As Cale crossed the threshold of the Fracture, the swirling green light enveloped him, a sudden chill prickling his skin. The dense, poisonous atmosphere closed in around him, feeling more like a physical weight than air. The dim light within the Fracture began to fade as he moved further, swallowed by shadows until he found himself in what looked like a sprawling cave.
Rough, damp stone walls surrounded him, their surfaces glistening with moisture, while the ground underfoot was uneven, scattered with pebbles and debris. The air carried a stale, damp smell, thick with the sickly-sweet scent of decay. Cale’s expression remained calm, his steps steady, and yet, his every movement radiated a controlled tension—a readiness for anything that might lurk in the shadows.
The silence was heavy, almost oppressive, when a soft growl pierced through the dark. Ahead of him, emerging from the shadows, came the gleaming eyes of large, two-headed purple hounds. Their sleek bodies were muscled, each head bearing razor-sharp teeth that glistened with a dark, viscous drool. They watched him with an intent to kill, their dual gazes fixed on him with a predatory hunger.
Cale paused, his eyes narrowing as he assessed them. But he didn’t reach for his weapon, didn’t take a single step back. Instead, he let a trickle of his deadly aura slip out, the cold fury of his killing intent permeating the space around him. The atmosphere shifted, growing darker, sharper. The hounds felt it immediately—their powerful stances faltered, and a strange whimpering sound escaped from one of the heads. The primal energy radiating from Cale was enough to make even these creatures of the Fracture feel a rare sense of dread.
One by one, the hounds took several steps back, still growling low but reluctant to approach him. He watched as they retreated into the shadows, their figures disappearing, leaving him alone once again.
He resumed his journey deeper into the cave, his senses heightened, alert to the faintest movement. Yet, the space soon grew eerily quiet, the silence settling heavier than before. And then, a new sight caught his eye. Scattered across the cavern floor were bodies—dead hounds, each one sprawled out lifelessly, their thick purple hides torn and slashed. Cale approached them slowly, taking in the brutal marks across their bodies.
Ten in total, he counted. Their bodies lay twisted and broken, as though they had been dispatched with a savage force. The cuts were precise, clean, but something about the scene felt hasty, like a vicious struggle had taken place in a desperate attempt to overpower these beasts.
He crouched down beside one of the bodies, narrowing his eyes at the wounds. Whatever had killed these creatures had done so with efficiency, but not without some measure of haste. His gaze lingered on the deep slashes, trying to determine whether this was the work of a Fracture-born predator or perhaps another being drawn here with the same deadly purpose as his own.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Standing, he scanned the shadows around him, sensing something faint—a hint of movement deeper in the cave.
Cale’s fingers snapped with a crisp sound, and a dark vortex shimmered into existence, swirling with an ominous energy in front of him. From within its depths, his scythe materialized—a wicked, dark weapon with a gleaming, curved blade that radiated a faint red glow. Gripping it firmly, he felt the familiar weight settle into his hand, an extension of his own resolve.
He moved forward with careful steps, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the dimly lit cave, shadows stretching out around him. 'Any second now,' he thought, his senses alert. His gaze landed on a faint shimmer at the far end of the cave, catching sight of a massive, emerald-green tail that slithered out of view, disappearing into one of the cavern’s many holes. The tail was covered in thick, iridescent scales, each one glistening like polished stone.
Nothing stirred, not even a sound. A full minute passed, the silence growing oppressive. Cale’s brow furrowed, his grip tightening on the scythe’s shaft. Just as he was beginning to wonder, the ground beneath him trembled. Without warning, the earth shattered, rocks and debris exploding into the air as a monstrous serpent erupted from below, its towering body coiling above him like a moving wall of scales.
Cale instinctively leaped back, narrowly dodging the falling debris, landing with practiced ease. As he straightened, he found himself face-to-face with the serpent. It loomed over him, its massive head tilted downward, cold reptilian eyes fixed on him with a deadly intent. The serpent’s scales were a brilliant shade of green, each one layered like armor, its mouth filled with sharp, venomous fangs. A low, guttural hiss escaped it, its tongue flicking the air with a warning.
But Cale did not flinch. If anything, his expression twisted into a grin, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. The sight of the creature only seemed to fuel him, an ancient rage bubbling up from deep within.
“You bastard… I will kill you!” he shouted, his voice reverberating through the cavern, challenging the beast before him.
The serpent responded with a deafening roar, a sound that rattled the very walls of the cave. Its eyes flared with anger, and a yellow system panel flickered in front of Cale.
[Information (Info):
Name: Green Serpent
Level: 39
Rank: C+-Rank
Status: Angry
Description: Green scales. Height: Taller than a multi-story building. Highly poisonous. Capable of spitting venom...]
The panel vanished as quickly as it appeared, but Cale hardly spared it a glance. His focus was entirely on the serpent before him, its sinuous body shifting, muscles tensed, ready to strike.
He bared his teeth, his own anger surging to the surface. “I am angry as well,” he growled, his voice low and edged with venom. His knuckles whitened around the scythe’s handle, his aura swelling around him, thickening the air with dark, blood-red energy.
“Today, this shall be your coffin,” he snarled, the words like a vow, spoken with deadly conviction. “I promise!”
In response, the green serpent’s aura burst to life, an intense, poisonous green radiance flooding the cave, clashing with Cale’s own. The air hummed with tension, the mingling of their auras like two opposing forces locked in a silent battle.