CHAPTER 2: New weapons (1)

The beasts entered the cave one after the other, none of them attacking me at first. But I knew it was only a matter of time before they struck.

I had nowhere to run. Straying too far from the lit area would be a death sentence.

No weapon. No blade. Not even a stone large enough to wound them. Nothing to attack with, nothing to defend myself. Just my clothes and the yellow scarf around my neck—useless in a fight for survival.

I had to find something. Fast. Or I'd be torn apart.

My mind raced as I kept my eyes on the flying creatures. One of them suddenly dived toward me at full speed.

No more time to think. Move!

I bent my knees, lowered my torso—ready to react.

Two more followed the first, rushing at me in unison. Could I handle all three at once? I couldn't afford to doubt.

"Not yet... just a little closer," I muttered, lowering my stance even further, legs braced. I watched, waiting—five feet… four… three…

"Now!"

I lunged to the left, barely dodging the first attack. No time to breathe—I immediately stepped back, avoiding the second. But the third—I wasn't fast enough.

"Aaargh!" The impact knocked the air from my lungs. I managed to grab the beast's mouth, but its razor-sharp teeth sank deep into my hand.

Pain shot through me like fire. Before it could rip off my fingers, I drove my foot into its body, sending it flying across the cave—bouncing off the ground before crashing into the ceiling.

"What the hell are these things?" Even with wings, they were nothing like birds. Their thick jaws, lined with jagged teeth, and their four clawed limbs—these creatures were something else entirely.

Despite the pain, I was surprised at myself. I had managed to dodge two of them. At my current state? That's insane… But it wasn't enough. Blood dripped from my wounded hand, the pain proving it all too real.

No time to recover. The monsters regrouped and came at me again, using the same formation.

This time, I barely dodged all three, my damaged hands too weak to grab them.

The cycle repeated. They attacked. I evaded—just barely. Each time, I grew more familiar with their rhythm, their predictable charge. My movements became sharper, my dodges smoother. I even managed to throw in a few kicks.

But I wasn't fast enough to avoid every hit. Slashes and bites left my body covered in wounds. The cave floor was painted red—and not just from the eerie crimson glow coming from outside.

The creatures didn't tire. Their attacks grew faster, more relentless. I, on the other hand, was slowing down. Every movement sent fresh waves of agony through my body. My thoughts blurred.

Then—

I misstepped.

Blood slicked the ground beneath me. My foot slipped.

I fell.

Wide open. Defenseless.

The monsters lunged.

"Aaaaa... Aaargh... Nnngh!" My screams echoed through the cave as the beast's jaws clamped down on my raised arm, bones cracking under the pressure. Its claws tore through my torso and legs, pain unlike anything I had ever felt exploding through me.

The other two circled above, their screeches almost… triumphant.

I felt my strength fading. My crushed arm barely responded.

"Is this... the end?"

No.

I had fought too hard to die now. If I was going to give up, I might as well have let them kill me from the start.

"Now that I've come this far... I won't... give up... that easily."

My voice was barely more than a whisper. I had no strength left to scream.

My vision blurred. My body felt... heavy.

Then—

Warmth.

Something soft wrapped around my neck.

A crimson light.

Not from outside. This one was... closer. Right above me.

Then—

Darkness.

"What... was... that?"

***

Plip... Plip... Plip...

The sound of water dripping echoed through the cave, unnervingly loud.

"Damn that annoying noise..." I thought, my eyes still closed.

I was lying on the cold, stone floor. The cave's air was damp and heavy.

I was still here.

Impossible.

I had felt my bones break. My flesh being torn apart. My body crushed.

Yet, here I was. Whole. Intact. Not a single wound. Not even the pain in my arm remained.

How long had I been unconscious? I had no idea.

But I didn't want to move.

"Am I... dead?"

No.

The coldness of the floor beneath me, the sensation of my own breath—no corpse would feel these things.

"Was it all just a dream?"

That would explain why I had no injuries. But the pain—the unbearable pain I had felt—could something that intense be just an illusion?

It didn't matter. Whether I had truly fought or not, one thing was certain.

I was alive.

And I couldn't just lie here forever.

With a deep breath, I forced myself upright, slowly opening my eyes.

Then—

I laughed.

A small, breathless chuckle.

"Haha... This is ridiculous..."

I turned my head toward the source of the crimson glow—the one that wasn't coming from outside.

It was a sphere, floating just above me. Twice the size of my fist.

Not far from it, two red rings, about nine inches in diameter, lay on the ground.

And around me—

The bodies of the monsters.

Lifeless.

Blood pooled beneath them, staining the cave floor a deep, ominous red.

The sight was almost... hellish.

"It wasn't a dream... not at all."