The spider creature lunged at me without hesitation. One of its limbs almost crushed me but I swiftly dodged it in its final moments. Following an elusive footwork, I dodged more limbs before its maw opened and the hot liquid shout out of its acid sack right beneath its tongue.
I leaped back and summoned my shield to block the line of acid coming from my adversary. I felt the shield's first layer melt as I held back the blast of acid while hiding the rest of me behind the shield. The acid was hot, and each drop left a hole in my boots as I fought back desperately.
When it stopped, it didn't hesitate to plow into me and trap my shield in its mouth while I held on from the other acid. It was a mighty opponent, but my magic shield held long enough for me to use the second enchantment, [Stone Heart].
The [Stone Heart] enchantment allowed the user to create shockwaves after collecting enough kinetic energy. I was sure I had collected enough energy from all my previous fights, especially from the tentacle thing from the fog.
Crack!
My body tensed when I saw a hairline crack appear on my side of the shield. The spider was still biting into it and its limbs were keeping my sword hand busy.
[Stone Heart is ready]
Once the system announced all I did was channel a little Star Ether into the shield to release all the kinetic energy in one blast.
Boom!
An invisible force exploded from the shield and sent the spider creature flying into the chamber wall. I rushed to charge forward once it was recovering from the blast, which didn't take long because I parried away another limb with my shield.
I had the higher ground here for one reason: I could see the creature clearly. Earlier in the mountains, everything was a haze and details were hard to make out thanks to the fog. I stood no chance against the tentacle creature because of that element.
The fog was its ally and my enemy. But here, darkness was my ally and I had no trouble fighting in it.
The spider creature let out a vicious roar that shook the room, moments before I aimed my gladius at one of its legs. It was a clean cut that happened so fast that the creature took a while to realize.
Infuriated by this, the spider's eight eyes turned bloodshot as it rushed at me who was already running to the fountain. I jumped into the fountain and the spider leaped and landed in the water to block my path.
"Heh. Just as I predicted." I grinned, lifting my sword forward. My combat skills weren't as bad as you think. I was freaking level 3 in sword combat and martial arts.
The spider creature's screech reverberated through the chamber as its seven remaining limbs lashed out in a frenzy, sending ripples through the water. I sidestepped the first strike, my gladius flashing with star ether as I deflected another.
The water then splashed violently around us, turning the once-clear pool into a chaotic maelstrom. The beast's acidic saliva dripped into the water, hissing ominously, adding to the tension. Each time I came into contact with a limb felt like I was blocking steel wires because of how hard its outer shell was.
For a split second, I locked eyes with the creature. Its eight bloodshot orbs radiated fury and malice. It lunged forward again, faster this time—almost too fast. I barely had time to raise my shield when a limb slammed into it, knocking me back and out of the fountain.
My body rolled for a few moments before I stopped while in pain. I reached for my gladius and shield immediately and rushed my gaze back to the fountain.
Suddenly, the water began to ripple unnaturally. Something was happening. The air around it shimmered, distorted as if reality itself was bending. The fountain… it was strange. It wasn't a normal fountain that just happened to have glowing water.
A realization hit me like a thunderclap. It was using the fountain to heal. I also noticed the small cuts on my body were closing and the fatigue earlier was suddenly gone.
I had to stop it.
But before I could react, the spider creature reared up, its maw opening wide. The air turned bitter as it prepared to release another stream of acid. With a grunt, I rolled to the side just in time to avoid the scorching liquid, which splattered against the stone floor—eating away at the rock with a sizzling hiss.
I gritted my teeth, my eyes locking onto the fountain. There was only one way to stop this creature. By destroying the fountain.
With a roar, I summoned all my strength and leaped high into the air, aiming directly for the fountain's base. The world seemed to slow as I descended, gladius raised high above my head.
But just as I was about to strike, a searing pain shot through my side. I gasped, my momentum faltering as I noticed that one of the creature's limbs had skewered me in midair.
Its grotesque form had extended farther than I anticipated, its desperation driving it to new lengths—literally.
Blood trickled down my side as I struggled to breathe, but I couldn't stop now. With a snarl, I twisted my body, slicing through the limb that held me. The spider let out an ear-piercing shriek as I plummeted toward the fountain once more.
With a final burst of energy, I brought my gladius down with all my might.
Crack!
The stone base of the fountain shattered, and an unnatural howl echoed through the chamber. The water began to churn violently, glowing an eerie, sickly green as the fountain's enchantment collapsed.
The spider creature thrashed wildly, its connection to the fountain severed. I landed hard on the ground, clutching my wound, but I couldn't stop now. I had to finish this. Summoning the last of my strength, I staggered to my feet, my gladius glowing faintly as I prepared one final strike.
Star energy manipulation was something I desperately taught myself before even coming to the realm. My desperation barely drew any results after multiple attempts. But when I acquired the system and gained full access to star energy, my manipulation abilities had grown to a great extent.
Most unblessed dormant humans couldn't do what I was capable of.
With the fountain gone, the creature twitched as if weakened by the fact that the healing water was gone. Ignoring the pain, I drew in a deep breath and charged with burning fury.
With a precise, swift motion, I dodged its limbs which were now moving slower. And plunged my sword right through its head and twisted it with all the strength I could muster at the moment. It let out a final, pitiful shriek as its body convulsed, and then—silence.
The spider creature lay still, its once ferocious eyes now lifeless. I stood there, panting, blood dripping from my wound into the ruined fountain. The air around me was still, the only sound was the faint crackling of the acid dissolving stone.
[You have slain a Level One Demon, Shadow Guardian of the Fountain of Youth.]
[You have acquired a Level One Soul]
'I went through all that for a level one? How disappointing.' I groaned out of frustration.
A level one soul wasn't enough to turn a person into a Nexus Being. Level Two and higher were what I needed.
Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, a cold realization crept over me. The clear water was now glowing green and had started to seep into the cracks of the floor, spreading like veins beneath the stone.
Whatever I had just disturbed—it wasn't over.
**ASTRID**
The scenery of the desert, the black spire, the door, and the crimson sky had disappeared right when I opened my eyes. I was standing motionless, staring at a rushing stream of clear water.
Once my mind awakened, I was hit by a nauseating feeling. This time, I failed to hold back my meals as I vomited everything I had eaten in the past hours.
When I was finished, I drank some water from the stream to cool down the pain in my throat. Then summoned Trusted Dagger as I briefly took in my surroundings.
From the looks of it, I was standing in a beautiful meadow of flowers and green grass that stretched up to the black walls of this chamber. The roof was filled with stalactites that glowed brightly to fill the chamber with white light that probably kept this place alive.
As I looked around, my eyes finally stopped on a single black rock that stood out by being in the center of the meadow with no one or anything guarding it. I hesitated for a moment before taking the first steps and walking towards the black rock.
Ignoring my instincts to run, I approached the rock with caution and a dagger in my blade in case something tried to attack me.
'At least I'm not defenseless.'
The curved blade was glowing with star energy which I didn't know I could control with much ease until now.
Once it was within my sight, the first thing I noticed about the black rock was the polished material that resembled that of the spire itself. On its surface, it reflected a familiar girl with fairly long silver hair and unique blue eyes—I wasn't familiar with which shade exactly. The girl was dressed in a battered black jumpsuit and a black bracelet that was around her wrist like a cuff.
Sigh. I had forgotten how looked in the mirror. My skin was so pale and thin that you could mistake me for a dried corpse at some point. With that observation, I made a few more steps forward till the black rock was at an arm's distance.
I steeled myself. And followed my gut instinct that was telling me to touch the black surface with my entire palm—which didn't feel like a good choice.
And it wasn't.
What came next was the most pain I had felt since I was born. My mind shattered in one go as I felt a connection between me and the rock mend itself. I yanked my hand from the stone.
But it was stuck on the surface as if glued in place. My screams bounced off the black walls. My hand felt like it was burning, not just physically, but down to the core of my being. The world around me blurred, as though my vision was being pulled away into some other place. The meadow, the stream, the stalactites—they all started to dissolve, replaced by something far darker.
My knees buckled, but I couldn't fall. My hand was still stuck to the stone, the smooth, polished surface now pulsating with energy—alive, almost. A current of raw power flowed through me, and with it, the unbearable sensation that something was being torn from within.
I could feel my mind being pulled into the spire, back into that void of crimson skies and endless desert. My body was here, but my consciousness was drifting, unraveling, dissolving into the stone.
Memories flashed before my eyes—disjointed, rapid images from my childhood, the faces of people I'd long forgotten, battles I hadn't fought. I saw a blue planet with fields set in red flames. Heard screams of people in pain, and the sounds of heavy artillery firing at humans who were turning into disgusting creatures.
Then. Darkness.
With my mind suddenly silent, I thought I had died. But no. I was inside the spire, surrounded by black walls that now seemed cold and eternal. I could see the world around my body. But it was distant as if I was viewing it through a distorted lens. And I wasn't alone.
A voice whispered in the back of my mind, ancient and evil. It wasn't speaking in words, but I could feel its meaning, its intent.
"You have touched the core, Child of The Stars. How stupid. Do you have a death wish, little dragon?"
I tried to scream again, but no sound came out. My body was still by the stone in the meadow, but here, I was a prisoner. The voice continued, wrapping around me like chains, tightening with every passing second.
"I've read about your realm through all your memories. Those brats have indeed put your kind through a lot. However, through that push, your race has gone beyond and evolved faster than you could've imagined. Fine…I will give you my soul."
My eyes widened and I froze instantly. 'What did he just say?'
"…on condition that you kill Devon. Don't let him leave Nether."
A/N: Thanks for reading this far. if you like story, please support me with magic stones, comments, reviews (I'm eager to improve so I will take all criticism you throw at me)