4 Chapter 4 - The Trial (2) (Edited)
Now bristling with fury more than ever, the beast came into Liam's view.
Its piercing eyes glowed with a predatory glint.
Its body, glistening with exertion…
Patches of crimson marred its dark, scaled hide with ragged breathing.
Raising his middle finger, Liam taunted, "Come on, you bull."
He knows this is not necessary. A scream should be more than enough, but he just cannot help it.
He maintained a distance from the creature, every sense heightened to its breaking point.
The beast then roared and charged towards him once more.
The ground is trembling under the behemoth sheer force...
Liam inhaled deeply, the cool air filling his lungs.
His grip tightened on the sharp shards in his hands as he dashed towards one of the taller crystalline structures.
Swiftly, Liam climbed up the towering crystal.
His muscles screamed with exertion, but he pushed through, his survival instincts in full control.
The ground beneath him felt strange, a combination of hard rock and a softer, spongy substancr that seemed to give way slightly under his weight.
It was weird, but he didn't have time to think about it.
As he reached a reasonable height, he looked down at the enraged beast below.
Liam braced himself, holding onto the sharp shards. He aimed and waited.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he launched himself into the air.
His breath hitched as he came closer to the monstrous creature.
In the shimmering light of the crystal, he could make out every detail - the glistening scales, the sharp claws, and the fiery eyes filled with rage.
But as he jumped down, his eyes focused on a particular area of the crystalline field - a towering, sharp, and jagged structure.
Liam repositioned mid-air, angling his body towards it.
As he aimed and with all his strength, he threw the sharp crystal shard.
SWOSSSH!!!
The shard cut through the air like a projectile, embedding itself into the creature's eye.
The beast roared in agony, momentarily blinded.
It rampaged blindly, its large body slamming into the surrounding crystalline structures.
Yet, its crazed movements only led it closer to Liam's intended destination.
Liam landed badly as his body rolled on the ground.
He took a moment to regain his breath, then turned to face the enraged creature.
"Just die, you ugly!" he taunted, throwing another shard to gain the beast's attention.
Blinded by pain and rage, the beast charged toward the source of the sound...
"Time to end this!" Liam shouted, and at the last moment, he jumped out of the beast's path.
Unable to stop its charge, the beast ran straight into the crystalline structure.
The sharp point pierced its chest, penetrating through its scales and flesh.
"GROAAAARRRR!!!"
The beast roared, its voice echoing around the forest before it finally stilled, its massive body dropped against the crystal formation.
Gasping for air, Liam held his gaze steady on the colossal beast, observing as the life in its eyes dimmed.
"Finally!" he screamed in joy, his body collapsing onto the ground from sheer exhaustion.
Every inch of him was in pain, but beneath the throbbing pain, there was an undeniable spark of triumph. He had done it. He had survived against all odds.
A wave of relief washed over him as he sat against the cold, hard ground.
Then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
[Juvenile behemoth eliminated.]
[Engram earned: Young Titan Talon.
Liam directed his focus inward, checking his status window as his mind began to check his new abilities.
STAB!!!
A sudden, searing pain ripped through his back.
He turns his head, only to come face-to-face with a slimy, crystal-like creature.
The monster before him was weird, entirely alien to his understanding. Its form was a weird mix of softness and hardness.
Like a gelatinous slime but made entirely from crystalline rocks, it was a beautiful sight. Its body vibrated in rhythm, refracting light in a hypnotic spectacle of colors.
The monster has a tentacle-like arm that whirls and curls with an eerie fluidity.
Each tentacle sharpened to a deadly point, one of which was chillingly embedded in Liam's back.
"Fuck…" Liam muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
The pain sharpened his senses to an almost unbearable clarity, and as he staggered forward, he noticed more of these crystalline beings emerging from the ground.
They moved unnaturally, their bodies flowing like liquid...
Overwhelmed with pain, Liam try to run away….
But the creature surrounds him, the crystalline sharp tentacle thrust into him.
Each new stab sent a fresh wave of pain through his already battered body.
Shadows danced at the edge of his vision, the world blurring in and out of focus.
The taste of copper was heavy in his mouth…
With each draw of breath growing harder than the last.
"Of all the damn... luck...!" Liam cursed. Just when he dropped his guard for a moment, he got ambushed. He feels like the world just wants him to die no matter what.
As the edges of his vision dimmed, snippets of his life began to flash before him.
The naive joy of his first birthday party, the teenage thrill of his first crush, and the comforting warmth of family gatherings.
These fleeting moments of joy were quickly overshadowed…
His father's mysterious disappearance, the hardships that etched lines of worry onto his mother's face, and the shared tears of sorrow that came afterward.
Then, the most heart-wrenching memory of all: the news of his mother's death…
That was the moment his determination hardened into an unyielding resolve.
The countless experiences came rushing back in a torrent of memories.
There were still so many things left undone, so many promises unfulfilled.
A pang of regret twisted in his chest, as wave of pain wrecking his body. His thoughts drifted to the people he'd left behind.
"Mom, Dad... everyone... I'm sorry..."
He had failed them, failed himself. And now, he would never get the chance to make things right.
As the world started to disappear, the distant voice, cold and neutral, echoed in his mind.
[You are dead.] With those chilling words confirming his fate, Liam's world faded into oblivion.
