It's been two weeks since the battle with the Wolf King, and everything has changed.
The hunger that once consumed me has dulled, replaced by a focused intensity. My body, once fragile and battered, has become stronger—faster, deadlier. The Wolf King's power flows through me, and I can feel its essence lingering in my every movement. My senses are sharper than ever, each sound and scent amplified in my mind. The reflexes I've gained make me feel like a predator, always alert, always ready to strike.
I climb higher through this cursed place, floor after floor, each one more dangerous than the last. But nothing compares to the strength I've gained. My muscles feel coiled, like a spring ready to release, my body now more in tune with the savage instincts I've inherited. My claws, once just hands, are now weapons—razor-sharp, capable of tearing through flesh and steel alike. My bite, more lethal than I ever imagined, could crush bone. I've become something more than I was before.
The final floors stretch out before me like the jaws of a waiting beast, each one a challenge designed to test my limits. But today, I've reached one of the last, the second-to-last level, and I know what lies ahead will be the greatest challenge yet.
I step through the towering door, and the first thing I notice is the sheer size of the chamber. It's massive, cavernous, and it smells of salt and decay, like the rotting carcass of some long-forgotten leviathan. The walls are slick with moisture, and the ground beneath my feet is uneven, as though the entire floor has been shaped by something moving beneath it. Something… *alive*.
A low, wet sound echoes through the chamber, followed by a deep, guttural gurgle that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
Then I see it.
A grotesque fusion of flesh and metal, slithering into view. Its body is like that of a giant octopus, but twisted beyond recognition. Where its tentacles should be, there are razor-sharp blades, gleaming in the dim light. The creature's body ripples with unnatural muscle, each movement sending ripples through its massive form. Its eyes—cold, dead, and soulless—lock onto me, and I feel the air around me tighten, as if the creature itself is suffocating the room with its presence.
This is the penultimate challenge. One more step before freedom.
Before I can even think to act, the creature strikes.
Its tentacles whip through the air with blinding speed, slicing through the metal walls like they're nothing. I dive out of the way just as one of the bladed tentacles crashes into the ground where I stood, the impact sending a shockwave through the floor. The sharp blades of its limbs leave deep, jagged scars in the metal, hissing as they retract for another strike.
I roll to my feet, my body moving faster than my mind can register. The speed, the reflexes—it's all instinct now, the Wolf King's power making me quicker than I ever thought possible. But even with my enhanced abilities, this creature is faster than anything I've faced before. Its bladed tentacles whip at me from every direction, leaving me no time to think, no time to plan.
I dodge and weave, using my claws to deflect the strikes where I can, but each hit sends jolts of pain through my body. One tentacle grazes my shoulder, and I feel the sharp sting as my skin splits open. Blood flows, but I ignore it. I can't afford to slow down. Not now.
The creature lets out a high-pitched screech, its tentacles lashing out again. I manage to dodge most of them, but one catches me across the ribs, sending me skidding across the chamber floor. My back slams into the wall, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs. For a second, the room spins, my vision blurring from the pain.
I cough, blood splattering the ground in front of me. My ribs feel like they're on fire, and I can taste blood in my mouth. But I push the pain aside. I've come too far to die here.
The creature looms over me, its soulless eyes locked onto mine. It raises a bladed tentacle, ready to strike the killing blow.
This isn't about brute strength. I can't overpower this thing. It's too big, too strong, and its reach far outmatches mine. But I've learned one thing in this hellish place—every monster has a weakness. I just need to find it.
The tentacle comes down, and I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as it slams into the ground with a deafening crash. I scramble to my feet, my eyes scanning the room for anything I can use. There are traps here, like on the other floors. Pressure plates hidden beneath the dust, debris from past battles, sharp objects embedded in the walls. This place is a battlefield, and I need to use it.
The creature swings again, but this time, I don't dodge. I stand my ground, waiting for the right moment. As the tentacle comes crashing down, I leap forward, grabbing hold of the blade with my claws. The sharp metal cuts into my palms, but I grit my teeth and hold on, using the creature's momentum to swing myself up and onto its body.
I land on its back, my claws digging into the soft, fleshy part between its tentacles. The creature screeches, its body thrashing wildly as it tries to throw me off, but I hold on, using my newfound strength to tear into its flesh. My claws rip through its skin, and thick, acidic blood pours from the wounds, burning my skin where it touches.
The pain is excruciating, but I don't stop. I slash and tear, my mind focused on one thing—bringing this thing down. The creature writhes, its tentacles lashing out in every direction, but I'm too close for it to hit me.
With a roar, I plunge my claws into its side, pulling with all my strength. The creature lets out another screech, louder this time, and I feel it weakening. But it's not done yet.
The tentacles flail, and one manages to catch me, slamming into my side and sending me flying across the room. I crash into the floor, my body skidding to a stop. My skin burns from the acidic blood, and I can barely move. Every part of me is screaming in pain, but I can't stop. Not yet.
I force myself to stand, my legs trembling beneath me. The creature is wounded, its body shaking as it struggles to stay upright. Its tentacles are slower now, weaker. I've hurt it. I've found its weakness.
But it's still dangerous.
The creature screeches again, and I see the desperation in its movements. It knows it's losing. I stagger forward, barely able to keep my balance, but my mind is clear. I know what I have to do.
The creature lashes out one final time, its tentacles whipping toward me with all the force it can muster. But this time, I'm ready.
I dodge the first strike, then the second. My body moves with a speed that feels almost unnatural, the Wolf King's power flowing through me, guiding my every step. The creature rears back, preparing for one last attack, but I don't give it the chance.
I lunge forward, my claws outstretched, and grab hold of the creature's chest. My fingers dig into its flesh, pulling it open with a sickening tear. Acidic blood pours from the wound, burning my skin, but I don't stop. I reach inside the creature's body, feeling for its heart.
The creature thrashes, its tentacles flailing wildly, but I hold on. My fingers wrap around something warm and pulsating, and with a roar, I rip it free.
The creature's heart.
The beast lets out one final screech before collapsing to the ground, its massive body twitching once, then going still.
I stand there, panting, my body drenched in the creature's acidic blood. My skin burns, my muscles ache, but the pain feels distant now, muted by the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I look down at the heart in my hands, still pulsing with the creature's life force. Without thinking, I bring it to my mouth and bite down.
The moment I consume it, I feel the power surging through me. My wounds begin to heal, the pain fading as my body absorbs the creature's essence. The acidic burns on my skin vanish, replaced by a new strength that fills every part of me.
I drop the heart, my vision clearing, my body feeling stronger than it ever has before. The Wolf King's power still flows through me, but now, I feel something new—a raw, primal energy, like the ocean's fury, coursing through my veins.
For the first time in weeks, I feel… whole again.
I rise to my feet, covered in blood but alive. I've won again. The final challenge awaits.