The first crack in the core was satisfying—a tangible victory, however small. But as the glow intensified, satisfaction turned into full-blown panic.
The ground beneath my feet trembled violently, and fissures began snaking outward from the crystal.
"Oh no," I muttered, stumbling backward. "That's not good. That's definitely not good!"
Behind me, the Abyssal Guardian's roar pierced the air, louder and angrier than before.
"Elliot!" Maya's voice rang out from above. "What's happening?!"
"It's having a meltdown!" I shouted back, fumbling with my slingshot. "Cover me!"
Kyle and Maya, bless their reckless souls, started throwing more rocks and taunts at the Guardian, doing their best to keep it distracted. The massive beast clawed at the ridge, its segmented body writhing in fury as it tried to climb toward them.
Meanwhile, I took aim at the core again.
"Alright, buddy," I muttered, loading another pebble. "Time to break you wide open."
I fired, and the pebble struck true, shattering a chunk of the crystal. Red light poured out like molten lava, spilling across the ground and sizzling ominously.
The Guardian let out a blood-curdling scream, its body convulsing as the veins on its skin pulsed erratically.
It was working.
But then the core retaliated.
The crystal surged, sending out a shockwave of energy that knocked me off my feet. I landed hard on my back, the breath exploding out of my lungs.
When I managed to sit up, I saw the core glowing brighter than ever, tendrils of red energy snaking out from its surface and lashing at the surrounding area.
One of the tendrils shot toward me, and I barely managed to roll out of the way in time.
"Oh, come on! Since when do glowing rocks fight back?!"
Another tendril lashed out, this one grazing my arm. It burned like fire, leaving a searing red mark on my skin.
I scrambled to my feet, clutching my slingshot like it was some kind of lifeline. "Okay, new plan: break the shiny thing faster."
…..
Up above, Danny and the bow lady were doing their best to help. Danny had apparently found another frying pan—because of course he did—and was using it to bang out a steady rhythm of chaos, trying to confuse the Guardian.
The bow lady, whose name I learned was Sarah, fired arrows at the creature's face. Most of them bounced harmlessly off its armor, but a few hit the exposed veins, drawing angry roars.
"Elliot, whatever you're doing, hurry it up!" she yelled, nocking another arrow.
"I'm trying!" I snapped, dodging another tendril.
The fissure was getting more unstable by the second. The ground beneath me cracked and shifted, forcing me to dance around the spreading lava-like substance as I reloaded my slingshot.
Another pebble hit the core, sending spiderweb fractures across its surface.
The Guardian howled, its movements growing more erratic. It slammed its massive claws into the ridge, sending chunks of rock tumbling down.
"Guys, this thing is not happy!" Kyle shouted, limping backward as a claw narrowly missed him.
"That makes two of us!" I muttered, firing another shot.
The core was close to breaking—I could feel it. The red light was flickering now, pulsing unevenly like a dying heartbeat.
I lined up my next shot, hands trembling.
"Come on," I whispered. "One more. Just one more."
I fired.
The pebble struck the core dead center, and for a moment, everything went still.
Then, the core exploded.
The blast sent me flying, my body slamming into the rocky wall of the fissure. Stars danced in my vision as I crumpled to the ground, coughing and wheezing.
When I looked up, the core was gone—replaced by a gaping hole spewing red mist into the air. The tendrils had vanished, and the ground was no longer shaking.
For a brief, glorious moment, I thought we'd won.
Then the Guardian screamed.
Its body convulsed violently, the red veins on its skin bursting open and spraying black ichor everywhere. But instead of collapsing, it began to change.
The segmented legs fused together, forming a grotesque, serpentine tail. Its claws grew larger, sharper, and its eyeless face split open, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth.
"Oh, that's not fair," I groaned, dragging myself to my feet. "That's so not fair!"
.
.
.
The Guardian's new form was faster, deadlier, and more determined than ever. It lunged toward the ridge, swiping at Maya and Kyle with terrifying precision.
Kyle barely managed to duck, but Maya wasn't so lucky. The Guardian's claw caught her across the side, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"Maya!" I shouted, running toward her as fast as my shaky legs could carry me.
The Guardian loomed over her, its massive jaws opening wide.
I didn't think—I just acted.
I grabbed the nearest rock and hurled it at the Guardian's head.
"Hey, ugly!" I shouted. "Over here!"
The rock hit its mark, bouncing off the creature's grotesque face. It barely did any damage, but it got the Guardian's attention.
The massive beast turned toward me, its eyeless maw stretching into something that almost looked like a grin.
"Uh-oh," I muttered.
It lunged, and I ran. Again.
This time, I didn't bother with strategy or plans. I just ran like my life depended on it—because it absolutely did.
The Guardian chased me relentlessly, its claws gouging deep trenches into the ground as it closed the distance.
Somehow, I managed to stay ahead of it, darting between rocks and debris in a desperate attempt to stay alive.
"Elliot!" Kyle shouted from the ridge. "Lead it toward the acid pool!"
I glanced around wildly, spotting the bubbling green pool in the distance. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
"Got it!" I yelled, making a sharp turn toward the pool.
The Guardian followed, its massive body crashing through everything in its path.
As I neared the pool, I veered to the side at the last second, skidding to a stop just inches from the edge.
The Guardian didn't stop.
Its massive body plunged into the acid with a deafening roar, sending up a plume of green mist.
For a moment, I thought it was over.
But then, from the depths of the pool, a massive claw emerged, slamming into the ground.
"You've gotta be kidding me," I whispered, staring in horror as the Guardian began to drag itself out of the acid.
This tutorial wasn't just trying to kill us.
It was enjoying it.