Gate of disaster (27)

The Stone Giant lumbered in the water, a titan now robbed of its footing. The river had grown too deep, and with each passing second, the current fought against its colossal weight, pulling it further into the abyss. Yet it adapted, learning to swim with slow, methodical movements, each stroke displacing waves that rippled out like small tsunamis.

I hovered in the water, my silver hair floating around me, my golden eyes locked on my foe. It should have crushed me by now—by all logic, I should be nothing but a smear in the riverbed—but the river, my river, refused to let that happen. It cradled me like a protective mother, its energy seeping into my core, feeding me, mending me, fueling me.

The fight had devolved into a grim, violent dance. The Stone Giant would surge forward, sending shockwaves through the water that disrupted my flow, shattering my control. I would retaliate, commanding the water like an extension of my body, wrapping it around the giant to restrict its movements or hurling concentrated bursts at its joints.

Each time its enormous fists tore through my constructs, I reformed them. Each time it shattered my defenses with its shockwaves, I adapted. It was a brutal stalemate, the river regenerating my mana faster than I could expend it, allowing me to keep up the fight. But I could feel the strain building in my body. My arms burned from the effort of manipulating water with such precision, and my core thrummed dangerously with overuse.

The Stone Giant wasn't faring much better. Its massive stone frame was slower now, chunks of its body eroded by the relentless river pressure and my targeted strikes. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, faint glows of its internal mana spilling out like molten veins.

But then, everything changed.

***

The fight paused.

Both of us froze, our attention drawn to something far more menacing than each other. Below us, the riverbed disappeared.

A vast black hole gaped in the river's depths, pulsating with an unnatural energy. There was no riverbed, no solid ground—just an endless abyss stretching into oblivion. And from that abyss came horrors.

At first, it was a shadow, a flicker of movement. Then came the monsters. Sharks, grotesque and mutated, surged forth. Some had two heads, their jaws filled with rows of serrated teeth that clicked and gnashed. Others were unnaturally elongated, their thin, rotting bodies trailing pus and decay. A few were massive, their forms bloated and misshapen, their eyes glowing with demonic malice.

The gate—it was a gate.

Now I understood why these were called Gates of Disaster. They weren't merely entrances; they were bottomless, unending chasms spewing corruption into the world.

The Stone Giant turned its blazing red eye toward the creatures. They swarmed it immediately, their primal instincts overriding any sense of strategy. It swung its massive arms, crushing and scattering them, but they kept coming. And yet, none of them came for me.

I realized why: they were still water-elemental creatures at their core. Even corrupted, even grotesque, they recognized me as their master. They were attacking the giant, not out of loyalty, but because it was an intruder in their domain.

For the first time in the battle, I felt a sliver of hope.

***

My options were bleak.

The gate below was a death sentence, its monsters a constant reminder of the chaos it could unleash. The Stone Giant, battered but relentless, was still faster than me, even in the water. Running wasn't an option—it would chase me, and I'd eventually tire.

No, I had to end this here.

The corrupted creatures swarmed the giant, their gnashing teeth and flailing bodies a chaotic distraction. I could use that. The water was my ally, the monsters were an unexpected gift, and the gate… the gate was my enemy's grave.

I moved with purpose now, pulling the river's currents into my hands like threads of silk. With a flick of my wrist, I sent torrents of water crashing into the giant's side, forcing it back toward the gate. It retaliated with its shockwave skill, the disruptive blast rippling through the water and shattering my constructs, but I was ready.

I anticipated its move, redirecting the current to sweep debris into its face, buying myself precious seconds. It swung its massive arm, trying to swat me away, but I darted through the water, my movements fluid and serpentine.

The corrupted monsters attacked with renewed ferocity, biting and clawing at the giant's legs. Their distraction gave me the opening I needed. With a surge of mana, I commanded the water to form a powerful vortex around the giant, pulling it closer to the gate.

It roared, a soundless bellow that vibrated through the water, and activated its Landscape skill. The riverbed—what little remained of it—shifted, jagged rocks erupting from the depths and smashing through my vortex. The giant pressed forward, its glowing red eye fixed on me.

***

I had to make it believe it was winning.

I feigned desperation, my movements growing erratic, my constructs slower to form. I let it land glancing blows, the force of each strike sending me reeling. But behind the facade, I was weaving a trap.

The river's currents carried us deeper into the abyss, the pressure increasing with every meter. The Stone Giant was slowing now, its movements strained, its body creaking under the weight of the water. The corrupted monsters continued their assault, chipping away at its already-cracked frame.

I circled it, keeping my distance, letting the water do its work. The giant swung at me again, but its arm was sluggish, its strength waning. I struck back with precision, targeting the cracks in its body with concentrated jets of water. Each strike sent fragments of stone drifting into the abyss.

And then it happened.

The giant's red eye flared with a blinding intensity. The water around me solidified into a cement-like sludge, trapping me in place. I struggled, my movements sluggish, as it activated its Shockwave skill. The blast sent a jagged shard of rock hurtling toward me with terrifying speed.

I tried to dodge, but the cement held me fast.

The shard struck just below my ribs, a searing pain exploding through my body. Blood clouded the water as the impact sent me tumbling backward. My core—a glowing orange gem at the center of my being—shuddered, a hairline crack forming across its surface.

I clutched my side, my vision swimming, but I forced myself to stay focused. The Stone Giant, though battered and cracked, loomed over me, its red eye burning with triumph.

But I wasn't done yet.

The current shifted around us, the river bending to my will. I channeled every ounce of mana I had left, weaving the water into a final, desperate attack. The giant didn't notice the subtle pull of the current, the way it was being guided closer to the gate.

It thought it had won.

Let it think that.

The corrupted creatures surged forward again, their frenzied attacks forcing the giant to turn its attention away from me. I took the opportunity to slip free from the cement, the water washing over me like a cleansing tide.

The Stone Giant was close now, its body cracking under the pressure of the water and the relentless assault of the monsters. But it wasn't enough. I needed one final push to send it over the edge.

I gathered the last remnants of my mana, the river responding to my call with a ferocity I hadn't felt before. The current became a raging torrent, dragging the giant toward the gate. It roared in defiance, its glowing eye dimming as the water and the monsters overwhelmed it.

But just as victory seemed within reach, it lashed out one final time. Its jagged arm swung with deadly precision, catching me off guard. The force of the blow sent me spiraling through the water, pain lancing through my side as the crack in my core deepened.

Blood swirled around me, and for a moment, the world blurred.