11 Fighting Against Despair

Kael took a careful step forward, his eyes locked onto the dark silhouette at the far end of the cavern. The air was dense, carrying the scent of damp stone and decay. The faint, flickering glow of the moss barely illuminated the figure, but the thing's red eyes shone eerily in the darkness.

A chill crawled up Kael's spine.

This wasn't a normal zombie.

Before Kael could fully assess what he was facing, the figure let out a deafening, inhuman screech.

Then—

It charged.

Its massive frame moved with terrifying speed, each step slamming against the ground with bone-rattling force. The entire cavern shook violently, loose rocks tumbling from the ceiling as the creature barreled toward him like a monster straight out of a nightmare.

Kael's instincts screamed.

Move. Now.

But for a brief moment, he was frozen in place, paralyzed by the sheer force radiating off the creature.

It was powerful—far stronger than anything he had faced before.

A surge of adrenaline shot through his veins, snapping him out of his shock.

His left hand flickered, a Mana Bolt already formed and ready.

With a sharp exhale, he hurled the attack forward.

The blue energy whizzed through the air, aimed straight at the charging zombie's chest.

But then—

The creature sidestepped.

Kael's eyes widened.

It had dodged.

The Mana Bolt exploded harmlessly against the cavern wall, sending shards of rock flying in every direction.

The zombie never slowed down.

Kael's mind raced. It's fast. It's smart.

He couldn't afford to fight this like a regular undead.

His fingers moved instinctively, gathering magic in both hands this time. Two Mana Bolts formed simultaneously, their glow illuminating his face in a cold blue light.

His heart pounded as he calculated his next move.

The zombie closed the distance alarmingly fast.

Fifty meters.

Forty meters.

Thirty meters. 

Twenty meters.

Kael gritted his teeth.

He couldn't afford to miss again.

Fifteen meters.

His palms burned as he began compressing the two Mana Bolts together.

The energy clashed violently, sparks flying in every direction.

The unstable force hummed dangerously, crackling like a barely contained explosion.

Ten meters.

Kael gritted his teeth, forcing the magic to merge.

The moment the zombie hit five meters, Kael hurled the unstable bolt—not at the creature, but at the ground right in front of it.

The zombie scoffed, as if amused by Kael's terrible aim.

Then—

BOOM!

The explosion erupted beneath its feet, sending the creature hurtling backward. Its body crashed into the ground, rolling as it tumbled against the stone surface.

Kael smirked, though his breath was already labored. The attack had drained more mana than expected.

Still, he had done it.

The idea had come to him during his previous battle—why not combine multiple Mana Bolts to create an area-of-effect explosion?

It was unstable, unpredictable, and dangerous to control, but in this situation, it had worked perfectly.

The zombie slowly got up, its body wobbling slightly from the force of the explosion.

Kael didn't hesitate.

He fired another Mana Bolt, aiming directly for its chest.

The attack collided, the impact sending a small shockwave of magic rippling outward.

Kael's smirk vanished.

The zombie only staggered back a step.

There was no penetration.

Its skin hadn't even burned.

Kael's stomach dropped.

What the hell is this thing made of?

The zombie's eyes glowed brighter, as if enraged by Kael's attempt to harm it.

Then, without warning—

It leaped.

Kael's eyes widened in shock.

It soared through the air, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

Kael threw himself to the side, narrowly dodging as the creature slammed into the ground with a force that shook the entire cavern.

The impact cracked the earth, sending shockwaves in every direction.

Kael stumbled back, his breathing ragged.

If he had been even a second slower…

He would have been flattened.

He barely had time to react before the zombie's head snapped toward him.

And then—

It launched itself at him again.

Kael's survival instincts kicked in.

With no time to dodge, he raised his sword, bracing himself for impact.

CRACK!

The moment the zombie's arm smashed into his sword, the blade splintered.

Kael was sent flying, his body slamming into the stone floor with brutal force.

Pain exploded through his ribs, his vision flashing white for a second.

His fingers loosened.

His sword—the only weapon he had—

Broke into pieces.

Kael barely had the strength to push himself up.

He stared at the shattered remains of his weapon.

His chest tightened.

He was defenseless.

A sense of dread pooled in his gut.

This can't be happening.

The zombie noticed.

It saw the fear in Kael's eyes.

A slow, twisted grin spread across its disfigured face as it began walking toward him.

Not running.

Not charging.

Walking.

It was toying with him.

Kael could see it in its glowing red eyes—the sick pleasure of watching him struggle, watching him fall into despair.

Each step it took echoed through the cavern, its presence suffocating, unrelenting.

Kael's hands trembled.

His mind raced, searching for a solution.

His magic was too weak to harm it.

His sword was gone.

His body was already exhausted.

And the zombie?

It was getting closer.

Kael clenched his jaw, his breath shaky.

This thing wasn't like the others.

It wasn't just strong—it was playing with him.

It wanted him to suffer.

It wanted him to break.

Kael felt rage bubbling beneath the fear.

His entire being screamed against giving up.

This wasn't over.

It couldn't be.

With gritted teeth, Kael forced himself to his feet.

Even with no weapon, even with no plan—

He wasn't going to die here.