Dylan was cornered.
With trembling steps, he kept on walking, using the greatsword he wielded as a crutch. For each step he took, blood dripped down onto the ground, staining the partly destroyed floors with crimson.
Black spots had long plagued the edges of his vision, a surefire way to tell there
Occasionally, he took the time to glance behind him, sighing in relief and continuing to walk every time he confirmed the black blur was not there. His chest rose and fell in time with his breathing, each inhale piercing his abdomen into a debilitating pain. Yet, he still tried to remain stoic.
Even though he was unable to see the beast, he could hear its footsteps and its ragged breaths, a confirmation that the black canine was still on the hunt. Though he had managed to disperse the crimson aura from the beast, he had paid the price for being too careless, as his broken ribs and feet could attest. One of his arms throbbed, a sign that most likely some of the bones there were broken.
His expression was a mixture of fear and pain, yet, there was no trace of regret.
As he walked, he remembered his story.
Before the apocalypse, he had a little sister. He still remembered her smile, and every so often, they would train together. He preferred the way of the sword, while she prefers using her fists to solve her problems.
He wondered; would she chastise him if she saw him like this?
Remembering the memory made him grin, even as salty tears prickled the corner of his eyes along with the small wounds on his face.
After all, she was the more thoughtful of the two, at least before the apocalypse took her away from him. He was whisked away right as monsters claimed her and took her apart, and when he came to, he was already in front of the World Tree, queuing to be accepted as a participant by wooden effigies.
Right as he started to think of happier days, the sound of beastly footsteps behind him became faster and faster. It does not take a genius to realize the monster had found him.
Dylan trembled, yet, he closed his eyes. A serene expression adorned his face. Perhaps, he would meet his sister this time.
"Henrietta, faster!"
Only for a familiar voice to wake him up from his reverie.
ROAR!
BLAM!
The moment the beast pounced; Henrietta jumped in front of Dylan and parried the attack. Red strings from Charles' necklace stopped right next to Dylan, almost indistinguishable from the trail of blood he had shed on his shaky path.
Cracks formed below Henrietta's feet, as the blue feather artifact reacted to the final aura shrouding the beast. The beast howled in pain, as the aura dissipated, leaving the beast barren.
[The Barghest's tricolored aura has been dissipated! Its overall power has decreased by 50%]
[The Barghest's true power level has been revealed!]
[Barghest]
[Rank: A]
Henrietta gritted her teeth. With a wry smile, she pushed at the beast as powerfully as she could, throwing the beast past a few walls, before it landed right onto the wall of a random room.
"Don't you dare-" Charles spoke, his breath coming out in gasps. Wounds from the poison still mar his skin, while his forehead and body were drenched in sweat, making his wounds sting even more, "-give up!"
Charles raised the charm adorning his right hand, causing the 10-sided pendant on it to glow red.
[Low-Class Offense Boost has been activated!]
[Beast Energy: 3/150]
"Don't give it any mercy, Henrietta!"
"On it, my demanding contractor," She smiled as the strengthening aura flared on her body.
Henrietta readied herself for another strike, and then…
[Construct Creation – Soul of Ira]
A massive shape whizzed onto the beast, slamming it further into the wall.
It let out a scream similar to a tortured wolf, black blood oozing from its muzzle and eyes, staining the cracked walls. The strike was followed by countless sharp icicles pinning the beast's limbs onto the wall.
"Well, seems like we're late to the action, Nora," Marie mused in her familiar voice.
"I'm glad they are all right," Nora answered. "Can I leave the bulk of the fighting to you, Marie? I'll deal with patching up their wounds."
"Mhm."
With Marie holding the lines, Nora used another offensive skill for good measure, creating flaming knives that pierced the beast's still struggling body. The rotten black blood's scent became even more pungent upon contact with fire, becoming similar to a mix of sulfur and burnt meat.
On the way, while Henrietta and Marie's construct pummeled at the hound, Nora looked at Charles. Her expression softened, and she gave him a warm smile. Her smile was so radiant, Charles' heart felt warm upon seeing it.
"I'm glad you are okay, Charles."
"Thank you," he responded. Then, he subconsciously reached out, wiping the stray dirt that marred her face. "I'm glad nothing happened to you, as well."
"… Ah, um, okay, About Dylan-" as she spoke, her face reddened a bit, and she turned away before finishing her words, rushing towards their wounded group member. She quickly opened the system's store menu, bought the healing potion, and poured it into the weakened Dylan's mouth.
[Metalcarve Infusion]
While her construct kept on attacking without relent, Marie took out her metal quill, infusing her construct's arms with sparks of purplish blue lightning. With a final punch, the beast shrieked in an ear-piercing scream.
Then, everything was quiet for a few seconds.
A notification appeared in front of their eyes, breaking the silence.
[You have defeated the Barghest]
[You have collected all three artifacts!]
[The path to the final boss of the Kobold Castle has been unlocked!]
[Go towards the red barrier to reach the boss and end the quest!]
"Let us recuperate first," Charles suggested. "We don't know what will be waiting for us there."
--
Now that the illusion has dissipated, they were able to see the similar rooms for what they truly were. The rooms now resembled a place that was truly lived in. There was a barebones kitchen, a weapons room full of useless, long-rusted weapons, and what once seemed like a treasure room from the carvings that remained after most of its insides were gone.
For now, they have decided to explore the third floor only after all of them were fully recovered.
They rested in the former treasure room. Dylan was asleep from the potion's effects, while the others discussed what they have found. Charles' wounds have healed as well. As his wounds were less severe, he didn't fall asleep from the potion's effect.
"We can't find our final party member. We've checked all the rooms," Marie started. There was a trace of disappointment and sadness in his voice.
"After the illusion dissipated, Marie sent smaller versions of her construct to check, but still nothing. I'd assume he is on the third floor," Nora added, "As much as I hate to admit it, the chance of him surviving gets slimmer by the minute."
"Still, no reason to give up hope yet," Marie replied, her voice a little bit snappier than before. "I know him since childhood, I'm not going to give up on him."
"Then, after we rest, let's go to the third floor," Nora answered. She didn't seem too bothered by her friend's outburst. In fact, her expression was one of complete understanding.
A few hours passed in silence, as each decided to rest in their own ways. The moment Dylan stirred awake, they all stood up, ready to head to the third floor.