*BA-DUM,BA-DUM,BA-DUM,BA-DUM
'Damn it, what should I do…'
I looked around frantically, hoping to find an escape route, but to my dismay, the only way out was going back or continuing to push forward.
-Rustle, RUSTLE-
'It's getting closer!'
Strengthening my grip on the sword, I started to push forward with all my might.
-RUSTLE, RUSTLE-
'!. Damn it, I'm getting distance fast enough.'
Listening to the proximity of the sound, I gave up on trying to cut through the vegetation with the sword in my hand, and I decided to just plunge forward instead, using my body to push aside the tangled vines and branches that obstructed my path.
Scratches started to appear everywhere on my body, but probably due to my high adrenaline, I felt nothing.
My clothes started to tear apart little by little until only rags remained on my body, but I continued pushing through regardless.
And as I picked up my pace, more and more noises started to occur around me, but it didn't last long because
*Thud
''Argh''
'This damn broken leg.'
It was then everything went completely still.
A chill ran down my spine.
This exact situation I experienced not long ago, on my first night here, on top of that tree… But this time… this time I was the food.
'I can't believe I'm going out like this… After all I went through.'
'NO, I can't end like this. Think, think…'
I started looking around again, but this time I found a small hole in the wall on my left.
'That's it.'
I prepared to make my move; as soon as the first one shows up, I'm making my run for it.
*deep inhale
holding my breath I waited for a few seconds… At the corner of my vision, I saw something peculiar…
It was a tree with different patterns through its trunk.
'Oh, found one… Chameleon ape, level 4, I guess? This is going to be tough, SHIT! SHIT!...'
Locking my eyes on the beast, I waited a few more seconds and made my move, letting out a huge scream.
''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!''
As soon as I started running, the ape jumped at me, but before he could touch me, from the bushes, a huge blue panther came running in and got him by the neck.
After getting its prey, the panther once again disappeared into the bushes. But I knew well this wasn't over yet, so I continued my path leading into the small hole.
-Screaaacht-
Abnormally large insects started crawling from the underground, reptile-like beasts and crustacean-like beasts fell from the top of the trees, and once again, the brutal and cruel competition of life started.
The survival instinct kicked in as I navigated through the chaos. The eerie sounds of the jungle echoed in my ears, reminding me that I should move without looking back.
In my desperate struggle, I would occasionally feel objects passing very close to my body at a dangerously high speed, and even without thinking too deeply about it, or knowing what it was, if that hit me, I knew I wouldn't survive for long.
With each step, I pushed myself to move faster, knowing that hesitation could mean the difference between life and death in this unforgiving place.
Finally, I burst through the dense foliage and found myself face to face with a crack in the rock walls of the Misty Mountains I saw earlier.
*phew
'I've made it. Now… how far does this hole go?'
Squeezing myself between the cracks, I dove deeper and deeper, and about 3 feet deep, I found the end. It was a cave, not that big, but not small either. It was enough room for two people (adults).
'I think I'm safe here for now.'
I fell to my knees and closed my eyes.
*huff-huff-huff…
My breathing was all over the place; I felt like my lungs were burning, my heart was beating really fast and strong to the point that I could feel it going up and down in my chest, and I felt the heat of my body going in and out of my skin like it was radiating.
A strong metallic taste entered my mouth. It was blood from the scratches I gained while running, and with this, I finally opened my eyes again while also trying to control my breathing.
I felt like crying, but I didn't.
'Why… why do I need to go through all of this…? FUCK… Should I just give up and die… Do dying here even mean this will end… '
'NO! I… I need to survive…I can't end like this.…'
My mind was a complete mess; sometimes I wanted to give up, sometimes I wanted to survive, and sometimes I wanted to destroy this entire mountain.
'I'll kill every single damn beast on the fucking mountain… No, I'll destroy this fucking place...'
After five long minutes trying to digest what just happened, the cave started to rumble…
-Rumble, RUMBLE-
''DAMN IT!''
I slowly got up, and for the first time, I noticed my state… little cuts everywhere, clothes completely torn apart, dry and warm blood in various places, food? Gone; water? Gone; alcohol, improvised rope? Gone.
The only thing I have left is the rags on my body and the bandit sword in my hand.
-Rumble, RUMBLE, RUMBLE...-
'FUCK IT, I'm not going down like this… If I'm going down, I'll at least go down swinging.'
''BRING IT ON!!!''
I took a stance facing the only way in.
- RUMBLE- crack, crack,crack,CRACK!-
A huge hand burst in, unlike anything I had ever seen before, either inside or outside of Tardia. It had eight fingers that moved in unnatural ways as if it lacked joints. Parts of the hand were covered in dark blue fur with strange patterns, while the areas without fur had purple, wrinkled skin.
I felt terror take control of my body; I froze on the spot.
The horrifying hand approached the ground and started to touch it with the tips of its creepy fingers…
'Wh-wh-what is this thing doing?'
The more I looked into it, the weirder and weirder it got.
'FUCK IT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!'
''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!''
I swung the sword with all my strength toward it
-Clanck!-
It bounced back…
One of the fingers turned on me and flicked me on the chest.
*gasp
All the air I had left me as I flew a few feet backward.
*cough, cough
''DAMN YOU! I WON'T GO DOWN THAT EASY!''
My screams started to echo throughout the cave all the way back to the surface.
''COME AT ME, YOU BASTARD!!!''
The hand started to move around the cave, and it kept twisting into weird, unnatural angles just like the fingers "searching" for the little bug who bumped into it a few moments ago.
''HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! TAKE THIS!''
Again, I lunge myself into the nightmare-inducing beast's hand in the hopes of at least hurting it a bit, but this time I completely missed!
*vuush
Before I could take another swing, one of the fingers smashed me on my right shoulder, dislocating it.
''ARGH!!!!''
The sword in my hand fell into the ground.
''DAMN IT''
I tried to reach the sword, but before I could, the hand grabbed me.