A crack. A snap. Suddenly, the ground beneath them vanished, and they both began to fall into the abyss, the bottom of which was nowhere in sight. The world slowed down. In this drawn-out moment, the boy felt time itself freeze. The dull thud of his heartbeat echoed in his ears. The surrounding world shattered into fragments: pieces of stone, roots, and the silhouette of the monster that had been his enemy just a moment ago was now falling alongside him.
He no longer felt his body. Shock consumed him entirely, robbing him of the ability to think clearly. Fear paralyzed every cell, but somewhere deep inside, instinct told him to fight. Life was hanging by a thread, and even that fragile thread threatened to snap at any moment. His fingers clenched around his sword as if it were his last lifeline, and he desperately searched for something to hold on to.
Roots, ledges, fragments of rock flew by—his only chance. The boy gathered all the strength left in his weakened body and drove his blade into one of the stone ledges. The sharp steel scraped along the surface but failed to find a firm hold. His sword slipped, and the impact pushed him even further, causing his body to spin in the air. The pain from crashing into a rock sent a sharp jolt through his side, his breath caught, but he was still falling.
This is the end. The thought flashed through him like lightning and echoed in his mind. But despite the fear and panic, determination flared up inside him. He couldn't give up—not now, not after everything. Clenching his teeth, he gripped the sword again and braced himself. The world around him was flying apart, darkness was swallowing everything. Seconds felt like eternity, but suddenly, his body hit something soft and rough with a dull thud.
Vines. Thick, intertwined roots caught him at the edge of the abyss, prolonging his life for at least a moment. The boy allowed himself a brief breath, but then he heard a heavy thump—a monster had landed next to him. The very one he had fought just moments ago. The creature seemed just as stunned by the fall, but the confusion didn't last long. The monster's eyes flared with rage, and it staggered toward the boy.
Everything inside him screamed with terror. I can't move. His body no longer responded. His limbs refused to cooperate, and his mind struggled to accept that this was real. For the first time in a long while, he realized he might die here and now. The enemy was closing in, but the boy couldn't do anything. All he could do was hold onto the sword. He gripped the handle tightly, feeling the cold steel in his hands, and prepared for the blow.
But suddenly, a spark ignited inside him—a thought, like a plan, flashed through his mind. Instead of striking the monster, he turned the sword and slashed at the vines beneath the creature's feet. The roots snapped, and before the monster could react, it tumbled into the darkness, letting out a final low growl.
The boy couldn't believe it. He had done it. A faint smirk flickered across his face—a small victory amidst the horror. I'm alive, the thought raced through his mind, and for a moment, he allowed himself to relax. But the silence lasted only a few seconds.
The platform beneath him cracked again, and once more, the ground disappeared from under his feet. Another fall. But this time, he was ready. His mind cleared, and despite the pain, fear, and exhaustion, he clung to life with all his might. The world around him seemed to blur into darkness, fragments flying by with incredible speed. He twisted in the air, trying to find anything he could grab onto.
Then he saw it—an enormous boulder hurtling straight toward him. Time slowed again. His heart pounded in his chest. The boy, barely in time, pushed off from a nearby rock fragment, twisting his body in the air so that he missed the boulder by mere millimeters. But this didn't give him a break. The rock he grabbed onto was cold and slippery. His sword barely held, but it didn't matter—what mattered was holding on, even for a second.
At that moment, pain shot through his arm. He felt something crack in his right wrist. The boy hissed from the pain, but he didn't let go of the sword. He held on, knowing that letting go now meant death. Every nerve, every cell in his body screamed in agony, but he knew this was his last chance. The rock beneath him kept spinning, the fragments whirled in the air, and the darkness grew thicker.
He closed his eyes, trying not to think about the pain. Then he pushed off from the rock, which was almost swallowed by the dark. Its fragments became distant shadows, vanishing into infinity. Everything around him slowly disappeared. The boy knew the same fate might await him. Hope was the only thing keeping him afloat.
At some point, he vanished into the darkness. But even in the black void, he heard the distant sounds of the system, as if it were right beside him, refusing to let him rest.
[ You have killed a resurrected empathic devourer ]
[ You receive a relic: Shield Medallion ]
[ Your essence grows stronger ]
[ You have entered the ethereal sanctuary as the 87th being ]
He opened his eyes. He thought he saw several figures. They stood before him, strangely and silently watching. He didn't know if they were hallucinations or reality, but he didn't care anymore. The boy knew one thing: he had survived.