I skidded to a stop, my lungs burning as Serpanthrax closed the gap behind me. The massive beast, all muscle and rage, slithered with terrifying speed, its black scales glinting ominously in the light.
No time to think. Its enormous maw opened wide, jagged teeth gleaming as it lunged straight at me.
"Yeah… come get me," I muttered, forcing my body to stay rooted. My heart pounded as its monstrous jaws snapped shut around me.
Crusssh. Crushhh.
The darkness inside was suffocating, the air humid and rank. Its guttural growls echoed around me as its tongue writhed beneath my boots, trying to push me further down its gullet.
"Ugh, dammit," I grumbled, digging in my heels. "I knew I'd have to let it eat me, but this is revolting."
The slimy muscle coiled and shoved, determined to send me to its stomach. I gritted my teeth and held my ground. "Heh… seems like your mother never taught you not to eat stray food."
Raising a hand, I began tracing a spell in the putrid air, my voice steady despite the chaos.
"By shadowed breath and toxic plume, Unleash the stench, let foes consume! Foul Tempest!"
A wave of green, noxious gas burst forth, filling the beast's mouth. The reaction was immediate. Serpanthrax convulsed, its body jerking violently as it tried to expel the poisonous fumes.
It retched hard, and I felt the pressure release. Its jaws opened wide, and I didn't hesitate. "Finally."
Leaping out, I flicked my wrist, leaving behind glowing mana sigils beneath its tongue. Mana Flame Bombs. I didn't stick around to admire my handiwork—I bolted for the exit.
I landed hard, knees buckling slightly, but managed to keep my balance. The moment my boots hit solid ground, I looked back, catching Serpanthrax's seething glare. Its slit pupils locked onto me, radiating pure, murderous rage.
"Looks like I really hit a nerve," I muttered, a faint smirk tugging at my lips.
With a thunderous hiss, the beast lunged again, its movements fuelled by unbridled fury. It wasn't thinking anymore—just pure instinct to kill. Perfect.
I broke into a zigzag sprint, twisting and weaving as Serpanthrax's massive body crashed after me, its strikes barely missing. Every dodge sent adrenaline surging through me. I couldn't afford a single mistake.
"Just a little longer," I muttered under my breath, my muscles burning from the relentless chase. Every second counted. I blocked what I could with my shield spell, the impact jarring my arms, but the plan couldn't fall apart now.
Serpanthrax, growing more desperate with each failed strike, let out a deafening roar. It coiled back, pausing for just a moment as its throat began to swell.
Here it comes.
The beast charged its acid, its rage boiling over. Its mouth glowed faintly green, the corrosive liquid surging upward.
But just as it reared back to unleash the deadly torrent, the sigils I left inside it flared.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from within its throat, cutting off the acid midstream. Serpanthrax's eyes widened in shock, its body convulsing violently as smoke and flames burst from its mouth.
"Perfect timing," I muttered, watching the beast thrash in agony, its roars echoing through the clearing.
The Serpanthrax's mouth was torn to shreds, gaping holes riddling its flesh. Its jaw hung uselessly, too weak to hold its weight. Its wide, trembling eyes flickered with a mixture of pain and shock, and in that moment, it knew—the predator was no longer it, but me.
Driven by instinct, it turned to flee, slithering away with frantic urgency. But as it moved, its head jerked side to side, confusion setting in.
The thick mist blanketing the air swallowed its surroundings, dense and unrelenting. The heavy atmosphere clouded its senses, leaving it stranded and disoriented.
Its eyes widened further, panic setting in.
"Lost already?" I called out, my voice dripping with mockery. I stepped closer, my shadow cutting through the swirling fog. "Hehehe... it easy to enter this place but it different story when you want to get out of this place, moreover with air this thick, your weak senses are useless. Without sharp memory, you'll never find your way back."
The Serpanthrax hissed weakly, its bravado shattered. It tried to slither faster, its body trembling with every desperate movement. But I wasn't about to let it go.
I took a breath, my lips curling into a wicked grin as I began the incantation, my voice resonating through the suffocating air:
"By breath of dusk and pulse of night,
Grant my limbs the power of flight.
In rhythm bound and shadow's grace,
Guide my steps in fierce embrace.
With silent force and strike's release,
I wield the flow that cannot cease.
From starlit veil, I draw my might,
In dance and fury, to win this fight."
The mist seemed to pulse with me, responding to my movements. Energy surged through my veins, my body alive with a power I hadn't felt in so long.
"Ahhh…" I exhaled, my grin widening as the thrill coursed through me. My heart raced, my body burned, and the suffocating mist only fuelled my excitement.
"My heart's pounding, my blood's boiling," I said, clenching my fists. "When I fought Jarek, I couldn't unleash my full potential. But here, in this abyss... I can finally let loose. Hahahahahah!"
Without hesitation, I darted forward, the shadows wrapping around me as I charged. "Let's end this, you iddiot beast!"
I didn't let up—not for a second. My fists slammed into Serpanthrax's body, each strike harder and faster than the last.
Boom! Crack! BOOM!
Its massive frame trembled under the onslaught, scales splintering and cracking as shockwaves rippled through its body. The beast's desperate hisses turned into ragged, pained gasps, but it refused to collapse.
The tail came again, whipping through the air like a battering ram. This time, it was faster, heavier, a strike fueled by pure survival instinct.
I smirked, adrenaline coursing through me. "You're really trying now, huh?"
At the last second, I ducked low, the tail missing my head by inches as it tore through the mist with a deafening whoosh. Using the momentum, I twisted on my heel, leaping into the air.
CRACK!
I brought my foot down onto its tail mid-swing, the force slamming the appendage into the ground with a thunderous quake. Serpanthrax roared in pain, the sound echoing through the suffocating mist, but I wasn't finished.
"You think that tail's enough to stop me?" I barked, slamming my fists together. My entire body burned with raw energy, the thrill of battle pushing me to the limit.
I surged forward, striking its side again. BOOM! The impact sent the beast skidding back, its massive body carving deep trenches into the earth.
The serpent thrashed wildly, its once-commanding presence now reduced to desperate flails. It wasn't a predator anymore. It was prey.
"You're done, Serpanthrax!" I roared, charging straight at it. The mist swirled around me, bending to my will as I closed the gap. My fists were alight with mana, crackling and sparking like a thunderstorm.
With a final burst of speed, I launched myself into the air, the shadows surging at my back.
"This is it!" I yelled, my voice cutting through the fog. "Take this!"
I brought my fist down with everything I had, the full force of my power slamming into its head
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shattered the ground beneath it, a massive shockwave blasting the mist away in every direction. Serpanthrax let out one last agonized roar, its body crumpling under the sheer weight of the blow.
As the dust settled, I stood over its fallen form, my chest heaving, a wild grin still plastered on my face. "Now that's more like it."
"Damn… I'm so tired," I muttered, collapsing weakly onto the fallen Serpanthrax's massive body. "Sigh… I guess a level 13 abyss monster really is a force to reckon with, huh?"
I tilted my head back, gazing at the endless void above. The abyssal sky was utterly devoid of light, an oppressive reminder of where I was. Even now, it mesmerized me—dark, infinite, and unforgiving.
Reaching for my pouch, I downed an energy potion, followed by a recovery one. The bitter liquids burned down my throat, but the familiar rush of restored vitality quickly followed. With a deep breath, I forced myself to stand.
"Alright, let's finish this," I muttered, stepping toward the beast's central head.
Its scales were tougher than they looked, but I thrust my hand against its mangled flesh, feeling the resistance give way.
Swoosh. Swoosh.
My arm pushed deeper into its body, warm, slick innards clinging to me. My fingers finally brushed against something solid—the core. A smirk spread across my face as I grabbed hold of it and yanked it free with one swift motion.
I stared at the glowing green-and-red crystal in my palm, its light pulsating with raw power. "There you are," I whispered, admiring the beauty of the Serpanthrax's heart.
Without hesitation, I brought the core to my mouth, biting into it with a satisfying crunch.
Creak. Creak. Creak.
The taste was sharp, bitter, and overwhelming, but the energy surging through me was worth every second. My body trembled, veins alight with newfound strength.
"As expected of a level 13 abyss monster," I said with a smirk, swallowing the last piece. "Not bad at all."
"Next is the acid," I muttered, stretching as I jumped down from the Serpanthrax's lifeless body. My boots hit the ground with a dull thud, and I strode toward its mangled, gaping mouth.
Its upper jaw, shredded and hanging, still dripped with thick, green liquid—the acid I needed. The sight was both revolting and fascinating.
I pulled out a reinforced test tube from my pouch, one specially designed to withstand corrosive substances. Its surface gleamed faintly, enchanted to endure even the most volatile liquids.
Carefully, I positioned the tube under the dripping acid, watching as the viscous liquid filled it drop by drop.
"Damn," I muttered, scrunching my nose as the stench hit me full force. "Its mouth already reeked, but adding my Foul Tempest to the mix? Just my luck."
I held my breath, waiting impatiently as the tube filled to the brim. "This better be worth it," I grumbled, sealing the container tightly and slipping it into my pouch.