Deen had been demolishing one wall after another in his relentless pursuit of the mysterious Power source. The tomb-like dungeon was an eerie labyrinth, filled with stark contrasts, from the blinding brightness of some areas to the pitch darkness of others, and even spaces adorned with macabre displays of human skulls and skeletal remains. But Deen remained unfazed, his determination unwavering as he pressed forward with a singular focus on his target.
The passage of time began to play tricks on his mind, and he couldn't help but wonder about Nova, his trusty companion.
"How vast is this place? It's been a whole hour. Perhaps I should head back to Nova. She might be on the brink of doing something reckless," Deen pondered.
Then, suddenly, a deafening metallic clang echoed through the chamber as Deen delivered a punch to a seemingly ordinary wall.
"Aw!"
His hand throbbed with pain, and he glared at the wall as if it had personally wronged him. The wall had interrupted his flow, and his frustration was evident.
Upon closer inspection, Deen discovered that the wall was made of an unfamiliar black metal.
"Huh?"
Deen raised his fist once more and unleashed a blow with even greater force.
Cling!!!
The shockwave was so powerful that it felt like the entire dungeon might crumble. One more punch like that, and he could very well bury himself alive.
"I might end up entombing myself if I keep this up. Onward it is," Deen decided.
He continued his journey, eventually stepping into a vast cave. This part of the tomb dungeon lacked brick walls and featured menacing stalagmites, ominous black fluids oozing across the floor, and an overpowering stench of death.
In this eerie environment, dimly glowing rocks on the walls cast eerie shadows, contributing to the unsettling atmosphere. Skeletal remains were scattered all around, creating an unsettling sight.
However...
Tap! Tap! Tack! Tap.
Deen continued through the cave, seemingly unconcerned, occasionally stepping on the eerie black fluid, but strangely, it seemed to avoid him at times.
Surprisingly, nothing happened during his passage, and he eventually reached the cave's end, where an enormous, ancient door stood, resembling a gate.
Intricate and complex designs were etched into the door's surface, lending it an air of foreboding.
"I sense it... It's just beyond this gate," Deen muttered to himself.
He ran his hand over the door's rough surface, feeling the intricate patterns. A gentle push yielded no results.
"Well, a kick might do the trick," Deen mused, taking a few steps back.
With newfound determination, he sprinted toward the door. In midair, he executed a graceful horizontal flip, landing a mighty kick.
TREMBLE!
The entire area shook, pebbles fell from the ceiling, and yet the door remained unscathed, unmoved by his incredible power.
Deen skidded back from the force of his impact.
"Maybe..."
He quickly pivoted, sensing an ominous presence behind him. From the black liquid he had crossed earlier, a figure began to take form, slowly coalescing into a humanoid shape.
Deen watched in awe as the liquid entity completed its transformation. Its form was a fluid and ever-changing representation of a human, with arms, legs, and features that constantly shifted, as if it were water in an ever-changing vessel.
On top of the liquid mass, two green, glowing spots, perhaps meant to be its eyes, stared back at Deen.
"For a moment there, I thought you were some cosmic entity. Seems like you're not," the liquid creature spoke, its voice fluctuating unevenly, as if its vocal cords were still taking form. Its words seemed to reverberate throughout the chamber.
"So, you've realized I'm just an overconfident weakling after I failed to break that enchanted door, huh?" Deen responded with a wry smile.
Deen spoke and took a fighting stance and wearing an serious expression, His left arm drawn backwards and folding his fingers to look like a tiger claw.
His right arm folded into a first but relaxed in front of him.
"ClevEr mortal, Fight so that THE doors Opens FOR you." The creature responded already about to pounce.
"Before we fight.. are you a Slimeliun?"
Deen interrupted.
"No HumAN, I'm a creature born of DEath and RAGE . I'm BoRN of Juices of ANGry souls. Those Accused of cRIMES they Didn't or Did! I'm Egothapth, now Fight!!"
The creature thrusted it's liquid arms that stretched and assaulted Deen relentlessly.
As soon as the battle started, Deen was on the defensive. He patted with just one arm. However it didn't seem he was doing so because he was having it easy.
He destroyed the incoming assaults with punches, slaps and kicks while keeping his "tiger" claw behind him all the time.
Egothapth was fast and even after throwing its liquid arms attacks at Deen it didn't it would run out of black liquid.
"Darn it! I have no time for their!"
Deen suddenly stopped dodging and using the arm he was putting behind him he made a diagonal slash.
He charged it with some sort of purple Power then after build up threw the attack.
Five diagonal slashes travelling at extreme speeds to Egothapth.
Egothapth seemed to have sensed danger and tried to move aside but the attack had been too fast.
His liquid body was slashed in four different parts.
"CosmIC Power!?" Frightened his liquid body fell apart. It didn't seem to be going to wake up.
Deen after the slashed seemed to be still on guard and waited. He however didn't take any stance.
"I'm in a bit of a hurry. Nova is gonna die of loneliness if I don't get back to her soon."
The liquid person, Egothapth slowly formed back again but this time it's was three of him.
"Today is your UnlUCkY day inferior cosmic Being! You may have the ability to split me into 5 permanent PARTs but! Ayaaaaaa!'
Egothapth screamed intimidatively.
"I can still use my body as IT IS!!"
Egothapth suddenly went on the offensive again.
However as soon as he was about to land a blow on Deen, his body turned back to liquid falling on the floor.
"What DID you Do?!"
Egothapth used another of his four left Bodies. As soon as it was about to land a blow on Deen it too lost its physical manifestation of a body.
"What Did…"
Before he could say more , Deen dashed from his position and one by one kicked the rest of Egothapth bodies destroying their forms.
As soon as he did the doors behind him started shacking soon seemed to be opening up.
Deen looked back and forth and sighed.
"Well I might as well tell you something about it. It's kinda unfair to be defeated without knowing how. The secret is rather simple. Once I slashed you with my Cosmic Tiger Claws… No, Tiger Cosmic Power Claws…. Nevermind the name. Once my Cosmic Power touched yours it was game over."
Deen started walking to the now open door or gates.
"But that Doesn't sy ANYtjing?"
Egothapth speech seemed to be fading and getting worse.
"Im not a person or a cosmic being, that's Nova. I'm a law. I am --Power is my Power--"
Deen walked through the gate leaving the confused Egothapth dying.