Dungen Guardian vs. DK

DK stopped himself and tried to take notice of any changes in his body. "I guess this level of threat isn't enough to trigger my nexus core. I guess I need to take the fight closer with the creature." DK steadied his trembling legs, his knuckles white as they gripped the hilt of the Darkmoon Blade. His blade has proven to be quite useful in his one sided fight. It could easily cut through the arms and the tendrils of the guardian. 

The creature's glowing eyes bore into him, its massive wooden limbs twitching as it prepared for another strike. He inhaled deeply, forcing his scattered thoughts to coalesce. If this dungeon is waiting for something to awaken in me, then I need to push harder—closer.

Without waiting for the creature to act, DK dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the hulking tree guardian. The blade felt heavier in his hands, but he pushed through the strain. The creature swung its massive arm in a wide arc, and DK ducked low, feeling the rush of air above him as it narrowly missed. He retaliated, slashing upward toward the glowing veins on the creature's chest. The blade struck true, and a burst of energy crackled along the vein, causing the creature to let out a deafening roar.

"Close combat? Is he insane?" Garin muttered, shifting his grip on the warhammer instinctively.

Lucy didn't take her eyes off DK. "He has no choice. The dungeon's not going to let him win by playing it safe."

The guardian retaliated with a series of brutal swings, each one faster than the last. DK twisted and dodged, his movements growing sharper despite his exhaustion. Each strike he landed on the glowing veins sent small bursts of energy coursing through the creature, but it wasn't enough to slow it down. The sheer size of the guardian dwarfed him, and DK knew he couldn't last much longer at this pace.

The next strike came faster than he anticipated—a crushing blow that sent DK sprawling across the chamber floor. The Darkmoon Blade skittered from his grasp, its faint hum fading as it clattered to a stop. DK groaned, pain radiating through his body. The guardian's glowing eyes locked onto him, and it began its slow, deliberate advance.

"Get up, DK!" Lucy's voice cut through the fog of pain. "You've come too far to give up now!"

Garin tensed, his warhammer poised. "If he doesn't move soon, I'm stepping in."

"No," Lucy said firmly. "Not yet."

DK dragged himself to his knees, his breathing labored. His vision blurred, but through the haze, he saw the creature towering over him, its arm raised for a final, crushing blow. This is it, he thought. Either I break through, or I break entirely.

 Beyond the exhaustion and pain, DK finally noticed something about the guardian and it movements. The guardian was always connected to the ground. Despite having 7 branches that looked like legs, the guardian never really lifted all of its legs to jump and was trying to stay in one position. 

DK tried to prove his theory by dashing forward to attack the legs of the guardian. For the first time the guardian tried to defend itself by moving 

DK's theory seemed to hold water as he slashed at the nearest leg-like root. The guardian shifted, pulling its appendage away from the strike, its massive body swaying to maintain balance. A spark of determination ignited in DK's chest. It's anchored. It needs to stay grounded to control its movements and power.

Pushing aside the pain coursing through his body, DK retrieved the Darkmoon Blade and surged forward again. His strikes became more deliberate, aiming for the glowing connections between the creature's legs and the floor. Each swing of the blade disrupted the veins of energy running through the guardian's form, causing its movements to grow erratic.

The creature roared, its massive arms swinging wildly in an attempt to drive DK back. But with every missed strike, the guardian's unsteadiness became more pronounced. DK could feel the momentum shifting.

"He figured out the guardian's weakness on his own within a few minutes of fighting. that's amazing" Lucy cheered DK from the sidelines. Garin gave a simple nod to Lucy acknowledging DK. "Knowing the weakness is still different actually being able to kill the monster. At the end of the day he needs mana to actually do some damage otherwise he is just exhausting himself to death or waiting for a death blow." 

DK gritted his teeth, blocking out Garin's remark. The truth in the mercenary's words stung, but it only fueled DK's resolve. He had no mana, no nexus core to rely on—but he did have his determination and the Darkmoon Blade. That would have to be enough for now.

The guardian let out a guttural roar as DK struck another one of its glowing veins. The creature staggered, its massive frame teetering dangerously. For a moment, DK allowed himself to hope, but the guardian wasn't done yet. Tendrils of glowing energy erupted from its back, lashing out in all directions like living whips. DK barely managed to dodge as one came dangerously close to taking his head off.

"Keep moving, DK!" Lucy called out, her voice steady but urgent. "Don't let it recover!"

DK nodded, adrenaline dulling the pain in his body as he darted toward another one of the guardian's rooted legs. He slashed at the glowing connection, severing it with a clean strike. The guardian roared in agony, its movements growing more erratic. The entire chamber seemed to tremble as if the dungeon itself was reacting to the fight.

But Garin's earlier words lingered in DK's mind: Without mana, you're just exhausting yourself. His strikes were weakening, his limbs heavy with fatigue. The Darkmoon Blade, while a formidable weapon, wasn't enough to finish the fight—not without the power it was designed to channel.

The guardian's tendrils lashed out again, one striking DK across the back and sending him crashing to the ground. The blade slipped from his grasp once more, and he gasped as pain shot through his body. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought this was the end.

—-------

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

REINITIATE NEXUS CORE AWAKENING? YOU WERE UNSUCCESSFUL THE FIRST TIME UPON TRANSMIGRATION TO CELESTIA REALM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY AGAIN?

REINITIATING WILL REBOOT YOUR BODY AND YOU WILL SUFFER UNIMAGINABLE PAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES AND MAY DIE.

YES/ NO?

—-------

DK was not sure if he was alive or dead and because he was able to see the system message in front of him but he was not sure if he had eyes to see. "Unsuccessful the first time." DK was trying to remember if he saw any such message when he was brought into this world but he could not recall anything. 

—---

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

YOU ONLY HAVE 10 SECONDS TO PICK AN OPTION. YOUR PHYSICAL BODY IS UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE ATTACKS FROM THE DUNGEON GUARDIAN. 

CHOOSE YES/NO?

CHOOSE YES/NO?

CHOOSE YES/NO?

—-----

DK was not sure if he should risk it. because if he was vulnerable during the core awakening process he would die in the hands of the guardian anyway. "Ok, Lets just trust that Lucy and Garin can keep me alive?" 

Lucy and Garin were shocked to look that in the middle of the fight DK suddenly stood still with his eyes pointed directly towards to the guardian as if mocking it. but he looked in a state of daze and was simply taking the attacks of the guardian and bleeding ut sanding still. 

"What's happening? Is he intentionally trying to get himself killed to trigger his nexus. He is mad!" Garin could not longer hold ack and picked up his warhammer and jumped in between the guardian and DK. 

—--

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING YES! WE WILL NOW START THE CORE AWAKENING PROCESS IN 5…4…3…2…1

—------

SYSTEM DESIGNER CHRONOS: Will he be able to withstand it this time?

SYSTEM: I do not know. His physical attributes haven't really improved much. Most of his time went in improving the frail body that he transmigrated to. It all depends on his will power.

SYSTEM DESIGNER CHRONOS: I hope so too. He is last of the candidates that we can use to alter the threads of fate. 

SYSTEM: We can just wait and watch. Sit tight and let me do my thing. 

—-------