Clyde kept hunting, he needs to get stronger. His sword cutting through the endless waves of desert born monstrosities. Hours passed, but he remained relentless, his body moving with incredible speed and each of his attack were measured to keep as much destruction as possible.
Every monster he faced was stronger than the last. The deeper he ventured into the ruined desert the more vicious and unnatural these creatures became.
Some had bloated and pulsating bodies that oozed blackened ichor with every wound. The black ichor were strong acid that can melt stones. Others had crystalline exoskeletons that shimmered under the sun, nearly impervious to normal attacks.
However, Clyde wasn’t fazed. His attack wasn’t just some normal attack after all.
He unleashed [Pure Lightning], his body surging with crackling lighting power as he dashed forward in a blurty motion and slicing through a towering scorpion monster creature before it could even react.
Sparks danced along its segmented body as it convulsed, its exoskeleton burning from the inside out before it collapsed into a heap of charred remains.
Another monste appeared. It was a towering bipedal beast with molten cracks running along its stone-like flesh.
The monster let out a guttural roar and charged at him. Clyde barely spared it a glance. He raised his hand and activated [Burning Hand], his palm igniting with swirling fire. Then he launched a concentrated wave of fire at the monster.
The firestorm engulfed the monster in an instant. It shrieked as flames that enhanced with Demon energy ate away at its rocky hide, melting through the cracks and danced through its body, frying it from the inside. Within seconds, the creature was nothing but smoldering rubble.
Clyde sighed, his breath steady. There was still no time to rest.
A sudden tremor shook the ground, and from beneath the cracked earth a monstrous centaur like beast emerged.
Its upper body resembled a gaunt mummified humanoid with elongated arms ending in jagged claws. Its lower half was a grotesque fusion of insectoid legs and pulsating tendrils that burrowed deep into the sand.
The creature screeched, letting out an unnatural sound. Clyde just looking at it with flat look. No matter how menacing it is, there’s no monster in a Ruin that can make him flinch at this point. Because he alredy knew something much worse than them.
It lunged at him, its many limbs flailing wildly.
Clyde responded instantly and disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing above the monster’s head. His hand flared with fire and lightning as he activated [Burning Hand] and [Pure Lightning] together once more.
Then, he drove his flaming fist into the creature’s skull.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Fire and lightning exploded outward, burning through its flesh and bone.
The monster howled, its body convulsing violently as the combined forces of heat and electricity tore it apart from within.
A final sickening crack echoed across the wasteland and the creature collapsed, its massive frame sinking lifelessly into the sand.
A familiar chime rang in Clyde’s mind.
He checked his status. Level 202.
Clyde clenched his fists, watching the energy still flickering around his hands. He had grown stronger. But even now, he felt it wasn’t enough.
Without hesitation, he turned and took off into the desert once more.
The air was getting heavier. But Clyde didn’t notice any of it — he was too focused on finding and killing more monsters. Deep down, he knew he was in an unknown situation, and that terrified him. So he kept up this relentless slaughter, using it as a way to calm his mind.
Now that he knew the creature’s name... what was going to happen to him?
Suddenly, another telepathic call came from Asqa. Clyde didn’t stop killing. He kept slaughtering monsters while receiving Asqa’s message.
"Asqa, what’s going on?" Clyde asked in his mind.
"I just finished gathering information and found something... concerning. That’s why I think I need to tell you about this."
Clyde’s forehead wrinkled at her words. Something concerning? What could it be?
"Tell me." His sword sliced through another monster, cleaving it in half. Then, he turned his attention to another one approaching from the opposite direction.
"The fragment, Clyde. The scholars in Archangel Uriel’s domain have started researching it. Some are even trying to decipher the language written on it. But the moment they started... they began to change."
"What do you mean? Change how?" Clyde asked.
"They... they say they started hearing whispers. Indistinct at first, but constant. Some of them are having trouble sleeping, even resting. They say the whispers keep telling them to continue their work."
Clyde gritted his teeth. This was bad. Really bad. That fragment and the runes must have come from the unknown creatures. And now, those creatures had begun spreading their influence to anyone who touched the fragment or tried to study it.
"Asqa, I need you to stay away from that fragment and the runes," Clyde said, his tone filled with concern.
"Why? Do you know something?"
"I know... something. Something terrible. Just listen to me. Do not go near that fragment. Stop looking for information."
Asqa was silent for a few seconds while Clyde kept cutting down monsters. But he could feel her unease — she was growing restless. And then, fear.
"A-Alright, Clyde. I won’t look into it anymore," Asqa finally said.
With that, the telepathic link between them was severed. Clyde’s worry only grew. His strikes became more relentless, more brutal — each swing of his blade a reflection of his frustration.
Night finally fell upon the Ruins. Clyde’s lightning and fire flashed through the darkness, illuminating the wasteland. He had killed thousands of monsters, yet now he was struggling to find another one.
So he simply stood there, alone in the middle of the desert, his breath long and heavy.
He looked up at the sky, his heart filled with fear.
"It’s coming... It’s really coming."