The Perfect Being

The three of us stepped through the gate and found ourselves face to face with a colossal snake. "Welcome, mutants," the snake exclaimed something that sounded like a greeting. Just from a few words you could feel the power emanating through its voice. Its voice resonated with authority. "I am here to instruct you on your first quest to become gods."

The colossal snake loomed before us, its scales shimmering like polished obsidian under the faint light, each movement revealing a mesmerizing pattern that seemed to dance with an otherworldly energy. Its long, forked tongue slithered in and out of its mouth, tasting the air with a serpentine grace, while glistening saliva dripped from its large, menacing fangs, pooling on the ground below. 

"To be accepted into the holy land of Gods Valley, you must prove your worth," it continued, while staring at us with its predatorial eyes and threatening fangs.

The four of us bewildered by the situation exchanged wary glance. As it spoke I slowly separated myself from the rest of the group so that I would be at just the right angle incase I needed to attack. Meanwhile Hikari stood directly in front of the creature with Alina and Katherine standing directly behind him. It looked like he was trying to protect them.

Paying no attention to our suspicious movements, the snake continued speaking. "To prove your worth, you must defeat one of the celestial beasts in the labyrinth below and consume its heart. The heart of a celestial beast will greatly enhance your mutant abilities."

Alina frowned, a look of disgust crossing her face as she heard this. "Its heart? Why do we have to eat its heart? And what exactly is a celestial beast?". I was surprise she was calm enough to even listen to the snake much less show her blatant disgust at the snake's statement. More importantly something else caught my attention in what the snake said. 'The heart of a celestial beast will greatly enhance your mutant abilities.' If what the snake said was true, I wonder how much can I improve my ability.

"A celestial beast is a type of creature that has been granted powers by the gods. It is different from the mutated beasts you are familiar with. The celestial beast's heart contains the divine power that was bestowed upon it by god, and any mutant who consumes the heart will inherit that power. Bare in mind that these beasts will be difficult to locate within the labyrinth, and there will also be lower-level creatures; mutated creatures that may prove to be a nuisance. The beast you seek takes the form of a Chimera. A Chimera is a type of celestial beast that is part lion, part goat, and part snake.", the snake continued

"Fortunately, it has three hearts—one for the lion, one for the goat, and one for the snake. The path ahead of you leads you to a transportation circle that will take you to the labyrinth. While in the labyrinth, you must find and kill the Chimera and then consume its heart.

"But wait—you said the Chimera has three hearts and their are four of us. One of us will be left out, is it possible to share—".

"Unfortunately no. Each person must consume a separate heart. It can't be helped. One of you must be left behind." The snake replied to Hikari's question. In response to the snake's answer Hikari had a troubled look on his face. No doubt he was trying to figure a way out of this predicament or wondering who will be left behind. It was an unnecessary worry for his part though—their are definitely enough hearts for the four of us. 

I locked eyes with the snake as it spoke, its gaze was unwavering. It was observing every movement we made, I could sense it was looking at muscles watching even the slightest tension, maybe it could even feel the warmth of the breath. It's eyes were like knives, stripping us bare and the voice in my head only got louder and louder beckoning me to survive. It was like a program installed in my mind and body, the source code of my mutant ability. I know my ability was build on two codes, one to survive the other is to adapt. I think that all mutants have a specific code. I wonder what Hikari, Alina and Katherine codes are.

Katherine turned to Hikari. "What should we do now?"

"We should head for the Labyrinth."

The thought of being in a dark, wet Labrinth covered by the disgusting smell of monsters filled me with dread. We started walking down the path to the labyrinth. Hikari was at front, the two girls in the middle and me at the back. As they stepped into the center of the circle, the glowing light got brighter to the point where they were unable to see and in a split second they were transported to the Labrinth.

With the others now gone, I made my way back to my target, "So, you came back!" the snake hissed, baring its sharp teeth in a menacing grin. "Is there something you wish to say?" it continued, raising its voice until it echoed ominously through the chamber.

With my hand on my sword, I slowly walked towards the snake. "I have something I needed to ask you,". After I said this a pool of saliva poured out its mouth covering the ground below. It was salivating, something snakes do when preparing for digestion.

"Ok ask your question, I will be happy to answer," the snake said proudly, impatience lacing its tone.

I stopped some distance away from him still with my hand still on the hilt of my sword, locking gazes with the snake's slitted eyes. "Are you a celestial beast?" I asked, stiffening my expression.

"I am—" as the words left the snake's mouth, I lunged into the air with incredible speed, aiming for the creature's giant eyes—an apparent weak spot compared to its armored scales. But with lightning-fast reflexes, the snake swatted me out of the air, its movement barely perceptible.

The impact sent me crashing into the wall, but before I could even hit the ground, the snake sank its teeth into my shoulder, thrashing me around violently. The thrashing stopped when my arm was torn off and with a single gulp, the creature swallowed it whole.

"You should have gone to the labyrinth, boy! You're no match for me. I've ripped your arm off and pumped you full of venom; now you will die a slow, painful death."

"Venom? Well, I do feel a little tingly," I muttered despite the agony. In that moment, as I struggled to my feet, my arm began to regenerate, bone, flesh, and veins weaving together in perfect harmony.

My eye began to take on a feline appearance, allowing me to perceive the snake's movements with newfound clarity. I felt my muscles growing tougher and stronger, and my skin thickened to withstand the snake's sharp teeth.

The snake launched a furious barrage of attacks, which I managed to evade; ducking and weaving with incredible agility. Its constant barrage left him open for an attack, spotting this, I rushed at the snake, slashing my blade against its rough skin, but the weapon shattered upon impact.

Seizing the moment, the snake retaliated, sending me flying across the chamber. At this point I was getting increasingly annoyed. Damn lizard! I didn't want to go crawling around in some stinky cave. I thought this would be easy, and I could take a nap while I waited for the others. The sooner I kill this thing the sooner I can rest. The law of equivalent exchange says that something cannot be gained without giving something of equal value in return. In this case, I will show my generosity by giving him ten times as much suffering he's given me.

"Hey!.... Mind telling me where your heart is? It would be a pain to search for it as I rip you apart," 

With his voice filled with condescending pity, the snake retorted "You foolish boy," 

In that moment, I began to adapt, my hands began to change, growing into large, formidable claws, ready to face the beast once more. I developed the characteristics of what was needed to kill this monster.

The snake lunge at me but I managed to get a hold of him with my claws, I sank them deep into the snake's scaled hide, feeling the resistance give way as I tore through flesh with savage ferocity. The creature writhed in agony, its massive body thrashing as I ripped away chunks of its sinewy form, each movement fueled by a raw, unrelenting power.

I didn't pity him as he cried in agony. He must die for me, not for my survival but for my comfort. Yes! this is all for my comfort, this is why I must become god—so that I may live comfortably.

My now sharpened teeth, clamped down on the snake's neck, tearing through muscle and sinew as I savagely pulled apart the creature piece by piece. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, soaking the ground as I continued my relentless assault. The voice in my head was now long gone, this wasn't the result of my programming, it was all me. My primal instincts driving me to dismantle the once-mighty beast. The snake's anguished hisses filled the air, but I was undeterred, consumed by the thrill of the hunt and the intoxicating taste of victory. With each brutal strike, he felt the weight of my power, I made sure of it. I reveled in the chaos as I reduced the colossal serpent to nothing more than a shattered remnant of its former self.

With its last breath, the snake muttered, "What are you?"

 My source code, one telling me to survive the other one telling me to adapt. The result of this is "The Perfect Being." My mutant ability is to adapt in order to survive. With this power I will become god.

I held the snake's heart in my hands, astonished that it was still beating. Without hesitation, I sank my teeth into it, devouring it until nothing remained.

As the battle came to an end, I considered taking a moment to rest, but then I heard a voice echo in my mind.

[Quest completed. You have consumed the heart of a Celestial Beast. You will now be transported to God Valley.]