Shroud Arcanum

Chapter 4: - The Trial (2)

Now bristling with lethal fury more than ever, the beast came into view. Its piercing eyes, capturing the twinkling lights of the luminescent forest, glowed in the shimmering light. Its muscular body, glistening with exertion, bore traces of their previous encounter.

Patches of crimson marred its otherwise dark, scaled hide, and its ragged breathing signaled the monster's sustained injuries. Yet, its gaze remained predatory, its resolve undeterred.

Raising his middle finger, Liam taunted, "Come on, you bull," his voice echoing through the crystalline forest. He maintained a careful distance from the creature, every sense heightened to its breaking point.

The beast roared, a sound so primal and terrifying, and charged towards him once more. Its massive body bore down on him, the ground trembling under the sheer force of its pursuit.

Liam inhaled deeply, the cool, ethereal air filling his lungs. His grip tightened on the sharp shards in his hands as he dashed towards one of the taller crystalline structures, his heart pounding in his chest.

Swiftly, Liam clambered up the towering crystal.

His muscles screamed with exertion, but he pushed through, his survival instincts in full control.

The ground beneath him felt strange, a combination of hard rock and a softer, spongy substance that seemed to give way slightly under his weight. It was disconcerting, but he didn't have time to ponder the sensation.

As he reached a reasonable height, he looked down at the enraged beast below. A growl of irritation rumbled in its throat. Liam braced himself, holding onto the sharp shards. He aimed and waited, every nerve in his body on edge.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he launched himself into the air. His breath hitched as he came closer to the monstrous creature. In the shimmering light of the forest, he could make out every terrifying detail - the glistening scales, the sharp claws, and the fiery eyes filled with rage.

But as he hurtled down, his eyes focused on a particular part of the crystalline field - a towering, sharp, and jagged structure, standing like a deadly stalagmite in the illuminated forest.

Liam repositioned mid-air, angling his body towards the pointed formation. He took aim and with all his strength, threw the sharp crystal shard he'd been clutching at the beast. The shard whistled through the air, embedding itself into the creature's other eye.

The beast roared in agony, momentarily blinded. It rampaged blindly, its large body slamming into the surrounding crystalline structures. Yet, its crazed movements only led it closer to Liam's intended destination.

Liam landed badly as his body rolled on the ground. He took a moment to regain his breath, then turned to face the enraged creature. "Just die,you ugly!" he taunted, throwing another shard to gain the beast's attention.

Blinded by pain and rage, the beast charged towards the source of the sound - right towards the towering, sharp crystal formation.

"Time to end this!" Liam shouted, and at the last moment, he darted out of the beast's path.

Unable to stop its reckless charge, the beast ran straight into the crystalline structure. The sharp point pierced its chest, penetrating through its scales and flesh. The beast roared, its voice echoing around the forest before it finally stilled, its massive body slumped against the crystal formation.

Gasping for air, Liam held his gaze steady on the colossal beast, observing as the vibrant life in its eyes dimmed to a distant flicker. "Finally," he wheezed, his body collapsing onto the ground from sheer exhaustion.

Every inch of him was in agony, but beneath the throbbing pain, there was an undeniable spark of triumph. He had done it. He had survived against all odds.

A wave of relief washed over him, easing the burdensome weight off his shoulders as he sat against the cold, hard ground.

Then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears, its mechanical tone breaking the momentary silence of the forest.

"Juvenile behemoth eliminated."

"Engram earned: Young Titan Talon."

The words, as cryptic as they were, did little to dampen the triumphant glow in Liam's tired eyes.

Intrigued, Liam directed his focus inward, attempting to conjure his status window as his mind began to navigate his new abilities. A sudden, searing pain ripped through his back.

Instinctively, he whipped around, only to come face-to-face with a slimy crystal-like creature.

The entity before him was an enigma, a creature entirely alien to his understanding. Its form was a perplexing juxtaposition of softness and hardness.

Like a viscous, gelatinous slime, yet fashioned entirely from crystalline structures that shimmered in the ambient glow of the forest, it was an almost ethereal sight, its body pulsating rhythmically, refracting light in a hypnotic spectacle of colors that belied its deadly nature.

The creature was molded into tentacle-like appendages that whirled and curled with an eerie fluidity. Each tentacle sharpened to a deadly point, one of which was chillingly embedded in Liam's back.

The creature seemed to ripple with every movement, its crystalline body capturing and bending the light in a breathtaking dance that was weirdly captivating.

"Fuck…" Liam muttered, his voice barely a whisper.

The pain sharpened his senses to an almost unbearable clarity, and as he staggered forward, he noticed more of these crystalline beings emerging from the shadows.

They moved with an unnatural grace, their bodies flowing like liquid, all ready to pounce on their wounded prey.

Overwhelmed with pain, Liam attempted to scramble away, but the creatures were relentless. Each new puncture from their crystalline sharp tentacle sent a fresh wave of torment coursing through his already battered body.

Shadows danced at the edge of his vision, the world blurring in and out of focus. The taste of copper was heavy in his mouth, a cruel reminder of his rapidly approaching end.

With each draw of breath growing harder than the last, his lips parted in a defiant curse. "Of all the damn... luck...!" His voice was a rasping growl laced with bitter resentment and biting regret.

As the edges of his vision dimmed, snippets of his life began to flash before him.

The naive joy of his first birthday party, the adolescent thrill of his first crush, and the comforting warmth of family gatherings. These fleeting moments of joy were quickly overshadowed by more somber images.

His father's mysterious disappearance, the hardships that etched lines of worry onto his mother's face, and the shared tears of sorrow that came afterward.

Then, the most heart-wrenching memory of all: his mother's cold, lifeless expression, her eyes vacant of the familiar warmth that once resided there. That was the moment his determination hardened into an unyielding resolve.

The countless experiences came rushing back in a torrent of memories. There were still so many things left undone, so many promises unfulfilled.

A pang of regret twisted in his chest, a dull echo of the physical pain wracking his body. His thoughts drifted to the people he'd left behind.

"Mom, dad... everyone... I'm sorry..." His voice was a mere whisper, the apology saturated with regret.

He had failed them, failed himself. And now, he would never get the chance to make things right.

As the world started to blur at the edges, the distant voice, cold and neutral, echoed in his mind.

"You are dead."

With those chilling words confirming his fate, Liam's world faded into oblivion.

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