1.05
Breathe, breathe, breathe. That was all Jack could think as he stared at the creature in front of him—a twisted mockery of everything natural. It was a centaur, or what used to be one, now reduced to an abomination. Thin, leathery flesh was stretched tightly across its skeletal frame, clinging unnervingly to the bones underneath. The upper half still vaguely resembled a man, but its arms had warped into grotesque, its handheld an 8 ft long bone scyth that radiated death. The skull was a malformed amalgamation of human and ram features meshed together in a way that was disturbingly wrong as if someone had tried to combine them and failed horribly.
Its body stretched to a disturbing eight feet in length, patches of tattered skin hanging loose and exposing cracked, darkened bones underneath. At the rear of the creature, a scorpion-like tail composed of bone and ragged flesh twisted menacingly behind it. The tail ended in a vicious point, with jagged bone protrusions sticking out, each one gleaming a sickly, clean bone white in the dim light. The creature oozed an aura of pure dread, pressing heavily against Jack’s iron will, causing fractures to form in his mental defenses.
But the true terror lay in its eyes—if they could even be called that. The creature’s eye sockets burned with red flames that flickered with an unending amount of pain, suffering, and rage. It wasn’t just undead; it was still alive in some twisted sense, its soul trapped within the confines of its grotesque body for God knew how long. The torment reflected in those burning eyes spoke of an agony that transcended death, a rage that had festered and grown over time.
Jack knew Everon had created this dungeon and all its inhabitants, but he had never truly grasped the magnitude of what she had done until now. This creature was a testament to her power—and her cruelty. As the beast snarled at Jack, the sound was a guttural, unnatural screech, like metal scraping against bone. Without a second of hesitation, it lunged forward, moving with a speed that belied its monstrous form, leaving Jack no time to process the horror that was about to be unleashed upon him.
Jack rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the creature's attack. He scrambled to his feet, his breath ragged as he gripped his spear tightly. The beast, a monstrous abomination, turned sharply, its massive form shifting with a fluid, terrifying speed. It shook its head, causing the bones in its neck to crack.
Jack pivoted to the right, dodging the charge along with the deadly swing of its scythe. Jack thought rapidly. Just as he was about to activate his skill to counterattack, his shield suddenly expanded, catching the blow from the creature's tail with seconds to spare. The impact shook Jack's arm, causing pain that spiked straight up his shoulder. Jack heard a sharp pop in his shoulder, signaling that something had gone terribly wrong. Pain seared through his body as he was thrown backward, barely managing to stay on his feet as the next attack came.
The chimera's tail lashed out again, striking with blinding speed. Jack barely had his shield up in time, the force of the blow sending waves of agony through his already injured shoulder. His shoulder screamed in protest. Revealing a flaw in the [Quick Block]. Itincreaed his reaction time , but it didn’t account for will being when doing so. He gritted his teeth, feeling a crack in one of his molars. The monster rushed past, giving him a fleeting moment to catch his breath. His arm hung uselessly at his side, likely fractured, but he forced it up, pushing through the pain. If he lost his defense now, he knew he would surely die. Jack doubted whether his healing potion could mend such severe damage.
Before he could even consider taking the potion, the chimera was upon him again. Abandoning its charging attacks, it moved in close, swinging its massive scythe with terrifying speed and ferocity. The blade aimed directly for his head, intent on ending him. Jack raised his shield, blocking blow after blow, each strike reverberating through his body like a hammer on an anvil. The relentless barrage felt like it lasted for hours, each impact sending bone-jarring pain coursing through his shoulder.
Under the barrage of assault, Jack stumbled back, his legs giving way as he fell hard onto his ass. Desperately, he kept blocking, but the scythe found its mark, slashing down on his shield, weakened by the repeated blows. The mechanism gave at the final blow, forcing it to retract back into his bracer. Jack stared up at the chimera, terror clawing at his heart as the cold certainty of death loomed over him. The last remnants of his [Iron Will] skill shattered under the weight of his fear, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.
The chimera was relentless. With its scythe raised high, it brought the blade down with a force meant to end him. Jack rolled, barely escaping the killing blow, but the scythe caught his back and cut deep into his skin like a knife through butter. Blood flowed out like a river soaking through his clothes and pooling on the ground beneath him. The agony was beyond anything he’d ever felt, and each cut a new wave of excruciating pain.
Images from his past flashed before his eyes: his first time riding a bike, his first girlfriend, his first kiss, and deep memories that marked the changes in his life caused tears to flow from his eyes. Each significant event flickered through his mind. His life, his struggles, everything was about to end in a brutal death.
The chimera raised its scythe high again, the blade gleaming wickedly in the dim light, ready to descend and end it all. Jack’s breath came in shallow, panicked gasps, his mind a whirlwind of fear, regret, pain, and anger at his situation. His body trembled, and tears welled in his eyes as he braced for the inevitable.
n that final, desperate moment, as the blade began its deadly descent, Jack's mind raced, clinging to a faint, nearly lost idea—an attempt to save his life. Fear threatened to consume him, but beneath it all was a stubborn refusal to surrender. Jack snarled, rage filling his heart as the sheer terror of his situation clawed at him. He screamed, releasing every emotion pent up inside him. He felt something bubbling up from deep within. He hated his own weakness, his powerlessness, his pathetic state. The desperation to survive, to have the power he needed to live, overwhelmed him. All these emotions resonated with one of his skills, making it shine and finally activating.
Jack unleashed his [Eldritch Echo]. The very air around him seemed to tremble, the ground beneath him shaking as a black vicious energy with crimson lightning sparking and crackling like a storm erupted from his body. The force of it was overwhelming, violently shoving the skeleton back. Jack felt his body strain under the immense pressure. With great effort, he forced himself to stand, using his spear as a crutch to prop himself up. The aura around him raged uncontrollably,
His eyes locked onto the creature before him, which was being relentlessly pushed back by the expanding storm of energy as some of its flesh being burned away, and the dark energy connecting it began to flicker in spots. But even as the creature faltered, Jack knew he was in danger. His teeth ground together as he tried to restrain the power, to at least slow the mount that leaked out of him. But it was like trying to dam a raging river with nothing but sticks. Useless.
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The energy surged out of him with a force that was beyond his control, ripping through his body and mind with reckless abandon. Jack dropped to one knee, his strength waning under the relentless pressure and the pain from his wounds only adding to it. He tore a potion from his pouch and chugged it down. The vile liquid churned his stomach as it slid down. And he immediately felt a sickening relief. A strange crunching sound rang in his ears as his broken bones began to knit themselves back together, his wounds sealing with agonizing slowness. But the pain was nothing compared to the crushing weight of the aura that continued to rampage around him.
The black energy, laced with streaks of crimson lightning, lashed out in every direction, carving deep gouges into the ground and flinging debris into the air. Jack could feel the destructive force threatening to tear him apart from the inside out. The power surged through Jack's mind and soul. He felt the rage and darkness try to consume him, fighting it off over and over again. Each time it brought a fresh wave of pain throughout his body, like being electrocuted over and over again. He tried to focus, to find some way to contain the power, but every method crumbled under the sheer magnitude of the energy
As the seconds ticked by, Jack began to falter. He dropped to both knees, his vision blurring as the relentless force drained the last vestiges of his strength. He was spared death from the monster only to face it now, brought to the brink by his own uncontrollable power. But with every attempt, the aura did not stop remaining wild and destructive. The crimson lightning struck out in random, violent bursts, charring everything it touched, while the black energy threatened to devour him whole. Jack’s breath came in ragged gasps, his body trembling as he realized that if he didn’t find a way to control this soon, he would be torn apart by his own power.
He had escaped the monster’s clutches, only to face death at his own hands, trapped in the deadly embrace of his own uncontrollable power
"Oh, you poor, poor boy. I see you’re developing quite the naughty habit of reaching for more than you can handle. Let me help you with that.” a soft and menacing voice spoke.
The aura around him froze and slowly started to poor back to him. As it did a searing pain coiled up Jack's arm, carving a serpent into his flesh. The serpent’s head appeared on his forearm, its red eyes blazing, while black scales and crimson runes twisted up to his shoulder. As the pain faded, the tattoo settled, a symbol of raw power ready to be unleashed.
Jack felt a wave of relief as the pain subsided, and he stood up, gripping his spear tightly. The Chimera stared at him, its scythe-like arms poised and ready. Jack was under no delusion of grandeur—he had nearly died the last time he faced this beast. He knew now that he wasn’t ready then, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake. His shield was disabled, and he’d have to rely solely on his weapon. He channeled the serpent’s energy into the spear, watching as it glowed with a sinister black and red aura at the tip. Grimacing, he readied himself. Man and monster locked eyes, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
The tension was palpable, each second stretching into eternity. Suddenly, the beast charged, its scythe raised and ready to strike. Jack held his ground until the last possible moment, then sidestepped the deadly swing, feeling the rush of wind as it narrowly missed him. In a swift counter, Jack thrust his spear toward the Chimera’s scorpion tail. The spear met the stinger head-on, and the black energy surrounding the blade clashed violently with the creature’s dark aura. Sparks flew as the energies battled for dominance, neither giving ground. The clash was brutal, but quick, as the Chimera sped past, preparing for another assault.
This time, Jack took the initiative, rushing at the beast. As its scythe swung for his head, he dropped to his knees, sliding forward with precision. Time seemed to slow as he activated [Precision Strike], focusing every ounce of his energy on the point where the tail connected to the body. Just as he closed in, he launched his attack, channeling as much power as he could into the spear’s tip. The impact was explosive, shattering the dark energy holding the tail to the Chimera’s body, causing it to fall inert to the ground.
Jack staggered to his feet, just as the beast whipped around for another pass. This time, he was too off-balance to dodge, but his instincts took over. Gripping the spear with both hands, he slammed the middle of the shaft against the Chimera’s blade-like arm. The spear made a high-pitched, keening sound as it splintered in two, and Jack was thrown backward from the force. Somehow, he still held both halves of the spear in his hands, but the beast was closing in, fast. He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline surging through his veins, and bolted toward the nearest wall. The Chimera’s pounding hooves were deafening, growing louder as it picked up speed.
Jack didn’t dare look back. When he was less than ten feet from the wall, he dove to the left. The Chimera’s hooves clipped his left foot, sending a sharp, agonizing pain shooting up his leg as the beast crashed headlong into the wall. Jack screamed, but he didn’t stop moving. He scrambled to his feet, using the wall to brace himself. The creature didn’t fall as he’d hoped, but it was dazed, stumbling around in a confused rage.
Ignoring the pain in his leg, Jack moved with all the speed he could muster. He ran toward the wall and used it as a springboard, launching himself onto the Chimera’s back. The moment it felt his weight, the beast went wild, bucking and thrashing in a desperate attempt to throw him off. The scythe flailed dangerously, slicing through the air just inches from Jack’s head. It was like riding a bull from hell, but Jack held on, his grip tight on the Chimera’s ribcage.
With a final surge of strength, Jack drew from his desire to live and win. he forced all his remaining energy into the broken shaft of his spear. He raised it high and drove it down with all his might, piercing the Chimera’s skull, The wooden shaft shattered. The creature went completely still. Its body crumbled to pieces beneath him, leaving Jack sprawled on the ground, utterly spent. Exhaustion weighed heavy on his mind, but before darkness claimed him, he raised a fist in victory. Then, he passed out, the battle finally over.
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Everon stepped out of her realm, floating above the boy—no, the man—named Jack, a smile slowly growing on her lips. There had been plenty of moments when she thought he would die, yet now, more than ever, she was assured of her choice. The Chimera Skeleton, a failed creation from her early days as a witch, was the perfect test. Her master had always taught her to save everything she could, as she never knew when it might come in handy. And indeed, it had, serving as a formidable floor guardian to challenge Jack.
The Chimera was a peak bronze-ranked monster, though its failure lay in the fact that none of its runes worked. She could have easily fixed that now, but why bother? She wanted to test him, not kill him. She stared down at the man. He looked young, with a sharp, viper-like face, dark ocean-blue eyes, scruffy black hair, and a several-days-old beard. Small cuts marked his skin, scars left behind from when he had used a healing potion. She shook her head at him; by mortal standards, he might be considered handsome, but she wasn’t particularly impressed.
Her gaze shifted to the far wall, and with a slight beckon of her hand, a black gem slowly emerged from a concealed space and floated towards her. The gem radiated an aura of darkness and mystery, shining with an insatiable power—it was her soul. Everon guided the gem to the man’s head and allowed it to slowly merge with him. He was her escape, and while she had crafted the contract to favor him, she left no room for his escape.
A smile spread across her face as she began to laugh, then cackle, the sound echoing with a dark, menacing undertone. She was finally going to be free. The world had no idea what was coming. This time, she hoped it was ready for her return.