There I stood, staring down the looming entrance—its ruinous form standing like a forgotten relic of another age. The door was encased by two ancient pillars draped in thick moss.
It was just there, but not just there, if you get what I mean.
If you don't, that's fine, I don't get it either...
I didn’t rush, though.
Instead, I took my time, stretching my arms to their absolute limit—like a cat soaking up the last moments of a lazy afternoon—just to see how far I could push my own body without shifting its mass around.
I took my sweet time with it—really, a solid minute of just stretching. Maybe more?
There’s a kind of freedom in that, don’t you think?
But in reality? I was probably just soaking up some ‘me time.’ A rare moment of peace, before diving back into whatever mess lay beyond those moss-covered pillars.
Just as I was finally ready, the door shifted—just a fraction—like the wind itself had nudged it open, playing with the idea of revealing what lay beyond. And then, with agonizing slowness, it parted.
What greeted me was nothing short of a waking nightmare.
Two men stumbled forward, their bodies mangled and barely holding together—like a giant had tried to crush them but somehow botched the job. Blood clung to their clothes in messy, uneven splashes, staining them like a grotesque artist’s canvas. Their skin was a map of suffering, marred with bruises that looked like dark constellations, their patterns telling a story of pain.
Their breathing—ragged, shallow, and uneven—sounded like the last flickers of a dying flame.
Whatever had done this to them… it hadn’t just wanted them dead.
It wanted them ruined!
They collapsed onto a nearby bench, their bodies sagging under the weight of pain and exhaustion. One of them was barely holding on—his arm slung weakly around the other’s neck, not out of camaraderie, but pure, desperate survival. His legs barely moved, dragging uselessly across the ground, as if his body had already given up but his soul refused to follow.
And his other arm?
There wasn’t one.
Where it should have been, there was only a gnarled, jagged stump—torn flesh and exposed bone, brutalized beyond recognition. Blood dripped in slow, sickening trails, pooling at his feet like the remnants of a life slipping away.
I let my gaze drift lazily toward them, my eyes narrowing just enough to show I’d recognized something, but not enough to show I cared. My curiosity flickered—just a little, not nearly enough to warrant a deeper thought. Looking back, I probably had some dumb, blank expression on my face at the time. But in the moment? I didn’t really care. After all, it’s only natural for moths to burn when they get too close to the mercyless flames.
I hummed—a low, absentminded "Hm?"—more out of habit than actual concern.
The men, voices trembling under the crushing weight of exhaustion, tried to push out words. "Can you... call for help?" one rasped, his gaze flickering toward his waist.
Without much thought, I nodded and slipped a hand into the wounded man’s pocket, fishing out a battered smartphone.
I still remember how to use these, huh?
A few swipes, a tap, and the emergency line hummed in response. As the call connected, my gaze drifted back to them, my voice smooth, yet dripping with carelessness.
"So… what happened to you two?"
Not a demand. Just idle curiosity, rolling off my tongue like a casual melody.
They exchanged a glance—pale faces drawn tight with exhaustion and something deeper, something closer to fear. For a moment, neither spoke. Then, with a shaky breath, one of them finally found his voice.
"The beast inside… it was merciless. We didn’t even stand a chance."
I tilted my head, feigning mild interest.
"Hm? You mean that Meteorite Wannabe? The uh… bird thingy, right?"
The man blinked at me, visibly thrown off, but he didn’t dwell on it. He was too drained, too broken for that. Instead, he simply corrected me.
"N-no… The beast is a Kerbearus. And it’s awfully active right now."
"It jumped us... and my friend over here did his best to stab the thing’s face with a knife."
I glanced around them, my eyes landing on an item, shredded beyond recognition—ripped clean in half, as if crushed between two cosmic boulders.
"It started mauling us... we barely got out alive." His voice trembled with the weight of the memory, but he pressed on, determined to describe the horror.
"It has three heads. So, three rows of teeth. Its eyes? Dark as night, and they—"
He stopped, almost shuddering, before continuing with a tone laced in dread.
"Those eyes... they didn’t just maul your flesh. They tore at your soul. And its jaws... it wasn’t just hunger. It was rage."
"Wh-what?"
Wait—did he just say something serious? He must’ve! I mean, the guy looked like he had gone ten rounds in there, not just one, and here I was, still standing, watching a grown man sobbing like some tragic character in a movie.
Definitely not a pretty sight.
But... My breath was coming in sharp, ragged gasps, like I’d just run a marathon. My eyes felt like they were about to pop out of my skull. And, yeah, I was probably drooling too. How charming.
I let out a sound—a half-moan, half-whimper, barely audible, as if my brain had just short-circuited.
"Oya? Oya-ya-ya? Money? More money! I likey money!"
The last thing I remember was those two men shooting me a disgusted look—probably because of the perverted grin plastered across my face, the kind that would make anyone question my sanity—as they were hauled into the ambulance. Honestly, it arrived faster than I expected. They also probably wanted to warn me about the beast, about how the upcoming battle could very well be life-threatening. But in that moment, I could practically feel the silent judgment radiating off them.
And, hey, I don’t blame them for it! If I were them, I’d probably think the same thing. After all, I had that shit-eating grin spread across my face, think of a psycho-yandere finally catching her prey under her crotch.
Yeah, they probably figured better than to warn me. Better being a euphemism for thinking, “The world would be a whole lot better off without freaks like this one.”
And you know what? I couldn’t agree more!
And so, I waltzed through the door, with no grace whatsoever, as if the gates of hell themselves had swung open before me—and I was the great guest of honor.
Perhaps I would cross paths with one of those TERRORDACTYLS Kai had mentioned before!
Now, you probs wonder why I was so hyped about this expedition.
You see, earlier that day, the dwarf-man actually joined us for a second round of coffee before we left. He even offered to pay, just to keep him some company.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Obviously we accepted! Second rounds of cola? Sing me in!
After I mentioned my plans to dungeon-dive, he practically lit up, warning us that some monsters are like gold mines for anyone who regularly crosses them cursed doors.
He went on and on about it—something about if it’s too expensive, go ask the bank, blah-blah-blah. But what caught my attention was the bit about monsters having cores, gems, hearts, and various organs that can be harvested and sold for a ridiculous amount of money.
Cores, especially—okay?
These pulsating jewels, alive with an eerie, unsettling energy, were the monsters’ lifeblood. They weren’t like the hearts you read about in anatomy books, but they sure did the same job. The bigger the threat, the larger and more radiant the core—each one a miniature star, humming with power. They practically radiated energy, capable of effortlessly powering entire mansions for years on end, just with a single surge.
"Solar panels—who?" I couldn’t help the sadistic grin that tugged at my lips. The thought of depending on something as mundane as sunlight felt downright laughable in the face of such living, breathing batteries.
Now, let’s circle back to our soon-to-be friend, yeah?
The Kerbearus, as the name kind of suggests—Ker-bear-us—is basically a three-headed bear.
"Wow, so original Mr.Author..."
Anyway, these grotesque abominations look like that because they failed to master the art of magical shaping.
The result?
An uninspired chimera that’s as ugly as it is dangerous, with one head sitting where it should—right in the middle—and then two extra, grotesque heads jutting out from each shoulder.
The space around me seemed to dissolve, nauseatingly, if I’m being honest.
The once-blue skies began to shimmer, becoming oddly transparent, like someone had done a shoddy job of editing the scene—revealing the vast expanse of the cosmos beyond, with its glittering stars. The air felt sharp, crisp, tinged with the sickly sweet scent of ozone and decay. The vastness seemed to stretch on forever, an abyss eager to swallow everything in sight.
But it wasn’t the sky that drew my focus—it was the grotesque scene unfolding before me, pulling my attention with a sickening inevitability.
The beast we were just talking about? It was devouring with a savage hunger. Its gnarled claws dug into the torso of a fallen man, ripping through flesh with each sickening tear. The stench of fresh blood hung heavy in the air, sharp and metallic. The beast's feral growls filled the silence, completely drowning out the faint whisper of the wind in the distance.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/GY6iLOV.jpeg]
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I watched in quiet detachment, the brutal scene settling into mine mind like a dark stain.
"So, those two guys were actually a party of three, huh?" I murmured, my voice barely more than a breath. There was no anger in my words, just a cold, clinical curiosity—like a passive observer watching the inevitable unfold. Why would I be angry? Or in any rush? Neither would bring the dead back, after all.
But no rush doesn’t mean inactivity. After confirming I was as ready as I could be—or whatever that feeling’s called—I blitzed forward, soundless, beneath the abomination’s gaping maw. My movements were sharp, fast, like a shadow slicing through the air.
I kept my hands in mine pockets. I needed to look as cool as possible, like a superstar, y'know?
With a sudden, explosive motion, I slammed my forehead into the creature's chin. The sickening crack of its jaw echoed like a thunderclap, and the sheer force sent the beast flying for a hefty, suspended moment. It hung in the air, like a ragdoll caught in a cruel wind.
After a full minute a brutal thud reached the ground, the beast slammed back to the earth, landing on its back with a resonant crack that split the silence. It let out a roar—a shrill, horrific sound that tore through the air, so powerful and ear-piercing that it would effortlessly rival the roar of the limousine-lizards of the outside world.
The beast shook itself off and rose back to its feet, snarling.
"Cool, cool. Guess we’re fightin'this."
I raised my hands, reshaping them into my beloved blades, never breaking eye contact with the beast. That shit-eating grin came back, as if it were permanently etched on my face. I was pretty sure the sun was shining way too intensely off mine teeth, mocking me with every flash.
That didn’t matter. I blitzed forward, like one of those cool samurais who are just too damn good for their world. In a blink, I was behind the beast. I was fast—a little too fast, actually. It all happened in less than -2.31e74 seconds. Even I didn’t have time to process it, lol.
I slowly turned around, smug as hell, pride practically radiating off me. The beast, still standing there, turned its head to me—confused. I swear I could almost see a question mark hovering over its dumb skull. Maybe I was losing it.
As for the damage? Did I miss? I had been so sure of that strike.
But then... swoooosh.
The head on its left shoulder slid clean off.
"About damn time!" I yelled, frustration bubbling up at the lack of any immediate reaction from reality itself.
Seriously, I thought I missed!
The beast screamed again, a howl that I don’t need to explain—you already know the kind of screech these things make before they try to run off.
Well, attempt to run off, I should say.
I didn’t even give it my full speed, so it had no chance.
To my surprise, though, the beast gave up on standing on two legs. Instead of running, it dropped to all fours and launched itself at me with zero hesitation.
Head-first, no less, or should I say heads-first, heh.
Okay.
Easy dodge for me, but I was surprised, nonetheless. After a solid smack and a perfectly timed slash, the damn thing still wanted to keep going.
Next, I elongated my fingers, shifting weight from my insides into long, thin, mega-sharp tentacles. Hell yeah, I was wielding some crazy-ass whips now. I swung one around, trying to look all intimidating—but instead, I accidentally sliced the surrounding flora into so many cubes that it basically turned to dust.
Ooopsie...
The beast stared at me, almost as if it facepalmed.
Embarrassment swallowed me whole, and I couldn't hold back: "You're about to fucking die, and you have guts to facepalm at my accident!? How arrogant! H-How... RUDE!"
So, naturally, I took out the other head.
I pulled some of my mass back from the tentacles, shifting them into tendrils instead. From my elbows, blades extended, and even a shark fin emerged from my back—going all-out to drill some fear into this creature’s bones.
I won’t stop until I teach it fear.
But, of course, the beast had to mock me.
How? It prepared for another fucking attack. I shit you not.
There I was, sitting there like some half-god abomination, a being capable of eradicating entire universes (okay, unwillingly, but still)—and I’m being reduced to a joke by a brain-dead monster that clearly had negative IQ!
I started cycling through every weapon in my arsenal: swords, wings, bigger swords, jagged wings, tentacles, an array of swords, claws, fangs, ginormous swords, and even a near-full-on devil transformation complete with tendrils. The options were practically endless!
More s-sw-swords... You know, maybe I should ease up on the whole sword obsession...
But even after unveiling my full arsenal, the beast just stood there, silently, like it was some sort of spectator to my chaotic performance.
I bet that if it had tea and biscuits, it would just sit back and watch me like I was some kind of movie!
After the tea party was over, I decided to call it quits and take my reward. Honestly, I was getting tired of the whole thing. I had better plans—like checking out the Golem's ruin. If it was still there, I could grab the half-broken core.
Sure, it wouldn't fetch full price, but hey, "L'argent c'est de l'argent" after all!
Don’t ask...
I just came up with that.
It’s a totally fictional language, by the way.
Don’t go looking for a translation!
It doesn’t exist!!!
And if you do try to, I’ll just gaslight everyone into thinking it’s all made up.
You’re welcome in advance!
So, I found myself back at square one: the moon swords. One side was sharp, the other straight. But it was that mysterious, celestial vibe that really got me—like it was silently screaming, "I’m cooler than I look."
The beast felt the shift in the air, its time running out. Finally, it tried to flee—some reaction at last! But it wasn’t fear; it was more like panic or hurry. I sent out a tendril to snag its leg, sending the creature crashing to the ground, its jaw slamming into the earth with a sickening thud.
“Here, money-money-money,” I chanted, as if calling a stray cat or casting the greatest magic spell known to humankind—ever!
The game was over anyway.
It didn’t want to give me what I wanted, so I’d stop playing and move on to the next target. Simple, right?
The creature jabbed a claw into the ground, making a final attempt to escape. It ripped a chunk of stone from the boulder it had landed on, throwing it at me like a guided missile. For a split second, I was caught off guard, my eyes widening in surprise. But there was no fear—just curiosity. Had the creature actually managed to get a strategy together? Weird, but… it worked?
Naturally, I didn’t dodge. I took the boulder head-on.
My head was blasted off with a brutal force, like an explosion detonating from inside my mouth. A clean strike that would’ve been the end for any normal adversary.
But I’m not normal.
My form shifted and writhed, mine body regenerating in a grotesque display of raw power. The missing head reappeared, emerging from the abyss as though it had never been severed. Not even a flinch, no acknowledgment of the attack. Just that same twisted smile curling back onto my lips.
I never lifted my eyes from the creature, unblinking—like a yandere getting back with her girlfriend. Again, don’t ask…
Just barely audible, my voice slipped out, carrying an eerie sense of inevitability. "Money, money, money..." The chant came from my lips like a dangerous lullaby, each word thick with an unsettling calm. It hung in the air, oppressive and foreboding, until it was finally over.
I slid mine sword within its neck to put an end to that shitty one-sided play—the one side was on the beast's part as it refused to showcase any proper emotion TO THE VERY GOD-DAMNED END!
The butchering was swift and merciless. My hands moved with chilling precision, the giant blades slicing through the creature’s flesh as though it were little more than paper. Blood sprayed, painting the air and the ground in violent strokes, but I remained unbothered. I was methodical, disassembling the beast with a terrifying calm—each incision an act of calculated dissection. The creature’s body spasmed with every brutal strike, but its soul had long since abandoned, leaving only a hollow shell to be abused.
Finally, after tearing through layers of muscle and sinew, my fingers brushed against something solid—a lump, something more than mere organ or bone. I paused, mine molten eyes narrowing with an almost predatory curiosity. With an eerie, tender touch, I wrapped the heart-shaped gem in a blanket of liquid darkness.
With a sickening snap, I wrenched it from the creature’s chest, the fleshy remnants spilling as the jewel was freed from its prison.
I inspected the gem carefully, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips—a genuine flash of amusement in the twisted calmness.
"MONEY!"