NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: Inside the Core (3)
Chapter 10: Inside the core (3)
Will slashed relentlessly at the wind barrier, sparks flying each time the Plagued Ravager struck. The flashes illuminated the dark sky as his weapon clashed against the invisible wall. He had been at it for an hour, tirelessly trying to find a weakness in the barrier that trapped them. The Proudful Griffin, wings beating furiously, showed signs of struggle.
Both of them knew that if the griffin faltered for even a second, they would be sliced into a dozen pieces.
Realizing the current approach was getting them nowhere, Will dived below, closer to the bottom of the barrier, repeating the same strikes over and over again.
Nothing.
Will frowned, frustration creeping in. 'I wonder what other things the Griffin can do,' he muttered. His mind raced, and he summoned his runes to inspect the Proudful Griffin's description.
….
Echo: Proudful Griffin
Echo Type: Monster
Echo Core: Awakened
Echo Attributes: [Flight], [Sharp Talons]
Echo Description: A mutated Griffin that was devoured by a parasite, turning into a Nightmare Creature.
….
"Hey, how about using your talons, Griffin?" Will asked. "We haven't tried that yet, so might as well." His energy was nearly depleted, the constant strain of maintaining the griffin draining his essence.
By his rough estimate, he had only ten minutes left before he would be completely tapped out.
The Griffin, as if responding to the urgency, charged toward the top of the barrier, its razor-sharp talons extended. At subsonic speed, it struck the barrier with incredible force, shattering through it. Will blinked in surprise. The barrier was still up, but they had passed through unscathed.
A soft laugh escaped Will's lips. "All that effort, and you do it in one go. Good job, Griffin."
The Griffin puffed out its chest in a prideful display, showing off its strength and agility. Will chuckled. "This damn thing really loves to show off."
"Should I give you a name?" he mused, but the griffin simply ignored him, flying toward the moon without a second glance.
"Alright, we'll discuss it later," Will sighed. With his battle axe in hand, he locked his sights on the moon. They were closing in, and he was ready to destroy it. Five meters left... four... three...
"May I perhaps know what you are doing?" a familiar voice echoed. Gluttony appeared in front of them, its figure shimmering in the moonlight.
Will didn't respond. He swung his battle axe toward the figure, fully intending to cleave it in half.
Or so he thought.
The blade bounced off the figure as if it were made of jelly. Gluttony laughed. "That tickled."
"Get out of the way, tubby!" Will growled, his irritation spilling over.
"My word, are you body-shaming?" Gluttony smirked, seemingly unbothered.
Will ignored the figure and turned his focus back on the moon, now just inches away. He swung his weapon once more, but this time, it was blocked by Gluttony's outstretched hand.
"Don't ignore me," Gluttony said, sounding almost hurt. "I'm quite offended by your words. And also, I told you to break the barrier, not go through it."
"I don't give a damn." Will gritted his teeth, he was out of it. He had enough of all this nonsense that's happening to him. One after the other, he already struggled with the giant, he struggled surviving the first core. And now the unexpected guardian, guarding this core was already just too much. He just wanted to end it instantly.
"I'll fucking destroy that core, even if it means killing you."
"My, my. You really want to fight, don't you?" Gluttony's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Words are useless toward someone like you, huh? Fine. If action is what you need, I'll oblige. After all, thick-headed people need messages sent through force."
Will's eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on the axe. "Finally. Let's get this over with."
Gluttony sighed dramatically. "I don't have a weapon on me, so I suppose I'll fight with my fists." The figure descended toward the ground, Will following closely behind as he unsummoned the Griffin. He dropped into a fighting stance, ready for whatever comes next.
"As a figure of nobility and fairness," Gluttony began, his voice taking on a regal tone, "I should inform you that I can convert my fat into muscle at will."
Will watched in disgust as Gluttony's body began to transform. His massive bulk hardened, the fat shrinking away and giving way to thick, bulging muscles. The figure now stood a towering ten feet tall, veins pulsing across its frame.
Gluttony cracked his knuckles, his fists clenched tightly. "Are you ready?" Gluttony grinned, an eerie smile spreading across his face. "Because I'm going to hit you in one go."
Gluttony swung a massive fist toward Will, the sheer force of the punch creating a small crater in the ground as Will dodged just in time. He gulped nervously, the power behind the blow undeniable, but he had faced death before. This was just another obstacle. The two clashed head-to-head, Will constantly blocking Gluttony's relentless attacks, stumbling under the pressure, but recovering just as quickly. Each time he rose, he was more determined, his instincts guiding him.
"How?!" Gluttony bellowed in frustration, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You haven't eaten in days, and yet you're still able to fight me?!"
Will didn't respond. His mind was consumed by adrenaline, his body fueled by the influence of his memory— Plagued Ravager, the powerful axe feeding his motivation, pushing him past the limits of hunger and exhaustion. His body was broken, on the verge of collapse, but his eyes burned with conviction. He was a beast now, running on pure survival instincts. And he was going to kill the creature in front of him this enemy who had wasted his time with mind games and taunts.
With each swing of his axe, Will's attacks became faster, more powerful. He pressed forward, driving Gluttony to the defensive, forcing the figure back step by step. The more Gluttony retreated, the less fight remained in him.
"H-how? How are you overpowering me?" Gluttony's voice wavered, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Will was panting heavily, his breath ragged. His bloodshot eyes glared with feral intensity. Blood dripped from his nose, and his face was gaunt, malnourished, but his body was still brimming with lean, hardened muscle.
"Y-you're insane!" Gluttony cried, his voice trembling. "You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up!"
But Will wasn't listening. There was no sanity left in him. Gluttony wasn't facing a man anymore— he was staring into the eyes of a wild animal. A predator, hungry for blood. Gluttony felt fear, a deep, primal fear that made him shudder.
'Me? Afraid?' Gluttony thought, his teeth grinding together in frustration. 'Why am I afraid of him? Why?!'
In a desperate move, Gluttony launched another powerful punch, this one faster than before, aimed to crush Will once and for all. But Will dodged again, this time more fluid, more precise. In one swift motion, he sidestepped and countered, aiming directly for Gluttony's neck.
Will jumped onto Gluttony's back, slashing at his neck with his axe. The blows hit with incredible force, but Gluttony's skin was too tough to pierce through immediately. Will grunted, hammering his axe repeatedly, cutting through slowly but surely.
Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die! That thought repeated in Will's mind as his strikes became more vicious, more desperate. The world around him blurred into nothingness, all that mattered was finishing off his prey.
Finally, Gluttony dropped to his knees, blood pooling around him. He was barely breathing, his voice weak. "You… you're a madman. Why would you do this to yourself?"
Will stood over him, panting heavily, his eyes crazed, his mouth watering. There was no answer to Gluttony's question. Will wasn't thinking anymore his mind had shut down, leaving only one thing in its place— hunger.
Gluttony, terrified, realized what was about to happen. He tried to crawl back, but it was too late. Will lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Gluttony's face, tearing off a piece of flesh. Blood spiraled into the air as Gluttony screamed in agony, his voice filled with pain and terror. His blood and tears only fueled Will further, each bite a twisted form of satisfaction. It was unlike anything Will had ever tasted, a morbid bliss washing over him with every piece he devoured.
The screams began to fade as Gluttony's body went limp. The prey was dead, its skin mangled and torn, looking as though a vulture had picked it apart.
Will stopped eating, his body trembling. His mind, now quiet, began to slip into darkness. Exhaustion finally caught up with him, his bloodshot eyes slowly turning white again. His body, light and weak, collapsed beside the lifeless corpse. The blood of his prey was still fresh on his lips as he lay motionless, unconscious.
The moon overhead continued its slow march across the sky, casting a pale light over the gruesome scene.
[You have slain an Awakened Demon, Gluttony]
Gluttony's corpse slowly disintegrated into dust, leaving Will alone in the silent aftermath of the battle.
Above him, the moon stood high, its light casting a gentle glow across the land. The transformation was immediate and breathtaking. The once desolate and ruined landscape began to shift, becoming more vibrant by the second. A lush field of grass sprouted from the dry earth, and flowers bloomed in all directions, filling the air with the scent of spring. Trees that had once been lifeless and twisted began to grow, their branches stretching upward toward the now clear, starry sky.
Water filled the gorges and cliffs, turning the barren landscape into a thriving paradise.
Hours passed in peaceful silence. A delicate butterfly fluttered down, landing softly on Will's nose, stirring him from his slumber. He groaned, his body aching all over. "What... happened?" he mumbled, his voice low and hoarse. Every muscle in his body screamed with pain, and it took all his strength just to sit up. When he finally did, his eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.
"Did I conquer the second core?" he whispered, mesmerized by the beauty that surrounded him. The air was crisp, the stars glittering overhead in a sky no longer shrouded by clouds. For a moment, he simply sat there, taking it all in.
Suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[You have satisfied the Spell]
[The Spell gives you two choices]
[Leave or Continue]
Will blinked, baffled by the sudden turn of events. "This is a whole new level of an unexpected scenario," he muttered. "Can I really leave the nightmare? If I do that... then what will happen?"
He considered the options. He could leave, return to the Academy, and reunite with his friends—or he could continue, pressing onward toward the seventh core. The thought of growing stronger, of achieving his ultimate goal, was exhilarating. The temptation to push forward gnawed at him.
With a grin, Will made his decision. "I guess I'll conquer the entire giant, then."
As soon as the thought solidified in his mind, another notification flashed before him.
[6/7 cores remain]
Adrenaline surged through Will's veins, the pain in his body fading as a newfound energy overtook him. He summoned the Proudful Griffin, which appeared at his side, wings gleaming in the moonlight.
"Fly toward the moon," Will commanded, and the griffin obeyed, shooting into the sky at subsonic speed. The wind whipped around them as they soared higher and higher, the moon looming large in front of them. With a swing of his sword, Will struck the celestial body, shattering it into pieces.
[You have destroyed a core.]
[5/7 cores remain]
As they flew among the shattered fragments of the moon, Will grinned widely, the thrill of victory coursing through him. "From now on, I'll call you Lucifer," he said, patting the griffin's side.
Lucifer squealed in response, their figure glowing as brightly as the moon fragments that slowly descended to the vibrant land below.
Then, without warning, a small flash of light appeared in the sky, and before Will could react, both he and Lucifer vanished, disappearing into the night without a trace.