The last echos of the blast died down as Devi stared at the remaining two beasts. Was using her grenade worth it? Absolutely. Did it also leave her with only her firestarter? Also yes. But it was so satisfying to actually see the explosion without it blowing up in her face. In her book, it was completely worth it.

She recovered faster than the monsters facing her, rushing over to the slumped form of the dead beast, hoping to retrieve her blade. Even though it was broken and dull, it far outperformed any other tool in her possession. Throwing paintbrushes at the screeching monsters seemed like a good way to end up as dinner.

A barrage of feathers whistled through the air at her, causing her to stumble into a dive. She hit the unforgiving stone tiles with a thud but managed to avoid the deadly onslaught of deadly projectiles. The ones still sticking out of her body were unusually sharp, but even before her eyes, they slowly started to dissolve into black smoke.

She didn’t have time to study the oddness as the beasts had thrown off their confusion and were slowly stalking forward. They seemed wary of any more tricks, but unfortunately, Devi was completely out. The mana crystal turned grenade was her one and only ace. She was stuck with her firestarter and the blade that was still buried under a mountain that was a monster corpse.

Pain radiated through Devi's body, her muscles protesting every movement, but her determination burned brighter than ever. With gritted teeth, she pushed herself up from the ground, rising against the weight of her injuries. The wounds throbbed, reminding her of the perilous journey she had endured thus far. Yet, she refused to let despair consume her.

Fueled by a sheer will to survive, Devi sprinted the final meters to where the fallen creature lay, her steps fueled by a mix of adrenaline and desperation. The twinges of pain intensified with each stride, but she pushed through, driven by a single-minded focus.

Her trembling hands plunged into the mound of grotesque flesh, unyielding in their search for her blade. Finally, her fingers closed around the hilt, slippery with the dark purple ichor of the beast. She gripped it tightly, feeling a surge of familiarity and determination course through her veins.

Without wasting a moment, Devi spun around, her movements fluid and instinctual. Flames erupted from her firestarter, engulfing the approaching beasts in a blazing wave. One of the creatures reared up, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, while the other swiftly maneuvered under the fiery assault, undeterred in its advance.

Devi's heart pounded in her chest as she focused her gaze on the beast that had evaded her flames. Its eyes glimmered with malevolence, charging straight at her. Ignoring the searing pain coursing through her body, she braced herself for the impending clash as it propelled itself off the ground in a terrifying blur of black and purple feathers.

In that moment, fear and exhaustion faded into the background, replaced by a primal instinct for survival. The weight of the situation bore down on her, but she refused to let it crush her spirit. This was a battle she couldn't afford to lose.

She thrust her hand holding the firestarter in front of her, right into the beat’s gullet. Pain erupted from her arm as its fangs tore chunks out. Devi met the monster’s raging eyes with her own steely gaze and grinned.

“Choke on this.”

A torrent of mana surged through her battered arm and into the magic tool she was grasping for dear life. Blistering heat exploded from her hand, racing down the beat’s throat, and she didn’t relent. She kept sending as much mana as she could muster into the firestarter as the monster wailed in agony.

Pain stabbed through her hand as the magic tool in her grasp shattered inside the beast's maw, splinters flying everywhere. The fire abruptly stopped, the mana no longer having an outlet. Instead, it l pooled in her hand. More mana than she had ever had in one place now sat, writing impatient, wanting to be used.

She screamed in pain as the wild energy escaped her control, exploding out of flesh in any way it could. Iridescent light flashed into existence as the volatile mana met air, burning through her arm as it did. The beast mirrored her shriek as mana blasted its already scorched throat, eventually collapsing in a heap before her.

Devi backed up, panting heavily. Her arm hung limply at her side, blackened and burnt, both from the fire and the mana. It still felt like it was being roasted from the inside out, something terribly wrong, but Devi clamped down on that feeling, shutting it into a box.

Looking up at the remaining beast, she let out a growl of frustration and anger, channeling her pain into rage. The beast let out its own roar to meet hers, but she could tell it was laced with fear. A few lunging steps brought her face to face with the beast as she brought up her blade in her one good hand. She lashed out, catching the beast by surprise, blood spilling into the air.

“Fuck the world ending,” she screamed as she followed up her wild swing with another one.

This time the monster was ready, batting her hand out of the way, but she brought her knee up, connecting solidly with the things unprotected belly.

“Fuck this insane place.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

She spun around, driving her blade into the beast’s side before it could react, ignoring its pained screech.

“And fuck,” she tore her weapon free.

“There being,” her blade slammed into the battered monster’s throat.

“No fucking guide.”

Breathing heavily, Devi stood over the fallen creature, her heart pounding in her chest. Adrenaline slowly leaking out her tired frame as she slumped down against the wall. She didn’t even bother acknowledging the two new notifications that made their presence known. The pain she had shut away came roaring back, twice as fierce as it had been now that her life wasn’t in immediate danger.

Devi could feel the warmth of blood trickling down her arm and the burning agony of her wounds. She leaned her head back against the cold stone, her breathing ragged as exhaustion threatened to consume her. The fight had cost her a lot, but not her life. She had won, which was all that mattered in the end.

As she was trying to recover her breath, a loud echoing screech pierced the darkness, startling Devi out of her daze. Another soon followed. And then another.

She swore under her breath. She was in no condition to stand, let alone face even one more of those monsters. Her good hand drifted to her satchel, reaching for her assumed health potion. The victory, and adrenaline, urged her to charge into the next fight. She could do it. Fight through the rest of the monsters, and kill whatever was at the end of this dark corridor.

But then she came to her senses. Her arm was a mangled mess, and all she had was the dull, broken blade in her hand. The crossbow having proved fairly useless in the fight except for the first shot. If she had other people to cover her while she reloaded, it would be a terrifying weapon. But as things stood, she could get one shot off, and that was it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed smoke starting to rise off the dead beasts, slowly pooling in the air. Her thoughts jumped to the journal’s warning of the curse itself rising from the beast and gaining material form.

That spurred her into action. She shoved her blade through the waistband of her pants and scooped up her crossbow with her good hand. Devi hesitated as she turned away to limp back down the hallway. The seven array disks lay dimly glowing in the darkness. She had spent a long time creating them, and she had no idea where to get more of the materials needed.

Also, without them, she was completely blind.

She hurriedly scooped the scattered array disks into her bag, keeping an eye on the smoke as it seemed to boil. The smoke seemed almost alive as it coalesced into one large cloud, flashing with purple energy as it did.

Eyeing it wearyly, she grabbed the last of the disks, and slowly started to back up down the hall, keeping the creepy smoke in view the whole time. As she moved, it seemed to lock onto her position and rushed at her. Not knowing what else to do, she thrust her hand up, holding aloft the faintly glowing disk. The dim light began to grow in intensity as the smoke neared, the disk seemingly reacting to it.

As the smoke neared her, it shied away, not willing to venture into the illumination given off by the disk. She sigh in relief, not knowing what she would have done if it had attacked. Nothing she had seemed like it would be effective. The eerie smoke seemed to retreat, dissolving into thin tendrils that snaked away into the darkness.

However, Devi knew she couldn't afford to linger in this treacherous corridor. More beasts could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike. With renewed determination, she quickened her pace, limping down the hallway toward the massive stone doors.

As she approached the doors, she could hear the faint sounds of growls and the scraping of claws growing louder behind her. The beasts were closing in, their presence sending shivers down her spine. The ever-present malevolent darkness not helping in the slightest.

She crossed the threshold, feet once again on the uneven stony ground of the cavern. Looking at the twin stone doors open wide to either side, she had a terrible relizaation. She had no idea how to close the doors.

Idiot, why did I not think of that? She could hear monsters rushing down the corridor at her. They are massive, and opened by themselves. They are probably magical too.

She frantically looked around for a solution, but nothing sprang up. With no other good alternatives, Devi rushed to one of the doors and began to push.

Devi pushed with all her might against one of the massive stone doors, her injured arm protested, sending waves of pain shooting through her body. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she strained against the weight, desperation fuelling her efforts. The growls and scraping sounds grew louder, the beasts closing in on her.

Ever so slowly, the door began to close. Inch by inch Devi forced the massive stone slab closer to the looming opening. As she did, the opposite door mirrored her progress, closing in sync. Then it hit her. No wonder it was as hard as it was to close. She was closing both of them at the same time, doubling the amount of effort she needed.

The door groaned in protest, but inch by inch, it continued to close. The gap between the doors grew narrower, and the menacing sounds of the approaching beasts grew more distant. Devi's arms trembled under the strain, her muscles screaming in protest, but she refused to relent.

A few feathers burst from the gap between the two doors, momentarily startling Devi. The monsters were evidently closer than she had imagined. Summoning every ounce of strength within her, she pushed with all her might, pouring her pain and determination into putting something solid between her and what sounded like far too many claws on the other side.

With one final surge of energy, the door slammed shut, sealing off the passage and cutting off the creatures' path. Silence engulfed the cavern, broken only by the sound of Devi's heavy breathing. She leaned against the closed door, sweat-soaked and panting, relief washing over her. She quickly snatched the now whole disk from the center of the door, hopefully sealing it shut.

Devi slumped down against the doors, all her energy evaporating now she was out of immediate danger. She was having serious second thoughts about continuing on. Giving up was looking better and better each second.

Shaking her head, she stumbled to her feet. She had gotten this far, she could figure something out. Maybe more of those grenades, or crafting a better firestarter. Devi had a hunch that being the first to finish this dungeon would give her something, just like being the first to make a magic tool did. And she really wanted a cool new title.