As Alex took a step forward he couldn't help but cursed out as he forgot to bring a flashlight cause it was pretty dark despite in the corridor.

At the same time, he wondered if he could bring the octopus outside. So grabbing the octopus with his free hand he thought about going back. Inside his bedroom, a person suddenly appeared. If somebody else saw this they would find it strange.

Alex glanced at the now empty hand for which he had been holding the octopus. 'I can't do that huh?'

But he felt like it was not that simple, nevertheless it was a problem for another day as he search for a flashlight and he also decided to bring a baseball bat to which he made a strap so he could put it on his back.

After that, he returned to his unsafe base, grabbed the octopus, and with the flashlight on, proceeded to explore the area.

There were several corridors connected to the main area, before going to the last corridor where he assumed the monster lay, he planned to explore the other corridors to be safe.

The octopus already brief him on what lies ahead of each corridor, except the fourth corridor at the right, the others... lead to nothing.. and by nothing, it means literally nothing. Because the corridor wasn't long, he reach the end of it and saw a wall of complete darkness. Alex knew it wasn't a simple wall of darkness. The octopus said that anything that goes there, will become nothing, no matter what being you are or what material is there, it will become nothing once it goes there. After exploring the first corridor Alex moved on to the next one.

The entire space is shaped like a spider with a hallway in the middle and with 4 corridors on each side. Because the space wasn't huge, he immediately explored all six corridors. The only one left is the corridor on the left and... the one where the monster lay.

Along the way because of tension and anxiety, Alex's back was drenched with sweat. He wanted to check the left corridor first but when he took a glance at the right corridor... there he saw it.

Immediately he hid between the rocks as he took a breath. At the same time, he started to berate himself for his stupidity for taking this monster with only 5 bullets. Who knows if bullets or physical objects can even hurt it anyway? But he could only blame his irrational, ferocious side.

The octopus wiggled its tentacles and relayed its intention to him.

"I see.. so it's guarding something.. whatever it is.. it might be useful" Thinking of the few gifts that mysterious existence said... he got a premonition that this was probably one of them.

Then he leaned slightly planning to take a peek at it, because there were many luminous mushrooms in the corridor he could see its appearance... 'God, its sure is ugly' he joked trying to calm himself.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The distance between them was probably about 15 meters. He wasn't confident in his marksmanship but he sure as hell wasn't going to get closer to that thing. Disengaging the safety he prepared his mind, he took a deep breath..... then...

He turned around stepping sideward, pointed his gun at the creature, and.. pulled the trigger!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Alex pulled the trigger continuously regardless if he didn't hit or not. Because the creature have been living here alone, it completely let down its guard, and it was only at the fourth shot that it realized there was an enemy.

Screeeccchhh!!! It screeches in pain and anger. As a bullet hit it. It charged forward instantly filled with madness hoping to kill Alex.

Alex with its last bullet saw the incoming creature. Panic washed over him but it was instantly devoured by his ferocious nature. Fast thoughts instantly came to him, whether to run or to shoot the last bullet hoping he could kill it.

In an instant, he choose what to do.

"BRING IT ON!" He stood his ground and waited for the perfect timing, and when the creature was only 2 meters in front of him, He pulled the trigger. The bullet spun through the air as it hit the creature's head, it crashed down by his left and slid, dragged by its forward momentum.

Alex breathed heavily because of the adrenaline. And he stumbled and fell by the side because of it. He saw the creature's dead body. looking at it now, it wasn't as big as he thought, but just as he was about to relax, the octopus warned him!

One of the creature's sharp insect-like legs suddenly stab Alex's legs that were close to it.

"ARGH!" Alex screamed in pain as the creature tried to stand up. Alex immediately kick its legs away from him as he hurriedly stood himself up as well.

Having no bullets longer, he threw his gun away as he grabbed the bat on his back.

Alex, angered by the pain, smashes the bat at the creature with all his might. The creature never had the chance to stand up again. Not sure if it was dead or not, Alex just keep on smashing the creature again and again until it turned into a mush of flesh.

"Haah. Hah" Panting.. Alex distanced himself from the creature and laid down even though he already got confirmation from the octopus that it was dead.

He stared at his bleeding right leg. Although it only grazed it, the sharpness of the insect leg was unbelievable and now there's is about a 3cm open wound on the side of his like.

The octopus wiggled its tentacles in panic, worried.

"It's fine. I'm not gonna die" Alex calmed it down, ripped a part of his shirt, and bandaged it to his bleeding leg.

After doing that he rested for a couple of minutes, the bleeding stooped a bit so stood up. He actually can go back and treat his wound right now but he was curious what the monster was guarding so limping a bit he headed to the deeps of the last corridor on the right, holding the flashlight he saw something small falling. It took only a moment before he realized it was a water drop.

At the end of the corridor, there was no wall of darkness instead, there was dripping golden water in the middle of it. When Alex flashed the ceiling to see where it was dropping he so what he presumable a branch or a huge root. Golden liquid falls from it. The gray ground turned into a healthy color brown. And lots of luminous mushrooms grew around it.

He was curious as to what it was but judging by the color alone and its seeming effects on the ground it was probably something good and he gained confirmation from it when the octopus realized what it was.