The Roar’s claws sliced through my mist form with the ferocity of a predator denied its kill. Tendrils of vapor scattered in its wake, twisting and reforming in the stormy air. It couldn’t harm ... not yet. But I knew better than to grow complacent. Creatures like this always found a way.
I needed to buy ti.
With a thought, I summoned two mist clones. They materialized instantly, their forms wreathed in shifting gray tendrils. Without hesitation, they lunged at the Roar, a desperate attempt to divert its attention.
But it didn’t even pause.
The creature’s glowing ash blue eyes flickered, and in that mont, my clones disintegrated. Not just their forms.. their very essence. The backlash hit like a darkness to the chest. A searing pain tore through my mind and soul, threatening to drag out of my mist form entirely. My vision wavered, a kaleidoscope of light and shadow.
I clenched what remained of my will, forcing myself to stay ethereal. If I materialized now, I’d be as good as dead.
Ahead, the desolate village lood closer, its jagged outlines barely visible through the torrent of black muddy battered rain. The storm overhead raged on, multicolored lightning splitting the ashen gray sky in deafening bursts. Yet all of it felt distant.. muted by the sound of my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.
Fear clawed at my insides, raw and suffocating. It was the kind of fear I hadn’t felt since facing the Crimson Death Worm, a terror that threatened to consu .
I was running, but to where? To what end?
The truth gnawed at .
Every move I made was pointless. Running wouldn’t save . Hiding wouldn’t work. If I kept moving, the Roar would eventually catch up, and worse, it might figure out how to harm even in this form. If I stopped and materialized, it would annihilate in a single strike.
There was no escape.
No salvation.
No hope.
This world had no place for the weak or indecisive.
My mist form shooked at the realization, my thoughts sharpening into a singular focus. I needed to adapt, to change. My survival depended on it. I would have to kill it.. or be killed.
I gritted my teeth, allowing my mist to flow in my subconscious, forcing my trembling heart to still. My emotions, the storm of fear and doubt, were shoved into a corner of my mind and locked away. A cold clarity replaced them, my thoughts shrouded in the mist that now ford my body.
The Roar was upon . Its massive fra lood out of the darkness, rain sliding off its sinewy, ash-colored flesh. It didn’t swipe this ti; it had learned. Its intelligence was terrifying, a cold calculation that made it far more dangerous.
Its serpent-like tail slithered behind it, glistening with venom that could lt through any armor or defense. The tail shot forward, aiming to pierce through my very existence.
In that instant, the Lantern of Aureal pulsed.
A golden light erupted from the artifact, warm and blinding, bathing the Roar in its glow. The creature recoiled, letting out an ear-splitting screech that shook the earth beneath us. Its strike faltered, the deadly tail retracting as it staggered back.
Before It could process what had happened, a streak of blue light tore through the storm. It ca from the ruins of the abandoned village, a vortex of energy so fast and precise that my eyes couldn’t track it.
The arrow struck the Roar square in its chest.
The impact detonated with a deafening boom, the force of the explosion tearing through the air and hurling the creature backward. The storm seed to still for a mont, the multicolored lightning frozen in the sky as if ti itself had held its breath.
The Roar’s core, a pulsing, blackened sphere embedded in its chest, cracked.
The beast fell.
The ground trembled as its massive form hit the earth, its body still as smoke covered the area.
I exhaled, the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding escaping in a shudder. My form shifted, the mist coalescing back into flesh and bone. I stood there, human once more, the Lantern of Aureal clutched tightly in my hand.
But my gaze wasn’t on the fallen Roar.
It was on the village.
And the one who had fired the shot.
***
I had been counting on this. Every step, every calculated move, led to this mont. The village was my only advantage... a ruined maze of shattered structures where desperation could masquerade as strategy. I slowed my pace deliberately, testing the limits of my mist clones, learning how far I could stretch them without imdiate detection.
Ahead of , one of the clones... my last gamble gripped my bow. Its ethereal fingers stretched the string taut, materializing an arrow brimming with volatile blue energy. The arrow swirled and twisted, its power barely contained as the vortex pulsed with light.
All I needed was for the Roar to step into range.
The trap was perfect. Everything was already set, it was only remaining for the target to co closer in a reasonable range where the arrow will not miss..
And finally, it paid off, I thought, an exhale escaping ,
But sothing was wrong.
There was no notification. No system prompt.
Wait… don’t tell ...
The Roar burst from the smoke where the arrow’s explosion had landed, its battered form silhouetted against the flashing multicolored lightning in the dark ashen sky. Its massive body, dripping with acidic blue ichor, moved with unrelenting rage.
I froze.
Before I could dematerialize back into mist, its jaws clamped down on my arm with bone-crushing force.
Pain.
It wasn’t just pain.. it was a universe of agony tearing through my nerves. The Lantern of Aureal slipped from my grip, splashing into the black, muddy ground. My instinct scread at to cry out, but I couldn’t afford that luxury. Not now.
The Roar lifted effortlessly, shaking like a predator savoring its kill. Its jagged teeth sank deeper, grinding into the bones of my arm. I could feel them splintering, shattering under its relentless bite.
But I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t stop.
Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I materialized my Mist Sword in my free hand. Its spectral mist created blade shimred faintly, a fragile hope against the overwhelming despair. With every ounce of strength I had left, I drove the blade into the Roar’s flesh.
Dark blue ichor erupted from the wound, splattering across my skin. The acidic blood hissed and bubbled on contact, searing through flesh like molten tal.
"Aaaargh!" The scream tore from my throat despite my resolve, but I kept stabbing. Over and over, I thrust the blade into its body, each strike fueled by desperation.
The Roar’s jaws tightened further, its intent clear.. it wanted to break , to remind that resistance was futile. But I refused to yield.
My attacks grew wild, frantic. I slashed and stabbed, carving into the beast’s flesh, disfiguring it piece by piece. The Mist Sword moved faster and faster until it was a blur of motion, its blade slicing through muscle, bone, and sinew.
And then, finally, my blade struck the cracked core.
The Roar’s body convulsed violently, its jaws loosening as the light in its eyes began to fade. The core shattered under the force of my strike, sending a ripple of dark energy through the air.
Its grip on released, and I collapsed to the ground, my arm mangled and useless. The Roar’s massive body hit the mud with a dull thud, motionless at last.
I didn’t open my eyes imdiately. Roars were cunning creatures, their deaths might often an a deception. But as the monts dragged on, the silence confird what I had hoped.
It was dead.
I forced my blurry vision to focus, staring at the lifeless monstrosity.
[Notification]
A ROAR HAS BEEN DEFEATED [Rank_??]
Killed By: 1
Support: NONE
Vital Imprint Obtained x 60
Vital Imprint Shared: NONE
| Checkpoint! NONE |
My heart pounded slightly as I read the words. I had done it. I had killed my first Roar.
But the cost…
I couldn’t feel my body. My arm was a mangled ruin, and the rest of wasn’t much better. My vision swam, flickering on the edge of unconsciousness. The Mist Sword flickered and vanished, dematerializing as my energy gave out completely.
I wasn’t done.
Before the darkness could take , I dragged myself forward, using my one functional arm. Each movent was a monuntal effort, my body screaming in protest as I clawed through the mud toward the Roar’s corpse.
Its body had already begun to dissolve, ichor pooling beneath it. I couldn’t let it disappear. Not yet.
Using my last reserves of strength, I lifted myself onto my knees and summoned one of my dual daggers. The blade humd with faint orange energy, barely stable.
I didn’t hesitate.
I drove the dagger into the Roar’s stomach, carving through its flesh with brutal speed, ignoring the pain I felt. The acidic ichor burned my hand, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
Finally, I found it.. a writhing black larva nestled deep within its body.
I smiled, blood and ichor dripping from my lips. The victory was hollow, the price too high, but it didn’t matter.
I grabbed the larva with my trembling hand and brought it to my mouth. Without a second thought, I swallowed it whole.
The taste was revolting, a searing bitterness that spread through my body like fire. My vision dimd, the edges of the world collapsing into darkness.
And then, a screen.
[SYSTEM]
YOU’VE ACHIEVED A NEW SECRET EVOLUTION! FROM NOW ON, VITAL IMPRINTS WILL NO LONGER BE YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF EVOLVING.
[EVOLUTION]
SECOND EVOLUTION (55%) — 35% removed
The words faded as the darkness claid , dragging into oblivion.
##$##$
[RE#_V#N$..#]
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