Lily darted to the side again, her spear held tightly in her hands. The creature's claw swung toward her, the force of the attack sending a gust of wind that nearly knocked her off balance.
She rolled away, but the claw struck her side once again. This time she was less fortunate, as it left a deep cut that began bleeding, a lot. Her breathing was shallower and her throat felt dry, but she couldn't afford to stop. Just a little longer, she thought, her eyes darting toward Ethan. He needs time.
Victor moved in from the other side, his knife glinting in the dim light as he slashed at the creature's legs.
His strikes were precise, aimed at the joints, but the creature's thick exoskeleton made it nearly impossible to penetrate. Still, his attacks were enough to keep the creature's attention divided.
"Stay focused!" Victor shouted.
The creature roared, its massive claws slashing wildly at Victor and Lily. Its movements were slower now, its focus split between the two of them, but each swing was still devastatingly powerful.
Victor managed to dodge a blow that would have cleaved him in two, the claw grazing his face and leaving a small cut through his eyebrow. Thanking his lucky stars it didn't get his eye, he hissed in pain, but he didn't falter.
---
Ethan watched from the sidelines, his axe gripped tightly in both hands. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for the right moment to strike. This is it, he thought, his muscles tense with anticipation. I've got one shot at this.
He focused his mana, feeling it surge through his limbs as he prepared to charge. The creature's massive form loomed before him, its legs like tree trunks. Ethan took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto the creature's knee. If I can hit it with everything I've got I should be able to bring it down.
"Now!" Sam shouted, his voice sounding out through the chamber. "Ethan, go!"
He didn't hesitate, charging forward, his axe raised high. The creature's head turned toward him, but it was too slow to react. Ethan swung the axe with all his strength, the blade striking the creature's knee with a loud crack.
The impact sent a shockwave through his arms. The creature's exoskeleton only cracked a little despite the all-out attack from Ethan.
Damn it! Ethan used his anger as fuel and swung again, aiming for the same spot. The blade cut deeper, and the creature let out a deep cry, its knee buckling slightly under the force of the blow.
The others did everything they could to stop the creature from dealing with Ethan. They screamed, they stabbed at it recklessly, they ran around frantically, dodging its attacks all in the name of keeping it distracted.
"It's working!" Ethan shouted, his voice filled with determination. He swung again, the blade striking with relentless force. The creature's knee buckled further, its massive form swaying as it struggled to maintain its balance.
---
Lily watched as Ethan's strikes began to take effect, the creature's movements becoming more sluggish. He's actually doing it, her heart raced. She thrust her spear toward the creature's other leg to keep its attention on her. The creature let out a frustrated roar, its attention constantly being drawn away.
"Keep going!" Lily shouted, her voice was getting weaker. "We've almost got it!"
Victor darted forward, his knife striking at the other knee, which Lily had been attacking. The blade barely had an effect, but it was enough to draw the creature's attention away from Ethan, even if just for a moment. We're close, just a little more.
Ethan swung his axe again, the blade striking the creature's knee with a loud crack. This time, the exoskeleton gave way, its knee buckling under the force of the blow and its own weight. The creature let out a deafening roar, its massive form collapsing to the ground.
"Now!" Ethan shouted, his voice filled with unbridled fighting energy. "We've got it!"
Everyone except Lily moved in unison, their attacks frantic as they aimed for the creature's head. Victor wildly struck at its neck. Ethan continued to swing his axe with all his strength, the blade striking the creature's eye again and again.
The creature let out one final grunt as it stopped moving, its struggles ceasing.
"We did it," Ethan said, his voice filled with disbelief. "We actually did it."
---
They stood around the fallen creature, their breaths heavy and laboured. The chamber was eerily quiet now, save for the faint humming of the crystals on the walls.
The creature's body began to dissolve into dust, leaving no trace of the battle that had just taken place. The group was too exhausted to care about why or how—they wanted nothing more than to rest.
Lily was the only one not standing with them. She had collapsed earlier, a small pool of blood had formed. She was deathly pale, breathing shallow, the deep cut on her side bleeding profusely. She clutched the wound, her hands trembling as she tried to slow the flow of blood.
"Lily!" Ethan's voice was filled with concern. He dropped his axe and rushed to her side, his hands fumbling for the healing salve and bandages. "Hold on, I've got you."
Lily winced as Ethan applied the salve to her wound, the familiar medicinal smell filling the air. She clenched her fists, trying to ignore the sting, but the pain was overwhelming.
Ethan wrapped the bandages tightly, his movements quick but careful. "You're going to be alright," he said, his voice reassuring despite the worry in his eyes. "Just take it easy for a bit."
Lily nodded, her face was still pale but her breathing was steadying. She lay on the floor, her eyes closed as she rested.
---
AJ, who had finally regained consciousness, slowly made his way over to the group. His slimy body quivered faintly, a sign that he was still recovering from the creature's powerful kick. He rippled slightly, his voice echoing softly.
"I'm... sorry," he said. "Couldn't... help. Let you... all down."
Victor glanced at AJ, his expression softening. "You didn't let us down," he said. "That thing was too strong for any of us to handle alone. We're a team, remember? We win together, and we lose together."
AJ rippled again, his form shifting as if nodding. "Will do... better... next time."
Victor sat down, his back against the wall as he tended to his wounds. The cut on his eyebrow wasn't deep, and the healing salve stung. He knew the scar would likely stick around, but he didn't care. Scars were a proof of survived hardships, and he had a couple of those already.
He glanced at his arm, where the bandages had been torn during the fight. The wound was still bleeding, though not as badly as before. Victor took off the old bandages and rewrapped the wound tightly.
Walter leaned on his cane as he looked at the others. He could see the exhaustion in their faces, the weariness in their movements.
But he also saw something else—resilience. They had faced formidable opponents and emerged victorious. The experiences here in the tower would allow this group to be reborn and it would be his responsibility to ensure they took the right path.
Sam sat quietly, his spear set beside him. He was going over the fight they had just endured. We did well, he thought. That thing was seriously strong though. If we're going to make it out of here we need to get stronger, faster.
He glanced at the group, his sharp eyes locking onto each of them. "We'll need to go over what happened," Sam's voice was firm. "We hesitated, we made mistakes and we need to learn from them if we're going to make it out of here alive."
The group nodded, their expressions serious. They knew Sam was right. The fight had been a wake-up call, they couldn't afford to make the same mistakes again.
The group sat in silence for a moment, the faint hum of the crystals lining the walls providing a strange sense of calm. The tension from the fight slowly easing away, but the weariness in their bodies lingered.
Ethan lay down not far from Lily. "You know," he said, breaking the silence, "I think we're getting better at this whole 'fighting monsters' thing. For a start we're not dead yet."
Sam nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yea let's just make sure we stay that way."
Lily, open her eyes and looked over at Ethan, letting out a weak laugh. "Speak for yourself. I feel like I've been run over by a truck."
"A truck?" Ethan raised an eyebrow with a grin. "More like a freight train. That thing was massive."
Victor, who was sitting nearby with his arms crossed, let out a low grunt. "It's not the size that matters. It's how you use it."
Ethan's grin widened. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience~"
Victor shot Ethan a glare, but there was no real heat behind it.
The group had a good laugh, helping them unwind.
Having rested for fifteen minutes or so by now, certain members of the group were feeling antsy. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off but, left behind a restless energy that couldn't be ignored.
Ethan was the first to voice his frustration. "We should practise our timing," he said, his voice tinged with impatience. He was in the process of getting up, his movements slow and shaky.
His arms trembled slightly as he pushed himself off the ground, his face pale—a clear sign that his body was still recovering from the strain of the fight. "We've got to work on those coordinated attacks. We need to be better if we're going to survive the next fight."
Walter moved towards him and gently bonked Ethan's head with his cane. "You are going to stay down, young man. You've put your body through enough."
Ethan frowned, his frustration evident. "But I feel like I'm wasting time just sitting here, doing nothing. We can't afford to—"
Walter cut him off with a raised hand, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Even the best athletes need to rest properly after pushing their body as hard as they can. You not only pushed your body to the limit, you went beyond the limit with the help of mana. If you don't let your body rest and repair, you will fall apart."
"Same goes for you, Lily. Don't get any funny ideas."
Lily blinked, caught off guard, but then she smirked. "Yes, sir," she said, her voice dripping with exaggerated seriousness as she gave Walter a mock salute. "Wouldn't dream of it, sir."
Walter chuckled lightly, the sound warm and genuine. "Good, glad to see you're taking this so seriously."