The scream continued, a relentless, guttural noise that clawed at my mind. My veins throbbed with excruciating pain, bulging against my skin like they were alive, pulsating in ti with the deafening wail. It wasn't just noise..... more like a force, an assault on my very being.
Beside , Celia scread too, her voice raw. Her hands clutched at her head, her entire body trembling under the crushing pressure. I wanted to help her, but I could barely hold myself upright. Every second felt like my skull would crack open.
Through the blinding pain, my eyes darted ahead, barely focusing on the grotesque walls of the crimson death worm's stomach. The pulsing, fleshy interior seed to move with the beat of my own frenzied heart.
And then I saw it.... the core.
The monstrous thing throbbed at the center of the worm's body, glowing faintly with a sickly crimson light, shielded by layers of acidic bile and rotting tissue. It pulsated like a heartbeat, feeding life into the abomination.
I gritted my teeth and forced my bow into existence, the familiar weight grounding . The string stretched taut as an arrow materialized, faintly glowing with blue energy. But even holding the bow was a battle. My hands shook violently, my brain screaming in protest, my vision blurring.
The core seed impossibly far, the swirling acid surrounding it distorting its form like a mirage. My focus wavered, the pain threatening to overwhelm .
And then, for a split second, the world went silent.
The screaming in my head dulled, the chaos receded, and a mont of clarity pierced through the noise. I didn't waste it.
I pulled the string back as far as it would go, the glowing arrow vibrating with an intensity that made my arms ache. Blue energy spiraled around it, swirling faster and faster until it ford a violent vortex of light. The pressure on the string was unbearable; it felt like my arm would snap.
'Not today,' I whispered, forcing every ounce of strength into the shot.
The arrow tore through the air, a streak of brilliant blue light that carved through the stomach's acidic walls. It moved so fast it seed to bend reality around it, the air rippling in its wake.
And then it struck.
The arrow pierced the core dead center, and for a mont, the world seed to hold its breath.
A deafening explosion followed, blinding light consuming everything. The core detonated, releasing a wave of energy so powerful it sent staggering back. The walls of the worm's stomach convulsed violently, the crimson flesh beginning to dissolve.
The creature let out one final, guttural wail before its massive body collapsed, the light of its core extinguished.
Then, a familiar screen appeared before , its words etched in glowing white:
[Notification]
You Have Defeated A Death Worm [Rank_D]
Killed By 1
Support 1
Vital Imprint Obtained x2
Vital Imprint Shared - 1
I stared at the notification, my mind swimming with exhaustion. Relief flooded , but it was short-lived. My body ached for rest, my head spinning, but sothing gnawed at the back of my mind.
"Celia," I whispered, panic seizing .
I turned, and there she was, slumped against the dissolving stomach walls, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead. Her chest rose and fell faintly, her breaths shallow. But what struck most was her expression... her lips curled into a weak smile.
"You see, Agon," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the dying echoes of the worm's destruction. "Teamwork... is always the best..."
My heart sank as realization dawned. The deafening scream of the worm... it hadn't affected during the shot.
She had shielded .
The sound barrier. She must have activated it, focusing it entirely on so I could concentrate. She endured the full brunt of that hellish wail alone.
"You idiot," I muttered, my voice breaking. Pain and anger warred within . "Why... why would you do that? You should have used it on yourself?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes fluttered shut, her body going limp.
I surged forward, catching her before she hit the blood-slick floor. Cradling her in my arms, I felt the warmth of her blood staining my hands. My chest tightened, my breaths coming faster.
The crimson death worm's body was disintegrating around us, its flesh dissolving into a fine mist of crimson particles. The nauseating stench of decay began to fade, replaced by a chilling silence.
As the last remnants of the worm vanished, I carried Celia out into the open. The river of blood had receded, leaving behind a dry, cracked path.
I didn't notice Uvan and Jess until they were right in front of , their faces pale and drawn. They looked battered, their armor scorched and dented, but alive.
"Is she okay?" Jess asked, her voice laced with concern. She knelt beside , rummaging through her pack. "I have healing antibiotics. They should help stabilize her."
I nodded silently, too drained to respond.
Jess carefully administered the dicine, tilting Celia's head to let a few drops trickle into her mouth. Monts passed in tense silence, and then, slowly, her breathing steadied.
"She'll be okay," Jess said, offering a small smile. "You did good, Agon."
"Thank you," I muttered, my voice hoarse.
"No problem," Jess replied. "We're a team. That's what matters."
I glanced around. The blood river was gone, its once-chaotic surface replaced by a jagged, desolate pathway. The path ahead was clear now, stretching into the unknown.
None of us spoke. We didn't need to. The sa grim understanding passed between us.
This was only the beginning.
We adjusted our gear, our steps heavy as we continued forward. Each step brought us closer to whatever lay ahead.
Our next agony Awaited.....
[End of Arc_1: The Beginning of Agony]
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