cruel place,'
He thought bitterly. It was an injustice he couldn't comprehend. If strength was solely a product of effort, he would be among the most powerful. What more did he have to do? Was this the only path left, to surrender to death and hope for a better fate in the next life? The more he contemplated it, the more appealing that option became.
The girl, her face emotionless, studied the frozen monster. A sudden wrinkle marred her brow.
"Hmm, something's amiss,"
She murmured, a hint of unease creeping into her voice. Despite its icy encasement, a faint echo of the creature's aura lingered. Initially weak, it began to strengthen at an alarming rate, as if some unseen force was reanimating the beast.
The rekindled aura erupted from within the ice, a surge of power that shattered the crystalline shell. With a deafening crack, the fragments rained down as the monster surged free. Its body convulsed, then underwent a shocking transformation. The two heads fused into one, a single ferocious appearance with eyes that burned with renewed malice. Two horns sprouted from its skull, adding to its menacing look.
The creature's once fleshy hide hardened and darkened, taking on an inky black hue. Razor-sharp claws emerged from its fingertips, and bone spikes erupted from its back, a macabre crown of pain. It wasted no time, unleashing a pillar of fire that scorched the air, the color a deep, menacing red. The sheer force behind it dwarfed the previous attack.
Reacting with lightning speed, the girl leaped backward, creating a buffer zone. Her hands danced, weaving another spell. Walls of ice materialized from the ground, a series of overlapping defences rising to meet the fiery onslaught. The attack slammed into the ice, shattering layer after layer with a thunderous roar. Its momentum was relentless, pushing through several barriers before finally dissipating.
"Tsk. This is more troublesome than anticipated," she muttered, a hint of annoyance flickering across her face. This wasn't as easy as she'd thought. The beast had undergone a metamorphosis, its power surging to a level that rivaled her own. This fight would demand everything she had, every ounce of her strength, if she hoped to emerge victorious.
Vyn stood frozen, a silent observer on the edge of the battlefield. As a seasoned warrior, he'd seen his fair share of oddities on this battlefield, but nothing prepared him for this. The ground still rumbled from the monster's earlier rampage, a chilling reminder of its raw power.
A horrifying realization dawned on him. That huge monster, moments ago teetering on the brink of defeat, had not only revived... it had transformed. Its form, which moments ago seemed vulnerable to the attacks of the seemingly A-rank girl, now radiated an unimaginable strength. He doubted even her strenght could match this nightmarish evolution.
Vyn's mind raced. Should he remain a spectator, glued to this strange sight? Or should he summon all his might and flee for the exit? He winced at the memory of the monster's monstrous speed when it had chased him before. Escape seemed a fool's dream.
Just as despair threatened to consume him, a voice, chillingly calm, sliced through his mind. It felt like an intrusion, a disembodied entity burrowing into his very thoughts. A shiver crawled down his spine, sending a jolt of icy fear through him.
[System has detected a new fragment, Host integration will commence]
Hadiah
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