Bleed for me
Unbeknownst to him, Cedric's left eye had now taken on an ominous grey hue, resembling storm clouds rolling in to shroud the sun's rays.
Running a short while later, Cedric arrives at an opening leading to the boss room.
Entering it with his group, he is greeted with a gruesome scene.
Two hapless recruits fending off a giant beast reminiscent of a gorilla.
The monster is covered in brown patches of fur, and its maw, long and pointed.
Looking closely, Cedric notices that the beast doesn't have any eyes.
'Judging by its movement and reaction, the beast appears to be reliant on a sharp sense of hearing as well as the sense of smell.'
Looking around, Cedric spots five bodies lying around the 40-meter-diameter cavern.
The humanoid bodies were crushed beyond recognition, almost unrecognizable, with dried blood splattered everywhere.
"Huh? Why am I feeling so woozy?"
Turning his head, Cedric notices Siegward rubbing his eyes. His movements akin to those of a drunkard.
'I fucking knew it.'
Seeing Meifeng leaning against the cavern wall, trying to stay awake, Cedric turns his attention to Ivan.
Standing to the side, unharmed, and completely fine.
'YOU--'
"YOU FUCKING BAS...TARD." Yells out Siegward with a hoarse voice right before he falls to the ground.
With the sounds of fighting raging in the background, Cedric starts to lose control.
Raising his hand to the side, a long, two-finger thin double-edged sword appears in his grip as Cedric fixes his hate-fueled gaze on Ivan.
Taking a step forward, Cedric mutters,
"You."
An earthen spear appears from the ground, piercing through Cedric's thigh.
Unfazed by the pain of having his leg pierced, Cedric takes another step forward.
"Are."
Stepping back in fright, Ivan tries to avoid staring Cedric in the eye.
"Don't come close to me, you crazy fuck!"
Shooting off a couple of earthen spears from his hand, Ivan turns to run towards the ongoing fight in the central area, away from the monster before him.
'The crazy fool won't be able to do as he wants for lon-'
Stepping forward for the last time, Cedric is now fully consumed by the madness lurking within. His eyes ashen colored. His face devoid of any emotion.
[Cloud Step]
Disappearing from his previous position, Cedric swings his sword with his right hand.
The blade passed effortlessly through Ivan's body, bisecting him from the right shoulder down to his abdomen.
"Dead." Mutters Cedric, right next to Ivan's ear, as his body falls apart.
'Huh, why am I falling?' Ivan thought as only a couple of moments later, vitality had faded from his eyes.
Ivan's dismembered body lay lifelessly on the floor.
Raising his head, Cedric looks towards the fight, which seems to have finished, as he watched the last trainee fail to dodge on time, slipping on a pool of blood that has formed from his ally's bodies.
Taking the six-meter-tall monster's fist to his side, the trainee is crushed into paste.
The monster raises its maw and exhales a mighty roar.
"Shut your fucking mouth."
Its roar gets interrupted by an unknown voice stemming from its side.
Turning its massive body towards the intruder's assumed location, it tries to feel for his presence, failing to even catch the intruder's smell. It is befuddled.
Smiling viciously, Cedric announces in a grim, distorted voice that sounds like two people speaking at once:
"Let me see you bleed! Foul abomination. Hah!"
[Cloud Step]
Disappearing in a blood-red cloud, Cedric appears behind the behemoth.
He casts a [Fulgurous Infusion] on his blade, causing rapid streaks of crimson-colored lightning to envelop his blade as he slashes towards the beast's hind leg.
A ringing noise is heard as Cedric's blade fails to penetrate the monster's bone.
Enraged, the beast turns around with a swift swing of its massive claws towards Cedric's location.
Failing to find purchase with its attack, the beast feels a searing pain coming from its other leg.
Now unable to stand upright, the beast leans on its front paws.
[Cloud Step]
"Oh, don't tell me you're already tired. Let's have some more FUN!"
Appearing beside the beast, shrouded by a red mist as a result of using his movement technique, Cedric slices upwards.
His sword Cut off a piece of the monster's flesh from the side, like a knife through butter.
"RAAAH!" the beast roars at the frustrating foe.
Swinging its arms around fruitlessly, it fails to catch Cedric.
With his ability to roam the battlefield like a cloud, he easily manages to weave and counter the monster's failed swings.
Landing behind the monster, Cedric frowns, saying, "This... Is disappointing. Will I never be able to find a foe befitting a proper fight!?"
Unable to react to the voices coming from behind, the beast now lay on the ground.
Covered in cuts, its fur singed. Looking like a sculpture of flesh that had been carved up with reckless abandon.
"All right. Let's end this farce."
Climbing on top of the beast's back in an attempt to finish the monster off, Cedric channels a [Piercing Strike]
Gripping the handle with both hands, Cedric pierces his lightning-coated blade into the monster's skull.
CRACK!
A sickening sound resounded as he extracted his sword, jumping off its back.
Landing back on the ground, Cedric lies down on the blood-soaked cavern's floor.
"Ah, how disappointing."
A flash of blue light appears next to each one of Cedric's team members.
[Congratulations on beating the Goliath of Gemspring Cave! You have been awarded a body root. You may consume it to increase your physical strength.]
"Ooh, Shiny!" Grabbing the pouch that had appeared beside him, Cedric takes the 'Body Root' out of the sack.
After a brief inspection, he shrugs his shoulders as he throws the root into his mouth.
"Mmh. Tastes like dirt."
"Huh? How are you still alive? IVAN!"
Turning back to the intruding voice, Cedric sees a dark-skinned elf standing at the entrance, surrounded by five recruits.
'Oooh, these guys look strong!'
Grabbing his sword, which lay beside him, Cedric stood back up.
Locking his madness-infused gaze onto Irhal's group.
"HELLO THERE! GLAD YOU COULD JOIN THE PARTY! Now, How. About. We. Have. Some. FUN?!"