Isaac's body locked up solid as the shrill scream reverberated through the cavern. His head snapped up, and his gaze locked on the shadow circling near the sky.
Isaac's eyes had locked on to the predator that circled above: terrifyingly but majestic. The Blood Hawk was not a normal beast in any sense but one that gave off an air of lethal grace unparalleled by anything Isaac had ever seen.
Its wings were huge, almost three times higher than Isaac was. Each feather glimmered like it was covered with recently spilled blood, razor-sharp on the edges and gleaming murderously in the faint light of the cavern. Its feathers seemed to have a living redness, like blood that pulsed through its being from the countless victims whose lives it had terminated.
Its talons were curved and jagged, black as obsidian, and seemed able to tear flesh and bone with little effort. The long, hooked beak of the hawk showed streaks of dark red stains-a grisly witness to its meat-eating propensity.
But it was his eyes that unsettled Isaac's heart: eyes burning with intelligence, the golden irises around with fire-orange eyes, seeming almost to glow unnaturally. Those eyes did not simply look upon their prey but weighed every move with cold deliberation.
The movements of the hawk were unnervingly fluid. Each beat of its wings was intentional, each tilt of its head calculating. It even seemed to hover with a quiet, simmering menace.
The shriek was sharp, a piercing noise as though some blade had been dragged across glass. Its cry was amplified by the cavern walls; the sound reverberated through his bones. Even the air felt heavier in the creature's vicinity as though its very presence warped the ambient atmosphere.
The hawk's terrifying visage was only enhanced by the blood-soaked battlefield. The pools of red at its feet shimmered, responding to its unspoken will as they rose to form deadly projectiles. It commanded its surroundings with the authority of a sovereign predator, its domain drenched in death and fear.
It wasn't a monster, really. It was a force of nature, an apex predator honed to perfection in a world that demanded either it kill or be killed.
Isaac gritted his teeth. "This is bad."
---
Name: Blood Hawk
Level: 20
HP: 1,000 / 1,000
MP: 300 / 300
Abilities: Blood Manipulation, Razor Wing
---
[Blood Manipulation]
Description: The Blood Hawk absorbs the blood of corpses or living beings around it and reshapes the blood into deadly, feather-like projectiles. These are razor-sharp and strike with devastating precision.
[Skill: Razor Wing]
Description: The edges of the Blood Hawk's wings are honed to lethal sharpness, allowing it to attack with swift, slicing strikes capable of severing flesh and bone.
---
The vast disparity in their levels churned Isaac's stomach. Worse, the battlefield worked to the Blood Hawk's advantage. The corpses of lizardmen strewn across the cavern were a ready supply for its Blood Manipulation skill.
"Run or fight?" Isaac muttered, gripping his brass knuckles.
The choice was taken from him.
The hawk shrieked, and the pools of blood around the bodies of the lizardmen began to rise. Crimson droplets coalesced into razor-sharp feathers that hovered in the air before launching toward Isaac in a swift, graceful arc.
His instincts screamed. He dove behind a nearby boulder, the blood projectiles slamming into the rock with enough force to send shards flying in every direction.
Isaac flinched as a shard sliced across his forearm. He rolled to his feet, trying to put some distance between himself and the hawk, but the bird wasn't relenting.
It flapped its wings once, sending a second wave of projectiles at Isaac.
---
[Status Update]
Health (HP): 240/350
---
Isaac sprang to the side, evading most of the feathers, but a few sliced against his legs and sides. Each cut flared sharp pain, and he clamped his teeth down at the sight of fresh blood trickling to the cavern floor.
Another shriek rent the air, and again the hawk was upon him, wings shimmering pale in the poor light.
The wings of the Blood Hawk cut through the air with a grinding sound, like steel on steel. Isaac barely ducked in time; the razor-sharp edges managed to cut a few strands of his hair.
The bird twisted in midair and dove at him again. Raising his arms in defense, the force of the impact sent Isaac backward, stumbling.
---
[Status Update]
Health (HP): 180/350
---
"Damn it," Isaac growled, stumbling as he tried to steady himself. The hawk circled back, its talons scraping the ground as it gathered more blood from the lizardmen corpses.
This time, the pool of blood rose higher, forming an even deadlier wave of projectiles. Isaac's eyes widened as the feathers shot toward him in rapid succession.
Isaac tried to dodge by rolling and weaving, but there were too many. Each razor-sharp feather tore through his defenses, leaving fresh wounds across his arms, legs, and torso.
---
[Status Update]
Health (HP): 90/350
---
Blood dripped freely from Isaac's wounds, staining the floor beneath him. His vision blurred slightly, and his breaths came in ragged gasps.
The hawk landed briefly, giving a low, triumphant screech. It raised its wings, gathering more blood for another strike.
Isaac's mind raced. He couldn't take another hit like that.
Desperation forced him to fumble through his inventory, pulling out a Health Potion.
---
[Health Restored: +10 HP]
Health (HP): 100/350
---
Isaac downed another vial in one gulp as he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the hawk's strike. The potions granted him small respites, but the attacks were relentless. After drinking all of the potion, Isaac feel his cuts from the projectile began to close of but One of the blood projectiles grazed his side, cutting through his jacket and drawing fresh blood.
---
[Health Restored: +90 HP]
Health (HP): 190/350
---
Sweat trickled down Isaac's face as the hawk flapped its wings once more, ready to pounce.
Isaac's hands shook as he mustered his final strength. A golden glow started to emanate from his body, the brightness increasing with every passing second.
---
[Skill Activated: Tiferet's Radiant Mantle]
Effects: Restores health gradually over 10 seconds. The light aura blinds and weakens all enemies with dark affinities.
---
The cavern was bathed in blinding light. The Blood Hawk shrieked in pain, flapping its wings furiously as the radiance disrupted its vision. The blood projectiles it had gathered splattered harmlessly to the ground.
Isaac didn't waste the opportunity. He turned and bolted, his legs pumping furiously as he raced out of the cave.
Isaac didn't stop until the cave was far behind him. His lungs burned and his legs felt like lead, but he kept putting one foot in front of the other, refusing to slow until he was well and truly sure the hawk wasn't after him anymore.
Finding a sturdy tree, he climbed into its branches and collapsed, leaning against the trunk. His body shook with exhaustion, his clothes soaked with blood-both his own and those that had belonged to the lizardmen.
Isaac opened the System Store and bought a set of Health Potions to heal his wounds.
---
[Item Bought: Health Potion x10]
Price: 20 SP each (Total: 200 SP)
---
[SP : 870 – 200 = 670 SP]
---
He drank four immediately, making a face at the sharp, bitter taste.
---
[Health Recovered: +40 HP]
Health (HP): 230/350
---
These potions worked fast, closing off the worst of his wounds and easing some of the pain. A shuddering breath escaped Isaac as his body finally began to relax.
For the first time since the test began, Isaac felt the sting of failure. Isaac leaned back against the tree trunk, his breathing slowed as the potions worked their course to close his wounds. The forest around him was somberly quiet, with only the faraway echoes of the Blood Hawk's screeches still echoing in his ears.
For the first time in this test, Isaac was tasting defeat. Not mere failure but deep, gut-wrenching failure that even made him question his skills.
"I wasn't ready," he muttered, not loud enough to be heard from a yard away due to the rustling of the leaves. His fists closed as he replayed the battle in his head.
The Blood Hawk hadn't overwhelmed him but had instead just exposed every weakness he had; its speed, power, and intelligence had turned his usual strategies to a farce. Anything so precise couldn't have brute force applied to it. Carelessness or ignorance was not an option.
Isaac's eyes fell to his blood-splattered hands, the faint gleam of his Reinforced Steel Brass Knuckles reflecting moonlight. Of all his strength, all his training, he had barely survived.
He thought of the hawk's piercing golden eyes, the way it had judged him with cold, predatory precision. It hadn't seen him as a threat-just prey to be toyed with before being dispatched.
The realization caused his chest to tighten.
"I will kill it," Isaac breathed, resolution making his voice tight. "I'll kill it, come what may."
But in time, with the adrenal high gone, exhaustion stepped in, allowing another one to creep right into Isaac's mind—one that, this time, gnawed at his determination like it was paper.
Could he survive this?
Far from being over, this test wasn't even the apex of what he would go through in the days that lay ahead: much stronger enemies, fiercer battles, and harsher challenges. If he could not bear this, how could he be able to do anything at all?
Isaac clenched his fists tighter, the nails digging into his palms. The pain grounded him, pulling him from the spiral of doubt.
"This isn't the end," he muttered, forcing his voice to steady. "It's just a roadblock. And I'll break through it."
He glanced up at the stars peeking through the canopy above. For a moment, he let himself think about the others-the cadets who were still fighting their own battles in this dungeon. How many of them fared no better than he did? How many of them had given up already?
Isaac breathed slowly out, a small, teasing smirk twisting his lips. He had no intention of giving up.
Resting his head against the trunk, he allowed his body to relax. Already his mind was working: planning, calculating what it would take to face the Blood Hawk on another day. But now his priorities centered on survival.
"This world won't break me," Isaac whispered, his eyelids growing heavy. "I'll make sure of it."
For now, though, he needed rest. As the forest around him grew quiet, Isaac closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.
---
Status Panel
Name: Isaac
Level: 8
Health (HP): 230/350
Mana (MP): 70/170
System Points (SP): 670 SP
---
Skills
1. Gevurah's Purging Flame (Rare)
Description: Channel flames to enhance physical attacks and deliver explosive strikes. Grants minor resistance to fear and chaos.
Buff: Infernal Discipline: Boosts focus during combat.
2. Tiferet's Radiant Mantle (Epic)
Description: Surround yourself with golden light. Golden light heals minor injuries, protects against mental or physical attacks, dazzles and disorients enemies within its short range.
---
Equipment
Reinforced Steel Brass Knuckles: Durable, very effective in close combat. Durability: 75/100.
Basic Health Potions x6: Restores 10 HP per use.
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A/N: Feel free to let me know what you think of how the stories are going and where it should go. I'm always eager to hear from you. Leave a powerstone or a comment ;