I stood there, the weight of his leg bearing down on my outstretched arms, muscles straining to maintain its position. I struggled to keep it at bay, my focus solely on preventing its ascent. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. With a sudden release, I let go of his leg and pivoted, my body moving instinctively. His leg swung past me with alarming speed, the rough scrape of fabric against my back catching me off guard. Reacting swiftly, I launched a powerful right straight, the force behind it higher than normal.
He still had higher speed, though, as he managed to recover his leg and contort his face just enough to evade the full impact of my blow. A surge of adrenaline fueled his response as he retaliated with a lightning-fast left jab aimed squarely at my cheek. The sharp sting of contact reverberated through my jaw, causing my neck to twist involuntarily under the brunt of the blow. Despite the pain, I maintained my composure, delivering a stinging retort through clenched teeth.
"I can take more punches than you, remember that?" The words were punctuated by our last encounter. His expression flickered with a hint of fear at my reminder, a momentary lapse in his confidence. Sensing an opportunity, I pressed forward, seizing the advantage as he stepped back. In a swift motion, I closed the distance between us, my hand reaching out to grasp at his face.
My open palm extended with strained effort, the very tips of my fingers barely grazing his face, yet it was enough. In a swift motion, I lowered myself, channeling every ounce of power into my palm as I drove him downwards. The impact reverberated through the ground. He crashed onto the unforgiving surface, the earth beneath him yielding with a resounding crack. He lay sprawled on his back, the ground bearing his imprint, while I remained hunched beside him. Despite his predicament, he mustered a mocking retort, his voice laced with defiance. "Was that your big attack? That barely strained my back!"
Ignoring his taunts, I remained focused as I prepared to deliver the next blow. In battles such as these, statistics often dictated the outcome, an immutable truth for those of lesser prowess. However, at this elevated level of combat, the margin for overcoming a statistical disparity of less than a hundred was slim, yet feasible. It was a truth I acknowledged without boasting, for victory under such circumstances hinged upon exploiting the slightest advantage, however precarious. With a calculated motion, I raised my knee, poised to exploit the narrow gap in our statistical prowess. It was a delicate balance, teetering on the edge of possibility, yet I was determined to seize said possibility. As he assumed a defensive stance, his arms forming a formidable barrier to protect his vulnerable head, I recognized the opening, a chink in his armor waiting to be exploited.
I directed a stamp downwards, testing the effectiveness of the maneuver. His body crunched further into the ground under the weight of my stomp. Despite his resilient guard, it was clear that his defenses were beginning to falter. Sensing an opportunity, I continued the assault, stamping down repeatedly with relentless determination. As each stamp reverberated through the ground, I realized that my stats were higher than what the showed. If I were still within the lower 200s, such strikes would be futile, but now, with each stamp, I noticed the power.
With a swift motion, I clocked my leg back, preparing to deliver a decisive blow. A front kick aimed squarely at his guard sent it reeling backward, leaving him momentarily exposed. His incredulous yell echoed through the air, a testament to his disbelief at the unfolding turn of events. He yelled, "What?! This isn't what he told me would happen!" He? Actually, that doesn't matter right now.
In a desperate attempt to regain his footing, he lashed out, his fist connecting with the bottom of my foot, halting its advance. Undeterred, I pursued him relentlessly as he rolled to my right, his movements telegraphing his intent to recover. However, I refused to let this go, closing the distance with determined strides. As he rose to one knee, a futile gesture of defiance, I raised my leg with unwavering resolve, ready to mete out the final blow. He was soon to meet his destruction.
I unleashed another front kick, this time targeting his unguarded face with the technique of a footballer. His head catapulted into the air, a macabre spectacle against the backdrop of the battlefield. Blood erupted from the wound, mirroring the crimson spray from our earlier clash. I admonished him with a mixture of scorn and dark humor, my words cutting through the tense silence that followed. "Two times you have tried to take my life, and you lost your head as penance. Actually, twice you lost your head. That's hilarious." His lifeless form crumpled to the ground, arms splayed out in a final, futile gesture of defense.
As I stood over him, a moment of solemn reflection washed over me. I couldn't help but wonder about his family, if they were aware of his perilous endeavors or if he had any friends at all. I contemplated the twists of fate that had led me to this moment, spared from a similar fate by the blessing that had guided my path. Shaking off the somber thoughts, I turned my attention to the sound of dinging, signaling another correct move in the game of tribulations. Behind me, the ground emitted a noise, the fractured earth from our battle levitating back into place with eerie precision. A shiver ran down my spine as I glanced back to find his body mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only an unsettling emptiness in its wake.
The quest board materialized before me, its ethereal glow illuminating the final task that awaited me, a reminder that the journey was far from over. With a resolute nod, I accepted the challenge, steeling myself for the trials yet to come.
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Quest 11: Tribulations (2/3 Completion)
Complete the Gauntlet of Tribulations.
Requirements:
Survive the Maze.
Recommendations:
Like I said, find the hidden item.
Rewards:
10000 points (2000 extra if recommendations completed)
+240 Strength (partly given)
+250 Speed (partly given)
+Item: Covenant Shard
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As if summoned by the mere mention of the word, the ground beneath me began to tremble, sending reverberations that I felt. Before my eyes, gray stone walls emerged from the earth, rising with an ominous deliberation that belied their seemingly infinite height. Each imposing structure seemed to stretch into the heavens, devoid of any discernible limit, casting a foreboding shadow over the landscape.
At the forefront of this labyrinthine maze stood a gaping hole, a sinister entrance beckoning me. I found myself rooted to the spot, transfixed by the magnitude of the challenge that lay ahead. The walls ceased their relentless ascent, frozen in their towering majesty, as the familiar sound of the dinger echoed across the space, a harbinger of the trials yet to come. The once dimly lit surroundings now plunged into an abyss of darkness, the inky blackness swallowing all traces of light. What was once a space bathed in faint illumination now morphed into a realm cloaked in impenetrable shadow. There was no turning back.
Walking into the corridor, I was scared. Darkness has always scared me. The moss-covered walls exuded an aura of decay, yet I pressed onward. Was this truly a maze? The thought lingered as I traversed the dimly lit passage, each step echoing in the oppressive silence. A voice pierced the stillness, emanating from the darkness to my right. Its tone was ominous, dripping with a heavy accusation. "You're not a good person." it whispered, a chill running down my spine at its ominous proclamation. I halted in my tracks, the words striking a nerve within me. I'm a good person. "Or you could just be a psychopath with a moral compass?" the voice insinuated, its taunts fueling the flames of anger within me. Without a second thought, I lashed out, my voice echoing through the corridor in a defiant cry. "What are you?!"
A phantom sensation brushed against my back, sending a shiver down my spine as the voice continued its unsettling tirade. "It doesn't matter what or who I am, sinner. I know every sin you have committed and your soul." it declared with an air of omniscience.. I soon felt an evil presence behind me. Reacting, I swung out with a backhand, hoping to strike at the unseen presence lurking in the shadows. Yet, my hand found nothing but empty air, leaving me grappling with the unsettling realization that I was not alone.
As the voice continued to assail me with accusations and revelations, my mind raced, grappling with the uncomfortable truths it unveiled. It listed off my sins, "You kill anyone you deem evil indiscriminately. Back at the old school, you had a semblance of self-awareness, calling yourself out for beating up your old bullies brutally. You retroactively ruined this character building moment by telling yourself it was 'justice'." My fist tingled with rage, not able to take criticism. "People like the Deputy deserve no grace, but what about Kul? What about the Demon? What about The Breaker?" it continued, its words truthful. I yelled a jumble of words, my mind racing. My chest huffed out immensely, hurting me. My heart couldn't take this.
"The quest told me to beat them all up! It was jus-" I trailed off, catching myself. "There it is, justice." the voice interjected, its tone laden with condemnation. "The quest told you to do it, but is that what is morally acceptable? You did it right the first time, not killing those low level workers even though the quest told you too. But now, you're different. Your old self would hate you. How many workers have you killed? Not deserving of death for mere points, huh?" Each word was an undeniable truth. I had become a slave to my own sense of justice, blinded by the quest for retribution without pause for introspection or mercy. The realization washed over me like a wave, leaving me reeling in its wake.
"I get your struggles, son, I really do." the voice continued, its tone softening with a hint of empathy, then taking it back. "The problem is that you're a justice-obsessed psychopath who kills people for making mistakes. Sure, kill them all you want if they do not accept grace and repentance, but you never gave them the chance."
My façade of self-righteousness crumbled beneath the weight of its scrutiny, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. As a light emanated from the wall to my right, illuminating a mirror before me, I hesitated before meeting my own reflection. What stared back at me was not the image of a hero or a savior, but a twisted semblance of a demon, a grotesque caricature of the person I had become.
As light began to trickle down from above, illuminating the dim confines of the corridor, a different voice cut through the oppressive silence, its tone markedly lighter and more inviting. A riddle, it seemed to speak of, "I am the key to wisdom's door. In ancient texts, I'm mentioned more. With me, you gain greater might, In my presence, foes take flight. What am I?" the voice intoned.
Can you just leave me alone? I ignored it for a moment, then a a spark of recognition ignited within me as the answer dawned upon my consciousness. I widened my eyes, looking up at the light. "You are speech, you are words! You are the power of words!" I exclaimed, the revelation changing my soul.
In response, a faint smile seemed to dance in the silhouette of light before me, a silent acknowledgment of my insight. The light changed positions to the corridor. Two ethereal arms extended from the end of it, beckoning me forth. Without hesitation, I reached out, my fingers straining towards the elusive embrace, only to find them slipping through the ephemeral grasp as the arms retreated beyond my reach. Driven by an overwhelming sense of urgency and desperation, I rose to my feet and gave chase, my heart pounding in my chest as tears streamed down my face. My speed wasn't that of a gifted, it was that of a flawed and sinful human. "Please, come back!" I cried out into the empty expanse.
And then.. I woke up.