51 Chapter 45: Reality is often...Disappointing!
[ Trial of ??????]
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They hadn't noticed him yet, focused as they were on a discussion about the monsters they'd encountered.
Grim was wondering how he would go about communicating with them, was that even possible as a monster?
He wanted to communicate, to make them understand he was not a threat...yet.
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As Grim approached, so far unnoticed, he overheard their conversation.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in any Languages he understood, it sounded like a mix between French and Mandarin, which was a weird comparison but that's what it sounded like to him.
Eldric was the first to speak, he wore black bulky armour and had a claymore strapped to the right side of his waist.
He had no helmet so his features were visible, blonde hair, blue eyes, the typical boy next door look."Keep your eyes peeled, the deeper we go, the deadlier the monsters become."
Brond laughed, and a deep rumbling sound came from his throat, he was a mountain of a man, gruff, messy hair, with a long brown bread.
He didn't wear any armour preferring the hyde of the animals he's killed. He didn't use any weapons preferring his trusty fists instead. "I'm ready for whatever this cave throws at us! Be it 10 or 100 Brekeer Rats."
Lia chided in next, she was the assassin of the group, she wore shorts, very light armour and wielded two Iron-enchanted daggers.
She was not only the assassin but also the scout of the party. "Don't get too cocky. We're not invincible in here."
Miri, clutching her staff, nodded in agreement.
She was the last member of the party, a last-minute addition, she was small, fair and didn't look like a fighter at all, that's because she wasn't, she was the mage healer, an important role in any party."Do you guys feel like something is watching us?"
Suddenly, Lia's eyes narrowed. "Wait, something's there," she whispered, pointing towards Grim's direction.
The party quickly formed a defensive circle, facing the threat.
Eldric stepped forward, his voice calm yet commanding. " Lia, protect Miri for now, we're facing a basilisk and it seems like a mutated one at that." He said looking at the odd colour of the head.
"Brond, they have poisonous fangs and can spit venom, try avoiding any—..."
"HAHAHAHA COME HERE YOU UNEVOLVED RAPTILLAN" Brond completely ignored Eldric, running right into the danger.
"—Direct...confrontation..."
"Sigh...I'll stay just in front, while Brond is distracting it try to find an opening, their weakness is their underside and poor vision, but they have amazing hearing. If you find an opening...take it."
With a plan in motion, Eldric lunged forward, mana circulated throughout his body before diverting that energy to his now unsheathed claymore.
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Grim, realizing a confrontation was inevitable, decided to reveal himself. As he slithered into the light, the adventurers gasped.
"Hes huge, is he really a basilisk" Miri exclaimed, her voice a mix of fear and trepidation.
Eldric raised his hand, signalling for them to calm down. "Dont panic, and keep to the plan."
But Grim's monstrous appearance left little room for diplomacy. Brond charged forward, a battle cry escaping on his lips. "For glory!"
The fight erupted, as brond was the first to make contact, his fist recoiled back before throwing a straight.
Grim dodged the punch, with a frightening level of speed, no one expected the basilisk to move so fast.
Flicking his tail, Brond gasped as he felt all the oxygen leave his lungs with that single hit.
Grim went to strike the hunched-over Brond a second time, but someone intervened.
Eldric parried Grim's tail, steel clashing against scale, that was enough for Brond to get his breath back and quickly jump away from the venom that was spat in his direction.
The ground where he just stood turned into molten rock, Brond's eyes widened and so did the rest of the parties.
Seeing as there were no other monsters in the vicinity, Lia thought Miri should be safe so she went on the offensive.
She danced around Grim, her daggers finding gaps in his defences. "You picked the wrong party to mess with!"
She appeared and disappeared in a flash, appearing by Grims right then left in seconds.
Grim was getting annoyed now, he twisted his body and slammed his head to the ground creating a shock wave that made Lia, Eldric and Brond retreat temporarily.
Miri all the way at the back chanted, her magic weaving protective barriers around her comrades. "Stay strong, everyone!"
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But despite their valiant efforts, Grim's sheer size and strength overwhelmed them.
He was quick, strong, intelligent...and most of all...Ruthless.
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Miri couldn't understand it, one moment they were doing so well, they only needed one chance to take down the behemoth...and now...now they were all...
The first to fall was Lia.
She had been keeping up with the plan, but unfortunately, she became cocky, she thought she saw an opportunity to strike its underbelly, but Eldric saw the trap.
He had forgotten one crucial piece of information about basilisks...they could use the weaker scales on the underside to spear predators.
"LIAAAAAAAAAA..."
But it was too late...
"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!....Crack!!!"
What came next could only be described as horrific, blood danced through the air and stained the cave floor...
What was left of Miri, was only mismatched blood, organs, and crushed bones.
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The second to fall was Brond, enraged by his friend's death he threw away any thoughts of following the plan, no, now he just wanted revenge.
But that too was short-lived, as he was soon after stabbed in the chest by Grim's tail.
Brond was then thrown up into the air and burned alive by the venom Grim spat at him, his screams reverberating throughout the cave, before finally dying out.
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Finally, only two remained...
Eldric seeing two of his most precious friends die, was in agony, his heart felt like it was about to explode from his chest, and the only thing stopping him from attacking the monster with his strongest sword technique was Miri.
If he performed while in the vicinity she would be unable to handle or block the aftershock.
He needed her to leave the cave before he could unleash it and destroy Grim for good...but reality is often disappointing.
Before he could, even call out to Miri, the barrier that was once surrounding him shattered...
His life flashed by as memories from his birth to this moment repeated in his mind.
The last thing he saw was the look of despair on Miri's face before darkness enveloped his vision...
Grim bit down, blood spluttering around as the now headless corpse of Eldric fell to the ground.
"..."
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And then there was one...
