'I'm going to die without accomplishing anything.'
The attack landed on his back. Unseen, so he could only be surprised, then groan in pain. Almost falling to the ground, he braced himself, looking up to receive Byrhemmoth's next attack.
'Almost all of my energy is drained, I'm going to—'
BUAKH!!!
He was definitely going to die not long from now.
However, his conscience said otherwise. Erus, his friends—everyone was depending on him in this dungeon.
"Savor the last second of your puny life, human!" Byrhemmoth screamed.
Val was thrown very hard, his body flew uncontrollably until finally stopped dozens of meters on the ground, the loud thump echoed around the battlefield. It felt like all the bones in his body were crushed, and his lungs felt like they were burning.
As he sat up, coughing violently, fresh blood gushed out of his mouth. His left eye began to blur, another was devoid of any sight, but through the thinning smoke, he could see it—that terrifying monster.
Byrhemmoth. The dark creature floated right in front of him, looking at Val with an unbearable hatred. Its liquid-solid body looked perfect, without the slightest scar or injury.
Val grimaced. Everything he had done—his last efforts, his exhausted strength—none of them even left a trace on the monster. Although Erus' body had been destroyed, Byrhemmoth remained intact.
"You are weak, Val. You can't even avenge those dearest to you. What an ignorant promise it is … to avenge all of them with such pitiful power.'
The words stabbed into Val's mind like a sharp dagger. He wanted to refuse, wanted to fight the words, but he couldn't. His body was too weak, and his heart was beginning to crumble.
Uncontrollably, memories of the past flashes into his mind. Like a flash of fast-moving images, he saw the faces of his dead friends—one by one, they came back to haunt his mind.
[]
Val was back to the entrance of the Dungeon, where it all began.
They were all there—his companions, dearest friends, the people he considered family. One of them, a burly man in silver armor that always shone in battle, approached him. Val had just been wounded then, the man crouched beside him.
"Don't force yourself brother!" The man said in a friendly but firm voice. "Why are we here if you keep striking forward by yourself? Just use your brain like you usually do, we can't let you get too injured."
Val was reminded of how frustrated he had been, being useless in a frontal fight. Yet, the silver armored man had always told him the same thing—that Val didn't have to fight alone. That they would always be there to fight alongside him.
Then another figure appeared, a woman with long blonde hair and a gentle face. She stood behind him, pressing both of her palm to his back while using healing magic to close Val's wounds.
"I'm here," she said in a warm voice, which somehow always managed to calm him. "No need to be afraid, I will heal any of your injuries, just remember one thing–"
Val remembered those words clearly, even as the woman's voice slowly faded from his mind. It was a promise he had always held close, even in his darkest moments.
"–We will always be by your side."
[]
Reality hit him like being hit by a rhino. He looked around, trying to find the familiar faces, yet, no matter how hard he looked, his friends were gone. They were all dead—slaughtered without mercy. And Val had failed to protect them. Now, he even had failed to avenge them. The sadness and guilt that suffocated his chest deepened, eating away at the remaining spirit in him.
"Kh! Damn it!"
His hands trembled as he tried to get up, but his body couldn't muster any ounce of strength. His muscles were too tired, and his wounds were too severe. The blood that flowed from his wounds had not stopped, while his breathing became heavier. Byrhemmoth laughed, a cold, cruel laugh that echoed throughout the battle area. The sound sounded like an endless taunt.
"Take a look at yourself, human. What a pitiful state you are in. Pray to your constellation for the last time before I butcher you."
Byrhemmoth hovered closer, his huge, terrifying shadow covering Val completely.
"You are a burden. All of these bodies littered the ground because you are too weak."
Val tightly clenched his fists, suppressing the pain that coursed through his body. Byrhemmoth's words cut deeper than any physical wound. But beneath it all, something was still blazing within him—an anger that was slowly burning, even as his body was about to give out.
"Now you realize who's the strongest don't you?"
Byrhemmoth arrogantly stared at him, not caring about Val who kept glaring at him. The dripping from his solid-liquid form looked so relaxed.
"Shut up..." Val whispered softly, his voice almost inaudible. However, the anger continued to grow stronger, setting his heart ablaze. He could not let Byrhemmoth trample on the memories of his friends like this.
"What?" Byrhemmoth taunted, approaching further. "What did you say, human? You can't even stand on your own feet."
Val clenched his jaw, his breathing getting heavier. With his left hand, he gripped the ground tightly, trying to find a foothold to get up, even though his entire body felt like it was going to collapse.
"I said... shut up..."
"Hahaha!! Why?" A thunderous laugh escaped Byrhemmoth's mouth. "How does your brain work to even think of challenging a king like me with that poor strength?" This time his laugh was louder, more mocking. "You're nothing more than a dying insect."
But a sudden surge stronger than his physical pain arose in his will to fight Byrhemmoth, stronger than the despair that had enveloped him. The memories of his friends became his only grip on life. He will not fall until he succeeded in avenging his dearest comrades. With all of his remaining strength, Val stood up, even though his body was shaking violently. Blood was still flowing profusely from his wounds, but he didn't care. There was something greater to fight for. He couldn't let all those sacrifices be in vain.
"I … will not … die here!"
Val lifted his head, looking directly into Byrhemmoth's dark eyes, his yellow eyes burning with determination.
A subtle light began to radiate from Val's body, it felt familiar but he himself did not know what power he was now using, his mind blank with pain and revenge. For him, killing the monster was the most important thing. The light surrounding his body grew wider, brighter, even to the point Byrhemmoth must squint as he had difficulty seeing it.
Byrhemmoth stepped back for a moment, surprised at what was happening. "W- What is this!?"