It has always been one of the weakest monsters, nor did it have the intelligence to contend with the others. It has always been the creature that one can find on the bottom of the hierarchy—a simple-minded living being, which can only manage to survive through scavenging and some good luck.
The last thing it could remember was being on a group with its kin as they search for their next meal before a blinding light forced the creature's eyes close.
When the creature finally opened its eyes, it was all alone in an unknown place.
Unusual objects that reached up to the skies surrounded it. Though it found the objects strange, as one of the weakest monsters, it developed the ability to distinguish an inanimate object to a living being and sense malicious intent.
Out of habit, it warily observed its surroundings as it traveled the strange land unknown to the creature. Throughout its journey, it always hides from the sight of every living being.
It watched humans attack one another savagely, and it watched as one of the legendary beings known as the dragon flew across the sky. The scenes it witnessed strengthened the belief in its mind that it was incredibly weak compared to every race there is.
The creature intended to hide most of the time unless it was hungry; however, it was attracted to the sound that reverberated across the place, and it couldn't help being curious, and that was a big mistake.
Or so the creature thought as it looked at the human right in front it. The humans it witnessed had powers similar to gods, and they could fight dragons on equal footing, sometimes they can even suppress one, and right now, one of those humans was in front of the creature.
Terror was evident in its eyes as it waited for the human to attack, but contrary to its expectations, it screamed. What confused the creature, even more, was the fear behind the scream.
Thinking to itself that the human was toying with it, it decided not to move and just obediently wait. Maybe the human would ignore its pitiful existence.
However, the appearance of two other humans dashed its hope of survival. All of its desire to struggle vanished into thin air. It could never forget the human's godlike abilities, powers that the creature would always remember.
The surprises in this creature's life didn't end there. One of the humans ran towards the one that screamed before running away.
It unknowingly followed the three that were frantically running away. Despite being a slow-witted creature, it was able to determine that the three were genuinely terrified.
A sense of superiority that it has never felt before arose in its heart for the first time. A bloodthirsty look appeared in its eyes as it exhibited an insatiate desire for human blood.
It wanted to savor the experience of being the stronger one, and so it looked at the human with mocking eyes. The creature ran after the human, with a diabolical look on its face waiting for the perfect opportunity.
With both hands on the wooden club, it swung with all of its might hitting directly on the human's right leg. The human screamed at the top of his lungs while tears were building up in its eyes.
The creature's confidence shot up to the roof, seeing the human screaming in pain, with a face full of fear.
The reason why those at the top bother the ones on the bottom was all for this feeling. An intoxicating sight that one would never get tired of and would continue to yearn and never forget.
Looking at the state of the human in front brought a tinge of satisfaction to the creature. It was satisfying to watch the human frozen in fear, unable to move a muscle.
Every creature with grand ambitions has always wished to stay in the heavens where others will worship and revere them as gods. And right now, the monster in front of the human felt like a god.
At least that was how it was supposed to be, but things took a strange turn, and now it was the creature whose life is in danger. Its instincts that developed with years of experience took over its body.
It struggled violently while the human tried its best to hold on to its neck. The creature felt the increase in pressure on its neck, realizing that it's seconds away from breathing its last.
Out of desperation, the creature held on to the human's legs before jumping up. It landed on the ground with the human on it's back, squeezing the person between the earth and its own body.
The creature stood back up as it felt the arms wrapped around its neck, slowly letting go. It's chest heaved up and down as the monster longed for the fresh cold air, fury was present in its eyes while it watched the human lie on the ground unmoving.
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Ryujin could barely see his surroundings; everything was blurry, and he had difficulty breathing. He lay on the ground, paralyzed, and his lips could barely move as he tries to take a deep breath. He could only gasp for air while his heart continued to race.
He tried to move his body, but his bones and muscles screamed in pain as if they were begging him not to move. He bit his trembling lips to keep himself from crying out. Knowing that it was futile to move his body, he tried to make tiny movements starting from his fingers.
The tormenting pain he felt told him that he was still alive, but his body wasn't responding. His vision was slowly coming back to normal, and he could see the creature standing on the right. It was glaring at him as it took deep breaths. He didn't know whether it was just a figment of his imagination, but he saw a malicious aura rising from the creature's body.
'Come on… Move g*dd*mn it! Move! Move!'
Ryujin screamed inside his head as he watched the creature slowly regaining its breath. His eyes never left its body, so he knew it wouldn't take long before the monster starts attacking him for real. His struggle a while ago was his last chance, and unless some miracle happens, there would be nothing that can save him.
He managed to regain control of his arms, but he felt weak like he just finished an intense workout, and his arms had no strength. It was unsteady and painful, but he tried various movements with his arms to get used to it. He lacked the power to grip or carry anything; however, it was better than being unable to move it.
It was a small step, but he was delighted because his already low chances of survival would only increase. His happiness didn't last long as he saw the creature moving towards its club before picking it up. It has always been a hunchback, but its posture only served to make it look more menacing as it walked towards Ryujin.
Its footsteps rang loudly in Ryujin's ears as he tried to move the rest of his body desperately.
It was as if death was getting closer, and the scene of his skull smashed to a pulp with a club and beaten to death was vivid in his mind. Cold sweat continuously dripped down his face, and he consistently hit his legs in hopes it'll bring back its sensation.
Ryujin watched the approaching creature, stop right next to him. It raised the wooden club on its right-hand overhead before slamming it down with an incredible force. Using his arms, he pushed the ground, making him roll to the ground, narrowingly avoiding the club.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush, but he was finally able to move his body, though it was sluggish. Ryujin stood up and started running away from the creature. There were still remnants of the apartment that once stood there, and Ryujin found one cabinet huge enough for him to hide.
Of course, he couldn't hide forever, but he needed a moment to recover his energy, at least until he was able to carry a weapon. With a few moments to spare, he recalled what happened and wondered where it went wrong. It's not like he was lenient, nor did he allow his advantage to get in his head. Frankly, he was far more ruthless to the extent that it almost scared him.
It was right then that he remembered the inexplicable strength of the creature that turned the tides. It exhibited an enormous amount of power that it shouldn't have based on its body frame, and during the time he held on to its neck, Ryujin felt the toughness of its body. It was as if he was trying to crush stone with his fingers. If he didn't use all of his strength, there was no doubt that it wouldn't affect the creature.
His arms were already giving up by the time the creature crushed him with its body. Even if it didn't do what it did, Ryujin would've let go sooner or later.,
He heard the sound of footsteps getting farther away from his current location, and only after he couldn't hear any footsteps did he peek outside the cabinet. Ryujin couldn't see anything; therefore, he decided to come out of his hiding place.
Ryujin decided to look for a weapon, preferably something long, and he didn't want a gun because he knew he lacked the skills to use it. He found some knives that he took despite not meeting his requirement; after all, it can still function as a weapon.
He decided to fight after realizing the current state of his body. He could at best get a few meters away, but he wouldn't be able to escape once the creature finds him, and there weren't that many hiding spots. Ryujin planned his ambush.
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After searching for the creature, he found it trying to search for him. It was apparent at a glance that it was furious, just a look at the destroyed objects around it would suggest otherwise. Using a slipper, he found, he threw it towards the monster, hitting it directly on the head.
It turned around abruptly, and their eyes met; one was angry while the other had a solemn look. Ryujin immediately ran away while the creature ran after him, he barely had the energy, but it was all or nothing now.
Ryujin left the creature behind, and by the time it managed to get to the spot where it last saw him, it could no longer see him. It cautiously walked around the place, it was furious, but it learned from their last interaction that humans were cunning. It warily looked around when he heard a sound on his left.
The creature went to where the sound came from and looked around to find nothing. It was confused because it couldn't find the human when it suddenly heard a creaking sound. It watched as a large object fell on top of it.
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It was a success. Ryujin was hiding behind the cabinet and after luring the creature with the objects lying around. He pushed it with all his might, causing it to crash down towards the monster. It was still alive, and it tried to set itself free, but how could Ryujin let that happen?
With the knives he found, he continuously stabs the creature. Some landed on the neck while some pierced the back of the head. Only when it stopped moving did he finally quit.
[Successfully killed one goblin. Pre-requisite Requirements Accomplished. Authorizing the use of "Status."]
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After walking for a few miles, he found an empty house where he sought refuge. Ryujin turned on the television to see if there was any news.
"Plenty of videos has surfaced online showing humans and other unknown creatures attacking our citizens. The Prime Minister is live and has a message for our countrymen demanding answers."
The screen changed to a man with officers behind him in an argument. It seems that they were in a separate room since he couldn't hear their voice.
"First of all, I'd like to beg for your forgiveness, for I have failed our countrymen and our ancestors."
The Prime Minister on the screen bent his upper body while he seemed to be holding back his tears before he continued.
"There is no denying it, our capital, the city of Tokyo and the surrounding cities have fallen and taken over by these monsters."
Ryujin was at a loss of words, and his face turned pale, recalling the Prime Minister's words, it felt like he witnessed the last lifeboat leaving him on the sinking ship. It was no different from saying that all of his hope is gone.