Chapter 34 - [Wolf's Den (6)] [Strange Monster (2)]

I gritted my teeth, a fierce determination burning within me. Like hell I was going to be just another statistic, another casualty.

I had only just arrived in this world, and I was already staring death in the face? I had only just become an explorer, and I was about to meet my maker? No way in hell.

With a surge of adrenaline, I activated my spatial manipulation ability for the first time. [Blink].

The world around me blurred and distorted, like a painting smeared by a wet brush. I felt a strange, disorienting sensation, as if my molecules were being rearranged.

When my vision cleared, I found myself standing a few meters away from where I had been.

The monster, a twisted mass of black, fluid-like tendrils, was mere inches from where I had been standing. It let out a deafening roar as it realized its prey had vanished.

BOOM!

The monster crashed into a nearby tree, its tendrils slamming into the trunk with incredible force.

The sound of the impact was like thunder, shaking the air and sending shockwaves through the ground.

Just as I was catching my breath, I felt the hairs on my body stand on end once more.

Goosebumps erupted all over my skin as I sensed the monster's presence closing in around me.

Without hesitation, I used blink again, reappearing a few meters away.

BOOM!

The creature's black, fluid-like tentacles slammed into the ground where I had been standing mere moments before.

The sound of the impact was like a crack of doom, a stark reminder of the monster's incredible speed and power.

Shit, I thought, my heart racing with fear. This thing's really fast. If I didn't have the ability to teleport, I would be dead already. I need to get out of here, and fast.

I felt the dread of death looming over me once more, its cold, dark presence suffocating me.

I knew I had to keep moving, to keep using blink to stay one step ahead of the monster.

But I also knew that I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed to find a way to escape, to get back to the portal and safety.

The problem was, I was too far away. I'd need to get closer, but I doubted the monster would let me.

I had to buy myself some time to escape. The monster was too powerful, and I needed to create some distance between us if I was going to survive.

Conjuring two fire spears in both my hands, I hurled them at the monster with a swift motion.

Whoosh!

The spears launched at the monster with insane speed, but it casually dodged them, its fluid-like body rippling and flowing like a living thing.

BOOM!

The spears crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth and taking a chunk out of the terrain.

The impact was immense, but the monster didn't even flinch. It just kept coming, its eyes fixed on me with an unblinking gaze.

I didn't need to hurt the monster, not yet. I just needed to keep its attention long enough for me to get into position.

And now, with the monster's eyes fixed on me, I made my move. I used my blink ability, reappearing behind the monster in the blink of an eye.

My hand was covered in a frosty aura, and I placed it on the monster's fluid-like body.

"Frostbite," I muttered, and the monster's body immediately began to freeze up. But the monster was far from defeated.

One of its eyes turned to look at me, and then began to glow with an otherworldly energy.

Shi-

BOOM!

A plasma-like beam erupted from the eye, destroying everything in its path. The beam ripped through the forest, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

I blinked just above the destroyed area, my eyes widening in horror as I took in the sheer scale of the destruction.

The beam had killed everything in its path, leaving behind a smoldering, charred landscape that seemed to stretch on forever.

I grimaced, looking down at the wound on my stomach.

It wasn't large, but it was painful. Just before I could teleport, the beam had hit me, grazing my side and leaving a burn that seemed to sear my very flesh.

If I hadn't teleported, I'd be dead, just like the monsters in the forest.

Shit, I thought. What was this thing? The game had never mentioned anything like this.

It was as if the monster had tapped into some kind of dark, ancient power that allowed it to wield energy on a catastrophic scale.

Fuck. I'm doomed aren't I?