Capítulo 3: Cycle of Death
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"AHHHHHHH!" Nova screamed as he jolted awake, his voice hoarse and cracking.
He rolled onto his side, clutching his chest where the phantom pain of the fatal blow still lingered.
Tears streamed down his face; the agony of death was all too real.
[You have no time to waste.]
That same dispassionate voice echoed in his mind, snapping him back to the grim reality.
"Huff... huff..." He took deep, ragged breaths as the searing pain gradually subsided.
The cold, damp soil pressed against his palms. His eyes snapped open, taking in the bleak, shadowy landscape that was now found himself in.
He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding rapidly in his chest.
Ahead, the three Abyssal Beings advanced—grotesque silhouettes against the murky backdrop, their glowing red eyes fixed intently on him.
He gritted his teeth. 'FUCK! I can't even die,' he thought bitterly. But then a spark of defiance ignited within him. "That's good as well. It would be a pity if I died without taking at least one of these bastards down with me."
A small, translucent window flickered into view at the edge of his vision.
[Death Count: 1]
His eyes widened. "Is this... the number of times I've died?" he wondered. "A death counter?"
But the Abyssal Monsters were hot on his tail as he frantically looked for something, anything that could be used as a weapon.
But the barren terrain offered little—just jagged rocks and patches of dark, swirling mist.
'Think, Nova. Use what's available.'
He spotted a sizable shard of dark stone jutting from the ground a few meters away. Before he could make a move, the monsters spread out, attempting to flank him.
He stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze locking onto the blade wielded by the bladed Abyssal Monster. Its weapon seemed to absorb the surrounding darkness, an extension of the creature itself.
"I need to get my hands on that blade," he decided, clenching his fists.
He focused his will into his hands, and to his surprise, wisps of black mist began swirling around them. His eyes widened with a mix of awe and confusion.
"Hissss... ABYSSAL MANIPULATION...KIKIKI...AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE...." the tailed Abyssal Monster hissed, its voice like nails on a chalkboard, eyes fixated on Nova's hands.
"JIJIJI...HIS FLESHHH MUSTTT TASTEEE GOOODDD," the bladed monster rasped, running its elongated tongue along the edge of its blade, drool dripping from its maw.
"BHE NED TOOO ND TIS PHAST." The clawed Abyssal Monster growled, its speech broken but its intent clear.
Nova's brow furrowed. 'They didn't speak last time,' he thought. 'Is this because of that 'Whispers of the Abyss' skill?'
"System screen," he said aloud, hoping for answers.
[Ding!]
[Name: Nova]
[Death Count: 1]
[Skills:]
Whispers of the Abyss: Basic Understanding
'So that's why I can understand them now,' he realized. But there was nothing else useful. 'Fuck, what a useless system.'
There was no more time to waste. The monsters were advancing quickly towards him. He locked eyes with the tailed monster. 'I need to take that one out first. That bitch is the most problematic fucker among them.'
With a burst of speed, he sprinted towards it. The Abyssal Monsters reacted immediately, adjusting their positions.
The tailed monster swung its appendage in a wide arc, aiming to intercept him.
Nova anticipated the move, dropping into a slide to avoid the sweeping tail. The moist soil made for a slick glide as he slid beneath the attack.
As he passed from beneath the Abyssal Monster, he thrust his hand upward, the black mist condensing around his fist.
He struck the tailed monster's underbelly, eliciting a sharp hiss.
A jolt of dark energy surged upon impact, surprising both him and the creature.
'What was that?' he thought, a flicker of hope igniting within him.
But there was no time to ponder. The clawed monster charged from his left, its massive limbs tearing into the ground as it closed the distance.
Nova rolled to his feet, narrowly avoiding a swipe that would have taken his head off.
He retaliated with a quick jab to the creature's elbow joint, aiming to destabilize it.
The black mist around his fist seemed to amplify the force, and the monster staggered back, growling in frustration.
"I-I'm adapting?," Nova realized, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
A sharp whistle sliced through the air—the bladed monster's blade hurtling toward him like a projectile.
His eyes widened, Nova twisted his body, the blade grazing his shoulder instead of impaling his chest. A searing pain flared, but he grit his teeth and pushed through it.
He spotted the shard of seemingly obsidian again, now just a few steps away.
Summoning all his strength, he lunged for it, snatching it up just as the tailed monster recovered and lashed out once more.
Using the shard as a makeshift dagger, he parried the incoming tail. The impact rattled his arm, but the tail recoiled, a thin gash appearing along its length.
The monster screeched, a sound that reverberated through the abyssal landscape.
"Jijiji...CLEVER PREY," the bladed monster taunted, retrieving its weapon with a flick of its wrist.
The clawed monster roared, charging again with reckless abandon.
Nova's mind raced. 'I can't handle all of them at once. Need to divide these fucks first.'
He backed up, leading them toward a cluster of jagged rocks that he saw from the corner of his vision. The uneven terrain could hinder their movements—or so he hoped.
As he maneuvered through the rocks, the clawed monster barreled after him, smashing obstacles aside.
The tailed monster circled around, trying to cut off his escape routes, while the bladed one advanced cautiously, eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Nova waited until the clawed monster was almost upon him before sidestepping behind a large boulder.
The creature slammed into it, the impact sending cracks spiderwebbing through the stone.
Seizing the moment, Nova sprang onto the boulder and leaped onto the monster's back. He drove the obsidian shard into the base of its neck. The monster howled, thrashing wildly.
"GET OFF ME!!" it snarled, its voice guttural and raw.
Status de energia semanal
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