The Cave of Misery (3)

As the Cave of Misery once again fell into silence, Tristan cautiously lowered his guard. His body continued to radiate power, and his sword spun at a slower pace. His other hand glowed with the brilliance of his power shield.

Tristan's breath steadied, and he felt remarkably refreshed as if his earlier expenditure of energy on the colossal blob had invigorated him beyond measure. His eyes gleamed with excitement at the newfound strength coursing through him.

Suddenly, a potent presence registered in his senses, but its origin remained elusive. To his astonishment, this aura emanated with a malevolent and destructive intent directed squarely at him. It was an ability he hadn't known he possessed before.

Trusting his instincts, Tristan called out, "Hello there! Why hide? I know your intent is harm, perhaps even death, but know this: I'll be the one you beg for mercy!"

In the distance, a low growl rumbled. Focusing intensely and sharpening his mental faculties, Tristan pinpointed the sound's source and swiftly turned to face it.

Initially, he heard only the growl, but within moments, two crimson orbs materialized, representing the creature's eyes. It didn't approach with haste but rather strolled leisurely. Its ponderous footsteps reverberated through the Cave's floor, causing the very ground to tremble with each stride.

Tristan decided not to await its approach and attack. He was certain of its malicious intent.

"Argh— super slash beam!!!" Tristan mumbled as he charged his sword, spinning it and releasing several radiant beams with each slash. His slashes created a barrage of beams that pummeled the approaching creature.

The Cave resounded with a deafening thunder as the beams struck their target, hurling it backward and causing the orbs to quiver.

The creature howled in agony and fury, thrown off balance by Tristan's assault. It lay prostrate on the floor for several moments before regaining its footing.

Now upright, the creature charged toward Tristan. As it drew closer, Tristan discerned its true form. It bore a striking resemblance to the entity that had once taken Tristan Quinn's life in New York, albeit vastly larger and more menacing. Its colossal horns exuded a fearsome aura.

"It's you!" Tristan shouted in surprise when he recognized the creature. "I vanquished your smaller form when I was but a feeble human. I shall defeat you now, empowered as I am!" a grin appears on the corner of his lips.

With a burst of energy, Tristan lunged at the oncoming giant, his sword spinning. His body and sword radiated a brilliant bluish light, accompanied by crackling bolts of lightning and a deafening roar. Tristan appeared like a celestial blue meteor charging forth.

Upon impact, a deafening thunderclap echoed within the Cave as Tristan collided with the giant, crushing it beneath his meteoric assault.

Initially, the colossal beast resisted Tristan's charge, pushing back slightly. However, Tristan's relentless slashes dismembered the creature's horns, head, and extremities, reducing it to oblivion. He concluded his onslaught by plunging his sword into the Cave's floor.

The Cave once again descended into silence. Tristan kneeled, leaning on his impaled sword, his breathing measured as he sought to expedite his power's recovery. Meanwhile, the orbs ceased their trembling and resumed their tranquil levitation.

Everything seemed under Tristan's control.

But then...

A cacophony of wild growls shattered the calm of the Cave. The voices came from various points inside, coming from the same creatures that Tristan had just killed. The number appeared substantial, evidenced by the Cave's trembling floor as the enraged beasts pounded their feet.

Tristan's heightened senses allowed him to pinpoint the power signatures of several massive creatures. Their signatures mirrored the one he had recently annihilated, although some exuded even greater power.

Additionally, Tristan detected a seething hatred and rage far more intense than what he had previously encountered.

"The fuck!! More loathsome beasts for me to kill," Tristan mused with a grin. "I hope they provide more of a challenge than the last."

He continued, pulling his sword from the floor and spinning it. With his free hand clenched into a fist, Tristan channeled an immense surge of power, causing his hand to radiate a brilliant bluish light. Raising his luminous fist overhead, he illuminated the surroundings, revealing the Cave's floor and ceiling in vivid detail.

Then, adopting a posture akin to a baseball pitcher, Tristan launched a ball of radiant light from his hand, shouting, "Jet ball attack!"

The luminous projectile streaked through the air, illuminating the Cave as it hurtled toward its intended target—a pack of massive horned beasts.

Tristan infused his fist with the same radiant power without delay. As the first ball struck its mark with a thunderous explosion, he launched a second ball in the opposite direction.

"Jet Ball Attack!" he bellowed as his hand executed another throw.

Tristan became a blazing blue meteor as he propelled himself toward the first ball's intended victims. The pack of giant horned beasts, still writhing in pain from the first blast, faced obliteration as Tristan delivered a super-slash attack, coinciding with the thunderous impact of the second ball.

The meteor-like Tristan methodically obliterated every member of the beastly pack until none remained. He then veered in the opposite direction, decimating the second ball's designated target with equal finality.

The cave fell silent once more, but this newfound tranquility was fleeting.

A thunderous roar scattered the air and deafened Tristan's ears. His sense tingled intensely this time. The power signature was the same, but it had enormous power and came from a single entity.

Strangely, Tristan feels no fear at all. The emotion that envelopes him now is excitement.

Tristan felt so confident with his power this time that he decided to await the thing charge at him. He prepared himself to only block its first attack using his maximum power shield. 

The cave's ground began to quake strongly as the giant thing approached Tristan. The massive thing was not running. It's strolling steadily. And its body was so tall it had to stroll on its hands and knees and hump so its body, including its horns, fit the cave.

It looked exactly like the smaller giants, Tristan had obliterated earlier.

As it got several feet from Tristan, the massive giant stopped. It roared so loud and close to Tristan that the sound wave blew Tristan's cloak and hair. But Tristan managed to stand his ground thanks to his enormous power shield.

After the roar, the massive giant suddenly spoke.