I had been waiting for the moment to confront Thorne since his brutal betrayal of me in the Enchanted Forest, but this situation was nothing like I had imagined it would be. Both the fear of death and the disgust I feel at what Thorne had become turned what was supposed to be my triumphant moment of justice into a scene of survival undertoned by sadness.

Thorne looked tortured, his once confident demeanor gone just like almost all visible traces of the man who he used to be.

Grimsby brought me back from inside my head “Bert, Wake up” he hissed.

I brandished my blade pulled the packet of preworkout out of my pocket, opened the top the rest of the way and poured into into my mouth and a rush of clarity, energy, and calm focused rushed over me. My body began to tingle, and a vision manifested in my mind, the vision of Thorne in a less monstrous form lying flat on his back taking his last labored breaths before closing his eyes.

Thorne laughed a disgusting laugh from his now malformed lungs.

“You can’t save your friends, not even with the help of your inferior powdered elixirs.”

“I am gonna save you from yourself, Thorne” as the words I left my mouth I stepped forward and raised Dealbreaker, pointing at the monstrous face before turning to Grimsby, and Glubber.

“You two get out of here, daggers aren’t going to do much here, plus, this is my fight anyway.”

Glubber tried to step forward to stand beside me, again showing his bravery just as he had at every turn already in our short time together, but Grimsby took him by the arm and started pulling him to the main doorway.

I called one last thing to them as they began closing in towards the large doors that were the last barrier to freedom

“Hey, thank you both for everything!” emotion welled inside of me at the thought that this may be the last time that I saw them, and Elborne, the only people who had shown kindness to me since I had found myself in this strange land. I had grown closer to Grimsby in the months that I had been here than almost anyone I had met in my old life, and Glubber I had only known days but the little goblin’s bravery and loyalty nearly brought me to tears thinking about it. My mind was racing with these thoughts but it felt like time had stood still.

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The shaking of the ground brought me back into real-time, Thorne moved toward me. The new form that he had taken looked very off-kilter as it moved, like a bag of muscle with legs plodding towards me slowly, too slow. Now that I think of it Grimsby and Glubber looked as if they were moving slowly as well. Could the preworkout slow down time? No, it must just be making me move and think faster. Ahh, my mind felt so unleashed, I was having so many thoughts at once! Maybe I can actually beat Thorne and survive this thing.

I barely catch a glimpse of surprise on Thorne’s monstrous face as I rush forward with Dealbreaker ready to strike, I am not sure if I saw his face with my eyes or if it was some of the premonition that the supplement was granting me.

Black ichor oozes from the fresh slash marks that marr Thorne’s chest. He had swiped at where I was when I delivered them but instead of striking me, he met the pillar that I was standing next to at that moment.

I was already behind his haunches delivering a devastating stab to where I would guess his hamstring would be. I nearly break my wrist with the impact of the strike as Dealbreaker’s handle twists from the force that is produced from it meeting its target. Dealbreaker feels so comfortable in my hands until I begin fighting with it. I enjoy it as a sword much more than I did as a pen but I must say that I was a much more proficient pen wielder.

Despite the wounds I was delivering the monster that Thorne had become was almost no worse off, I was still easily outpacing him but I didn’t know how long this was going to last, in the real world the preworkout usually lasted at least an hour, but I had built a tolerance and I am not sure if that carries over. I hope not or I might be running out of time already. I need to deal a consequential blow.

I don’t see any obvious spots of weakness on Thorne’s black bulging and twisting body except for one spot on his upper chest that seems to be the origin of the convulsing that is occurring under his skin if you can call it that, maybe there is something resembling a heart still in there that is pumping that ichor through his body.

I think that is my best plan of action, all of my other strikes have been ineffective so far, and it looks like even the superficial damage I inflicted is starting to be filled in by the black ichor substance.

All right here goes nothing.

I charge forward with Dealbreaker leveled at the spot where I think the heart should be, before I get close enough to deal my strike I hear the sharp noise of cracking above me. Hairline fractures are forming on the ceiling above where Thorne and I stand. The strike on the column earlier must of destabilized the building. I don’t have enough time to strike and avoid the falling rubble, but hopefully, if enough falls more strikes will be unneeded.

*CRUMBLE CRASH* The ceiling gives way and tons of stone and rubble come crashing down on Thorne burying him under a mountain of rubble. Dust and debris fill the air, obscuring my view. I hold my breath, waiting for any signs of movement, but all is still.

Could it be over, just like that?

My question is answered as Thorne erupts from the rubble, ichor dripping from his twisted body. Just as he erupts, I feel blood rush to my head causing me to fall to my knees as I almost faint. I struggle back to my feet, coughing and spitting blood. The pre-workout supplement I took was clearly having some unintended side effects here in Emoria. I guess I built up too much of a tolerance back home. The memory and words of the appraisal mage on the road flashes back to my mind, the warning he gave of the consequences involved with the packet to those who dared to consume it.

Thorne lets out an inhuman roar and charges at me. He is either moving much faster than he was before or the preworkout really is already wearing off, could it be wearing off so quickly?

I raise Dealbreaker to defend myself, but my arms feel like lead. Thorne bashes me with a massive fist, sending me flying into a wall.

I slump to the ground, barely conscious. Thorne looms over me, ready to finish me off.

I never thought I would die from a caffeine crash.