As the night deepened, the exhaustion from the day's events finally pulled me into a restless sleep. Darkness enveloped my mind, but soon, a strange sensation stirred within me. I was no longer in Mira's cave.
I found myself standing in an endless void, and before me stood a figure—a man, strong and tall, his face indistinct, yet familiar. He stood before me. His eyes, glowing with a fierce determination, bore into mine.
"You've taken what was once mine," the figure spoke, his voice deep and commanding. "You carry my strength now," the man said, his voice heavy with authority.
"But strength without knowledge is a blade without a hilt—useless, dangerous."
"You lack the skills, the strength. But I can give you what you need to survive. After this, you have to fulfill one promise," he said, his eyes locking onto mine with a seriousness that pierced through me.
Suddenly, memories that weren't my own flooded my mind. Images of battles fought with precision, movements so swift and efficient that I could barely comprehend them. The man wielded the sword as if it were an extension of himself, each strike and parry deliberate, every step a dance of mastery. His skills flowed through me like a torrent, every maneuver and technique etched into my consciousness.
I tried to focus, to keep my grip on reality, but the rush of memories was overwhelming. Battles waged in distant lands, foes vanquished with a single stroke, each movement blending into the next. It was like watching through the eyes of another, yet feeling each strike in my own hands.
"You carry more than just my strength," the figure continued, his voice seeming to echo through the void. "These skills, they come with a burden. After this, you must fulfill one promise."
I wanted to speak, to ask what he meant, but before I could, the figure's hand shot forward, gripping my shoulder with a force that sent a shock through my entire body. I felt a surge of energy, a fire blazing inside me. My grip on the sword tightened instinctively.
The void around us began to collapse, the figure slowly fading away, but his final words lingered, hanging in the air. "Remember, this power is a gift, but it comes at a cost."
Suddenly, I was awake again, back in the cave, the embers of the fire flickering weakly. My heart raced, but I felt… different. Stronger. My muscles ached less, and despite the lingering pain of my injuries, I knew something had changed.
I stood, gripping the sword with a newfound sense of purpose. Outside, the remains of the battlefield stretched out before me like a challenge.
I stepped outside into the cool night air, and with each step, the memories of those movements, those battles, surged in me. I swung the sword. My body moved with a fluidity I had never known, each strike precise, each motion sharp and efficient. It was as if I had done this a thousand times before.
I wasn't fully healed, but I felt it—the strength, the skills. They were mine now. But the promise still lingered, a weight pressing on my mind.
"What was that dream? Who was that person? But one thing I know for certain—I'll meet him again," I thought, trying to remember every detail.
"I already knew this body had potential, but I didn't know how to use it… until now. It's good I don't have to learn everything from scratch."
In order to try out my newfound skills, I stepped out of the cave. This time, I went looking for monsters and creatures.
As I explored the battlefield once more, I spotted the familiar sight—a pack of wolves, eyes glowing in the darkness, advancing on me. This time, there were even more of them, but fear didn't touch me. Instead, I ran toward them, ready to face them head-on.
The wolves hurled fireballs at me as they charged. I swung my sword, cutting through the flames as if they were nothing, and in the same motion, sliced through the nearest wolf.
The way I fought felt new to me. Each strike was sharper, faster, more controlled. The sword moved as an extension of my body, like I had done this countless times before.
Some of the wolves, sensing they were being overpowered, hesitated. One of them snuck behind me, lunging to tear my head off with its massive jaws. But instinctively, I turned and slammed my fist into its ribs before it could reach me. The force of the punch sent the wolf flying backward, yelping as it landed in a heap.
The rest of the pack, seeing this, cowered. Fear flickered in their eyes before they turned and fled, disappearing into the shadows.
As the last of the wolves scattered into the night, I felt a surge of energy pulsing through me, stronger than before. I stood in the middle of the battlefield, the cold air biting at my skin, but I barely noticed. My blood was still pumping, my mind racing from the fight, but I remained unscathed.
That's when I heard it—a low growl, echoing from the distance, different from the wolves. This was deeper, more menacing.
Emerging from the shadows of the broken landscape, a massive creature lumbered into view. Its body was hunched, covered in thick, matted fur, stained with blood and dirt. Its fiery red eyes locked on me with a hunger I remembered all too well.
It was one of the creatures I had encountered before—but this time, I wasn't unprepared.
The beast snarled, its fangs glinting in the moonlight. I could sense something beyond its rage—fear. For a moment, it faltered, its steps unsure.
The sword hummed in my grip, but I didn't stop to think about why. Without waiting for the beast to make its move, I lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant. My body flowed with a speed and grace that felt second nature. The creature lashed out with its massive claws, but I sidestepped easily, spinning to deliver a devastating slash across its hide.
It howled in pain, but I pressed the attack. My strikes came swift and relentless, each one cutting deeper than the last. The creature staggered under the weight of my blows, unable to keep up with my movements. It tried to retaliate, but I was too fast, too strong.
The fear in its eyes grew with each passing second, and with one final strike, I brought it down. It collapsed at my feet, lifeless.
Breathing heavily, I stood over the fallen beast, feeling the power still coursing through me. But I didn't think about it—I couldn't. All I knew was that I had won.
"This is fun, now I feel alive and ready to face anyone."
As I said that, a low growl echoed in the distance.
I turned my head and saw more shapes emerging from the shadows of the battlefield—wolves and other beasts, larger than before, their eyes gleaming with hunger. They surrounded me, their growls growing louder as they closed in, but this time, I didn't feel the cold clutch of fear.
Instead, I felt ready.
A smirk pulled at the corner of my lips. "It's time for Destruction."
Without another moment's hesitation, I charged into the fray. The beasts lunged at me from every direction, but I was faster. My sword sliced through the air, finding its mark with deadly precision. Each strike was cleaner, more powerful than the last, as if my body knew exactly what to do before my mind had even caught up.
One by one, the creatures fell, but the horde kept coming. And yet, I felt no fatigue. Only adrenaline, only the sheer thrill of the fight. Each movement felt natural, every strike part of a deadly rhythm. I moved through the pack like a whirlwind, cutting down everything in my path.
I couldn't tell where this strength came from, but I didn't need to. Right now, all that mattered was survival.
The wolves circled, the monsters roared, but none of it mattered. Not anymore.
It was my time.