Bob's heart pounded in his chest as he strained to keep the door shut against the relentless assault from the mysterious creature outside. The once-sturdy door shuddered under the immense force applied from the other side, and Bob knew it was only a matter of time before it would give way. His palms were sweaty, and his muscles trembled with exhaustion, but he couldn't afford to relent.
As the door continued to be pummeled, the unconscious guard on the floor began to stir. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, and he groaned, trying to comprehend the chaos unfolding around him. As his vision cleared, he saw the horrifying reality of the situation. The guard knew the full capabilities of the creature that now sought to destroy them both, and terror gripped his heart. He had heard the stories, the whispered legends about this beast, and never did he think he would come face to face with it.
Struggling to regain his composure, the guard attempted to get to his feet. He knew he needed to escape, to flee from this nightmare, but his body refused to cooperate with the urgency of his mind. His muscles felt like lead, sluggish and unresponsive to his desperate commands.
Meanwhile, Bob's efforts to keep the door closed were reaching their limits. The wood splintered, and the hinges creaked under the immense pressure from the other side. Bob's mind raced, desperately seeking any solution to halt the creature's advance.
"Stay down!" Bob shouted at the guard, knowing that any movement might draw the creature's attention.
But it was too late. The creature's thunderous blows finally succeeded, and the door flew off its hinges with an ear-splitting crash. Bob was sent hurtling across the room, crashing into a stack of crates. He winced in pain, feeling bruised and battered, but he couldn't afford to stay down for long.
The massive creature barrelled into the room, its presence dominating the space. The colossal creature seemed to loom over everything, a formidable sight to behold. Its long limbs extend like gnarled tree branches, each ending in wickedly elongated claws that could rend through even the toughest armor. Its body appears misshapen and twisted, as if forged from nightmares, with bulging muscles pulsating beneath its rough, leathery hide.
The creature's presence alone sent shivers down Bob's spine, and its red, glowing eyes gleamed with an intense, primal intelligence. Its head sported a fearsome array of horns and spikes, haphazardly strewn across its massive head, adding to its imposing silhouette. With each step, the ground trembled beneath its immense weight, leaving deep imprints in its wake.
Its dark, menacing eyes fixed on Bob, and its grotesque features twisted into a vicious snarl.
It paid no mind to the guard, dismissing him as it focused on Bob. The guard, now on his feet, couldn't help but let out a panicked scream, the creature turned its monstrous head toward him angry and annoyed. The sound was a grave mistake. The creature's attention shifted instantly, and it let out an earth-shattering roar that sent shivers down the guard's spine.
Knowing he had drawn the creature's wrath, the guard turned to flee, but his legs felt weak and wobbly. He stumbled, falling to his knees just as the creature lunged forward with astonishing speed.
In that desperate moment, Bob sprang into action. Ignoring his own pain, he reached for the nearest object—a broken plank from the shattered door—and lobbed it at the creature with all his might. The makeshift weapon struck the creature's side, but it merely glanced off its thick, armored hide, eliciting no more than an irritated growl. Bob smiled as the makeshift projectile had served its purpose, and the creature shifted its focus to Bob.
Bob's heart sank, but he refused to give up. He had to keep the guard alive, at least as a distraction, while he figured out how to take this mother fucker down. He threw himself into a dodge roll out of the way of the creature's next lunge, narrowly avoiding its massive claws. Bob activated the Rolodex and then willed Peace Bringer into his hand out of his inventory. The familiar reel manifested in front of him and began to spin. It landed on the Bloat Zombie card, and then the multiplier reel manifested and began to spin. Numbers flashed repeatedly in Bob's vision before it locked in a 3x multiplier.
Three Bloat Zombies materialized in front of Bob. He mentally ordered them to attack the creature as he brandished his sword and charged the beast as well.
Bob charged with an air of determination, his heart pounding in sync with the echoing footsteps of the massive creature that loomed before him. The creature's eyes glowed with unholy fire, and its wicked teeth and rending claws hinted at the sheer devastation it could unleash. Bob's three summoned Bloat Zombies lumbered toward the creature, relentlessly obeying their master's order, their bloated bodies emanating a putrid stench that added to the eerie atmosphere.
As the creature lunged forward with terrifying speed, Bob's first Bloat Zombie responded, its distended limbs flailing as it attempted to grapple with the beast. With a vicious swipe of its claws, the creature sent the zombie crashing into the stone wall, but it quickly rose again, seemingly undeterred by the impact. Another Bloat Zombie lumbered forward, its rotting flesh oozing as it unleashed a toxic cloud toward the creature. The creature recoiled, its ferocity momentarily subdued by the corrosive assault.
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Not to be outdone, the massive creature gathered its strength and let out a guttural roar that rattled the very foundation of the room. The third Bloat Zombie, undaunted, charged at the creature head-on, attempting to distract it from Bob. However, the creature's agility proved formidable, and it evaded the zombie's grasp, retaliating with a flurry of savage strikes.
As the battle waged on, the room became a chaotic battleground, with Bob expertly dodging the creature's lunges and commanding his Bloat Zombies to press their relentless assault. The creature's keen senses and brutal strength allowed it to hold its ground, but the Bloat Zombies' relentless nature and decayed resilience proved to be an unnerving challenge.
With each passing moment, the tension escalated, and the sound of clashing limbs and gnashing teeth filled the room. Bob's mind raced with strategies, contemplating whether to unleash a dark spell or employ a different tactic. Meanwhile, the creature seemed to draw upon an endless reserve of malevolence, its attacks growing fiercer as it refused to yield to the relentless assault.
Bob saw the guard attempting to flee in secret, and he growled softly before yelling at it. "If you don't help me kill this thing, then when I'm done, and trust me I will succeed, my next task will be to hunt you down and put you down like a fucking animal!"
The guard gulped audibly, as he turned toward Bob with fear in his eyes. The guard pulled a halberd out of thin air and timidly steeled himself to assist in the battle. Bob nodded before focusing all of his attention back on the beast. The battle continued back and forth between Bob, the three zombies, the guard, and the creature. Neither side gained the upper hand until the guard overcommitted to a halberd swing and it cost him dearly.
The creature's eyes seemed to gleam with excitement as it immediately took the opportunity and chomped down on the guard's shoulder. The creature lifted the guard into the air and viciously shook his head, playing with his food. The guard was shaken back and forth, disorientingly, before the flesh gave out and the guard went flying into the wall. The creature seemed to purr in pleasure as it gulped down the morsel of flesh that was the guard's arm.
The guard was in shock, terrified, but in shock. The guard stumbled to his feet and ran, panic-stricken, through the other door, the one that was actually the safe passage. Bob grimaced as he watched the guard vanish, and vowed in his head that after he killed this fucking monster if that guard was still alive when he found him, he soon wouldn't be. His attention was brought back to the battle as one of his zombies was devoured in a single bite.
Bob charged the beast and started wildly thrusting Peace Bringer into the creature, leaving gaping wounds and flowing blood in its wake. The creature growled in pain, and increased its frequency of attacks on Bob, ignoring the zombies. The zombies, free from the creature's attention as it focused on Bob, attacked with greater speed, dealing quite a bit of damage to the creature. The battle went back and forth for what seemed like an eternity, with both sides starting to tire.
The creature, nearing exhaustion, slowed and watched Bob like a cornered animal realizing its imminent demise. It made a few half-hearted and slow attempts at attacking, but it was to no avail. Bob ran up, dodging the feeble attacks, and swung his sword. Peace Bringer bit deeply into the creature's thick misshapen neck and drank hungrily of its blood. The creature yowled in pain and distress as Bob continued to thrust his sword into the creature repeatedly. The creature expired shortly after Bob's onslaught began.
Bob's heart pounded in his chest as he stood over the lifeless body of the fearsome creature he had just slain. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his breath came in ragged gasps, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. He wiped the blood from his sword, taking a moment to catch his breath and regain his composure. But his promise to the fleeing guard echoed in his mind, and he knew he had to make good on it. Following the trail of blood left by the cowardly guard, Bob held his sword at the ready.
Bob's heart pounded as he stood at the entrance of a dimly lit corridor, the walls constructed from ancient stone blocks that seemed to hold secrets of a forgotten era. The echoes of his footsteps reverberated through the narrow passage as he followed the faint trail of blood left by the fleeing guard. Determination etched on his face, Bob pressed on, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny for any sign of the cowardly guard.
As he ventured deeper into the maze-like corridor, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, enveloping him in an eerie silence broken only by the distant drip of water. Yet, Bob's resolve remained unshaken, and he moved forward, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. The dancing shadows seemed to mock him, but he was unyielding, knowing that he must make good on his promise.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bob spotted a flicker of movement up ahead. There, huddled against the cold stone wall, was the guard, his armor now a mess of blood and bile. The scent of desperation hung heavy in the air as their eyes met, and the guard's face contorted with dread.
Bob's voice cut through the silence, echoing down the corridor, "You fled from the fight, leaving me to face the creature alone. Now, you must face the consequences of your actions."
The guard's attempts to explain himself faltered, knowing Bob would listen to no justification for his cowardice. Bob's sword remained steady, its gleam catching the faint light as he approached. However, as he drew nearer, a moment of hesitation crossed Bob's mind. He couldn't shake the thought that killing the guard would only perpetuate a cycle of violence and despair. Bob frowned and nearly put his sword away, but a feeling of resolve forces its way into his mind, urging him to uphold the vow of vengeance.
Bob struggled for a moment before the urging thoughts won out, and he thrust his sword into the wounded guard's heart, easily penetrating through the dying guard's breastplate. Bob withdrew his sword with a squelch and wiped it clean on the dead man's tunic. Peace Bringer vanished as he willed it back into his inventory, and continued down the dimly lit passage. Bob breathed a deep sigh of relief as he finally exited the Glimmering Maze after what seemed like an eternity.
Unfortunately for Bob, a malevolent presence was watching him, without his knowledge.