What it Takes to Change

Underneath the green lights of the vines hanging from the ceiling was a monstrous and horrid looking beast. Its bald skin wrinkled with every movement, and its anteater-like fangs easily ripped apart the small mole with ease. The slobber coming from its pointed mouth was casually dripping to the floor, and the sounds…

Were utterly obnoxious.

From Elijah's point of view, his best chance was to attack now while the beast was distracted. After steeling his resolve, he adeptly shifted his weight with precision to keep his steps soft while moving through the opening.

His first step caused him to freeze. A distinct squirting sound came from his footsteps, and caused the beast that was over seventy feet away in the distance to glance in his direction. Was it the vibration of the earth that the beast felt, or was it the sound.

Small bones were quickly spit out from its mouth before it dived head first into the ground that was relatively soft and moist.

A lump began moving underneath the ground heading straight towards Elijah. Without panicking, water was funneling out from the bottom of his feet. The force of the water and the intention to move forward left the opening in the dust as he headed straight for the lump picking up speed. It was as if there was a jousting battle between two knights. One of them would be severely injured after this first interaction.

Behind Elijah, the water mixed with the soft earth creating a mud like consistency. Elijah realized this might help the beast, but no matter, nothing can change the past. His improvement is what meant more to himself. Situations that are not necessarily disadvantageous, but still difficult.

A sharp and shiny black sword was pulled out of thin air, through a translucent and pearlescent rimmed portal the size of a head. Stabbing would give him more power than slicing, and since this beast had bald skin, Elijah was hopeful

Elijah had his sword ready while sliding across the floor, and with all of his breath, he thrusted the sword straight into the ground where the lump was moving only to see it disappear the moment the tip of his sword passed through the earth.

Staying calm, Elijah flew effortlessly to the ceiling and pulled on as many vines as possible. Distractions could be of help, and maybe limit the amount of sensations in the earth it could discern.

Bam!

The beast came out of the earth right underneath where the vines had touched, and were pierced by the many fangs protruding out from the mouth of the beast. Close up, Elijah realized this beast had no eyes. It relied on sound, but mostly feeling and vibration. 

An angel of death had descended from the sky with its target in sight. The space in the very center of its body was beginning to split, but was stopped by the rocky dirt being excreted from the skin of the beast.

Magic!

The last thing Elijah saw before everything around him went dark was blood dripping from the center of the mole's mouth. A small amount of mana was able to escape the coffin built just for him, and when the beast had thought it had found its next meal, it was surprised by a sword being stabbed into its brownish-pink and wrinkly skin.

The same prey that had been rebelling against its hunter had stepped through a pearlescent and translucent rimmed portal. The space that was seen through the portal was pitch black with even small bits of earth falling from the portal.

A screeching sound reverberated off the walls putting Elijah into a daze, and its flat beaver-like tail swatted him to the ceiling with the sword stuck in its abdomen. 

Elijah's entire body buckled at the sensation of his head slamming against the six foot ceiling. Thankfully, the vines provided some sort of cushion, but the impact still shortly paralyzed Elijah while leaving an after effect of nausea lingering in his body.

'I-I need to… One more…'

Soft was the feeling underneath the knees of Elijah. What did it take to overcome this flaw of magic? The barrier that exists between mages of different core levels. The unfairness that comes with battling a beast, but even more so, a beast with a stronger core.

Catching the enemy off guard, spatial portals, channeling mana through the physical body…

No.

The mole had just pulled the sword out from its back with its small limbs that broke during the process. Its organs were most definitely damaged, however, there is nothing more dangerous than a cornered beast. A monster that had no regard for its life.

Fear and determination was within the heart of Elijah. Ten years, and only recently had he truly begun to understand this new life. Magic, and the potential for something he has never seen before got his blood pumping like never before. Novel stimuli was what he was after in his previous life after becoming bored with the comfort. Having a reason to live was the change he needed to make. Instead of blindly surviving, he needs to have a light at the end of a seemingly infinite tunnel. No matter how much rubble clouded the tunnel, the light would always shine through.

The knees of Elijah tensed, and his body lifted off the ground with a near instant motion. His organs felt the impact of sliding to their bottommost position, and the vibration of the tail slamming against the exact spot Elijah used to be did not falter him whatsoever.

Rocks and glowing vines above his head fell to the floor with a simple flick of his wrist. The mole sunk into the porous ground, and began moving in circles.

Elijah steadied his breath, and waited for what he knew was going to come…

Dirt, mud, and rocks bursted out of the ground with the fangs of the mole separating. The inside of its throat was filled with a jigsaw puzzle made of razor sharp teeth. A large glass water bottle was dropped below Elijah's feet as a distraction, while a portal was opened underneath its body.

The mole lost its momentum after missing its target, and the moment Elijah saw Its small feet dripping with blood through a portal directly in front of his face. His right fist violently closed, and shortly followed was a hoarse and ear piercing scream before the song of silence.

Two halves of the wrinkly and silently squirming orange core beast were seen five feet apart from each other. Elijah could feel the almost empty amount of mana within his core, as he slowly slumped to the floor. His ears were ringing, and vomit was coming out of his mouth. His self-determination had passed the effects of the hit to the head, and saved them for when he had done his duty.

Firstly, once calm and aware of everything around him, Elijah reached into his spatial storage and grabbed a slightly glowing vial covered with a wooden cork. The cork had initials burned onto it.

MRP

A mana recovery potion was exactly what he needed. The sounds must have attracted more beats, and with the impending cave of vines he would have to travel through, chances are, there are more.