The air was thick with the lingering smell of scorched earth and the acrid tang of smoke. Boyd stood motionless amidst the devastation, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. His eyes were shut tight, blocking out the chaos around him for just a moment. The world was a muffled blur; only the pounding in his ears and the rasp of his breath against his blood-slick lips registered.
His head throbbed where the giant's blood had splattered, and bruises burned across his arms and ribs. He could feel the sticky warmth of his own blood trailing from a cut above his left eyebrow, stinging as it mixed with sweat.
When he opened his eyes, the faint, glowing interface of the system flickered to life in front of him.
Quest: Slay All Nightmare Devils - Progress: 1/9
The words hung in the air, taunting him.
"One down... Eight more to go." Boyd thought bitterly.
His knees trembled, the adrenaline that had sustained him during the battle waning.
A smaller notification appeared.
You have gained 1 Point.
Boyd frowned, his focus narrowing on the glowing words. The fight had drained him, and yet here was the system, indifferent, already offering choices. He selected the info tab with a shaky hand, and the screen expanded.
Info: 5 EXP = 1 Point
Current EXP: 55
Total Points: 12
His brows furrowed. He hadn't realized he'd accumulated that many experience points. That one point he just gained had tipped the balance. For a brief moment, excitement sparked through his exhaustion.
"Twelve points, huh?" he murmured, his lips twitching into a faint smile.
Increase Stats:
Strength
Speed
Stamina
Durability
He hesitated. Strength had been his saving grace during the fight, but speed had kept him alive. He tapped Strength: +3 and Speed: +3, wincing as a brief surge of heat coursed through his body. He felt his muscles tighten, the faintest sense of renewed energy blooming within him.
The moment of calm was shattered by another system prompt.
Warning: Player is critically low on health.
Consider purchasing a healing stone from the store.
The word "store" was highlighted in vibrant gold. Boyd clicked on it, curiosity winning out over caution. The interface shifted, revealing an array of items, each with its price in points. A Healing Stone stood prominently at the top of the list, glowing a faintly green light.
Cost: 10 Points
"Damn it…" Boyd whispered. He clenched his fists, blood from his knuckles dripping to the ground. If he had known this earlier, maybe he wouldn't be so battered.
"YOUNG MASTER!"
The sudden cry jolted him from his thoughts. He turned toward the voice, his body protesting every movement. Holland was running toward him, his face pale with shock and relief.
"Thank the heavens!" Holland exclaimed, his voice cracking.
"How—how are you even standing? The nightmare creature… we thought you were dead!"
Boyd blinked at the frantic man.
"I killed it." he said simply, the words tasting strange in his mouth.
"You… killed it?" Holland's eyes widened. "That's incredible, young master! Truly, you amaze us more each day. But we must leave now! The others could return at any moment."
"Everyone just wants me to run," Boyd muttered under his breath, the bitterness creeping into his voice. He looked down at his trembling hands. The weight of Holland's concern pressed down on him, but something else gnawed at his thoughts.
He flexed his fingers, recalling the fight. He had survived—barely—but he had survived. This system, this strange world, it had pushed him to the brink and beyond. He could feel it now, the faint pulse of potential. If magic existed here, if more power could be unlocked, then perhaps…
"You're right," Boyd said finally.
"Let's move."
Holland's face lit up with relief, but Boyd's thoughts remained dark and conflicted as they began their cautious retreat.
***
The stony valley lay shrouded in eerie silence, the jagged peaks casting long, ominous shadows across the ground. The eight remaining lava stone giants moved in slow, deliberate motions. Some hunched over the corpses of fallen servants, tearing into flesh with brutal efficiency. Others stood motionless, their stone-carved bodies gleaming faintly in the dim light.
At the center of the chaos stood the towering 20-meter gargoyle, its massive frame dwarfing everything around it. Unlike its minions, it remained still, its cold, unblinking eyes scanning the horizon. Its jagged claws twitched, and its chest heaved with slow, calculated breaths.
From a distance, a severe thud roared gaining the gargoyle's attention, causing the gargoyle's head to turn sharply towards the direction.
Its gaze shifted to a faint silhouette emerging from the shadows of the forest trees. Slowly, it lifted its massive hand, revealing nine glowing blue crystals embedded in its palm.
One crystal dimmed, signifying one unbelievable fact- one of its minions had perished
The gargoyle paused, staring at its hand. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and with a low, guttural growl, it lowered its arm. Its steps echoed like thunder with deliberate slowness, the gargoyle turned toward one of the smaller giants, a 5-meter lava creature crouched over a corpse. Without a sound, the gargoyle gripped the smaller giant by its head and hoisted it effortlessly into the air.
The motion was almost casual as it hurled the creature into the sky. The smaller giant soared weightlessly, its molten body blazing against the backdrop of the darkened sky.
Far below, Boyd and Holland froze.
A growing shadow fell over them. Boyd looked up, his breath hitching as the flaming giant hurtled toward them.
"Move!" he shouted, shoving Holland aside as he dove in the opposite direction. The ground exploded as the creature crashed, sending shards of rock and molten debris flying.
Boyd rolled to his feet, coughing as the dust cleared. His ears rang, and his vision blurred, but he could see the smaller giant rising from the impact crater. Its molten face was partially shattered, the glow of its core visible beneath the cracked stone.
"What the hell…?" Boyd muttered, his voice hoarse.
However, things were far from getting better. Right in that instance, another shadow darkened the sky which luckily attained Boyd's attention just in time. Boyd spun around just in time to see another giant descending toward him. He threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed as the creature slammed into the ground.
One after another, the nightmare creatures fell from the sky, each impact shaking the earth. Boyd's heart raced as he realized what was happening. It was simply retaliation from the devils for him ending one of their own.
***
Back at the valley, the gargoyle stood at the center of the chaos, its massive arms now empty. It released a deafening roar, its jagged maw splitting wide as it surveyed the destruction it had unleashed.
Boyd staggered backward, his eyes darting between the rising forms of the nightmare creatures. He was surrounded, their glowing eyes locking onto him as they closed in.
For a moment, he stood frozen, the enormity of his situation crushing him. He had barely managed to defeat one of these monsters. Now, there were eight.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "So this is how it ends, huh?"
But even as fear clawed at him, something deeper stirred—a spark of defiance. He tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles white.
"If you're coming for me…" Boyd growled, stepping into a defensive stance. "Then you'd better make it count."
The nightmare creatures proceeding forward with no emotion at all paused for a moment on hearing the roar of their superior, the gargoyle.
With a loud defeaning roar, they all roared in unison, their thunderous voices shaking the very air as they charged.