A writhing mass of human limbs and torsos spilled out. Arms and legs jutted at grotesque angles, their skin bruised and discolored. Faces stretched across the creature's body, mouths open in silent screams, eyes wide with a torment I couldn’t begin to imagine. The amalgamation of flesh and bone slithered forward, a horrifying fusion of man and beast.
My stomach churned. This wasn’t just a monster—it had once been human. People, twisted and fused into something worse than death. The grotesque mass of flesh moved toward me, and for the first time, I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
A wave of nausea hit me, and I fought the urge to vomit. My vision blurred as the reality of the abomination sank in. This was beyond anything I'd faced before. Monstrous. Wrong.
[“Feeling queasy? Can't say I blame you,”] Malice remarked, his crystal form pulsing with dark light.
"Any brilliant ideas?" I snapped, desperation creeping into my voice.
[“Perhaps aim for the heads? Just a thought.”]
I hated that he was right, again. Malice’s mocking was never helpful—until it was. I couldn’t trust him, not really, but I needed him. His voice was the only thing keeping me from losing it completely.
I steadied myself, taking a deep breath to quell the rising panic. The creature advanced, its many limbs propelling it forward in a disjointed, spasmodic motion. Fight or die. I had to end this—now.
Summoning the newfound energy within me, I focused on the golden light still emanating from my core. I raised the axe, feeling it resonate with the power coursing through me. The manipede lunged. I sidestepped its attack and swung the axe with all my might at one of its grotesque heads.
The blade sliced through flesh and bone, a burst of fire erupting from the point of impact, instantly cauterizing the wound. The severed limb flopped uselessly to the ground. The creature shrieked, a cacophony of voices—human, insect, and something far worse—echoing through the chamber.
Seizing the moment, I continued the assault, targeting each hideous face. With every strike, the axe burned brighter, the flames licking up the handle, and the creature grew weaker. Keep going. Don’t stop.
The manipede lunged again, its multitude of legs skittering across the stone floor with a horrifying clatter. Fused faces emitted a chorus of screams, mouths opening far too wide. I gripped my fire axe tighter, the warmth of the flames offering a sliver of hope amidst the terror.
The creature's massive tail whipped around, aiming to knock me off my feet. I leaped back just in time, the tail smashing into a pillar behind me, sending stone shards flying. I used the debris as cover, darting to the side, trying to flank the manipede. The beast tracked my movement, dozens of eyes swiveling in unison.
With a fierce cry, I charged and swung the axe at one of the manipede's many legs. The blade bit deep, flames erupting from the wound as the limb severed. The manipede shrieked again, rearing back, black ichor spraying from the wound. The severed leg twitched on the ground before disintegrating into ash.
Seizing the moment, I sprinted beneath the creature's towering form, aiming for its softer underbelly. The heat from the axe intensified, embers trailing behind me. The manipede reacted swiftly, slamming its body downward in an attempt to crush me. My instincts kicked in, and I rolled forward, narrowly avoiding being flattened.
From the ground, I swung upwards, slicing into the creature's abdomen. The axe cleaved through chitin and flesh, flames searing the wound. The beast thrashed in pain, its tail whipping wildly. One strike caught me across the back.
Pain exploded through my spine, and the world spun around me. I hit the ground hard, the cold stone scraping against my skin as I tumbled. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to regain my senses. Get up. You have to get up.
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The creature's shadow loomed over me, growing darker, heavier. Its breath was rancid, its bodies convulsing as it readied for the next strike. The next hit would be my last if I didn’t move.
Gasping for breath, I pushed myself up, wincing as pain radiated through my body. The manipede advanced, venom dripping from its myriad mouths. My arm throbbed where its claws had raked me, blood trickling down, but the adrenaline dulled the pain for now. Ignore it. You have to keep fighting.
Drawing upon the golden energy, I focused, feeling it surge through my veins. The axe glowed brighter, the flames turning a brilliant white, casting sharp shadows across the chamber.
The manipede spat a stream of corrosive venom, the liquid hissing as it ate into the stone where I had been moments before. I darted to the side, using fallen debris as stepping stones. My limbs felt heavy, and my breath came in ragged bursts, but I pushed forward. Each step brought me closer to the monster. You can do this. Just a little more.
Leaping into the air, I swung the axe down onto one of the creature's faces. The blade shattered the twisted visage, fire consuming it entirely. The creature recoiled with a screech, but its claws slashed out in a wild strike, catching me mid-air. A sharp pain tore through my arm, and I bit back a scream as the blood flowed freely.
Landing awkwardly, I stumbled but stayed on my feet. My arm burned, the pain sharper now, threatening to break my focus. Ignore it. Keep moving. The wound stung, but adrenaline kept me upright, and the flames in the axe still burned brightly.
Then the manipede split.
Its grotesque body divided into smaller versions of itself, three of them now, each glaring hungrily with too many eyes. My heart sank as I took them in. No. You've got to be kidding me!
"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed aloud, gripping the axe tighter, feeling my frustration rising with the golden energy still coursing through me.
The trio attacked at once, their movements frantic and coordinated. One lunged at me head-on, while the other two flanked my sides. The ground trembled under their assault, sending debris scattering.
I dodged the frontal attack, sliding beneath the first manipede and slicing upward with the axe. Flames erupted from the wound, and the creature shrieked, its body collapsing in on itself, reduced to ash.
The remaining two creatures were relentless, their erratic movements making it harder to predict their strikes. One snapped its jaws at my leg, barely missing as I jumped back, the sharp hiss of its breath grazing my skin. My muscles screamed in protest, exhaustion creeping closer with every step, but I spun and delivered a powerful kick to the creature’s head, knocking it off balance.
With no time to waste, I drove the axe into its back, flames exploding outward in a violent burst, reducing the second manipede to cinders. The smell of charred chitin filled the air, thick and suffocating.
The last manipede hissed, circling me warily. I took a shaky breath, my chest tight. Too tired. Too much. It began another grotesque transformation, growing larger as spikes protruded from its exoskeleton, the sound of bones cracking and stretching filling the chamber. My heart pounded in my ears. It just won’t stop.
"Enough of this!" I shouted, gripping the axe with renewed determination. The golden light flared brighter inside me, pushing back against the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm me.
The manipede charged, its body bristling with spikes, the ground shaking with each step. I raised the axe high, channeling everything I had left into the weapon. The flames licked up the blade, casting a brilliant glow that reflected off the creature’s twisted form.
Just as I prepared to unleash a final attack, the creature suddenly halted. Its body convulsed violently, emitting a deep, guttural roar. The spikes retracted as its exoskeleton began to crack and peel away, revealing a pulsating mass of dark flesh beneath. The sound of wet, shifting matter filled the room, and my stomach turned.
It began spinning a thick, silken cocoon around itself, the threads shimmering with dark energy. The transformation was rapid, too fast for me to intervene.
"What the...?" I muttered, disbelief washing over me as the manipede encased itself completely. The cocoon pulsed rhythmically, emitting a sickly, ominous glow that filled the chamber with an eerie light. The air felt thicker, charged with tension.
I took a cautious step forward, the fire axe still blazing in my hand. It’s not over. Not yet. Tapping the cocoon with the blade, sparks flew, but the surface remained unscathed.
Circling the cocoon, I searched for any weaknesses, my frustration growing with each passing second. "I can't let this thing transform again," I muttered, my voice tight with desperation. I have to stop it.