Nabil picked up the glowing diamond sword and glanced at the map.
< It's somewhere in this mountain, inside a Custode cave portal. >
"What's a Custode cave portal?" Nabil asked, furrowing his brow.
< It's a formidable boss you need to defeat to obtain the potion. >
"A boss? How powerful is it?"
< It's a Level 3 demon. >
"A Level 3 demon? How strong is that compared to what I've faced?"
< A demon capable of destroying a mountain. >
"Oh, that's at least less powerful than the dragon," Nabil said, reassured.
< Yes, but it will be harder to fight without armor. >
"I can manage that," he said confidently, heading into the cave.
The sword's glow illuminated the cave like a torch, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
< Diamond Sword - Health 99.99% Enchantment - Unbreaking 4 - Self-Healing 4 >
"Wow, these names are straight out of a game," Nabil mused as he ventured deeper.
He encountered skeletons and zombies. Skeletons began shooting arrows, but Nabil's body reacted instinctively. He dodged with incredible speed, cutting down every zombie and skeleton in a single strike without taking any damage.
Skeletons dropped their bows and arrows. Nabil picked up an arrow with 80% durability and collected the rest of the arrows and the quiver.
"This could be useful. But who supplies them with bows and arrows?" he wondered, placing the skeleton bones in his inventory.
He reached a dark cavern with a small pond.
"It's a dead end. I'll either have to go back or jump. I'll definitely jump," he decided, leaping into the water.
Underwater, he spotted some salmon. He quickly caught and killed them. As he did, a pnhadu fish attacked. He surfaced to fend off the pnhadu fish that had followed him.
< Mob killed 31 - 310 coins added. Points added 130 >
"Wait, why did the points seem so low?" Nabil questioned.
< As you level up, the rate at which points increase slows down. >
"Got it," he acknowledged.
He continued walking until he encountered fire-throwing mobs in armor. With precise aim, he took them down swiftly.
Wearing their chestplate and helmet, he pressed on, killing every mob in his path.
< Mob killed 67 - Coin added 670 >
Five hours later, Nabil was drinking from a waterfall inside the dark cave when a blue octopus suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him underwater. Using his sword, he severed the octopus's tentacle.
Despite the tentacle being severed, it continued injecting poison into him. Nabil fell into a drowsy state.
A massive dark creature approached, but Nabil, barely conscious, muttered, "I can't stop. I need that Life Potion."
He grasped his sword and attacked the creature. Thanks to the octopus's poison, he gained temporary X-ray vision. He located the creature's heart and stabbed it, causing a massive explosion that shook the cave.
< Blue octopus poison grants temporary X-ray vision and sleep effect >
With blurred vision, Nabil stumbled through the cave. Using X-ray, he spotted a portal.
He dashed toward it, eliminating every mob in his path. Just as he neared the portal, the X-ray vision and sleep effects wore off, leaving him disoriented.
"Shit, I almost found the place," he cursed, trying to regain his bearings.
< Custode cave found, 50 meters away >
"Which direction?" he asked, struggling to orient himself.
< Unable to locate >
"It was east, I think," he said, running east but finding nothing. He retraced his steps.
< 122 meters away >
"Ugh, I'm getting lost," he groaned. He headed north and discovered a staircase leading to the portal.
"Found it. But how do I open it?" he wondered aloud.
< You need Blagus's heart and its blood >
"Where will I find that now?"
< You've already defeated it. It's 421 meters away. >
"Oh, that black monster that exploded?" Nabil asked.
< Yes >
"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?"
< I'm not supposed to. >
Nabil ran back to the previous location but found the heart missing. He scanned the area and saw a naked mermaid singing on a rock, holding the heart.
"Holy crap, I need that," he said, alarmed.
< Don't make eye contact with the mermaid >
"I know," he replied, but as soon as he glanced at the mermaid, his body acted on its own. He found himself running toward the mermaid and diving into the water.
He swam towards her. The mermaid looked at him, opened her mouth wide to devour him, but Nabil seized the heart and swiftly decapitated her.
He swam back and raced toward the portal.
"Alright, I'm close now."
He squeezed the heart, causing black blood to seep out and ignite a black flame. The heart burned, and a portal appeared.
"Great, I hope I can make it back alive," he said, stepping into the portal.
He emerged into a narrow, empty space covered by a pink mist. As he walked, it felt like navigating a snake's throat.
After a while, he reached the end and found a box. He opened it to reveal 12 potions of life.
Suddenly, the ground trembled and started to shake.
.
.
The entire mountain started to shake, and the dragon struggled to rise, looking around as the tremors intensified.
The dragon tried to fly but was too weak to lift off.
Gradually, the mountain began to transform. The 2-square-kilometer mountain quaked and reshaped itself into a massive frog.
(The frog had been dormant for 500 years, with trees growing over it, making it look like a mountain. Nabil was inside the frog's nose, which appeared like a cave due to the environment.)
On top of the frog, two smaller 500-meter frogs were also sleeping, while the dragon lay beside one of these smaller frogs.
One of the 500-meter frogs opened its mouth and used its tongue to pull the dragon in. The dragon fought back, but the frog eventually swallowed the 42-meter dragon.
Feeling the ground shaking, Nabil grabbed the chest from the ground and quickly stashed it in his inventory.
Using his sword, he stabbed the wall, which started to tremble. A snake-like creature emerged from the 2-square-kilometer frog's nose, writhing and thrashing.
Nabil kept attacking the creature until it started bleeding. With a final effort, he struck the creature's body hard enough to be thrown out of it.
He stood up and saw the large frog and the two smaller frogs jumping from the big frog's head, beginning to devour the surrounding trees.
"What the hell is that? It's huge," Nabil said, astonished.
"How powerful is this thing?"
"Shit, where's the dragon?"
"No, I can't leave the dragon behind."
The frog that consumed the dragon began to scream and then exploded, along with the smaller frog.
The dragon emerged from the frog's body and roared.
"Evolved? Pets can do that?"
Hexnju's form had become more defined, with glowing blue eyes.
The second Sondax attacked Hexnju (evolved Henju).
Hexnju fired white flames from its eyes, instantly turning the Sondax to dust.
"Wow, he's powerful. But the Bondax is enormous."
Hexnju used its laser ability, flying around the Bondax at super speed. The Bondax tried to strike Hexnju with its massive tongue, but Hexnju blasted it with white fire, reducing the tongue to dust.
The Bondax screamed in agony, and Hexnju flew into its nose, burning everything inside.
"I can't believe it. It's like an ant fighting a giant elephant, and the ant is winning."
The Bondax's roar was so loud it made Nabil's eardrums bleed, causing him to collapse in pain.
Hexnju emerged from the Bondax's nose, soared higher, and unleashed a powerful stream of white fire. The Bondax turned to dust instantly.
Nabil, watching from a nearby mountain only a kilometer away, felt the intense heat and collapsed, unable to endure the burning pain as his skin and clothes caught fire.
Seeing Nabil's distress, Hexnju flew over, picked him up gently in its mouth, and carried him to a waterfall, where it placed Nabil to cool down.
Nabil's skin stopped burning, but he was severely injured. His skin was charred, and his bones were visible through the burns.
Hexnju began licking Nabil, but it didn't seem to help. Nabil was unable to breathe, speak, or move.
---
In his pain, Nabil thought:
"I'm not unconscious like before. I feel the pain clearly. I'm in a place with water, but my skin is still burning.
I can't move or talk, but I'm starting to feel some relief. The burning is easing up. My skin is beginning to heal.
I can see again. Wait, someone's here. I hear a voice. It's a girl's voice."
The girl said, "Hey, can you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying?"