The burning sensation of the cold wind hitting the flesh and teeth of my exposed left cheek made my body instinctively convulse. For a moment, I felt nothing but pain. I could feel my eyes rolling to the back of my head.
I tried to scream, but my mouth refused to move. The torn nerves had made it too difficult to make any sort of movement.
''Kakakak..!'''
What woke me up and sobered my mind from the pain were the cackling and mocking laughter of the Gargoyles. Though they could've killed me at any chance, instead they had decided to consciously mock me and disfigure me. They preferred to leave me with a life-long scar rather than just kill me.
I had realized what their objective was: Humiliate me.
I gritted my teeth, and the previous pain and hopelessness turned into a slowly boiling anger. The sensation in my stomach went from an empty pit of despair to nothing but burning hot rage. Of course, that didn't make me any stronger, it was obvious.
But it did help.
I wasn't just going to let these fuckers end me like this. I'm not gonna die to some pesty monster in a dungeon. What does this world take me for?! I've survived worse situations, I just have to do the same as I always do.
Yes, I've made a mistake. A grave mistake. I've let my humanity take over just to save face in front of these people. I forgot who I was and who I really am at the end of the day.
A soldier. A weapon.
And my only purpose is to kill.
''---Gha?!''
Their laughter stopped. A deafening silence took over the building. No, not complete silence, there was one familiar sound. The sound of flesh being torn apart.
I had pushed my head off the ground, and with all the strength I could gather, I opened my maw and bit the throat of the Gargoyle on top of me.
''Mfgh!''
My teeth pierced even further into the leathery texture of the monster's throat. I felt his claws scratching at my scalp in a desperate attempt to escape. I refused to let go.
Maybe it was the initial surprise that had shocked them, but the other Gargoyles suddenly let go of my arms and legs and jumped toward me. I could almost feel the regret they felt for their own actions.
I twisted my body on the ground without letting go of the monster's throat, and my fist made contact with the skull of one of the oncoming Gargoyles. My fist sank into the soft skull and I felt his brain become mush under my fists.
I let go of the monster's throat, and the two Gargoyles fell limp on the ground.
''---Ghhh!''
The other Gargoyles didn't waste any time and charged at me, not caring for their fallen comrades. I answered properly and pushed myself with my legs as if I was an animal. I propelled and my skull crashed against the disgusting face of one of the Gargoyles. Before being hurled back onto the wooden floor, it scratched at my face and just barely missed my eye. It fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Before the others could catch up, I pushed myself up and stomped the fallen Gargoyles skull. The bones cracked under the sole of my feet, and it stopped moving.
The back of my knees were suddenly hit, and I was thrown off balance. One of the Gargoyles took advantage of it and jumped towards my head, threatening to bite my throat off. I grabbed onto his skull before he could reach me. I pushed my thumbs deep into his eyes, and it didn't take long to reach his brain. His body went limp.
''---?! Agh. shit!''
Blood dripped down the side of my head. I felt that something sharp had attacked the left side of my head.
I instinctively dropped the body of the Gargoyle and covered my ear. Blood spurted out of the torn and destroyed organ. I couldn't hear a single thing off my left ear, though it doesn't seem like it was completely torn off. My sense of balance dwindled, they were smarter than I gave them credit for.
I gritted my teeth and quickly moved away. As long as they can't surround me, I should be able to win.
I sprinted forward towards the chasing monsters and leaped into the air. The soles of my boots made contact with two small skulls, and the three of us fell disgracefully onto the wooden ground. I twisted my body as if I was a rabid dog, and hammered my fist onto the face of one of them, who was taken by surprise by the attack and was still knocked down.
I felt blood splashing my face and even touching the exposed flesh of my face. I didn't care, and when I pulled my fist back, a dark-red sunken hole was left there.
''Haah... haah....''
I stood up straight, and my body stumbled awkwardly. I'm sure if I could see myself, I would look like some sort of crazed animal. I felt adrenaline surge through my body. Of course, I wouldn't come out of this unhurt, but it wouldn't matter.
If I lived, that was enough for me.
The sound of fighting outside became more intense. I had to hurry, I didn't have time to waste on this shitty stand-off with these monsters.
So I should end this quickly.
''fuuu...''
Sounds of viscera turned the room a crimson red.
-----
Drops of blood covered my view. The inferno around me had grown almost too unbearable, and I felt mana dripping away from me. I tried to open my right eye, but it was to no avail. I couldn't even feel it, the scratch the monster left was too deep and too effective.
''
A large wall of concrete lifted up in the air, blocking the oncoming charge of one of the monsters. The sharp axe became trapped in the magical structure. I extended my hand outwards and then threw it down harshly, and the wall of earth was sucked into the ground, and the monster tumbled towards me.
''
Sharp blades of wind shot like arrows, and the monster's head exploded in a bloody bath. It fell with a loud sound on the concrete floor.
I wasn't able to catch my breath, as I cast a shield to protect myself from the spider-like monsters. Then to protect myself from the mad rush of one of the giants.
This scene has gone on for an eternity. What did I do wrong to end up in this situation? For fuck's sake, I don't want to die like this. I just wanted to enjoy a normal school life. I just wanted to enjoy being able to attend the academy. Why did I get thrown in this place like this?
I wonder if Isaac is dead. Maybe if he was here this whole thing would've been easier. He's the only one among us who had any fighting experience. I'm a nervous wreck, I don't do well with this whole fighting shtick! Shit, just how did I fail like that?! I should've used a shield spell to protect him, and instead, I decided to use it on myself.
''Agh!''
The sharp end of one of the spider legs struck me in my chest and pierced the armor. I fell backward, unable to stand up now. I looked up, and the silhouettes of the monsters seemed towering. Too towering for me to reach. There's no way I can do this alone.
Am I going to die like this...?
''--A-Ahh...?''
Something peeked over the towering silhouettes.
It extended its arms in a crazed pose. It flailed around in the air as if it had pushed itself off the ground with no sense of direction.
And then, it crashed in front of me. Dust and blood flew about, as it had crashed against the body of a spider. That's when my eyes caught it, the dark and golden mithril armor that reflected the fiery flames. The stout and heavy body seemed familiar, but it was the jet-black hair that made me realize what I was looking at.
''Isaac..!''
I took the man for dead. Surely after that punch, he must've at least been fatally injured. But there was not a trace in the armor that he was hurt.
''...''
He didn't utter a single word, but it didn't matter. If it was the two of us, surely we can make it out now!
''Th-Thank g-god--?!''
My words of gratefulness were interrupted, by a visceral image. An image that I knew would stick with me for a long time. Far worse than any monster I've seen in this place.
The man raised his head, but there wasn't much to look at. No, because the left side of his face had been pretty much torn off completely. Flesh hung by a tendril, nerves, and muscle exposed, and his lips completely busted. His left ear was gone, a dark-red hole replacing it instead. Blood dripped down his face and onto his neck. And his eyes... I couldn't bare to look at them. He looked like an animal. Crazed. Vicious. There was violence rooted in his soul as if he was formed by it.
Time seemed to freeze still.
Was what I was looking at even human?
''...Let's go''
His voice echoed even amongst the sound of fiery flames.
''Now''