John was desperately trying to understand the situation. But before he could even make any conjecture, he heard the sound of claws tapping on the floor.
On the other side of the room, a black dog-like creature eyed him like a slab of meat. It bared its fangs and walked to the right, looking for an opening. Its skin was slick, bulging with muscles, and without a single strand of fur.
‘A barg? What the hell, is this some prank? Who would try to make me fight these mutts?’
John tried subtly activating his internal force to prepare for combat. But to his great horror, nothing happened. Not even a flicker of power could be felt in his core.
‘W… what?! Are they restraining my essence? How?!’
His breath shortened as a chill ran down his back, urging him to be fully alert.
The barg stopped circling him and lowered its stance, prepared to attack. John got on his feet in a combat-ready stance, but he disliked his chances of survival if he was forced to fight without his essence.
He kept trying to conjure some of his strength, but still nothing happened.
‘What is this?! Work, you damn core!’
John held his arms around his neck to protect his most vulnerable spots, sensing the creature was about to approach. If nothing else, he still had his combat instincts. And he had fought these monsters in the past, so he knew how they moved.
The only thing he needed now was a decent weapon. His feet could be dangerous, but a proper kick would require some luck. Grappling that thing without the power of his essence would be fruitless, but it might at least create a stalemate.
The monster started sprinting, using all the space available to create momentum. John readied his stance, seeing this as being his only chance at a proper kick. His body pivoted, leg whipping around in a kick aimed at the beast's head. But the lack of his usual power made him slower, causing the kick only to hit its side. Not nearly enough to do proper damage.
‘Ahh, what the fuck?! I’m too weak!’
The Barg, barely slowed by the weak kick, twisted in mid-air. Slavering jaws gaped wide, promising a gruesome end.
'Shit!'
John threw himself sideways, using the momentum from his failed kick. He hit the ground hard, rolling awkwardly. The Barg's teeth snapped shut, so close John felt the rush of displaced air.
Scrambling to his feet, his mind raced. ‘Aaah, fuck! This is bad! Do I have to choke it to death? Will I even have the strength to?’
The Barg recovered quickly, locking its predatory gaze on John. It stalked forward, more cautious now but no less deadly. John backpedaled, his boots squeaking against the metal floor. His eyes darted around, seeking an advantage, an escape, anything.
The barg pounced, slower this time, but much harder to avoid. It would be harder for it to adjust at high speeds, but now it could follow John wherever he planned to dodge. He moved left, but the jaws of steel followed. He was forced to risk his arms, pushing against its neck with all his strength, avoiding the fatal fangs by a hair. Any slower and a limb would have been lost. Or worse.
'No choice!' With a roar born of desperation, John hurled himself at the Barg. He wrapped his arms around its thick neck, legs scrabbling to get a hold around its waist. The beast bucked wildly, doing everything in its power to shake him off.
John clung on, every impact threatening to dislodge him. His arms burned with exertion, sweat stinging his eyes. If his body hadn’t been in peak condition, his life would already be lost.
"God damn fucking bitch dog!" John shouted, his voice raw with effort and fear. He knew he couldn't last long like this. Without his essence, his muscles would give out long before the Barg tired.
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As if sensing his weakening grip, the Barg redoubled its efforts. It twisted and turned, each movement threatening to send John flying. He could feel his hold slipping as his palms turned sweaty.
'I can't... I can't die here!' John's mind screamed, even as his body teetered on the brink of failure. 'Not like this... not without seeing her again!'
Right then, a deep crack reverberated in his chest, bringing a sliver of the familiar essence. A sliver of hope. But this wasn’t enough to win. It only allowed him to hold on for a while longer.
‘More!’
He shouted in his mind, begging whatever had granted him this sliver for more power. The desire for survival still burned in his mind, making him tense every muscle in his control.
‘More!!’
Another deep crack, louder than last time. The stream of power was now constant, but still nowhere close to his full power.
‘Give me all you got, you fucking bastard!!!’
A resounding crash could be heard in the depths of his body, breaking the entire dam of power and bringing with it the familiar sensation of immense strength he was so used to. The energy flowed through his body, reaching his muscles and organs, greatly enhancing their durability and strength.
It rejuvenated his entire being, like jumping into a refreshing pool of water on a scorching summer day. The relief was immense as the fear of dying faded from his mind. Now, victory was all but certain.
By simply grabbing the beast’s paw with his left arm, he forced it to the ground. It scrambled to stand on its remaining legs but only managed to crawl slowly across the floor.
“You’re dead.”
The line was delivered with a calm voice, like a simple statement of fact. The barg didn’t react much, only thrashing around on the floor beneath him.
John raised his right arm and made a sharp point with his hand before forcibly jamming it through the monster’s ribs from the side. The sickening crunch of bone giving way was followed by a wet, tearing sound as his hand punctured the lung. The barg's aggressive barks transformed into pitiful, wheezing whines.
John withdrew his hand, feeling the warm blood on his skin. He watched the creature's labored breathing and felt a tinge of empathy. The monster had only followed its nature, after all. It didn't deserve a slow, agonizing death.
"Let's end this quickly," he murmured, positioning his hands around the barg's thick neck. With a controlled application of strength, he began to squeeze. The beast's struggles weakened, its eyes gradually losing focus. Within moments, it fell still.
John released his grip and stood, his chest heaving. With a slight smile, he honored the fight as he usually would after a spar or tournament battle, bowing lightly. “Good fight…”
As the adrenaline ebbed, John's attention turned to his surroundings. The stark contrast between the primal battle he'd just fought and the clinical environment around him was jarring. Sleek metal walls enclosed him, their surfaces impossibly smooth and reflective.
‘What is this place?’
He could not make sense of it. No blacksmith could create something so smooth, and it certainly didn’t look like something that formed naturally. He walked up to the closest wall and pressed against it, feeling the perfectly flat surface.
‘Well, whatever. There are bigger questions right now. Who the hell brought me here? And why?’
Even after being forced into an intense struggle for survival, John was surprised to realize he was more curious than angry. The reassuring feeling of his essence flowing through his body made him feel safe, no longer fearing for his own life.
He prepared his fist to open a hole in the wall, focusing his essence internally to strengthen his arm. But just before he was about to punch, a deep voice could be heard from all around him.
“Don’t do anything stupid, kid. Congrats on breaking through, but don’t think this is over just yet.”
John looked around him, searching for the source of the voice, but found nothing. If someone wanted him to do something, they better at least have the spheres to tell him in person.
“Kindly go break some bones, hidden man. Or better yet, come here so I can do it myself.”
“... Sure, I’ll come down there. Give me a second.”
John smiled, confident he could beat anyone who might show up in an honest fight. He would have preferred to have his greatsword ready, but he could beat most professional fighters even without it.
‘If these bastards think I’ll just play along with their games, I’ll show them who they messed with!’
He didn’t have to wait long before a wall on the other side of the room somehow spread apart to reveal a large man. He was burly like a bear, with dark hair and a thick beard. But more so than his appearance, his presence made an impression on John.
It was like meeting a great predator after only living among sheep all his life. John instinctively knew this man was dangerous. Very dangerous. John slowly backed up, preparing his battle stance.
“Oh, you realized the difference between us? Impressive,” the man said, looking at John like a trainer would a talented child. “Or is it perhaps a remnant memory? Go claim the kill now, and I’ll let you ask one question.”