Chapter 35 - [Wolf's Den (7)][Strange Monster (3)]

Inside the opulent corridor, adorned with lavish furnishings and intricate artwork, a middle-aged man strode purposefully, his massive frame and chiseled muscles commanding attention.

He walked alongside his brother, their presence prompting nearby individuals to deferentially step aside, clearing a path for the duo.

Thomas, the larger of the two brothers, exuded an air of authority, his confident stride devouring the distance.

Suddenly, a melodic chime echoed from his suit pocket, signaling an incoming message.

He retrieved a sleek, gemstone-like device – a mana communicator – and answered with a curt "Yes."

A panicked voice crackled through the device, "Sir, there's a problem with the portal designated as the Wolf's Den."

Thomas's expression turned grave as he recognized the portal's name; he had sent a young kid there mere hours ago.

"What is it?" Thomas asked, his deep voice firm but laced with concern.

The voice on the other end continued, its panic evident, "The energy readings of the portal are off the charts, sir. They're much higher than when they first opened."

Thomas's brow furrowed as he processed the information. "And?" he prompted, his tone questioning.

"It just means more monsters were born, doesn't it?" Thomas spoke, his words more a query than a statement.

The voice on the other end replied, its panic still evident, "Not this kind of spike in energy, sir. This much increase in energy, especially in only two hours, can only mean a Level 3 monster was born, sir."

Thomas's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. Before he could respond, his brother tapped him on the shoulder, his voice low and urgent. "Brother, we've lost contact with the boss room team."

Thomas's face hardened, his jaw clenched in concern. "Shit," he muttered, his voice dripping with anxiety. "Assemble a team immediately. Send them inside the portal."

The corridor erupted into a flurry of activity as Thomas's brother and the surrounding personnel scrambled to obey his orders.

Thomas, meanwhile, bit his finger, a gesture of worry and frustration. "Shit," he whispered, his eyes clouding with concern. "Hope we're not too late."

*************

BOOM!

The monster's tentacle attack came crashing down, its fluid-like body rippling with malevolent intent.

I narrowly dodged the blow, my heart racing with fear as the tentacle obliterated a nearby tree, sending splintered wood flying in all directions.

Undeterred, I conjured a flurry of ice spears, their crystalline tips glinting in the fading light.

With a swift motion, I launched the spears at the monster, their trajectory arcing through the air with a deadly whoosh.

But the monster was unfazed, its tentacles casually waving to crush the spears like fragile glass.

Damn it, I thought, frustration and desperation creeping into my mind.

Nothing's working. I checked my MP bar, my eyes widening in alarm as I saw the dwindling numbers.

MP: 130/210.

Shit, I was running out of MP fast. If this keeps up, I won't even have enough to teleport myself near the portal.

BOOM!

The monster launched itself at me, its massive body propelling itself through the air with a force that shattered the ground beneath my feet.

In an instant, it was upon me, its tentacle swiping at me with deadly precision. I narrowly bent my body low to avoid the blow, my heart racing with fear.

Using my [Body Strengthening] skill, I strengthened my feet and launched a desperate kick at the monster.

Puchi.

But my leg simply dove into its body, doing no damage whatsoever. Shit, I thought. Do only magic skills work on this thing?

My face went pale as I saw another of the monster's eyes glowing with the same otherworldly energy as before.

[Blink].

Without hesitation, I teleported away, avoiding the plasma-like beam that erupted from the eye mere moments later.

BOOM!

Another chunk of the forest was erased from existence, the destruction a testament to the monster's unfathomable power.

Ack, what? I thought, my mind struggling to keep up with the monster's relentless assault.

I didn't even have time to look at the destruction it caused as I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen.

Looking down, I saw a sharp black spike piercing through my abdomen, the agony a searing, burning sensation that threatened to consume me whole.

Fuck, I thought, my vision blurring with pain. The spike was long, tracing all the way back to the monster's body.

With a cruel twist, the monster pulled me towards it, using me to slam into the ground with bone-shattering force.

BOOM!

Argh, I groaned in pain, my body feeling like it had been shattered into a thousand pieces.

As I struggled to raise my head, a wave of agony washed over me, threatening to drag me under into the depths of unconsciousness.

But before I could even attempt to lift my head, the monster's grip tightened around me, and I felt myself being lifted off the ground once more.

In a blur of motion, the monster slammed me into a nearby tree, the impact sending shockwaves through my already battered body.

BOOM!

The tree trunk shattered beneath me, its splintered remains exploding outward in a shower of wooden shards.

The monster didn't stop there. With a cruel twist, it hurled me at a nearby boulder, my body crashing against the unforgiving stone with a sickening crack.

The sound of my own rib cracking was like a cold, hard slap to my consciousness, and I felt my vision begin to blur.

Fuck, I thought, my mind reeling with pain and desperation.

I could barely keep my consciousness from slipping away, and the only thing that kept me anchored to reality was the agony coursing through my body.

If not for the pain from my wound, I would have lost consciousness already, succumbing to the darkness that threatened to consume me.

But the monster wasn't finished with me yet. In a flash of movement, it blurred and reappeared right in front of me, its tentacles raised high like scythes, ready to crush me to bits.

The creature's eyes seemed to burn with an otherworldly intensity, and I knew that I was staring into the face of my own mortality.