Xavier gasped, his chest heaving as he clawed at the molten ground beneath him. His breath came in ragged bursts, the searing air burning his throat. Fear gripped him like an icy vice despite the oppressive heat of the dungeon. He was trapped, utterly alone, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to run.
Then came the sound—a deep, earth-shaking BOOM.
He froze, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Slowly, he turned his head, the trembling of the ground intensifying with every deafening step.
And there it was.
The boss loomed over him like a titan. Its massive, molten form radiated unbearable heat, and streams of glowing magma seeped from the jagged cracks of its grotesque body. Its blade, massive and molten white, dripped with lava. Xavier's stomach churned as his eyes fell on its jagged, molten teeth, where charred remnants of flesh, bone, and armor could be seen—remnants of the strike team.
The monster didn't have eyes, but Xavier swore it was staring at him. A predatory malice radiated from the soulless creature, sending shivers down his spine despite the heat. He wanted to scream, to cry, maybe even to beg. His legs wobbled as he forced himself to his feet, adrenaline surging.
The boss moved.
A titanic arm swung with terrifying speed, its molten blade missing Xavier by mere inches. But the follow-through—an open-palmed swipe—connected with his shoulder.
Xavier's world spun violently.
The force sent him crashing through two molten stone walls. His body struck the ground like a ragdoll, the impact shattering bone and rupturing flesh. He could feel it—his broken arms, his mangled legs, the searing pain of his spine twisted unnaturally. His forehead bled profusely, the crimson staining his blurred vision.
And then came the pain, raw and all-consuming. It erupted like a wildfire in his mind, and Xavier screamed.
He lay there, tears mixing with blood as his body convulsed in agony. His breathing was ragged, each shallow gasp sending shockwaves of pain through his broken ribs. Every part of him wanted to give up, to simply succumb to the darkness that beckoned.
Yet, he couldn't help but glance at the boss.
It hadn't moved.
The creature stood a few meters away, motionless, its massive blade resting at its side. But Xavier realized it wasn't waiting. It was… watching.
Before he could process it further, the sound of splashing lava filled the room. His head turned toward the bubbling pool nearby. Something was emerging.
His blood ran cold.
From the molten depths rose an elongated, grotesque form. A dozen glowing, molten eyes blinked in unison, their collective gaze fixed on him. Then another form surfaced, and another. Long, serpentine bodies spiraled up, lava dripping from their jagged, exoskeletal frames.
Centipedes.
Their legs scraped against the molten rock as they skittered toward him, their saliva dripping like burning acid. Xavier's heart pounded in his ears as dozens, then hundreds, of the volcanic centipedes swarmed the chamber.
"Oh god…" he whimpered, tears streaming as the creatures closed in.
They pounced.
Burning, serrated mandibles dug into his flesh, searing and tearing with merciless precision. His screams echoed through the dungeon, raw and guttural. Blood sprayed from his wounds, mixing with the molten rock below. The creatures showed no mercy, their numbers overwhelming as they ravaged his body.
"Please…!" Xavier sobbed, his voice hoarse. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
The words repeated in his mind like a mantra, his desperation overpowering even the pain. He clawed at the ground, his fingers reduced to stumps as the centipedes tore away chunks of his arms and legs.
Through the haze of agony, his tear-filled eyes locked onto the boss.
It was smiling.
The grotesque creature's molten teeth formed an unsettling grin, the expression dripping with malice.
Xavier's vision blurred again as he raised what was left of his hand, reaching out to no one. His voice was a weak, broken whisper.
"Someone… anyone… please save me…"
The centipedes continued their feast, but the boss finally moved. Raising its molten blade, the creature loomed over Xavier's ravaged form, its presence suffocating.
Xavier coughed weakly, blood spilling from his lips as he stared at the weapon. "I… don't… want… to… die…"
The hot molten blade came down.
Everything went black.
...
In the void of darkness, Xavier floated weightlessly. The pain, the fear, the heat—all of it was gone. Only the sound of his heartbeat remained, slow and fading.
Thump-Thump.
A screen appeared before him, glowing ominously in red and black:
[SYSTEM ACTIVATION INITIATED]
Quest Complete: "Cry Of The Weak"
You have met the qualifications to become a "Player."
NOTICE:
• Heart failure imminent in 0.3 seconds.
• Accepting Player status will initiate reconstruction and system binding.
Would you like to accept?
• [Yes]
• [No]
The text flickered, the screen pulsating as time seemed to stand still. Xavier's breathing slowed, his consciousness on the brink of slipping away.
But as the darkness threatened to swallow him whole, his mangled hand twitched ever so slightly. A faint, glowing black-and-white light flickered over the [Yes] button.
Xavier accepted.