"Captain!" a soldier cried out, just before a tentacle slammed into him, sending him flying through the air.
He crashed into a nearby building, his body crumpling on impact before the stones buried him alive.
*BOOM!* Another building came crashing down as the tentacles lashed out, reducing the once bustling street to ruins.
Donber's heart pounded as he deflected another attack, the force of it sending him skidding across the cobblestones.
His hands shook as he tightened his grip on his sword, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Damn! What in the world is this monster!?"
"It's fast, hidden, and also extremely smart in its attacking pattern"
The tentacles moved with terrifying speed and strength, smashing through anything in their path, turning the street into a battlefield of destruction.
One tentacle shot out and grabbed Donber by the leg, pulling him off his feet.
He slashed at it desperately, severing the tendril with a precise strike. But another one immediately took its place, wrapping around his torso and lifting him into the air.
He felt the crushing pressure of it like a vise squeezing the life out of him.
"You will not!!!"
With a roar of defiance, he drove his sword into the heart of the darkness, the blade flaring with a desperate surge of energy.
The tentacle recoiled, dropping him to the ground, where he landed in a crouch, gasping for breath.
"Hold the line!" Donber shouted though he knew in his heart that there was no line left to hold.
The battle was far from over. The tentacles weren't just physical—they burrowed into the soldiers' minds, evoking their deepest fears, and twisting their perceptions until they could no longer tell friend from foe.
"Strong physical point, no energy attack but somehow possess an illusion skill"
"Problem"
Donber could see it in the eyes of his men—those who were left. They were losing, not just the fight, but their grip on reality.
"Captain!" one soldier screamed, swinging his sword at shadows. "Get it off me! Get it off!"
He slashed at his arm, trying to sever a non-existent tentacle before collapsing in a pool of his blood, his mind shattered by the horrors he couldn't comprehend.
Donber fought with all his strength, his sword a blur of motion as he fended off attack after attack.
But the darkness was relentless. Soon, he was the only one left standing, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his body trembling from exhaustion.
The tentacles seemed to sense his weakness, and they slowed their attack, coiling around him playfully as if savoring their victory.
"Humph, toying with me?" Donber grunted under his breath, as his eyes flashed with silver light flickering within.
"Then try!" He shouted
*Boom!* Another tentacle surged toward Donber, but he parried it with a swift slash, sidestepping the dark appendage as it smashed into the ground, shattering the cobblestones with a resounding impact.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, his body a blur of motion.
"Die!" he roared, his sword cleaving through the air with deadly precision.
The blade sliced through the entire section of the drain, sending dust and rubble flying in every direction.
But as the debris settled, the only thing visible was the eerie reflection of the moon on the inky blackness below. No sign of the creature remained.
"Humph!" Donber grunted, frustration mingling with the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
His eyes darted around, searching for any sign of movement in the darkness. With a powerful kick, he propelled himself into the air, landing on a nearby rooftop.
The tiles splintered beneath his weight, scattering across the roof as he crouched low, his senses on high alert.
His gaze swept over the city, the devastation around him starkly illuminated by the pale light of the moon.
Buildings lay in ruins, streets cracked and broken, the echoes of the distant battle still ringing in his ears.
The silence that followed was almost suffocating, broken only by the distant cries of the wounded and the creaking of unstable structures.
But in that silence, Donber could sense it—the lurking presence of something sinister, hiding just beyond the edge of his vision, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"I just hope Lord Baelor can notice this commotion" Donber muttered under his breath, his voice a low growl of determination. "And I fear there's more than one of these creatures hiding in the darkness." His eyes narrowed, a cold resolve settling in his chest.
He couldn't afford to be caught off guard again. Every shadow, every flicker of movement was a potential threat. He had to be ready for anything.
His mind raced as he calculated his next move. The rooftops offered a tactical advantage, but they also left him exposed.
He needed to find a way to lure the creature out, to force it into the open where he could confront it directly.
"This one alone poses more than enough threat for an entire squad. If there's more, then this town is finished"
The thought sent a chill down his spine, but he quickly shoved it aside. Fear would only cloud his judgment.
"Then come! I will crush you into pieces!"
Donber scanned the rooftops and the streets below, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
The city was eerily quiet, the calm after the storm. But he knew better than to trust it. The creature was out there, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike. And when it did, he would be ready.
Taking a deep breath, Donber steeled himself, his muscles coiled like a spring ready to release.
He had to be quick, and precise. One wrong move and it would all be over. But he had no intention of going down without a fight.
"Come out, you cowardly beast," Donber hissed, his voice cutting through the night like a blade. "Face me!"
"Judging from your playful gesture just now, you must be an intellectual one. Then come! Kill me with all of your might!"
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, from the shadows, he heard it—a low, guttural growl that sent a shiver down his spine.
The sound echoed off the buildings, filling the air with a sense of impending doom.
Donber's heart raced as he prepared for the creature's next move.
And then, with a sudden burst of speed, the darkness erupted.
*Boom!*
A tentacle, larger and more menacing than the others, lashed out from the drain below, hurtling toward him with terrifying speed.
With a surge of energy, Donber leaped from the rooftop, his sword gleaming in the moonlight as he brought it down in a powerful arc.
The blade met the tentacle with a thunderous *clash*, sparks flying as the dark energy collided with the steel.
The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the sheer power of the strike enough to crack the ground beneath them.
But the tentacle did not retreat. It twisted and writhed, coiling around Donber's sword and pulling him toward the drain with immense strength.
He gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he fought against the pull, refusing to be dragged into the darkness.
"Not today!" he snarled, channeling his energy into his sword.
The blade began to glow with a brilliant light, the silver aura of his Silver Slash technique flaring to life.
With a roar, Donber unleashed the energy, the silver light slicing through the tentacle and sending a shockwave through the drain. The creature recoiled, the severed piece of the tentacle writhing in agony before dissolving into smoke.
He needed to end this now.
With a burst of speed, he launched himself back onto the rooftop, using the height to his advantage.
From above, he could see the drain more clearly, the dark energy swirling like a vortex. He had to strike at the heart of the beast, to cut it off at the source.
"Going back! I see you now!"
"Then, take this you damned beast!"
Focusing his energy, Donber prepared for his final attack.
The air around him crackled with power as he raised his sword high above his head, the blade glowing with an intense blue light.
"Storm Cleaver!" he shouted, bringing the sword down with all his might.
The energy exploded outward in a blinding flash, creating a massive shockwave that ripped through the street, sending debris flying in all directions.
The ground shook as the energy descended upon the drain, the sheer force of the attack creating a crater where the drain once was.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, from the depths of the crater, a scream of pure agony erupted, echoing through the night as the creature's form was torn apart by the attack.
The darkness began to dissipate, the malevolent energy unraveling into nothingness.
Donber stood on the edge of the crater, panting heavily as he surveyed the destruction.
The street was in ruins, and the surrounding buildings were reduced to rubble. But the creature was gone. He had done it. He had won.
But the victory was hollow. He was the last one standing, his comrades gone, the city in ruins.
"Alas, I hope Lord Baelor will take action now. Or else the city defense line will crumble... "
Donber gasped with exhaustion with his knees planted into the cracked cobblestone floor.
Hoping... Hoping that there might be salvation for this town and the people.
Though unbeknown to him, all of the chaos, the monsters, the deaths, the panic, the sadness. It was just for a man to make a great entrance into this brand-new world.
Likewise, a lie can be greater than the truth as long as you lie good enough. Those monsters aren't real but a manifestation of the man's power.