Chapter 122 - Something called Life [18]

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to run for your life, using every ounce of strength you had? Well, I don't want to sound cocky — and believe me, that's not my intention — but I've been facing dangerous situations with disturbing regularity. Normally, though, I don't bother to run. I either ignore the danger... or make it disappear.

I'm extremely strong. On top of that, I don't feel pain, and my body is capable of regenerating from most injuries, making it nearly impossible for anything to inflict truly fatal damage. So far, only a few things have even been able to threaten me in any significant way.

So, you're probably wondering: if I'm so powerful, why am I running? It seems contradictory, doesn't it? But the answer to that is actually pretty simple.

Normally, when something huge is chasing you, what would your first reaction be? Run, right? I mean, Victor and Arthur didn't hesitate to do exactly that, and I think anyone in their right mind would do the same. To make matters worse, we're not running from just any creature, but a colossal lizard made entirely of glowing volcanic rock — which, let's face it, doesn't exactly make the situation any better.

With that thought in mind, I kept running desperately, arms stretched forward as we rushed through the chaotic streets. We dodged abandoned cars, trying to keep pace, while the giant lizard chased us, crushing vehicles under its paws and throwing debris in all directions.

The metallic roar of the cars being destroyed echoed around us, making it impossible to ignore the monster hunting us. But, unexpectedly, as we approached a street that split into two paths, one to the right and one to the left, a new threat appeared.

Two more giant lizards emerged from either side, their predatory eyes scanning the area until they finally locked onto us. In an instant, our escape turned into a dead end.

The two lizards let out strange roars, a guttural, reverberating sound that echoed through the streets before they charged at us. Their massive bodies advanced with fury, crushing cars like toys and throwing debris everywhere.

With each step, the ground trembled under their weight. Thick, viscous liquid dripped from their mouths, constantly splattering on the ground. Whenever this substance touched something — whether it was the cracked asphalt or the scattered vehicles — the material began to bubble and melt, dissolving like wax exposed to flame.

"Shit! How many of these things are scattered around the city?!" Victor exclaimed behind me, his voice full of desperation and disbelief. His wavering tone made it clear he was at his limit.

Anyway, we were cornered, with enemies both in front and behind. My Alter Ego was busy, making it difficult to deal with all three at once. Of course, I could wipe them out without much trouble, but the issue wasn't my strength — it was time. I wasn't sure I could take them all down before Victor and Arthur were eaten by those lizards.

"I'd say now would be the perfect time to use that weird weapon of yours, the one you used on those serpents!" Arthur shouted, breathless, as he ran beside Victor, trying to keep up with the frantic pace.

Honestly, I'd thought about that too. The weapon Victor used on those serpents seemed pretty effective. I mean, he killed one with ease, which makes me think it has a huge destructive power.

Plus, I doubt these lizards are stronger than those giant serpents made of electricity, which, from what we saw, were impressively powerful. As I got lost in these thoughts, I was interrupted when Victor responded to Arthur's question.

"I've been trying for a while, but this damn thing just isn't working!" Victor replied, irritated, while hitting the weapon hard.

Arthur, hearing Victor's words, raised an eyebrow, clearly confused: "Are you serious?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief: "Now's not the time for jokes. I don't know if you've noticed, but we're surrounded by giant rock lizards! We're in serious danger here!"

Victor looked ahead, watching the two lizards approaching, then turned his head to the back, where the third lizard was still chasing us. In the next moment, his eyes fell on the weapon in his hand, which seemed completely inert.

Like it wasn't going to cooperate at all. Did it need batteries or some kind of power to work? Was it out of charge? What kind of weird anomaly was this, that only seemed to work when it felt like it? The more I tried to understand, the less sense it made.

"Do you really think I'd be joking in a situation like this?" Victor said, frustrated, his gaze fixed on the unresponsive weapon: "This thing just won't shoot. I've been trying for a while, but it's not doing anything. This is why I hate using anomalies as weapons" He muttered, angrily putting the weapon back in its holster, frustration growing with each passing second.

The next moment, I felt the weight of Victor's and Arthur's gazes on me. I looked back at them, blinking, although my face seemed indifferent. Truth be told, I was probably the fastest among us. Plus, facing that creature? No chance.

Honestly, I didn't even want to imagine what it would feel like to see my body melting, even though I knew I wouldn't actually die. Of course, if my Alter Ego were here, the story would be completely different.

In the end, we were completely at the mercy of our luck. But we couldn't keep running aimlessly without a plan, because we knew sooner or later, those lizards would catch up to us. Or, we'd be cornered by the lizards coming from ahead.

It was a matter of time. With that in mind, I made the only decision that made sense at that moment: I suddenly turned around and ran toward a random building, hoping it would offer some kind of refuge, even if temporary.

Victor and Arthur didn't exactly understand what I was trying to do, but they decided to follow me anyway. As soon as we reached the building, we charged toward the entrance without hesitation. The sound of a huge impact echoed behind us, and then the noise of another crash followed.

The first lizard chasing us had crashed into the building wall, and shortly after, two more loud crashes confirmed that the other lizards had done the same. The sound reverberated threateningly, heightening the tension in the air.

We stopped running and turned to look back. The lizards, with their sharp claws, were struggling to compress their massive bodies in an attempt to reach us. However, the entrance was incredibly narrow, too small for them to squeeze through.

Still, they kept pushing, trying to force their massive bodies through the building's tight opening. Although it was almost impossible for them to get in, the situation remained menacing. Their bodies, made of volcanic rock, exhaled magma in a constant state of boiling.

The more they pressed against each other, the more magma leaked from their cracks, flowing as if they were walking volcanoes. This magma accumulated inside the building, turning the area into a nightmare of fire and molten rock.

Magma alone was something we could easily avoid if we made our way to higher ground. The real challenge at that moment was figuring out how to get to the building where the flower was.

We were probably only a few minutes away from it, but we couldn't risk walking through the streets anymore. Although we had encountered only three of these lizards so far, something told me there were many more out there, crawling in the darkness, ready to emerge at any moment.

However, I truly had no idea where these creatures came from. The strangest thing was that, while they didn't seem interested in the humans lying on the ground, they had clearly tried to attack us, focusing mainly on Victor and Arthur, who were both human.

What exactly sets Victor and Arthur apart from the other unconscious humans out there? At least, for now, the only thing I can think of is that, unlike the others, Victor and Arthur didn't have those strange cracks in their bodies.

Anyway, I quickly glanced around. My eyes briefly fixed on the elevators, but honestly, the chances of them still working, considering the chaotic state of the city, were extremely low. So, when I spotted the back area, I decided to head there.

I reached the emergency stairs, which were simple but functional. Though it would take some time, if we used them, we might be able to reach the top of the building. Once there, I could assess the situation and decide what our next steps should be.

"This is going to be one hell of a climb" Arthur commented beside me, his gaze fixed on the stairs stretching out before us, leading to the upper floors of the building.

Arthur and I stood there, staring at the stairs. The silence was heavy, almost unbearable, until suddenly, Victor's voice cut through the air behind us. His tone, filled with seriousness and a hint of anxiety, echoed: "You've gotta be kidding me!"

As soon as I heard Victor's words, my gaze automatically shifted to where he was looking. To my surprise, grotesque creatures, looking more like worms or maggots, appeared, completely made of magma, slowly crawling toward where we were.

Their movements were strangely awkward, as if there was no coordination, a repulsive dance of pure abomination. Even Arthur and Victor, who had probably seen the most horrible things, couldn't hide their surprise: their eyebrows were raised.

However, to be honest, I wasn't all that concerned about it. I mean, either way, we were going up, so in the end, those things probably wouldn't catch us. They were slow and clumsy.

Victor and Arthur seemed to think the same, as, aside from their expressions of bewilderment, they showed no signs of nervousness or concern. Of course, as always happens when luck is involved, mine seemed to be hitting absolute zero.

"Why the hell do these damn things keep happening over and over again?!" Victor shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway as he ran frantically up the stairs, each step heavy and hurried.

"Shut up and keep climbing!" Arthur retorted, his voice firm and impatient, without taking his eyes off the stairs.

I was right behind them — my reaction was the slowest of the group, and now I was paying the price for it. But there was no time for regrets.

We climbed the stairs at a frantic pace, our footsteps echoing in the silence of the building, while a monstrous presence relentlessly pursued us.

With each step we took, the sound of the colossal worm behind us grew louder, a mix of snapping and growling, as if the building itself was being consumed from the inside.

It climbed, relentless, melting everything in its path. The metal of the stairs and the walls were melting, turning into steaming puddles, and the heat was suffocating, as if hell was opening up behind us.

It was as if those ugly magma worms I had seen at the building's entrance — the ones slithering like viscous, threatening horrors — had merged into a single monstrous creature.

An immense, deformed being that seemed made of pure fire and chaos, its body twisting and writhing in an infernal mass. The sound of melted innards and the unbearable smell of burning flesh filled the air as the thing approached with uncontrollable violence.

With this thought in mind, my eyes involuntarily fixed on what lay ahead of me. A massive spiral mouth, rows of sharp teeth descending toward its throat, made of volcanic rock that seemed to pulse with dark energy.

Magma dripped from its body as if its insides were about to explode, melting everything around — structures crumbled in an instant, consumed by the infernal fury emanating from it.

The heat was suffocating, the air thick with sulfur and ash. The only thing I could think of, as the creature's eyes locked onto mine with indescribable fury, was that the mother didn't like the way we looked at her babies.