He turned a corner and found himself in a corridor lined with reinforced doors. The facility was white and sterile, even more so than the hospital above it.
The surfaces were illuminated by white fluorescent lights, leaving no room for darkness or shadows to linger. The lab halls were empty, as if the researchers had vanished into thin air, leaving only the chilling silence behind.
Alicarde pressed against the wall, moving cautiously. He had no cover, and worst of all, he was running out of time. It was only a matter of time before Warth eviscerated those chimeras and came after him with the intention of not only tearing his body apart but also pulverizing his mind.
He needed distance between them. As embarrassing as it seemed, the idea of running back to Carrisa and hiding behind her skirt, was becoming increasingly tempting.
The thought was a bitter pill to swallow. Zagarath's words echoed in his mind, filling his heart with a newfound resolve. He couldn't be weak—not after everything. He didn't want to rely on Carrisa anymore, not when he desired to be strong enough to protect her. The urge to prove Zagarath wrong boiled in his chest.
He moved quickly, glancing around for an exit.
"One of these must lead outside," he whispered, opening door after door.
Most of them revealed research rooms or dead ends. Finally, he found a stairwell that led up. Without wasting time, he bolted up the stairs, the sound of distant battles growing fainter behind him.
Reaching the upper floor, he burst through a heavy metal door and found himself in a deserted hallway. His breath came in quick, shallow gasps, the tension gnawing at him.
'Faster. I need to get out of here faster.' He constantly glanced back, worried that Warth would soon be right on his heels.
Oddly enough, it wasn't the doctor or his deadly creations that haunted his thoughts—it was the terrifying familiar chasing him. Alicarde knew firsthand what Warth was capable of. A whole clan of Night Shades, at their prime, couldn't defeat it.
The only reason they'd survived that encounter was because of luck and the Nexus. Warth had collapsed, and Amena had used Alicarde's shadow to seal it away the second time. Even then, the beast was intelligent and relentless, and he could never forget its power.
'All I need to do is make sure it touches my shadow,' he reminded himself, eyes scanning for any advantage.
Suddenly, the door at the far end of the hallway swung open, and a horde of grotesque chimeras poured in. Alicarde's grip on his sword tightened, the familiar surge of adrenaline flooding his veins.
"Come on, then," he muttered through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing with cold determination. "Bring it on, you freaks of nature."
The chimeras rushed at him, their twisted bodies and snarling faces a nightmare come to life.
Alicarde's sword flashed as he met them head-on, slicing through the head of one chimera with precision. Rolling to the side, he kicked another in the jaw, causing it to stagger back. Despite his weakened state, his enhanced body moved faster than ever, boosted by his mana. If not for the drugs still affecting him, he knew he could've been even stronger.
He leapt to the wall, using it as leverage to dodge a swipe, then plunged his blade through the warthog-like head of another chimera. The beasts had limited mobility in the tight space, something he used to his advantage.
Still, their numbers were overwhelming. For every chimera he cut down, another snarled and charged forward. He dodged a clawed strike from a bear-like creature, countering with a precise slash that severed its arm. Blood sprayed in all directions, and the chimera roared in pain before collapsing.
Alicarde spun, barely avoiding another attack, and drove his sword through the chest of yet another. His movements were a blur—each attack fueled by survival and desperation. Combat principles and body enhancement magic fused together, pushing him to his limits.
But stamina was becoming an issue. His body was exhausted, muscles screaming, lungs burning with each breath. If he got swarmed, it would be the end. He couldn't keep this up forever.
Suddenly, a lizard-headed chimera lunged at him, its jaws snapping mere inches from his face.
'That was close. I almost got kissed by a lizard.' Even in danger, he couldn't help but quip. Humor was his way of keeping his sanity intact.
Alicarde sidestepped the chimera's jaws, bringing his sword down on its neck with a sickening crunch. It gurgled and collapsed, but more chimeras surged forward. He barely had time to react when a winged chimera swooped down, claws slashing at him. Pain shot through him as its talons scraped across his scalp.
He winced, regenerating quickly through the pain, then retaliated with a vicious upward slash that tore one of the chimera's wings clean off. The creature screamed, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
The blood-soaked ground had become slippery, making movement more difficult. Alicarde felt his body shift, a strange sensation of weightlessness washing over him.
'Not again,' he cursed as his ability started to activate.
He fought to control it, willing himself to stay grounded. Just in time, too, as a lion-scorpion chimera leaped at him, its scorpion tail aiming for his heart. He rolled to the side, the stinger grazing his arm. The pain was brief but sharp, a reminder of his momentary distraction.
With a growl, he swung his sword, slicing through the chimera's midsection. Its dying roar filled the hallway as its blood joined the growing pool on the floor.
Alicarde was panting heavily now, his strength waning.
'I can't keep this up forever,' he thought. He was running on fumes. His muscles ached, his vision blurred slightly from exhaustion.
Desperate, he focused on controlling his strange floating ability.
'Come on, make me lighter.' To his relief, his body responded, and he leapt over the remaining chimeras, landing behind them with surprising grace. Without a second thought, he sprinted toward the door they'd come through, ignoring their shrieks as they scrambled after him.
Suddenly, flashes of magic streaked past him, exploding against the walls. His eyes widened in surprise.
'Wait, magic? They can use magic?' His heart raced. He had been lucky before, but now things had changed. The chimeras had been holding back, likely to avoid harming each other in the cramped space.
He dove through the door, finally giving them the slip. The sounds of the chimeras echoed behind him, but at least for now, he was out of their reach.
Above, a rumble reverberated through the structure, followed by a massive impact. 'That's not Warth… must be something else,' Alicarde deduced. Whatever was happening, it was on the upper floors.
As the chimeras continued rushing upward, it became clear they were being drawn to some new threat. Alicarde hesitated but knew that time was running out. Warth would find him soon—it was his familiar, after all.
He was well aware it could teleport, along with an arsenal of dangerous abilities.
After resting for a little while and catching his breath, he left the room, fighting one chimera after the other, trying to get a grasp of his new innate abilities.
The first one was easy—it activated on its own if he wasn't focused enough, either making him heavier or lighter, he could control gravity within a set spherical radius around him, with himself as the center.
The other one didn't do anything, or Alicarde hadn't figured out how to use it.
His body was still not at full power, and the rumbling sounds from above were becoming more disconcerting.
Worst of all, there was Warth below, going on a rampage. At this point, he began to feel sorry for the chimeras.
The researchers were nowhere to be found, they must have escaped. He had to follow too.
He finally reached the next floor, opening a large door. As it shut behind him, he found himself in a massive room with a large, industrial elevator filling the space.
The elevator was a towering structure of metal and cables, designed to transport heavy equipment and personnel. Its reinforced doors and thick steel frame suggested it was built for heavy-duty use, possibly for transferring large specimens or machinery.
His escape was at hand. He ran towards the elevator, but before he could get there, the space rippled. The adamantine hooves of Warth stepped out, its violet eyes filled with infernal fury.
Alicarde skidded to a halt, his heart pounding. "Ohhhh shit. Not now," he muttered, gripping his sword tighter.
The creature's fear ability hit him like a storm. Shimmering runes covered its body, weakening its assault on him.
Warth's eyes locked onto him, and it snorted, a plume of black smoke escaping its nostrils. The air around it crackled with dark energy. It roared, its voice echoing with malevolent glee.
Alicarde squared his shoulders, forcing himself to stand tall despite the exhaustion gnawing at his limbs.
"I'm your master, so obey me, goddammit. Stop now, Warth. I order thee, obey me."
Warth charged, ignoring its weak master. The ground shook with each thunderous step. Alicarde barely had time to react, leaping to the side as the bicorn's hooves gouged deep furrows into the floor.
'Shit, shit, shit, I am so screwed.'
Rolling to his feet, Alicarde slashed at Warth's flank. The blade met resistance, sparks flying as it scraped against the creature's tough hide. He felt like he had hit a steel plate rather than flesh and blood.
'Is that thing even made of flesh and blood?'
Warth roared in rage, kicking out with a hind leg. The blow caught Alicarde in the chest, sending him sprawling into the walls, leaving deep cracks and dents.
Coughing up blood, he staggered to his feet in agony.
Gasping for breath, Alicarde pushed himself up.
'I need to think. I stand no chance against this monster. It took hundreds of night shades to even hold it back, and it was weakened... huh, right, it's still weakened.
No, it's grown even weaker, so I have a chance to escape. I just need to cover it with my shadow, then say his name to capture him again. I can try to use my new abilities. That should work,' he ruminated quickly.
He focused, trying to make himself lighter. The sensation spread through his body, and he felt a strange buoyancy. He leaped into the air, soaring over Warth's next attack. He felt weightless, just like an astronaut in space.
As he landed behind the beast, he grabbed a heavy chain hanging from the elevator, ripping it off and swinging it with all his might. The chain wrapped around Warth's neck, and Alicarde yanked it tight, trying to use his weight to pull the creature off balance.
Warth thrashed, trying to shake him off. It snarled, enraged.
"I don't need to win," Alicarde gritted his teeth, his arms straining with the effort.
"I just need to survive. You ain't so tough now."
He was wrong, so wrong. Warth grabbed him, pulling him closer and slamming his body into the ground. Its mouth spewed infernal purple flames, bathing Alicarde in the heat as he screamed in pain. The agony surged through him, his entire body wracked with torment. The flames licked at his skin, searing and blistering, turning his world into a roaring inferno.
Despite the excruciating pain, Alicarde's survival instinct flared. His vision was a haze of fiery violet and black smoke. He fought to keep his focus, desperate to stay conscious amidst the searing pain.
The chain around Warth's neck was still there, holding fast, but the creature's ferocity was overwhelming.
Alicarde struggled to his feet, the searing pain making every movement a challenge. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each inhale burning his lungs.
He had to find a way to turn the tide or be consumed by the infernal rage of Warth.