Ba-dump…
Ba-dump…
Ba-dump…
Fear.
My mind became wholly consumed by it. I felt its fingers piercing my forearm it hurt so much. I couldn't react— I couldn't cry out in agony; that's exactly what it wanted. I wasn't going to give it the satisfaction. Whatever the fuck it was. I slowly turned my body around— I wanted to see whatever this 'thing' was. I gripped the Whisper of Rot tighter— knuckles cracking from the sheer force of my grip.
Then I saw it.
"What the fuck is this" I mumbled quietly in sheer terror.
My eyes took in its features— dilating as adrenaline pumped through my system. I was in danger. So… much danger. My breath hitched— I couldn't breathe. I am terrified. It was freakishly tall— almost 7ft+. Its skin—if you can call it that—melted into the night, onyx black and indistinguishable from shadow. I could only tell its skin was black because the sun was beginning to rise. Its arms— abnormally long— its fingers were more like talons. Its grip on my forearm increased. The tips of its fingers pierced further through my flesh— one touched the bone. I bit my lip to stifle my cry of pain— so hard it drew blood. It looked at me with a smile— exposing its rows of barbed teeth. Its eyes looked at me with a sadistic fervor— its pupils a malevolent red glowing in the darkness.
I wanna run away, I wanna run away.
I met its gaze. We stared into each other's souls. Mine—cracked and trembling. Its—sickeningly delighted. This creature— whatever it was— it wanted to toy with me. It wanted to play with its prey before ending it. It was so much like him like Richard. A familial fear overtook me. One I experienced for 16 years in that pod. The fear I had experienced when I was tormented since I was 2 months old.
When I was beaten as a child.
Sold off like a slave.
Overworked by the Hoffmires.
Threatened.
Abused.
Tortured.
That fear slowly morphed into anger. Anger towards the world. To those who've wronged me. To this FILTHY creature. I wanted to burn those memories from my mind. I wanted to rip this creature apart. I wanted to KILL kill kill kill kill— until I forget.
My fear began to dissolve. Giving way to a new emotion— one I've never felt before. Bloodlust. Pure unbridled rage-induced bloodlust. My grip on the Whisper of Rot loosened as I calmed my nerves. I stared back into the creature's soul. It tilted its head in curiosity as I was wondering what I'm thinking right now.
I didn't know if I could win. I didn't care. I just knew— it needed to hurt.
It needed to bleed.
It sealed its fate right there. With a fluid arc of my right arm— I cut across its horrific mug. The cut was shallow but enough. Since I was still injecting mana into the Whisper of Rot— its blade black with poison. The cut along the creature's face began to cause decay.
The creature's sadistic smile contorted in agony— its eyes seething with rage. Its prey attacked it. It then tightened its grip on my forearm— scraping the bone now— and flung me into the wall behind it. As it flung me— 5 large gashes formed on my left forearm. I could see the bone as I got flung across.
Crash!
"Kahhh!" I cried in pain.
My back crashed into the stone wall with a sickening crack. I felt my spine cracking from the sheer force. I could feel the skin on my back being polluted with blotches of purple and blue as it bruises. My eyes momentarily went white as I almost passed out. Darkness tried to pull me under. But I clenched my teeth and bit back the void.
'Not yet… I'm not dying in such a pathetic way.'
I stand right back up— legs trembling. The shock— the force rattled my bones. I felt the hairline fractures in my forearm and back. My left arm was in no usable condition— lifelessly dangling along my side. I didn't care. I was going to make this fucking creature suffer.
I was going to make it die in agony.
The creature now claws the decaying cut that marred its features. It was croaking in agony and seething rage.
KKHHR… KHHA… KHHHARRRR…
How dare its prey stand back up. It then charged towards me— dashing at an unnatural pace. It was getting terrifyingly closer— its arm drawn back to slash at me. At that moment— a plethora of memories flooded my mind. The butler. The butler of the Hoffmire family. The butler who had taught me about swordsmanship and martial arts in his free time. Only a few lessons— yet it flooded my mind within a second. Every strike, movement, angle and breath. Although he taught me with a longsword. The smaller Whisper of Rot would do.
My body instinctively ducked— I looked up to see the creature miss. Its slash marred the stone wall behind me. Gulpif that hit me I thought. Without skipping a beat my body instinctively dashed forward. I plunged the blade under its ribs— in a downward arc— and I cut across its flesh. A large grotesque gash formed along its side— slowly turning grey from the decay effect from the Whisper of Rot.
KKHHR… KHHA… KHHHARRRR…
The creature roared in agony— clutching its side. Out of it black blood spilt from the gaping wound. Painting its onyx skin in a darker shade of blackness. I wasn't thinking anymore— my body just moved on its own. I didn't feel fear, I didn't feel anger. My mind was empty apart from one thing— Kill kill kill kill. As the creature cried in pain, instinctively I moved behind it— slashing across its back.
KHHHARRRR
Another cry. Like a man possessed— my body unnaturally moved, dodging the creature's feeble attempts to maim me. Its red eyes dilated with the same terror that I faced. With every dash and dodge— I left another cut— another gash. Decay littered its figure. It cried in fear.
It fell to the floor— on its back, crawling away from me. My eyes are apathetic to its plight. I walked slowly to it— not a single thought polluted my mind— only KILL. I jumped onto it. I was on its chest looking at its terrified mug. The Whisper of Rot raised above my head.
"Die"
With a downward arc containing all of my strength— I stabbed its frontal lobe, using its skull as the sheath of my blade. I take the blade out and plunge it back in. I did this again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. As I did it I roared. My rage seeped through. My bloodlust overwhelmed me.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEEE!!!"
With every stab— with every guttural scream, its blood splayed across the environment. Coating it with blackness. My face— contorted from fury, rage and bloodlust— being painted in black blood.
I didn't care.
With a final downward arc— I sheathed my blade in the centre of its mug. Its features were now maimed beyond recognition. Its skull caved in from my fervor. Its brain matter leaked from the side. One of its eyes dislodged from the socket. It was dead. I killed it. I destroyed it. I panted breathlessly. My thoughts came back to me.
I looked at the maimed mug of my predator. I slumped as I let go of the Whisper of Rot. Every wound on its body slowly decayed. I couldn't fathom what I just did. What I accomplished. The way I did it.
'What… How did I…'
One thing was for sure— I caused this destruction. Maybe I am a monster that wants to kill— but not like Richard… never.
Snapping me out from my dazed thoughts. A harmonious voice played.
[ YOU HAVE FELLED AN ABHORRENT OF ORDEAL ]
[ YOU HAVE GAINED 100 XP… YOU HAVE GAINED A BONUS 50 XP FOR FELLING A HIGHER RANKED BEAST ]
[ YOU HAVE GAINED AN ADAPTATION ]
[ { ADAPTATION } FLOW (LEVEL 1) ]
I barely processed the words. I could only give a wry smile— mostly fake. A higher rank than me. I guess I might be a cockroach after all. An 'Adaptation' sounds interesting but… later— I'll check it out later. I felt my body grow heavy and I rolled off the creature, oh wait it's called an Abhorrent of Ordeal. I rolled off of it and lay on the cold stone ledge— gazing at the rising sun which was slowly illuminating the carnage I incited.
'Fuck… I'm so tired…'
My eyelids grew heavy— my vision darkened. 'Just 5 minutes' I thought. 'I'll sleep for 5 minutes'. With that I passed out. Laying on the cold stone ledge. With a maimed left forearm. A back painted black and blue. Hairline fractures across my body.
I guess after all that…
I survived…
barely.