Renard was just about to kneel near Iris when—
ROAR!
A defying roar split the air.
And from the shadows.
Thud! Thud!
A silhouette stepped forward.
Grrr!
It growled low and stopped just a few feet from them.
Renard’s face drained of all color.
"N-No way... how could...?"
His knees buckled as he stumbled back. All that confidence, arrogance had been stripped off from him.
He skidded on the dirt, legs refusing to listen.
The guards who had pinned Alaric jolted upright. Their hands gripped their hilts, knuckles white, but none drew. Not yet.
Gulp!
One of them swallowed, hard.
"I-It’s... it’s a Terror-class beast."
Renard’s head turned to him slowly, almost not understanding.
"C-Can’t you do something about it, sir?"
Sir?
Had it been any other day, the guard might’ve smirked.
Might’ve laughed inside at the sudden honorific from the same noble brat who once called him useless bootlicker of his father, for not able do a thing for him.
But not now. Not when death had eyes and teeth.
The guard just shook his head, voice low.
"We’re doomed, young master."
ROAR!
The Dreadmaw Direfang roared again.
Its paws crushed loose stone beneath it as it stepped forward. Saliva fell like strings from its open jaws, steam puffing from its nostrils.
Every single one of them flinched. And then...
It began to prowl.
Slowly and deliberately.
The predator had chosen its prey.
The guards unshackled their fear just enough to unsheathe their swords.
Steel rang in the air, but their hands trembled.
Renard’s eyes darted, wild and desperate.
Then he snapped his head to the Glimor guards.
"You! Take it down, go!"
They stood frozen.
"I said GO!" he barked.
And like broken dogs, they obeyed.
Their swords rose, legs shaky, breath unsteady.
Then with one last flicker of hesitation, they charged.
ROAR!
The Dreadmaw met them halfway.
Its claw came in a blur.
CRACK!
Claws met bone and shattered it.
One guard was torn from shoulder to stomach, his insides spilling like kicked wine.
The second barely managed to scream before the beast’s jaws closed on his torso.
The other guards turned to run.
But then, Renard pointed at Alaric.
"You three! Give him to it!"
The guards obeyed.
Two men grabbed Alaric’s arms, he thrashed, cursed, fought, but the third drove a fist into his gut.
Then—
THUD!
They hurled him toward the beast like discarded meat.
Alaric hit the ground hard, pain flaring across his ribs.
His hands scraped the dirt.
He rolled over, just in time to see them.
Renard and his guards. All of them sprinting toward the cave’s exit.
Leaving them behind.
As bait.
The dying guard’s scream echoed, high, panicked.
Then silence.
The other one lay flat, chest heaving.
Still alive, for now.
He picked himself up with a grunt, face bloodied, eyes locked in a final resolve.
With a guttural shout, he lunged again, a swing aimed at the beast’s flank.
The Dreadmaw turned its head lazily.
And.
CRUNCH!
His scream was shorter.
Then—
BOOM!
Alaric turned his head and saw, dust exploded from the cave mouth, burying the entrance under tons of debris.
Rocks settled there and light was gone.
"Damn those fuckers."
Alaric spat, fingers curling around the sword hilt beside him.
[WARNING: DANGER! Host is advised to leave the area immediately.]
"Yeah? Where the fuck do you think I can go?"
His voice was low, "We’re trapped, in case you didn’t notice."
The beast then turned.
Its eyes locked on them. Saliva hung from its fangs, long and stringy mixed with blood.
Iris whimpered, curled on the ground.
Thud! Thud!
It started forward again, slow and deliberate, savoring their fear.
Alaric’s jaw clenched.
"Fuck it."
Buy three Anderaline pills.
[Confirmed.]
[-150 Domination Points.]
[Items added to inventory.]
Iris stiffened and shut her eyes as the beast began lumbering toward them.
Tears spilled silently down her cheeks, her fingers trembling as they pressed against her lips to muffle her breath.
Alaric stood in front of her, blade clenched so tightly his knuckles paled.
"So that’s how it is, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "Died once, reborn... just to die again like this?"
He swallowed hard and pulled out the first pill.
And without hesitation, he bit into it.
A rush of heat surged through his limbs, sharp and electrifying.
[Warning: Physical stability compromised. Host isn’t recommended to take another.]
Stats:
STR: 15 —> 45
AGI: 14 —> 42
END: 14 —> 42
WIL: 21 —> 63
CHA: 25 —> 75
INT: 13 (??) —> 39
Then he popped the second.
[Warning: Physical stability compromised. Host isn’t recommended to take another.]
But the warning meant nothing to him.
The second dose was different, less warmth, more agony. His veins felt like they were being pulled taut, his heart slamming against his ribs like a war drum.
His muscles screamed, his breath shortened, but he didn’t stop.
Stats:
STR: 45 —> 135
AGI: 42 —> 126
END: 42 —> 126
WIL: 63 —> 189
CHA:75 —> 225
INT: 39 (??) —> 117 (??)
But before her could take the third pill.
THUMP!
A deafening thump rang in his ears, like a pulse ripping through time.
His vision blurred. His body shook. Blood began dripping from the corner of his eyes, his ears, his nose. He clenched his jaw hard enough to chip a tooth.
And then—
Thud!
He dropped to one knee, his whole body shaking.
What... the hell?
His hands twitched. His sword fell from his grip for a moment, clattering beside him.
Drip! Drip!
The blood kept flowing.
The system’s warnings came in rapid succession now, buzzing like an angry wasp in his skull.
[Warning: Anderaline surge exceeding safe threshold.]
[Warning: Neural link destabilizing.]
[Warning: Cease consumption immediately.]
[Host, why don’t you listen?]
Then—
Crack!
A sharp noise echoed from within his chest. His body twitched, jerking unnaturally, veins glowing faintly beneath his skin as if lit from within.
He grabbed his head, groaning, breath torn from his lungs.
Pain.
Pure, raw, unrelenting pain surged through his body, like his bones were being crushed inward, his flesh twisted from the inside out.
A sickening sound of fractures and muscle tearing followed, and he dropped to both knees, clawing at the ground.
The Dreadmaw Direfang halted for a moment, eyes gleaming with malicious curiosity, watching the last struggle of this pathetic, puny human.
Iris then slowly opened her eyes, sensing some strange.
And just her gaze fell on the boy, groaning in pain, her eyes widened.
Her voice cracked as she whispered, "A-Alaric..."
She tried to move, to crawl toward him, but her limbs refused to answer. Her heart pounded faster, and her breath caught halfway up her throat.
Alairc screamed again.
The pain didn’t stop.
And the pills effect wore off.
But it only worsen his suffering.
[Emergency: Body integrity below survivable margin.]
[Attempting emergency stabilization...]
[1%... 10%... 30%... Failed!]
[Re-Attempting emergency stabilization...]
[1%... 10%... 15%... Failed!]
[Re-Attempting emergency stabilization...]
[1%... 2%... Failed!]
...
[...]
[Sigh!]
[Activating Protocol: DEEP SYSTEM MODE]
[Initializing...]
[1%... 30%...]
[50%... 80%...]
[99%... 100%!]
[Override Accepted]
[Deactivating Limiters]
[System Shutting down: 1%... 5%... 15%...]
Alaric’s body stilled.
A hush fell over the cave.
[25%... 30%...]
And then—
Whoom!
A suffocating pressure bloomed in the air.
Like the entire cave had suddenly been dropped into the depths of the sea.
The Dreadmaw stopped mid-step, its claws dragging lightly across the stone floor.
It let out a low growl, likely unsure or hesitant.
The fractures across Alaric’s body began to mend, slowly knitting together with an eerie calmness.
[31%... 33%...]
Soft pulses of light rippled through his skin.
His ash-brown hair darkened. Shade bled through each strand until it turned into obsidian black, with red undertone.
[40%... 45%...]
He rose. Slowly. Steadily.
[46%... 47%...]
When he opened his eyes, they weren’t his old hazel eyes.
Burning Crimson-red met gaze met the Dreadmaw’s dim golden eyes.
Then he spoke in a calm, unhurried but cold tone.
"What’s a mutt doing here?"
[49%... 49%... 49%!]
---------------------
Chapter End!
[Ding!]
[A/N]
[Yo guys, welcome back. Thank you for reading this far. This marks the end of the free Chapters, I’ll be locking from the next one. Bye bye, take care. And. Enjoy.]
[Ding!]
[Close!]