Fuck, my legs are starting to feel like jelly. Who knew running for your life could be such a workout? I wonder if there's a gym out there advertising a 'Survival Training' routine. You know, one with realistic life-threatening scenarios. Could be a hot seller.
As I dodge another earth-shattering attack, I catch Ilka floating nearby, her laughter echoing in the cavern. Her ethereal glow casts an eerie light on the scene as if she's a ghost watching a tragic comedy unfold. And here I am, the star of the show, running in circles while a stone beast with a leg caught in a bear trap tries to flatten me.
"Having fun, are you?" I manage to gasp out as I dart past her. She just gives me a cheeky smile, not even bothering to hide her amusement.
I swear, if she had a physical body, I'd... well, I don't exactly know what I'd do, but I'm pretty sure it would involve her being the bait for once.
Bob roars again, the sound reverberating through the cavern and making me feel as if my head is about to split open. Well, if the physical exhaustion doesn't get me, the noise pollution certainly will.
Looking back at the monster, a sudden realization hits me. Those runes etched on its stony body. They're the source of its power, aren't they?
Now that's an idea worth trying.
I reach into my pocket, my hand clasping around the cold metal of my precious baby. I don't know how well it'll work against a monster of this caliber, but at this point, I got no choice.
"Hey, Bob!" I shout, trying to grab the stone beast's attention. Its glowing eyes focus on me, and I can see the raw fury burning in its gaze. "Catch!"
With that, I load my gun and take aim, concentrating all my focus on one of the glowing runes on Bob's body. I pull the trigger, the bullet zooms through the air.
Time seems to slow down as I watch the bullet travel. It hits the rune, and for a moment, nothing happens. Just as I'm about to curse my rotten luck, there's a flash of light, and a loud cracking sound fills the cavern. The rune shatters, fragments of stone flying everywhere, and Bob roars in pain.
"Well, what do you know? It worked!" I can't help the triumphant grin that spreads across my face. I have no idea what I did, but it sounded like it worked. The pain in my legs seems less intense now, replaced by a rush of adrenaline.
Ilka floats down to me, an intrigued look on her face. "Huh, not bad, Kael. I didn't think you had it in you."
I roll my eyes at her, trying not to let her words get to me. "It's called strategy, Ilka. Something you wouldn't understand."
She snorts, folding her arms across her chest. "Oh, please. That was sheer dumb luck and you know it."
Suddenly, the ground shakes beneath me as Bob charges again, clearly enraged by my previous attack. Oh, great. I've pissed off the giant stone monster. Who could've seen that coming?
"Time for round...what is it, four?" I mutter to myself as I dodge another of Bob's attacks, the near-miss making my heart race.
My luck ran out just as quickly as it came, and it seems my stroke of genius from before is now officially a handicap. Dammit, why is Bob getting faster? The way the runes shone on his body before, I'd figured they were a source of power, not a bunch of mystical speed regulators!
I barely have time to process the sudden shift when Bob's arm swings forward, connecting solidly with my back. I'm sent soaring across the room like a ragdoll, crashing into the cavern wall with a thud.
Ilka's ethereal laughter echoes around me as I groan, pulling myself to my feet. "So, getting smacked across the room was part of your plan, was it?" she calls out.
"All according to plan," I grumble, just loud enough for her to hear. 'Plan' might be too strong of a word for 'make it up as you go along,' but I'm not about to admit that. Not to her, at least.
Bob, now completely pissed charges towards me, smashing into the wall I barely dodge. I hastily transform Umbra into a pickaxe, Hehehehe! Let's see how you like this! And swing at two more runes on his body.
Bob roars again, sending chills down my spine. But as the dust settles, I see flames flickering around his body. Holy shit, the monster is now on fire. At this point, I'm convinced suicide would be less painful.
"Really, Kael?" Ilka smirks, floating in a safe distance. "You've turned him into a living, moving bonfire. What's your next genius plan? Roast marshmallows on him?"
I narrow my eyes at her. "You know what? I just might. At least then I'd get a snack out of this debacle."
Rolling my eyes, I duck and weave around the fiery, charging Bob. Sweat pours down my face, stinging my eyes. Every muscle in my body screams in protest, but I force myself to keep going.
"So, how does it feel to be the underdog?" Ilka chirps from her safe perch.
"I wouldn't know," I pant, leaping over a swipe of Bob's flaming arm. "Why don't you come down here and find out?"
She laughs, but there's a hint of admiration in her eyes. "I'd love to, but you know I can't. For now, I'm enjoying the sight."
"Two can play at this game!" I yell, hefting Umbra in its pickaxe form. I don't like using my fire. It feels weird, it's hot but it doesn't burn much and to top it off, I don't have full control over it. But hey, it's time for desperate measures. I channel the flames into Umbra, the metal warming under my hand.
With a sigh, I mutter to myself, "I swear, if this doesn't work..." and toss Umbra straight at Bob. Ugh, I'm going to do some insane training when I return.
The fires I had imbued into it catch, flickering on the rune and heating up the stone. To avoid the pickaxe being removed, I reduce it to the size of a needle.
"Sweet!" I cheer, momentarily forgetting the huge flaming monster bearing down on me. "Go Umbra!"
It takes another split second for me to realize my own clothes have caught fire. "Hot! Hot! Hot!" I yell, dropping, rolling, and doing a dance that would surely go viral if anyone was filming.
Ilka, true to form, laughs so hard that she snorts. "Kael! Oh my, you're on fire! Quite literally!" She clutches her stomach, wheezing.
I shoot her an annoyed glare as I pat out the last of the flames on my shirt. "Glad you're enjoying the show, Ilka.", Fuck, I hate this, I want to cook something and read a book, is it too much to ask for?
Despite the pain that's spreading through every inch of my body, I can't help but grin. The adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and as much as I'd like to pretend otherwise, there's a part of me that's kind of enjoying this. Is this what they mean when they talk about the thrill of the hunt?
Ugh, I don't have much energy left, it's time to finish this. a strange sensation overtakes me, like a new surge of energy flowing through my veins. It's weird, channeling both my aura and mana at the same time. The feeling is invigorating, my senses becoming sharper, my body lighter. Using both mana and aura seems to be quite effective, though I won't last long in this state.
"Huh, One minute I guess?" I mutter, half to myself and half to Ilka.
Her eyes widen as she hovers nearby. "Do you have a skill that allows you to use both mana and aura?" she asks, her tone laced with surprise and a dash of annoyance.
"No, this is just a side effect of my indomitable will and dazzling charm," I reply with a grin, before adding, "Why, jealous?"
She clicks her tongue, clearly not amused by my joke. "Absolutely not," she huffs. "It just reminds me of my past. Unlike you, I couldn't wield both without a skill. What a cruel world."
I can't help but laugh at her response. Trust Ilka to turn a moment of badassery into a self-pity party.
Pushing aside the laughter, I focus on the monstrous Bob once more. My breath is coming in ragged gasps, but I've got a plan. Sort of. I decide to go on the offensive, making Umbra grow large spikes. The attack is successful, breaking off some of the beast, but it retaliates quickly, sending me flying into a wall.
The impact hurts like a bitch, knocking the wind out of me. Blood trickles down my face, but I barely notice, too focused on getting back to my feet.
I manage to dodge another swipe of Bob's arm, just barely. My movements are getting sluggish, the simultaneous use of aura and mana proving to be more taxing than I'd expected.
"You look tired, Kael," Ilka taunts, her ghostly form floating just out of reach. "Maybe you should take a break."
"Oh, shut up," I retort, summoning Umbra once more. "If you're not going to help, at least stop annoying me."
She only laughs, a sound that echoes around the cavern and pisses me off even more. But it doesn't matter. I've got a monster to deal with.
Summoning every last bit of energy, I charge at Bob, aiming Umbra straight at one of the glowing runes. It hits, the rune shatters, but before I can celebrate, I'm thrown back once more, slamming into the cavern wall.
"Kael, you're bleeding," Ilka points out unnecessarily.
"Really?" I ask, swiping at the blood trickling from my nose. "I hadn't noticed."
"Breaking the runes seems to make it stronger and faster, what a pain," I groan, dodging a jet of fire that Bob spews my way. He wasn't doing that earlier. Lovely. What's next, a laser light show?
Ilka wags her legs in delight, floating safely out of reach. "Finally, these are the type of monsters you should be fighting!"
Great, now she's a critic too. "Oh, why don't you come down here and show me how it's done, then?" I yell back, trying to keep my voice steady.
My sarcastic comment is cut off as Bob leaps into the air, his massive frame casting a dark shadow over me. "Oh, shit!" I quickly turn Umbra into a shield, bracing for impact. His enormous form blocking out the light from above. He descends, aiming to squish me like a bug. Acting on instinct, I materialize Umbra into a shield, bracing myself for the impact.
The world shakes around me as Bob lands, his enormous weight pressing down on the shield. Pain erupts through my body as my legs bear the brunt of the force, the harsh bite of the stone ground beneath me digging into my knees. I grit my teeth, letting out a gasp as my ears ring from the deafening crash.
Through the intense pain, I manage to roll to the side, transforming Umbra into a sharp spike. The momentum from Bob's leap drives the spike through his foot, earning a roar of pain that shakes the cavern. I might be bleeding and in pain, but the satisfaction from causing that roar almost makes it worth it.
This is my chance. Fumbling in my pocket, I pull out my baby, activating the rune inscribed on its side. With a grimace, I aim right for Bob's head and pull the trigger.
Bob's entire head explodes in a shower of stone and fire, a deafening boom echoing through the cavern. For a moment, there's nothing but the ringing in my ears and the stunned silence that follows.
"Uh...did I do that?"
Then, the quiet is shattered by the thud of Bob's headless body hitting the ground, sending tremors through the cavern floor. The flames around his body start to die down, his body becoming still.
The sight of the fallen monster, headless and defeated, hits me like a ton of bricks. All that effort, all that pain, and all I had to do was shoot him with my gun? My knees buckle, and I fall to the ground, a wave of exhaustion washing over me.
"Oh my god," I sob, my voice echoing in the cavern. "I could've just shot him! Why did no one tell me I could just shoot him?"
Ilka, for once, is speechless. She floats down to me, landing on my shoulder. After a beat of silence, she starts laughing. It's not her usual mocking laughter, but a genuine, full-bodied laugh that has her clutching her stomach.
"You..." she chokes out between laughs, "You are such a dumbass!"
My only response is a choked sob. I wipe my nose on my sleeve, not caring about the blood smeared on it. "I know," I reply miserably.
Ilka's laughter fades into chuckles, then to giggles, then to silence. She sits on my shoulder, her form shimmering in the eerie light. "You're crying," she says, an odd tone in her voice.
"I know," I repeat, my voice wobbly.
She reaches out, patting my head with her tiny hand. It's a strange sensation, It feels like a bug is patting my head. Just where do I stand if a bug is comforting me? "There, there," she says, a hint of laughter still in her voice. "You did well, Kael. You did well."
Somehow, that makes me cry even harder.
It's not my proudest moment, sitting on the ground in a monster-infested cavern, crying my eyes out while a bug size girl comforts me. But at this moment, I don't really care.
"Thanks, Ilka," I mumble, rubbing my nose on my sleeve again. "And next time, remind me to shoot the monster first, okay?"