"So... you wanna go first?" K asked arms crossed as he stood still, gazing up at the towering monstrosity before them.
Davis turned to K with a look of disbelief. "No, thanks. I'll pass, " He replied, his eyes narrowing at K's relaxed posture.
Skye barked from the side*
K chuckled, glancing back at Davis. "I thought you liked a challenge. What’s the matter? Scared?"
Skye's barking grew more intense from the side*
"What gave you that idea?" Davis quickly retorted, his hands gesturing for an explanation.
Without missing a beat, K responded, "I seem to recall someone carrying all our luggage with such burning passion."
Before their conversation could continue, the air around them suddenly shifted as the creature launched a punch with its skeletal arm. Davis reacted quickly, leaping out of the way while pulling Skye with him.
Once they were a safe distance away, Davis turned back, only to realize that K was nowhere to be seen. The monster retracted its arm, revealing K lying in a giant crater on the ground, groaning in pain.
"K?" Davis called out to K, still unknowingly clutching Skye's arm. "You’re not dead, right?"
"They lied," K painfully groaned, his voice was low and barely coherent as he struggled to rise. "My back! I think it dislocated my back!"
Finally releasing Skye, Davis shouted again, "What did you say?"
"Don’t trust everything you see on TV" K shouted back, finally getting back on his feet, he mumbled to himself. "The villain don’t wait for you to finish talking."
The monster's skeletal head leaned down, its hollow eyes fixated on K as it slowly opened its mouth and growled.
K, misreading its intentions, assumed it was merely curious, and raised his hand to try and instruct the thing. "Easy there horsey, if you behave, I give you some wheat," he muttered.
The creature responded with a deafening roar that nearly sent K flying like a ragdoll. But before it could finish, a fire spell from Davis struck the side of its face, cutting the roar short.
Enraged, it turned its attention to Davis and Skye, moving toward them with deliberate steps. Despite its skeletal frame, its movements eerily mimicked those of a human.
As it passed K, its tail suddenly whipped around, catching him off guard and violently flinging him across the battlefield. K crashed into a tree with a loud thud, landing among the shattered branches.
As he lay there with his arms crossed, K mused, "I guess this one doesn’t have a taste for wheat." For a moment, he dropped all pretense and lifted his head, watching as Davis, Skye, and the monster locked eyes in a tense standoff he then shrugged it off before slumping back onto the pile of broken wood.
On Davis's side, as he locked eyes with the monster’s hollow sockets, Skye perked up with a question. "Is Uncle going to be alright, Dad?" she asked, her voice a low growl in her battle form.
Davis, in the most nonchalant way possible, replied, "He’ll be fine." Unsheathing his blade, his body began to radiate a bluish lightning that crackled across his form.
The sight of the lightning seemed to ignite something within the monster’s core, causing it to howl aggressively before charging at Davis and Skye with its skeletal frame.
It swung its claw at them from the side, but Skye intercepted it with a powerful headbutt, cutting off its momentum. Taking advantage of the distraction, Davis, with his enhanced speed, raced up the creature's other arm and slashed at its skull from the opposite side.
But the strike was too shallow. In mid-air, Davis saw the monster’s tail whipping toward him. "Shit," he whispered, raising his blade to block the attack while simultaneously casting a defensive barrier around himself, just in case.
Barrier Magic: Wall of protection*
He was fortunate to have done so, as the whip from the monster's tail shattered his barrier spell and slammed into his sword, sending him crashing to the ground with the force of the blow.
Dazed by the sudden shock of pain, Davis opened his eyes just in time to see the monster's tail coming back for another strike from above. He rolled away, dodging it by mere centimeters.
"That was a close one, wasn’t it?" K remarked. Davis looked up to see K sitting cross-legged just above him, hand propping up his chin, a smirk on his face.
Davis sighed and turned to see Skye dominating the monster in a one-sided battle. Every attack the skeletal creature made either missed or was blocked, and Skye countered with twice the force, chipping at its body with each blow.
As they watched the ongoing battle, K softly whispered in a pretentious sad, and tearful voice, "She’s grown so much." He wiped a tear from his cheek and added, "I’m so proud of her."
Turning to Davis, who had now joined him, sitting cross-legged beside him, K looked at Skye with a prideful grin and his hand placed on Davis’s shoulder with an over-the-top act as he wiped his tear with his other hand before asking, "Wouldn’t you agree?"
"Me too," Davis replied with the same proud smile, playing along with K, Davis continuously patted K’s back in a comforting gesture reminiscent of a mother soothing her crying child.
As they shared their lighthearted moment, the skeletal monster was flung past them, crashing into the mountain wall behind them. They comically turned their heads to the massive pile of broken bones now shrouded in smoke.
Skye, reverting to her normal size, ran happily toward them. "Dad, Uncle!" She nuzzled their legs, her tail wagging enthusiastically. "Did I do good, Dad? Did I?"
Davis gently scratched her head and nodded. "Yes, yes, you did."
"Skye, my dear," K chimed in with exaggerated praise, "You’ve truly blown Uncle’s mind with how much you’ve grown." He continued with over-the-top enthusiasm, "You’re not just great, sweetheart. You’re the greatest of them all." With a playful grin, he pinched her cheek.
"Hey? Who’s causing trouble in the area?" A man's voice shouted.
Amid their affectionate moment, a shout rang out from above, followed by the sound of footsteps pounding down the path. As they drew closer, Davis and the others could see the flickering lights of torches approaching.
The group finally emerged, and K instantly recognized one of them. "Higard?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Higard? Is that you?" Higard responded with a smile. "How’ve you been, brat? It’s been quite boring since you left."
K shrugged nonchalantly. "Not much, my friend. Just the usual mischief, hehehe."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of bones clattering together. Their eyes turned toward the massive pile of bones, which began to crack and vibrate ominously.
"What’s going on? Isn’t that thing dead?" Davis whispered to K with a cautious tone, his gaze fixed on the shifting pile. He couldn’t feel any life force coming from the thing nor was there any mana like earlier.
K whispered back, "For once… I have no idea either." His response was followed by Skye growling aggressively.
The monstrosity began reassembling itself from its shattered pieces, its form rising steadily despite its noticeable injuries. This time, the fleshy parts of its body seemed to diminish. Its right arm was destroyed, and cracks and missing sections marred its skeletal frame. Dark, purple energy flowed from its body, spreading outward into the surrounding area.
Davis, Skye, and the others felt an overwhelming sense of dread as they watched the creature. Their bodies unconsciously shook the longer they looked at it. K, however, experienced a fleeting, unsettling sensation that made his skin crawl—a primal instinct that momentarily disoriented him.
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A small, burning purple flame flickered in the monster’s hollow eye socket, casting an eerie glow that dimly illuminated its broken form. Despite the pervasive sense of dread that gripped everyone as they gazed at it, the monster’s appearance was reminiscent of a crippled animal—harmless in its current state, reduced to only growling at its enemies.
Despite its broken state, the creature’s aggressive growl persisted. It twisted its head from side to side before letting out a howl into the night sky, reminiscent of a wolf's cry. Davis and Skye braced themselves for its next attack, while the newly arrived group trembled in fear but maintained a somewhat defensive formation.
As the monster finished its battle cry, it spun around and slammed its tail into the ground, creating a thick smoke screen that obscured everyone’s view. When the dust finally settled, they saw the creature using its claws and legs to climb up the side of the mountain.
"I didn’t see that one coming!" K remarked with a wry grin as he watched the monster continue its ascent.
"Oh no… it’s heading for our hideout," One of the newcomers said, pointing shakily upward as if the monster's intent hadn’t been obvious.
They were about to rush up the mountain to warn the others when they were intercepted by another group—this time, it was the town’s adventurers, led by their instructor, who had come to investigate the strange noises.
"Mr. Davis, Mr. K! I wasn’t expecting to see you here," Instructor Ryan said with a gleaming smile.
K quickly responded, "Ah, it’s truly a pleasant surprise to see you here, Sir—" He faltered, struggling to recall the name.
"It’s Instructor Ryan," Davis whispered to K.
K continued with his charade, "Right, Inspector Ryan. It’s nice to me—"
Davis corrected him promptly. "Instructor Ryan."
Hearing this, K repeated, "Instructor Ryan. Fancy meeting you here on this not-so-lovely night. Care to take a walk with me?"
Instructor Ryan laughed. "Mr. K, I see you’re as spirited as ever, but I must decline your offer today. And it’s good to see you again, too, Davis."
K giggled, placing his hand on his hip and shaking his head. "Well, it can’t be helped." He continued, "Say, Instructor, have you heard any news about a missing horse?"
"A horse?" Instructor Ryan raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
K grinned, his gaze shifting between him and his group. "Oh, nothing much. I was just curious since there was an untamed… horse here a few moments ago. It’s quite skinny, Hehe. Unfortunately, it has run away and is now somewhere up the mountain." He turned to Davis and the bandit’s group by the mountain wall. "Literally…" He chuckled softly.
Instructor Ryan responded calmly, "I’m not aware of any missing horse, but I’ll inquire at the nearby stable when I return to town. If I happen to come across this horse while I’m here, I’ll bring it back."
"Good luck with that, Sir Ryan," K said innocently, his hand casually resting behind him.
Instructor Ryan laughed along and thanked him for his words. Looking around the place, Instructor Ryan pointed at the bones scattering everywhere. "May I ask about the countless bone fragments?"
The members of the adventurers' group began to spread out, trying to locate the source of the loud noise, most of them were fixated on the scattered bones of the monster unaware that it had already ascended the mountain.
Before K could respond, Davis answered, "It’s all from the monster."
Instructor Ryan curiously turned to Davis. "Monster?"
Davis took the opportunity to explain the situation to him. Meanwhile, K, noticing that everyone was preoccupied, grabbed Higard and his crew and quietly slipped away, beginning their ascent up the mountain.
After hearing the full explanation, Instructor Ryan sighed. "If what you’re saying is true, then this creature could be very dangerous if it can’t be killed."
"Where did Sir K and your group go?" Instructor Ryan asked, glancing around.
Davis looked around in surprised confusion. Turning to Skye, she informed him that K had sneaked away earlier. Before Davis could relay this to the instructor, a bright light suddenly shone from the mountaintop, followed by a rumbling of the earth and a loud boom.
Everyone turned to see distant flames sending smoke billowing into the night sky, and an animalistic roar echoed from above.
K, Higard, and his group raced up the mountain, their hearts pounding with dread as the distant flames crept ever closer. All except K, who, though swift, moved with a strange lack of urgency, a thrill dancing in his eyes.
K reveled in the chaos, yet a nagging thought gnawed at the edge of his mind. "That thing… something about it feels familiar," He mused, before quickening his pace and leaving the others behind.
The creature unleashed a chilling howl at the mountain’s peak at its prey. Its skeletal frame twisted and morphed, now shrouded in what appeared to be human flesh. Its right arm, grotesquely forged from the compacted bodies of dead bandits, was a crude, nightmarish appendage, with human heads, limbs, and various body parts grotesquely protruding from it.
Its massive body blocked the main exit, trapping everyone inside the hideout. To escape, they would have to get past the monstrous creature. As the group struggled to fight back, the thing seized one of the men and lifted him effortlessly. It opened its maw and bit the man in half, before devouring his remains. As it did, the fleshy parts of its body swelled grotesquely. "It's absorbing us!" someone screamed in horror, fueling the growing panic.
Among them was Lyra, who tried to calm her crew. "Don't be afraid… Stick together and don’t scatter!" she commanded with her sword pointed at the creature. Though she spoke with authority, Lyra couldn’t suppress the gnawing terror that gripped her.
Then, in a move no one expected, the monster opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames upon them. Caught off guard, Lyra barely managed to cast a protective barrier around herself and a few nearby, leaving the rest to burn in the searing fire.
The creature slashed at her with its fleshy, clawed arm. Seeing the attack coming, Lyra leaped aside, but those who hadn’t been affected by the flames were sliced to pieces. In mid-air, the creature's tail coiled around her, hurling her into the burning rubble.
The impact sent the flames scattering, leaving Lyra momentarily dazed. She struggled to rise, only to find herself face to face with the monster’s searing breath. With quick reflexes, she summoned her magic to shield herself from the intense heat.
All she could see was the blinding yellow flame until it suddenly dispersed, revealing the creature's massive palm rushing toward her at an unavoidable speed.
The blow drove her deep into the rubble as the monster’s hand clutched the debris, trying to grasp her. But, luckily, the pile of wood and other materials above her concealed her. She held her breath as the creature pulled away the debris, inspecting it.
The creature didn’t notice her and turned to the burning, screaming people scattered around it. Lyra could feel her ribs fractured, her arm and leg immobilized, and her mind waging a desperate battle to keep her conscious as she lay helpless, listening to the horror unfolding around her.
All she could do was listen, her eyes struggling to stay open. Every time she blinked, a new nightmare flashed before her: her people being devoured, burned alive, the creature roaring, growing, and twisting into something even more monstrous.
Finally, when the sounds of carnage faded, leaving only the crackling of burning wood and the thick scent of smoke, Lyra, paralyzed, watched as the creature crouched on all fours, sniffing the air. Then, with a gut-wrenching motion, its elongated neck twisted 360 degrees, its purple flaming eyes locked onto her.
Lyra couldn’t tell if her mind was playing tricks on her or if she had finally succumbed to madness from fear, but at that moment, she swore she saw the creature smile at her. She blinked, and the creature slowly turned its entire body to face her.
Blinking again, she saw the creature's gaping maw open, and within its fleshy mouth, an amalgamation of the dead twisted and writhed—screaming, begging, their hands reaching out to her, calling her name. She recognized the voices—they belonged to everyone who had died around her.
She couldn’t do anything about it, she couldn’t run, couldn’t use her magic, couldn’t even breathe properly, and she couldn’t even cry as everything around her burned to cinders. With no strength left, she gave up and resigned herself to her fate.
"Sorry, little one, but this one’s off-limits!" a familiar voice rang out.
Summoning every last bit of strength, Lyra opened her eyes and saw the back of someone she had hoped never to see again. Standing between her and the monstrous entity was K standing with unfound confidence with his hand behind him.
K’s eyes flicked to Lyra, and upon seeing that she had fallen unconscious, his smile twisted into something more sinister. He laughed delightedly at the creature, pointing a finger at it. "You put on quite a show for me, little monster… you have my thanks," K said, bowing slightly in mock appreciation.
"I’ve been meaning to get rid of this annoying group of fools for a while now, but you’ve done my job for me." He walked over and carefully lifted Lyra from the debris. "Now that everything she cares for is gone..." he continued, muttering to himself.
The monster, uninterested in his words, roared and unleashed a torrent of flames at K. But when the fire subsided, K stood there, unscathed and unfazed. His raised hand revealed a transformation—it was not the hand of a human, but that of a humanoid dragon.
K’s smile grew more menacing as his eyes locked onto the creature. "A dog should know when to bite," he growled, his voice deepening, resonating with the force of a lion's roar. "And when to BARK," he snarled, his gaze piercing straight into the creature’s core.
Without releasing any visible energy, K somehow instilled sheer terror in the beast, forcing it into submission. The creature lowered its head, and with a smirk, K placed a foot on its skull. "Good boy," he remarked, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Looks like they’ve finally arrived—took them long enough," K muttered, glancing toward the entrance with a smirk. "Hey, horsey… you see that massive bright light down there?" he asked, pointing to the town below.
The creature let out a low growl as its hollow eyes focused on the sprawling town for the first time. "Aren’t you hungry, little one?" K chuckled, patting the creature’s head as if it were a beloved pet. "GO… go and feast to your heart’s content."
The monster roared ferociously before leaping off the mountain peak as if it were nothing, the ground trembling slightly as it landed. It then charged toward the town with the force of an enraged bull.
"Davis… I hope this massacre sharpens your edge," K mused to himself, a smile playing on his lips, entirely unaffected by the devastation he had unleashed. "Davis, my blade… grow and take shape."
Cradling the unconscious Lyra in his arms, K casually strolled out of the burning ruins, indifferent to the chaos and destruction he had set in motion.