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Isaac continued his journey after a brief rest. The ominous light from the colossal star cast long shadows, and the silence of the forest was punctuated only by the faint sound of his footsteps on the forest floor.
The forest was a world of perpetual twilight, where the trees stood like sentinels against the dark sky.
Their gnarled branches twisted and turned, creating grotesque shapes that seemed to move in the corner of his eye.
Isaac's senses were heightened, his every step measured and cautious. He had to remain vigilant; the forest held many secrets and dangers.
"I should take my break just outside the forest," he muttered.
His voice, a constant companion in the silence, was a reminder of his loneliness.
He had grown accustomed to the solitude, yet the weight of it pressed down on him like the fog that enveloped this cursed land.
Isaac pressed on, his legs aching and his resolve tested.
The forest stretched for kilometers, and he was only halfway through after his first break.
The colossal star above cast a pallid, ghostly light that barely penetrated the thick canopy, leaving the forest floor in perpetual gloom.
Hours passed as Isaac trudged through the desolate forest. His body begged for rest, but he knew that stopping now would leave him vulnerable.
The memory of the colossal monster he had evaded earlier lingered in his mind, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked in this forsaken place.
As he walked, time seemed to lose meaning.
The fog thickened, and the light grew dimmer, casting eerie shadows on the twisted trees. Isaac's heart raced as he strained to see through the gloom, every rustle of leaves sending a jolt of fear through him.
Then, through the fog and darkness, he finally saw the edge of the forest.
"Yesssss," he whispered, raising a fist in a gesture of triumph. Relief washed over him as he approached the forest's edge.
Before him stretched a sparse, surreal landscape of jagged rocks that jutted out of the ground like the claws of a monstrous beast.
The rocks were twisted and sharp, their dark surfaces glistening in the dim light.
It resembled a forest of black stones, a barren and lifeless expanse that contrasted sharply with the twisted vitality of the forest he had just left.
The light from the colossal star was stronger here, transforming from a dim moon to a small, cold sun.
The fog was different as well, clinging to the ground like a thick, malevolent blanket that reached halfway up his legs, obscuring the ground from view. It was dense and suffocating, making every step a challenge.
Isaac found a twisted tree near the forest's edge and leaned against it.
He laid his sword beside him, ready to strike at any moment.
From his bag, he took out his lunch box and thermos, consuming a small piece of sandwich and a sip of water.
It was a meager meal, but it was all he had.
"Sigh~ there is nothing like cold water!" he said, savoring the fleeting moment of respite.
After resting, Isaac scanned his surroundings. The eerie landscape was shrouded in fog, and the jagged rocks cast long, menacing shadows.
He knew he had to remain vigilant. This place, with its claw-like rocks and oppressive fog, held its own dangers.
As he prepared to continue, he turned back to take one last look at the forest.
The light from the colossal star cast an eerie glow, and the fog seemed to shift and swirl ominously. "I won't be missing you," he said, his voice a mix of relief and defiance.
But then, he noticed something strange.
His shadow—something he hadn't seen in this twilight world—was visible on the ground.
His heart skipped a beat. Throughout his journey, he and his sword had cast no shadow. This could only mean one thing: a monster.
Isaac's heart raced as he gripped his sword tightly.
He forced himself to stay calm. If he had a shadow now, it meant a creature was mimicking him.
'How can I get rid of it? It's a shadow; physical attacks won't work,' he thought, his mind racing.
He remembered how he had killed the ghostly creature earlier, using his sword with that strange power.
If he could summon that power again, he might be able to defeat this shadow monster.
Isaac turned towards the jagged rocks, his mind focused on conjuring that mysterious energy.
He walked slowly, concentrating on the feeling he had experienced before.
He had to tap into the well of power that resided deep within him, the energy that pulsed with each beat of his heart.
As he walked, he tried to connect with the flow of energy he had felt earlier. It was a strange sensation, like a river of molten fire coursing through his veins.
With each heartbeat, he felt the power surge and ebb, a living force that responded to his will. He concentrated on redirecting the flow, breaking and re-forming the channels of energy within his body.
The process was slow and arduous. He could feel the energy responding to his intent, but controlling it was like trying to tame a wild beast.
Every time he broke the flow, he felt a drain on his strength, a pull that threatened to leave him exhausted. 'I have to keep the momentum going,' he thought, trying to maintain control.
Isaac directed the flow towards his arm and sword, feeling a surge of power as the energy reached his hand and the his sword.
His sword began to hum with a dangerous energy, its edge glowing with a fierce, red and black hue. The ancient engravings on the blade glowed a bright red, pulsing with a rhythm that matched the beat of his heart.
'Now I have to kill it,' he thought, steeling himself for the confrontation.
He glanced down at his shadow, which was becoming harder to see in the thickening fog.
He continued walking, acting as if everything was normal, until he suddenly turned and stabbed his glowing sword into the ground, piercing his shadow.
(Hisss.)
A sound like fire meeting ice echoed through the fog as his blade struck the shadow.
The shadow writhed and twisted, emitting a strange, ghostly howl.
"Woooooo," it howled, trying to escape, but Isaac's sword held it in place.
It struggled, then began to dissolve like mist, vanishing into the fog.
"Serves you right," Isaac muttered, cutting the flow of energy between him and his sword.
He felt the power recede, leaving him exhausted but triumphant. "Sigh, that was close," he said, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
Then, the voice returned:
[You have gained a small soul shard of a shadow devil! ]
[Your abyss grows more profound and treacherous.]
Isaac's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice.
'That was the same voice I heard after killing that thing,' he thought.
'What even is a soul shard?' His mind raced with questions. 'Is it the voice a monster? No, what kind of monster would talk like that?'
"Uhhh, hello? Who are you?" he called out, trying to communicate with the disembodied voice.
There was no response, only an eerie silence.
"I am not crazy, am I?" he muttered, trying to reassure himself.
"Great, now I have voices in my head that don't talk back." He said, hoping for the voice to prove him wrong.
He sighed, deciding to stay vigilant.
He resolved to occasionally stab his shadow to check for any more shadow devils lurking in the fog.
It would drain his energy, but he preferred that over being caught unaware by another shadow monster.
"Well, I have no choice but to go on," Isaac said, stepping into the surreal, stone forest.
The jagged rocks loomed over him like a forest of stone sentinels, and the thick fog wrapped around his legs like a shroud.
He was alone in this treacherous land, but he had no choice but to press on.
His journey was far from over, and the path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty.