Raising the fiery axe, I brought it down with all my might, but the blade bounced off, sending a painful jolt up my arms. The cocoon didn’t even crack. Sweat dripped down my brow, and the throbbing in my wounded arm intensified. This can’t be happening.

"Come on!" I growled, striking repeatedly, each blow more forceful than the last. But the result was always the same—no damage, no change. My arms trembled with the effort, the futility gnawing at me.

"Perhaps brute force isn't the answer," Malice chimed in, his dark purple crystal form hovering nearby, glowing faintly as if mocking my frustration.

I clenched my jaw, biting back a retort. Of course, he’s calm. He’s always calm. "Then what do you suggest?" I snapped, glaring at the crystal. Sweat poured down my face, mixing with the blood trickling from my arm. "I can't just wait for it to hatch into something worse!"

[“Patience,”] Malice said, his tone dripping with his usual detachment. [“But if you insist on rushing things, perhaps try thinking for once. There are more ways than one to crack a shell.”]

His words stung, more because I knew he was right. Frustration surged in me, but I forced myself to take a breath. He’s right. There has to be another way. The cocoon pulsed again, the dark energy growing stronger, and I knew I didn’t have much time.

"Ideas aren't my forte, remember?" Malice retorted. "But perhaps you should think outside the box."

Ignoring him, I stepped back and assessed the situation. The golden light within me had dimmed, and exhaustion was creeping in, its weight heavy on my limbs. I rummaged through my inventory, panic rising. "Poisoned food, useless trinkets... nothing!"

A low humming noise started emanating from the cocoon. The pulsations quickened, and small cracks appeared on its surface, leaking dark energy. My heart sank. Time's running out. "If I can't break it from the outside, maybe I can attack it from within."

Drawing on the last reserves of my strength, I closed my eyes and focused inward, trying to ignite the remaining sparks of golden energy. "Come on, work with me," I muttered, my breath shaky. A faint glow responded, but it flickered and felt unstable, like a candle in the wind.

The cocoon shuddered violently, and larger cracks formed. Whatever's inside is about to emerge. I had one shot left. An idea sparked. Desperation driving me, I grabbed the poisoned food from my inventory. "If I can't crack it, maybe I can contaminate it."

I hurled the poisoned food at the cocoon. The items stuck to its surface, sizzling and bubbling as the cocoon absorbed them. A sickly, iridescent glow pulsed from the cocoon, but instead of weakening, it seemed to thrive on the toxins. The cocoon grew larger, more unstable, dark energy leaking through the cracks.

"Wait, that's not supposed to happen," I murmured, my eyes widening. I made it worse.

The humming noise intensified, turning into a low, ominous drone that rattled my bones. Cracks spiderwebbed across the cocoon, and dark, viscous fluid dripped out, hissing as it touched the ground. Then, with a deafening crack, the cocoon split open.

The creature that emerged was unlike anything I had ever seen—a grotesque fusion of man, insect, and moth. Its massive, tattered wings shimmered with strange, iridescent patterns that seemed to warp reality around them. Its eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, piercing through me.

The manimoth let out a piercing screech, so loud it rattled my very bones. I stumbled back, gripping the fire axe tightly, my heart racing in my chest. Fantastic. It's worse than I thought.

The creature’s wings beat with terrifying power, stirring up a whirlwind of toxic dust and debris that obscured my vision. The dust stung my eyes and throat. Coughing, I pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose, trying to breathe through the toxic cloud. I need to clear this air.

Before I could act, the manimoth swooped down through the haze, its claws outstretched. The rush of air as it passed was a near miss. I rolled to the side just in time, my breath catching as I hit the hard ground. Rising quickly, I swung the axe in a wide arc, the flames cutting through the dust cloud and momentarily illuminating the chamber.

The light revealed the manimoth circling back for another attack. Its multifaceted eyes reflected the flames, creating an eerie glow that sent chills down my spine. I’ve got to ground this thing.

Spotting the remnants of the cocoon's sticky substance on the floor, an idea formed. I dashed toward the puddles of viscous fluid, the manimoth hot on my trail. It beat its wings again, releasing a barrage of razor-sharp scales. I zigzagged, but a few scales sliced into my arm, hot blood spilling from the wounds.

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The sting was sharp and immediate, searing pain shooting through my arm. I bit down hard to keep from crying out. Focus. Push through the pain. The blood dripped down my skin, and my head spun briefly. Stay on your feet.

I reached the puddles, barely avoiding another barrage of scales. The manimoth screeched again, its wings stirring the dust into a thick, choking cloud. My lungs burned, and my vision blurred as I struggled to breathe. It’s overwhelming me.

A sharp pain shot through my side as I dodged another claw swipe. It’s too fast. I can’t keep dodging forever. I needed to trap it.

In desperation, I grabbed the axe with both hands, feeling the golden light flicker weakly inside me. I swung hard, aiming for the manimoth’s legs, hoping to bring it closer to the sticky substance below. The flames arced through the air, and for a split second, I saw the manimoth hesitate.

But it wasn’t enough. The manimoth screeched, and its wings released another cloud of scales. I stumbled back, blinking through the haze of dust and blood in my eyes. Think, Jamie. You have to think.

"Perhaps brute force isn't the answer," Malice chimed in, his dark purple crystal form hovering nearby, glowing faintly, as if mocking my growing desperation.

I clenched my jaw. He’s right. I’m wasting time. "Then what do you suggest?" I snapped, my voice hoarse from the dust and exhaustion. Sweat dripped down my brow, and the gashes on my arm throbbed with each beat of my heart. "I can't just wait for it to hatch into something worse!"

[“Patience,”] Malice said, his tone insufferably calm. [“But if you insist on rushing things, perhaps try thinking for once. There are more ways than one to crack a shell.”]

His words stung, partly because I knew he was right. The creature was too fast and too powerful to fight head-on. I needed a plan, not just brute force.

I glanced at the cocoon’s sticky remnants on the floor, an idea forming. If I can just slow it down...

The manimoth was circling again, readying for another attack. I had only moments to act. Ignoring the pain in my arm, I sprinted toward the sticky puddles, hoping to lure the creature into my trap. As the manimoth closed in, I dived to the side, the beast following closely behind. I heard the sticky slurp as it landed, its wings tangled in the remnants of its own cocoon.

I rose to my feet, gripping the axe tighter. Now’s your chance.

Ignoring the stinging pain in my arm, I reached the sticky fluid and quickly dipped the blade of the axe into it. The axe sizzled upon contact, the flames reacting violently with the toxic substance. "Here's hoping this works," I whispered, turning to face the charging manimoth.

The creature dived at me, its wings creating a whirlwind of debris. With everything I had left, I hurled the axe. It spun through the air, trailing fiery droplets, and embedded itself in the manimoth's wing. The sticky fluid ignited instantly, flames spreading rapidly across the membrane.

The manimoth screeched in agony, veering off course and crashing into a wall. With the creature momentarily grounded, I raced forward, the burn in my arm a dull ache compared to the pounding in my chest. I reached the creature and yanked the axe free from its smoldering wing, but the manimoth lashed out with a hind leg, sending me flying across the chamber.

I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of me. My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, and I gasped for air, struggling to stay conscious. I looked up just in time to see the manimoth struggling to rise, one wing crippled but the other still functional. It glared at me with those burning, malevolent eyes.

"Stay down already!" I shouted, wiping the blood from my lip. My voice cracked with exhaustion, frustration mounting as the manimoth began to emit a low-frequency hum. The sound reverberated through the chamber, causing the ground to vibrate beneath me. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor, and the pillars around me wobbled ominously. The entire chamber was becoming unstable. Time is running out.

The manimoth charged forward, this time on foot, moving faster than I expected despite its massive size. I barely had time to react, sprinting toward a fallen pillar and using it as a ramp to gain height. From the elevated position, I leaped onto the creature’s back, driving the axe deep into its exoskeleton.

The manimoth bucked wildly, trying to dislodge me. I held on tight, twisting the axe deeper into its back, black ichor spraying out and burning through my clothes and skin. The acid seared my leg, and I gritted my teeth against the pain, a scream trapped in my throat. Don’t let go.

With one hand still gripping the axe, I fumbled through my inventory with the other, pulling out the small explosive I had saved for emergencies. "Time to end this," I growled through clenched teeth, activating the explosive and slamming it into the creature’s wound.

I leaped off the manimoth just as the explosive detonated, a fiery blast tearing through the creature’s body. For a moment, I thought it was over. But my hope crumbled when I saw the manimoth’s flesh knitting itself back together at an alarming rate. It’s regenerating.

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling with disbelief. What does it take to kill this thing?

Malice’s voice echoed in my mind, calm as ever. "Its regeneration is fueled by the toxins. You need to purify it."

"Purify? With what?" I snapped, feeling panic bubbling up.

"Your axe’s special ability, did you even read it?. It’s like a disc one nuke.."

I took a deep breath, ignoring his strange earth expression, closing my eyes for a brief moment.

“Send me the description again.”

[The Golden Axe of Flames. Axe. Power: +3 Element Fire. Special ability:Pillar of Fire. Cost: All mana, plus 50% of health]