Chapter 18 - Blood and Steel
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Chapter 18 - Blood and Steel
The ever-present bioluminescent glow of the labyrinth cast flickering shadows against the uneven stone walls. The air, thick with dampness and the faint metallic scent of blood, felt heavier than usual. Ray tightened his grip on the chokutō, feeling the cool steel press against his palm. It was still unfamiliar in his hands, yet something about it resonated within him—a silent promise, a weight beyond its physical form.
Alkan moved ahead, his footfalls eerily silent as he surveyed the dim corridor. Their latest hunt had begun. Another dormant outer creature lurked nearby, its presence like a whisper against Ray's senses. Though he had yet to fully grasp the essence flowing within him, his instincts sharpened with each battle.
"Remember," Alkan murmured, his voice low but firm, "your first move decides everything. Hesitation is death."
Ray nodded, swallowing his apprehension. He had fought these creatures before, but each encounter left scars—not just on his body, but within his mind. They weren't just mindless beasts; they carried an unnatural malice, an instinct to consume and destroy. And this time, he would be facing one alone.
The cavern ahead widened into an open chamber, its ceiling lost to darkness. Stalactites loomed like jagged teeth, and at the center of the room, a hulking figure lay dormant. The creature's form was vaguely feline, yet twisted—its flesh rotted in places, exposing sinew and bone, while black tendrils pulsed along its limbs like veins filled with ink. Its breathing was slow, unnatural, as if it existed between life and death.
Ray exhaled, steadying himself.
"Go."
At Alkan's command, Ray surged forward, the chokutō slicing through the thick air. The moment his foot touched the ground within the chamber, the beast stirred. Its sunken eyes snapped open, glowing a sickly amber, and its maw stretched wide in a silent snarl.
Ray didn't hesitate. He pivoted mid-stride, his blade flashing as he aimed for the exposed tendons of its front limb. The steel met flesh, slicing through, but the creature barely reacted. Its muscles bunched, and in the next instant, it lunged.
Ray barely had time to twist away as claws raked through the space he had occupied a breath before. The air whistled with the force of its attack. Landing in a crouch, he raised his sword just in time to parry the next strike. The impact jolted his arms, sending vibrations up to his shoulders. Too shallow. His blade was sharp, unnaturally so, but his strikes still lacked true lethality.
He had to move.
Ducking under another swipe, he stepped to the side, aiming a counter-strike at the beast's exposed ribs. This time, the chokutō bit deep, sliding between bones. Blackened ichor oozed out, sizzling as it touched the ground. The creature howled—an ear-splitting, unnatural sound that reverberated through the chamber.
"Too slow," Alkan's voice came from behind, distant yet ever-present. "Adjust."
Ray grit his teeth, forcing himself to calm. His body wanted to rush, to attack wildly, but instinct wasn't enough. He had to *think*—predict.
The creature twisted, its wounded limb giving way slightly, and Ray saw his opening. He shifted his weight, stepping into the attack rather than away. The chokutō flashed downward, severing the beast's front leg at the joint.
A shriek of agony echoed through the cavern as the creature collapsed, its body convulsing. But unlike the others he had fought before, this one didn't die so easily. Its two soul cores pulsed wildly, releasing a wave of dark essence that made Ray's skin prickle. The remaining limb lashed out in desperation, faster than before.
Ray barely managed to bring his sword up in time. The impact sent him skidding back, his knees nearly giving out. His arms throbbed from the force, but he refused to back down.
He lunged once more, this time aiming for the pulsing heart beneath the beast's ruined chest. His blade drove deep, and the creature convulsed violently, its remaining eye bulging as it let out a final, ragged shriek. With a final cry, he plunged his chokutō through its skull, ending its struggle in an instant.
Silence followed.
Ray exhaled sharply, his arms trembling from exertion. The creature's body twitched once more before finally going still. Black ichor pooled around him, and as he stepped back, he could feel the remnants of its presence fading—leaving behind two fragments of what once was.
Alkan approached, nodding in quiet approval.
"Better."
Ray wiped the sweat from his brow, sheathing his sword. The battle had been brutal, but the weight in his chest told him it had not been in vain. Yet, despite the exhaustion, something inside him felt different. A flicker of understanding—not fully formed, but present.
Alkan knelt beside the corpse, his sword plunging in the decayed flesh. He cut the beast flesh, and moments later, two soul fragments of the creature's soul—dark, crystalline shards, pulsing faintly, were retrieved.
"Yours," he said, handing them to Ray.
Ray hesitated before taking them. The moment his fingers curled around the fragments, a strange sensation crawled through his veins—cold and burning, heavy and light. The essence within stirred, but he still couldn't grasp its true nature.
"Keep killing," Alkan said, standing. "Keep surviving. You'll understand soon enough."
Ray nodded, clenching the fragments tightly. The path forward was steep, but he had already taken the first steps. And in the depths of the labyrinth, where only blood and steel spoke, he would carve his own way forward.
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