Chapter 4: Pride Before the Fall

I stood there, chest heaving, blade still humming with the remnants of energy. The defeated Ruin Guardians lay around me like oversized scrap metal, their glowing eyes now nothing more than dimmed embers. I grinned, basking in the victory.

"Ha! I did it! I actually did it!" I shouted to no one in particular, lifting the Adaptive Relic Blade like some kind of mythical hero. "First real fight, first real win! Maybe I'm actually—"

A low growl interrupted my thoughts.

I froze.

From the depths of the cavern, something stirred. Something much, much bigger.

"Oh... oh no."

A tremor ran through the ground. Dust and small pebbles cascaded from the walls, and in the shadows of the chamber, two massive, glowing eyes snapped open. A deep, guttural rumble followed, shaking the very air around me.

My stomach dropped.

"Okay... maybe I should've kept my mouth shut."

The creature stepped into the dim light. It was at least three times the size of the Ruin Guardians, its massive, hulking body covered in thick, obsidian-like armor. Spikes jutted out along its back, and its maw, lined with razor-sharp teeth, dripped with some kind of ominous, glowing liquid.

I took a shaky step backward. "Yeah, nope. I'm not ready for this. At all."

[Analysis Complete: Titan-Class Ruin Guardian. Warning: Combat effectiveness is insufficient. Evasion recommended.]

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I spun on my heel and bolted.

The Titan-Class Guardian let out an ear-splitting roar before slamming one massive claw into the ground. The force sent shockwaves through the chamber, and I barely managed to keep my footing. The exit—where was the exit?!

A rock the size of a house suddenly crashed in front of me, cutting off my escape.

"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "What is this? Some kind of rigged boss fight?!"

The Titan took slow, deliberate steps toward me, its immense bulk making the ground tremble with each movement. I gritted my teeth. Maybe I could fight it? Maybe my blade would—

[Combat Evaluation: Success Rate - 0.01%]

"...Okay, well, that's depressing." I huffed. "Not even a full percent? System, come on, give me a little faith!"

[Would you like a motivational quote?]

"NO! I want a way out of this mess!"

A loud snort came from the Titan. I swear, it was looking at me with something close to amusement. Oh great. Now I was being mocked by a giant rock monster.

It lunged.

I yelped and dove to the side, rolling behind a collapsed pillar just as the Titan's claws tore through the ground where I had been standing. Dust and debris exploded around me. I coughed and peeked out from my pathetic hiding spot.

"Okay, genius," I muttered to myself. "You were getting all prideful over taking down some tin cans, and now look at you. Hiding behind a rock while the big bad boss monster plays whack-a-mole with your life. Nice job. Really killing it."

The Titan turned, its glowing eyes narrowing as if it understood me. It snorted again, then swiped at the pillar. I shrieked and scrambled away just as the stone shattered into a million pieces.

"Oh, COME ON! Can't you at least PRETEND this is a fair fight?!"

The Titan paused. Then, I swear to everything holy, it tilted its head—like it was actually considering my complaint.

Then it roared again and charged.

"I KNEW IT! YOU'RE JUST MESSING WITH ME!"

I sprinted, weaving between fallen debris, my mind racing for a plan. There had to be something—some way to—

Wait.

I skidded to a stop, nearly tripping over my own feet. The Guardian's sheer size meant it couldn't maneuver as quickly. If I could get it to move into a tighter space…

I glanced at the collapsed part of the chamber. There was a gap just big enough for me to squeeze through, but not for the Titan. If I could lure it there…

"Alright, big guy," I muttered. "Let's see if you're as dumb as you look."

I turned, waving my arms. "Hey, ugly! Yeah, you! Ever heard of personal space?!"

The Titan roared in rage and lunged.

"Yeah, that's right, come get me!" I turned and sprinted straight for the gap.

Behind me, the Titan charged, its massive weight making the ground quake. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn't stop.

The gap was just ahead.

Ten feet.

Five.

I leapt.

I barely squeezed through the narrow opening, landing on the other side in a heap. I turned, just in time to see the Titan Guardian slam into the tight corridor—only to find itself completely stuck.

I blinked.

"Hah… hahah… HA! I can't believe that actually worked!" I cackled, gripping my knees as I caught my breath. "You look ridiculous, big guy! Serves you right for trying to eat me!"

The Titan growled in frustration, thrashing and trying to break free. I took a step back, watching in cautious triumph.

[New Objective Completed: Survive the Ruin Guardians.] [Reward: System Upgrade + Skill Awakening]

I glanced at the screen that popped up. Right. That was great and all, but I still had a problem.

I had survived.

But I still had no idea how to get out of here.

"Well," I muttered, staring at the glowing walls of the ruin. "Guess I better start looking before something even worse shows up."

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Was it funny???

Hehehe then send me support guys. Your grandpa is broke.