With enough self-assurance now to express his genuine intentions, Milo grinned cockily at Neriah. "Ye–"
Milo's words were choked up from his lack of air as he felt a mental grasp tighten around his neck. He struggled to breathe, his eyes bulging as he clawed at his own throat, trying to pry the hold off him. But it was no use. He was powerless against it. And as quickly as it had started, it was over. Milo's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thump, his shocked eyes were still wide open. His face was dreadfully pale, with obvious veins branching out.
'That's sick! Interesting technique of a kill; even I wouldn't have considered it, given the mundane natural means we have on earth. Through that fucking choking method, I did occasionally receive a few scratches from those insane ladies' nails~sigh… this would have saved me the stress from the puny struggles of those ladies in ropes or when I wish to feel their struggle without them.' Tristan thought with a grin, before switching his gaze from Neriah and Selkie.
The participants all took a step back in shock, aside from Tristan, who stood his ground, watching Milo's body with a mixture of disappointment and rage. He walked over to Milo's dead body and kicked him in anger for dying so early, wishing that he had been the one to kill him and mask it as a mistake while they carried out the tasks.
Neriah sat calmly on her throne, her eyes flickering with amusement as she watched the scene unfold. "Death is the consequence of anyone who chooses to forfeit," she said, smirking.
She looked around at the rest of the group, giving them a sweet smile. "Does anyone have anything to add?" she asked.
Silence!
The participants all remained silent, staring at Milo's corpse with a mix of shock and fear. Tristan, however, enthusiastically raised his hand, grinning in anticipation for the task ahead.
"When do we start?" he asked eagerly, his eyes glinting with excitement. He was determined to complete the first task and claim each task reward that Neriah had promised them.
Neriah was captivated by his enthusiasm following that little demonstration of her abilities and her lips twisted into a wicked smile. "The first thing you need to do is find the 'Eye of Heat'," she began, her voice low and menacing as she added, "it's a priceless pearl that's rumored to be hidden away in a fierce mythical creature's den."
The participants exchanged nervous glances as they all turned to face one another. Although they had heard about this creature in folklore, no one had ever really seen it or heard anyone give its name.
"What is this creature's name, Your Imperial Highness?" one of them asked tentatively.
On her throne, Neriah leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She replied in a low, seductive voice, "its name is Kryonix. And unless you're up for the challenge, retrieving the pearl from its lair won't be an easy task."
Tristan grinned his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He answered, his voice full of certainty, "challenge accepted."
The other participants nodded, their expressions somber as they readied themselves to meet the creature. They were aware that the benefit of succeeding would outweigh the danger of failing.
Neriah observed them intently. Although she was aware that it would not be simple, she had confidence in them. She was sure they would succeed because they were formidable and skillful.
"There is only one requirement that must be adhered to." Selkie begins, "You cannot kill any of your fellow players without a valid reason since doing so will activate the paralysis mark on your arm, which will then activate a chemical that will coat and draw every beast and aquatic creature to you."
The five participants' eyes were pulled to their arms as they were startled to notice a scale-like pattern shimmering in the dim light. Tristan, on the other hand, was horrified by the requirement and his heart fell at how serious the situation was.
'I can't use murder to my advantage to win this shit? Great! Just the information I needed.' The others had a higher chance of surviving as a result of this regulation being implemented, he sarcastically reasoned as he chuckled bitterly.
Neriah waved a hand dismissively and remarked, "Good luck. I am eager to see how you perform against Kryonix."
*****
Ding!
Only one hundred and forty-eight hours remained until the level's conclusion, and Tristan and the rest of the group had made little headway in deciding who would be the first to enter the cavern.
The cavern was wet and dark, and their clothing and hair were covered in a musty stink. They could hear the distant snarling of the Kryonix and the sound of falling water resonating off the walls.
"Why are we even doing this?" one of them muttered under his breath. "We could just leave and forfeit the task."
With his gaze narrowed, Tristan turned to confront them. "You're right though. How about you and the rest who feel doubtful, get the best advice from Milo. Yes, he should have the appropriate answers, don't you think?" he questioned with a mocking and disdainful tone in his voice.
Everyone stared in unnerving silence at Tristan, who was grinning and seemed happy that they had the mental capacity to understand what he really meant.
"I don't know anything about you guys, and I don't want to. But I'll retrieve that accursed jewel and see what awaits for my first task," Tristan murmured as he turned to face the cavern. "Whatever is inside, try not to get murdered by it."
'Be thankful that I'm not the one who takes your life before you even realize it.' His inner voice mockingly muttered.
Tristan's words gave the other participants more resolve, and they all exchanged knowing looks and nodded in accord.
He entered the cavern carefully so as not to trip over any boulders that might be hidden beneath the moss-covered floorboards. His senses all went crazy as soon as he stepped into the space; they all became far keener than they usually were.
Shortly after entering, something large moved behind some boulders close to the entrance. Unintentionally letting out a growl, which caused several players to jump in terror and turn toward the direction Tristan was pointing.
Between two enormous stones, a giant reptile creature appeared, its scales glistening in the dimly lighted space like polished silver. Its tail swung leisurely through the air, sending ripples across the nearby pool of still water. The beast, surrounded by people wielding swords and spears, seemed uninterested as their eyes fixed on it.
'This is the Kryonix, right?' Tristan asked because he wanted to be certain before taking the involvement seriously as he should.
[Glitch Identified: Drile]
'Not another fucking glitch!' Tristan briefly closed his eyes as he expressed his disappointment and rage at the information.
Slash! Slash!
Tristan's water blade made a clean cut through the Drile, separating its head from its shoulders. It dropped limply to the ground, its blood slowly seeping along the stone walkway going away. Its torso began to show more cuts, each one releasing a trail of blood-red fluid. Small puddles of bloody liquid formed on the rock wall as a result of blood dripping from the severed head.
"How...how did you do that?" unable to accept that such power could exist among mortals, one participant stammered out loud. Although they were unsure of the actual reason for it, Tristan was able to easily slay a large beast while utilizing only a labrys composed completely of water collected from the pool.
Tristan shrugged, not wanting to answer; he had thought they had powers, but after hearing that one question, he understood how mistaken he had been.
They refrained from asking any further questions since they admired his skill. This gave them hope for the future if they wanted to survive, as long as he was on their side. They could have a chance if someone strong enough managed to defeat a giant beast.
They approached cautiously now, wary of another attack. However, nothing else came forth beside the dripping sounds of fresh blood seeping into the surrounding soil.
They continued to navigate the cavern, careful to avoid any traps or pitfalls that may be lurking in the darkness.
Suddenly, they heard a different sound - a sweet and alluring melody that seemed to be calling to them. They all looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what to make of it.
"What is that sound?" one of them asked, his eyes darting around nervously.
Tristan, however, seemed to be unaffected by the sound. He continued to walk forward, his eyes fixed on a particular spot in the distance.
"It's coming from over there," he said, pointing towards a bright light ahead.
The other participants looked at Tristan in surprise, wondering how he could tell where the melody was coming from without being as disoriented as they were. But they followed him nonetheless, trusting his intuition.
As they approached the light, the melody grew louder and more intense. The others could feel its pull, drawing them closer and closer to the source.
The walls of the cavern finally opened up to expose a wide expanse as they finally arrived at it. The Kryonix, who was now discernible in the light, was guarding the shining pearl that was in the center of the space.
As Tristan first glimpsed the alleged beast, his eyes widened in astonishment. Instead of the ferocious, terrible beast he had anticipated, it was a beautiful lady with delicate blue skin and long hair that fell behind her like a waterfall. As she watched them approach, she lay curled around a crimson pearl with a malicious glare in her white sparkling eyes.
"What's this?" With his thoughts racing with questions Tristan mumbled under his breath. "Why is it female?"
The other members of the group were stunned and remained still as their weapons fell to the ground ineffectively as they were overcome by the melody that was echoing in their minds. All their attention was drawn to the strange figure's beauty as it lay unmoving next to the gemstone.
Images sped through their vision quicker than reality itself, and their thoughts started to race uncontrollably. Images of erotic events played out before their very eyes, flooding their minds with insatiable emotions. Under glittering dresses, luscious breasts bounced seductively, with seductive fingers caressing exquisite curves.
Before anyone could realize anything was wrong, they each found themselves next to a beautiful lady whose body shimmered with heat waves erupting from her flesh. From Tristan's perspective, she drew herself close and placed her hands around his neck, giving him a passionate kiss as her tongue slipped into his mouth. He responded on instinct, tasting her sweetness as his cock painfully hardened inside his pants.
Although Tristan would have loved to get laid, he quickly dismissed the idea and decided that he would not yield so readily and put himself at the mercy of a woman. He fixed his gaze on Kryonix, who was sporting a sinister grin.
As he turned to face the others, he laughed to himself, "this bitch wants us dead, yet you guys are probably sporting different positions in your mind."
The same couldn't be said for his companions, who were already deeply intoxicated by pleasure and unconscious of the danger in their vicinity. Only Tristan continued to be alert to the looming danger and responded appropriately.
"My name is Tristan," he said, his voice steady. "I have come to claim the Eye of Heat. Will you give it to me willingly, or will I have to take it by force?"
*****
A/N
I do apologize for the delay in the update for now, I have been trying to make it as engaging as possible while keeping the plot intact without going off course. This is about 1.9k+ words and if this was worth the wait, please do comment your thoughts, or a +1.
2000 summoning pens= 2 bonus chapters.
I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.