I readied my blade and prepared to fight. Benny then said, "it appears that this cave-like system works similar to a dungeon you would find in video games. If you want to escape, you'll have to fight through the demons until you reach the Great Tree's core."
"Understood," I said to Benny. The fight against the giant demon would have to be quick since I had to conserve my energy for the battles ahead.
The demon charged at me, and I barely managed to dodge its claws. I swung my sword at it, but it blocked the blow with its arm. It then swiped at me again, and I had to jump back to avoid its attack.
We continued to exchange blows, but the demon was too fast and strong for me. It was wearing me down, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep up the fight for much longer. I had to figure out a way to defeat it.
I tried to think of a plan, but I couldn't come up with anything. Then, I noticed something in the water pool. There was a small, blue orb floating in the water. It looked like a pearl, and it was glowing brightly.
'Is this the demon's core? If so I need to grab it!'
The demon saw me looking at the orb, and it lunged at me. I managed to dodge its attack, and I dove into the pool of water. The demon followed me, and we fought in the water until I grabbed the core.
I quickly swam back up but before I could make it I felt the demon's hold on my leg. It tried to drag me deep into the water and drown me but I used my sword to pierce its arm.
As I did so, a loud, screeching noise filled the room. The demon released its grip on me, and I swam to the surface. The demon's body was slowly disintegrating and turning to black ash.
I took a moment to catch my breath, and then I looked around the room. The water was clear now, and the demon was gone. The orb was still in my hand, and it was still glowing.
'Alright! The demon is dead! Now what the hell is this orb thing?' I wondered.
"Benny, what is this orb?"
"It appears that the orb contains a fragment of the Great Tree's power. The Great Tree must have hidden its power in different areas of the cave system in order to protect itself. It is likely that the other demons in the cave also have fragments of the Great Tree's power."
"If I were to grab and destroy these cores, could I weaken the Great Tree?" I asked Benny. I had a plan forming in my mind, and I needed to know if it would work.
"Yes," Benny said. "The more cores you destroy, the weaker the Great Tree will become."
"Great," I replied. "I'll make my way through the dungeon and destroy as many cores as I can. Then, when I'm done, I'll use my remaining power to destroy the Great Tree."
"Be careful, Thomas," Benny warned. "The demons in the cave are powerful. You won't be able to use your full power, but you'll need to use some of it to defeat them. If you use too much, you'll end up incapacitated.
"I understand," I replied. "I'll be careful." With that, I made my way through the cave, searching for more cores. The cave appeared to be getting darker and darker as I passed through it. I decided to use Imagination Amplification to create a ball of light and gave it a will of it's own. The light moved around the cave, revealing the dark corners. There were more of the smaller demons lurking in the darkness, and I could see their sharp teeth and claws. They were terrifying, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I was glad that I had created the ball of light, as it made it easier to see where I was going.
I continued to follow the tunnels, and eventually, I came to another large room only it appeared empty. Then I noticed something fall from the ceiling and a creature similar in appearance to a spider appeared.
The spider's body was a deep, dark red color. It's legs were thin and wiry, and they were covered in a thick, black fur. It had eight eyes, each one a different color. The creature's fangs were long and sharp, and they dripped with a thick, black venom.
"Who dares intrude into my domain?" The demon said.
I stood still in surprise. For the first time, a demon talked to me. I didn't expect it to be so sentient, and I was taken aback by its words.
"I am the creator of the world, and I've come here to kill the Great Tree. It forced me to enter its roots." I replied, trying to sound confident.
The spider's eyes narrowed, and it hissed menacingly. It was clear that it wasn't happy with my answer. "You're not welcome here. Leave now, or die."
I knew that I couldn't leave. The fate of the elves depended on me defeating the Great Tree. I had to destroy it, no matter what. "I'm not leaving until I've killed the Great Tree." I said, readying my sword.
The spider hissed again, and it charged at me. It was incredibly fast, and I had to jump out of the way to avoid its fangs.