Bane jolted awake, his flame sputtering on his fingertip.
"Ah–!", he yelped, smacking his hand on the cave.
"Damn Pain Amplification…", he groaned.
The cave was alive with screaming, panicked cries that echoed off the walls.
"What the hell is going on?!" he screamed, jumping to his feet.
"The Abyssals! W-w-we're being attacked!", someone screamed nearby.
Bane's stomach twisted. "Damn it…"
Outside the cave, something roared…
Definitely not an animal. Definitely not of this world.
His legs locked.
His instincts were telling him to run. Hide. Let the other challengers handle it.
It was how he survived anyway.
His eyes then darted deeper into the cave. Dark tunnels, narrow cracks - a perfect spot for him to disappear.
His flame sputtered violently, throwing frantic shadows across the walls.
"If I go out there now..", his throat tightened, "I will die."
*CRASH*
The entrance exploded. Stone detonated inward, sending a shockwave of debris through the chamber.
Shards sliced his cheek.
Pain detonated in his mind.
Bane choked on a scream, hands flying to his face as his vision blurred. His knees slamming into the stone.
"D-damn!" His voice fractured.
The agony that pulsed through his skull was brutal - each heartbeat making the pain worse. Blood flowed into his eye, reddening his vision.
"THUD*
A deafening impact shook the cave.
A body slammed against the ground near the entrance, skidding to a stop near Bane's feet.
The man's chest was caved in, armor deformed by a deep gash resembling a claw; so deep he could see bones beneath the fountain of blood.
He coughed wetly, his fingers twitching towards Bane, as if he was begging for help.
Yet, something behind him scraped the entrance, trying to force its way inside.
"NO-", the man shrieked.
A barbed limb shot through the dust and hooked around his ankle.
Bane froze.
The man was yanked out of the cave, screaming as he was mauled.
And then the screaming cut off.
The silence was deafening.
All he could do was stare at the blood that was smeared on the ground.
No body.
His flame flickered. Tiny, fragile and jittering. Tinky sparks quivered.
For a long moment, it attempted to fight against the darkness, every twitch, every flutter echoed in the cave. A stuttering, but a determined heartbeat.
Then, slowly, its tempo rose. The flame flared and so did the light that came with it - encompassing the entire cave.
[ NOTIFICATION ]
The flame's luminance grows.
[ Ember Flame ] has reached Level 2.
He gritted his teeth. "I'm not dying here!"
..
Bane clenched his fists
"Rusted Sword", he willed.
A heavy handle formed in his hand, cold and jagged. The edges were chipped and rust was consuming the blade - but it felt solid.
He squirmed up on his feet, still feeling the excruciating pain of Pain Amplification, yet his demeanor had shifted.
Bane stepped out of the cave's gape.
Dust swirled around him, kicked up by the crazed creature.
However, he didn't flinch. He walked forward, one step at a time.
The Abyssal loomed. Its body hunched, twisted, limbs bending like scythes. The barbed claws scraped the stone floor, each movement sending shards of rocks flying. Its head was a mass of jagged ridges, so uncanny that it sent shivers down Bane's spine. A long, whip-like tail lashed behind it, covered in serrated barbs. Each arm ended in sharp claws with terrifying reach that could tear anything in its path.
Bane gritted his teeth. One step. Then another. Flame flickering higher.
"I'm not dying here," he muttered.
Bane staggered forward, with his sword raised. His legs trembled, but he forced himself to keep moving.
Suddenly, the creature lunged - its tail whipping towards Bane, scraping the stone. Bane rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike that would've torn him in half. With a warcry, Bane lunged forward swinging his sword - however his blade only clanged against the beast. The creature recoiled, seemingly irritated, swinging its massive arm down on Bane.
Bane rolled just in time, the rocks exploding into dust. He scrambled on his feet, his flame still burning bright.
"This is useless…", his mind raced. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through the thick skin of the creature.
The Abyssal clamored, its tail whipping high, but it was doing something different this time..
*BANG*
Its tail hammered straight into the ground; the impact sending jagged shards of rocks flying, creating a massive shockwave ripping through the air. Bane leapt back, rolling to avoid the razors flying towards him. He then quickly shifted his stance and once again swung at the creature - but the thick hide absorbed the blow completely.
"This is hopeless. I won't be able to beat it head on.", Bane ruminated, his chest heavy, legs trembling and eyes stuck on the creature's every movement.
Bane's eyes then flickered towards the cave. Kael! The realization hit. "I can't win this, but maybe I don't have to…"
Bane gritted his teeth, stepping forward deliberately, drawing the creature's attention fully onto him. "Fine… come get me!"
The Abyssal reared, like it accepted his challenge; its barbed tail whipping toward Bane. He tried to dodge, but his foot caught a shard of rock, throwing him off balance. The creature's tail slashed across his cheek, tearing through his skin and leaving a burning, jagged line.
Pain detonated through him, pure agony that stole his breath.
His knees smashed to the ground, with [Rusted Sword] clattering from his grasp. Blood streamed down, burning and stinging every nerve in his body.
He could feel his consciousness slipping; with the creature looming over him, almost drooling over the fact it found its next meal. His body was locked.
Then- a flash of light. Kael. His blade arced through the chaos cut perfectly through the Abyssal with flawless precision. Sparks erupted as steel met the hideous creature's jagged head; the impact tearing through the air. The beast roared and gurgled, its cry echoing across the valley, then, silence.
It happened in an instant but…
Its head thudded against the rocky floor, rattling stones and making debris scatter.
The beast was dead.
Bane coughed, blood spewing at the corner of his lips. "Not.. done.. yet"
Darkness overcame him.