Mia clung to the narrow ledge above, her heart pounding in her chest. The relentless swarm of centipedes writhed below, their grotesque bodies forming a grotesque mass, and their hissing filled the air. Desperation surged through her, her mind racing for a way to escape this deadly trap. She was stuck there for what felt like hours, but it seemed her friends found her. First they tried to distract the monsters but it didn’t work.
Then, she saw it. Frank, with a manic glint in his eyes, emerged from the building and lobbed a stone with the Dazzling Rune towards the swarm. The rune burst into a brilliant, disorienting flash of light. The centipedes turned their attention away from Mia, and while Frank held their attention he cut his arm. The fresh blood made the monsters give chase.
With Frank playing the bait, Mia knew this was her chance to escape. She inched her way along the ledge, every movement careful and calculated. The risk was immense, but she couldn't afford to wait. Her fingers ached from clinging to the ledge, and her heart threatened to explode in her chest.
Once on solid ground, Mia looked the way Frank escaped. Hope surged through her. With any luck, she might rejoin her friends and escape this nightmare once and for all. She made a terrible mistake leaving alone and now there was a chance that everything would be fine. They probably set a trap, she should follow them carefully and see if she could help them.
She made good time going back the way she came before, she powered through the pain in her leg. It felt like eternity even though she knew it was only a couple hours ago. Following the swarm was easy even without her Tracking ability it left a clear trail. What her ability was useful for was that she knew the monsters were moving fast and none of them split from the main group.
While nearing a crossroad where the swarm took a turn she heard a loud boom and the ground trembled under her feet, was it an earthquake? What was going on? Curious, she turned the corner and saw a dust cloud expanding from a building that was just brought down. Mia smiled. She had some truly insane friends if they were collapsing buildings for her. A thought struck her then, did Frank make it or was he crushed with the Abominations.
She moved as quickly as her leg allowed her and closed in on the building. Then she stopped right in her tracks, some of the centipedes survived and while they were still under the shadow the the building they already noticed her. The closest centipede released its gurgling roar and charged her.
Mia was struck with a wave of despair. How could she be so dumb? She followed the swarm like an idiot and threw all her friends' work away, and she was about to pay the ultimate price for her mistake. She heard Hector screaming something but she just braced with her spear, determined to face her death fighting.
Then another explosion sounded and the building before her fell in slow motion. Next thing she knew was that her world shrunk as she was swallowed by dust. It was hard to see, inside a dark blizzard of fine particles of sand. Suddenly a centipede appeared out of the cloud and charged her.
The frenzied monster used all its strength to rush forward, acting on pure reflex Mia managed to sidestep the charge and pierce the side of the monster's head with her spear. The stinger at the tip of her spear went right through the armor and struck the creature's brain. The abomination fell like a puppet with its strings cut, and not even a single one of its legs continued to twitch.
Before Mia could take a relieved breath another centipede rushed from the gloom. All that she could do was pull her spear out of the first monster's head and turn toward the new threat. Just as she finished rotating the Abomination crushed into her.
Mia’s world shrunk again in a span of a minute. It was now noth but condensed pain, as a white-hot fire that engulfed her legs. The agony washed over her like a tidal wave, crashing into her body and shutting down all her other senses. The moment the centipede rammed her it was like her femurs had become thin twigs that snapped under the weight of an avalanche.
Her screams loud and uncontrolled pierced the air but Mia herself could not hear them. Every gasp for air was a battle, her breath shallow as she tried to control herself. She had no idea how much time had passed until she could see again, but when her brain was again able to process signals coming from her eyes she saw how incredibly lucky she had been. Her legs were shattered, but in its rush the centipede impaled itself on her spear. Its dead body was now half a meter from her, the spear coming in through its mouth with the tip piercing right through the back of its head.
To Mia’s horror she heard the skittering of legs again, this time the Abomination came in slow, as if wary because of what happened to the other monsters. She watched as the nightmarish shape slowly became clearer with each step it took towards her. Mia’s mind was a whirlwind of pain and fear, she tried to push herself away from the monsters but dragging her broken legs sent jolts of suffering rippling through her. She screamed again, the primal scream of a cornered and wounded animal.
The Abomination was just meters away from her, she could see every detail of the monster now. Her eyes focused on all the sharp teeth it had in its mouth. She knew exactly how sharp they were as she used them to make Frank’s daggers. The thought of what they could do to her was too much to bear.
She lay there, vulnerable and broken, her legs shattered hoping she would die quickly. Her consciousness flickered and the next thing she knew a dark shadow flashed before the monster. The centipede rose and tried to roar but it only made a gurgling sound as a long gash exploded with blood on its throat. It still managed a couple of steps towards Mia but Frank appeared again burying his daggers in the monsters eyes sockets. It fell down with a loud thud.
“Another one bites the…” Frank turned towards her and his quip died on his lips. “What happened to you?” Frank kneeled next to Mia. “Shit, we need Diana!” He looked around but the dust cloud was still around and obfuscating everything. Then, without warning, yet another monster lunged out of the shadows, its sharp fangs seeking Frank's flesh.
Mia's heart pounded in her chest as she screamed a warning, but it was too late. The centipede struck Frank. As he tried to fend off the centipede, his face twisted with shock and pain. He fought with every ounce of his being, but it was a futile struggle. The creature's had the upper hand.
Then something broke. Something snapped.
His eyes, once filled with laughter, grew empty. The pain seemed to unravel something within him, and for an instant, he became a man dancing on the precipice of the abyss. He started cackling. It was a bone chilling sound that should not come from a human being. The surge of madness seemed to imbue Frank with a supernatural strength, a primal force that ignored his usual limits. With a manic laughter, he lunged at the centipede, his strikes fueled by pure insanity. His movements were jerky but precise, each strike finding its mark with deadly accuracy.
Mia could only watch in awe and horror as Frank dispatched the first centipede with a series of brutal blows. As Frank pulled his dagger from the monster's skull, two more joined the fray. His frenzy carried him towards the other two monsters in a single leap. He never stopped laughing, not even for a moment.
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Mia caught a glimpse of his face and it horrified her. His mouth was spread in an unhinged grin that didn’t reach his empty eyes. Blood was flowing down his face from a wound on his forehead, which made his expression even more otherworldly.
Mia watched in disbelief as her friend faced impossible odds and was winning.
Frank's movements were frantic and unpredictable, each slash, thrust, and parry driven by sheer insanity. He didn't seem to feel the pain from his injuries; instead, every time he was hit his inhuman laughter got louder. His twin daggers whirled through the air like a blur, striking out at the creatures. Sometimes it looked like he was playing with the Abominations, his dodges close enough that the monster claws tore his clothes but didn't reach his body.
With each attack, Frank's cackle grew more fevered, as if the chaos and pain around him fed his madness. The centipedes, for all their monstrous speed, couldn't keep up with the rogue's wild and unpredictable fighting style. Finally he seemed to tire of the Abominations, he slashed vertically at one of the centipedes underbelliy, cutting deep. Then he twirled his dagger in the air, grabbed it by the blade and threw it at the second monster. It struck it straight in the eye.
Both creatures fell before him, their bodies punctured and torn after the storm of violence he unleashed upon them. He kept stabbing and cackling even after the monsters were dead. The discordant notes of his laughter made Mia realize that she was witnessing something terrifying within Frank, a glimpse of a darkness that dwelled deep within his soul.
As the dust settled and the last of the centipedes lay defeated, Frank's laughter started slowing down, as did his movements. Mia watched as Frank's hand kept thrusting the dagger she made into the same monster over and over, slower with every repetition. Finally the grotesque show stopped and Frank stood up, panting heavily, his eyes still empty with the remnants of madness. The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat, and Mia found herself staring at Frank in disbelief, her mind struggling to comprehend the ferocity with which he had just fought.
With the same grin still on his face Frank turned towards her.
He took a couple of steps and readied his daggers, but then suddenly stopped. Frank looked down at his hands, his fingers slick with the centipedes' ichor, his chest heaving with exertion. For a moment, he seemed to be searching for something, as if trying to make sense of what he was doing. Light came back to his eyes as he quickly approached her.
"You're going to be okay," he said, "We're going to get you out of here. I promise."
Mia could only nod weakly, her body racked with pain. She had witnessed the depths of his madness, and it has left her shaken.
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After Hector ran off and Diana triggered the last rune she rushed after Hector. The scream she heard had her worried. On the way she checked her gains.
YOUR SKILL EXPLOSIVE RUNE REACHED LEVEL 6 !
YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 3.
YOU HAVE 5 UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS.
YOUR SKILLS NOW CAN REACH THE CAP OF 9.
YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 4.
YOU HAVE 10 UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS.
YOUR SKILLS NOW CAN REACH THE CAP OF 10.
Diana's pulse pounded in her ears, as she raced toward where she heard Hector. Fear grabbed her gut, constricting her like a vice with every thought of what she might find. Her mind conjured nightmarish images of Hector's suffering, each vision more horrifying than the last.
As she turned the final corner, her racing heart was about to burst out of her chest. The sight that awaited her was nothing short of terrifying. Hector, her friend, lay sprawled upon the floor. His features contorted in agony, pain etched deep into the lines of his face. Yet it was not his expression that tore at Diana's heart; it was the absence of his left hand, the raw and bloody stump where it should have been.
Diana's mind reeled in disbelief as she took in the gruesome scene, the shock of it like a numbing cold that stopped her right in place. Finally she willed herself to action. Time seemed to lose meaning as she knelt beside her fallen comrade, her hands trembling.
Diana used Identify on Hector.
HP:20/140 (HEAVY BLEEDING -15 HP/MIN, CONCUSSED, 30 RESERVED)
She quickly dumped all her attribute points into intelligence to make her spells more powerful. Then she cast one Healing Rune after another on Hector until her mana ran out. The wound on his arm started to close but it kept bleeding. Then she tried to identify him again.
HP:5/140 ( LIGHT BLEEDING -5 HP/MIN, CONCUSSED, 30 RESERVED)
Her healing magic was not enough. With trembling fingers shen lightly brushed his face as she whispered his name. His eyelids fluttered, heavy with pain and shock, and he let out a weak, guttural groan.
"Diana," he managed to croak "Is Mia … and Frank … safe?."
Diana's heart ached as she looked into Hector's eyes. She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "They're safe," she whispered. "But Hector, I'm so sorry. I can't... I can't heal this."
Tears streamed down her face, and she couldn't help but feel utterly helpless in that moment. Hector, their strong and reassuring presence, was now in need, and there was so little she could do to help. Hector closed his eyes.
Then an idea struck her.m “Hector! Hector, did you level up? Tell me you did! “Diana shouted, hope raising in her chest.
“Wha.. What?” Hector was half conscious from the pain and blood loss.
“Increase your strength!” Diana said as she lifted his right hand, balling it into a fist. However she only saw confusion on Hector's face. “Use the attribute points or you will die!” She shouted in desperation.
Understanding glinted in Hector's eyes as he focused them on his character sheet. Diana saw his numbers go up. Hector closed his eyes and fell unconscious again.
HP:50/190 ( LIGHT BLEEDING -5 HP/MIN, CONCUSSED, 30 RESERVED)
Diana fell on top of Hector, hugging him, and let an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her. She had been on the brink of despair, watching her friend teeter on the edge of death, and now she was crying her eyes out because he was alive.
She cast her spells as soon as she had the mana until Hector stopped bleeding. She saw Hector's eyes flicker open, the hint of a weak smile crossed his lips, and it felt like a small miracle. The weight that had settled in her chest began to lift, and her racing heart slowed.
“Diana? What happened?” Hector said in confusion.
Diana's tears mixed with laughter as she held onto Hector. "You scared the living shit out of me," she admitted, her voice trembling.
Hector blinked and looked around. Then realization dawned on his face. "I remember... the explosion, the pain." He looked down at his missing hand, his face contorting with anguish. "My hand... "
Diana just nodded, words failing her, tears still flowing.
Hector let out a shaky breath. "Mia... Frank... Are they okay?"
Diana hesitated for a moment. "I don't know, I rushed here to save you." She swallowed hard, her voice filled with concern. "Can you walk?"
As Hector struggled to sit up, Diana helped him, keeping a watchful eye on her friend. Despite the overwhelming relief that Hector was alive, this wasn’t over yet.