Chương 39: The Price of Victory

Lloyd's body remained only a meter away from the monster's imitation of a mouth, ready to snap shut around him forever. It could hardly be called a mouth in any ordinary sense. It was made from dozens of human bodies fused together into a single grotesque mass. Broken spines curved into twisted jaws, ribs jutted outward like enormous fangs, and deep inside, a living tangle of intertwined arms, legs, and entrails writhed slowly.

A nauseating stench of decay drifted from that monstrous opening, so foul it seemed the very air had rotted alongside everyone it had already devoured. The dungeon trembled. Faint, almost inaudible moans echoed from every direction. It was impossible to tell whether they belonged to the monster itself or to the countless bodies that formed it. Some of the heads embedded within its flesh silently opened their mouths, as if they were still screaming long after death.

Others stared directly at Lloyd with empty eyes, watching as though waiting for him to become the next piece of their hideous prison. As he was dragged even closer to the gaping maw, Lloyd suddenly thrust both legs forward. The soles of his boots slammed against the tangled mass of deformed bodies. The muscles in his legs instantly tensed to their limit. He pushed back with everything he had, refusing to let the monster's hand force him any farther inside. Something unpleasant yielded beneath his feet.

It didn't feel like solid ground—it felt like bodies that were somehow still soft. Somewhere nearby, a bone snapped with a sickening crack, and the sound echoed throughout the chamber.

"Well... this is my only chance..." He was almost out of air. His lungs burned as though they were filled with fire. Black spots spread across his vision while every heartbeat pounded painfully against his skull. The monster's hand continued to push him forward. Slowly. Relentlessly. As though it already knew that human resistance would eventually come to an end. And then, the first crimson sparks burst to life in Lloyd's right hand. One. Then two more. Then dozens.

They raced between his fingers like droplets of molten metal, leaving crimson trails behind them. More and more appeared until they merged into a single radiant glow. Moments later, a perfectly smooth crimson sphere formed in the center of his palm. It pulsed slowly. Each pulse matched the rhythm of Lloyd's heartbeat. The air around it shimmered from the heat, even though the sphere itself remained perfectly still. Lloyd never took his eyes off the monster's mouth. It seemed deeper now.

As though beyond it there was nothing except endless darkness. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Gathering the last bit of air left in his lungs, he forced out a hoarse whisper. — Bon appétit... His fingers opened. The crimson sphere shot from his hand straight into the monster's maw, leaving behind a long scarlet trail that lingered in the air for several seconds. For one brief moment... Everything fell silent. Even the moans disappeared.

It felt as though the dungeon itself had stopped breathing. At that exact moment, the monster's grip suddenly weakened. Lloyd didn't know why. Nor did he care. He wouldn't get another chance. Summoning the last of his strength, he twisted violently and slipped free from the giant hand. His body tumbled uncontrollably down the mountain of corpses. He rolled over and over, slamming his shoulders, elbows, and back against the tangled bodies. Cold skin slid beneath his palms.

Long strands of hair caught between his fingers, while bones cracked somewhere beside him. More than once, it felt as though dead hands were reaching out to seize his clothes and drag him back. A few seconds later, he crashed heavily into the thick green sludge below. The liquid exploded outward with a loud splash. Only the mountain of corpses had softened his fall enough to keep it from killing him. But something inside him cracked. A sharp pain shot through his right side.

Every breath now felt as though a red-hot blade were being slowly driven beneath his ribs. He nearly screamed. But there was no time. Lloyd forced himself to his feet. Staggering, barely able to keep his balance, he lurched forward. Every step was agony. His legs trembled. His vision blurred. He ran as though his body no longer belonged to him. As though it had already exhausted every ounce of strength it possessed, yet continued moving through nothing but a desperate instinct to survive.

Behind him, all he could hear was the heavy pounding of his own heartbeat. No pursuit. That frightened him even more. Eventually, his strength abandoned him completely. Lloyd collapsed face-first into the green sludge. For several seconds, he could only gasp desperately for air, the revolting taste of rot filling his mouth. Then he slowly rolled over and looked back. The monster was still standing. Just as motionless. Just as enormous. It hadn't even attempted to chase him.

As though it simply didn't care that its prey had escaped. Then something strange happened. A thick cloud of gray smoke burst from one of the heads protruding from the monster's body with a quiet cough. A second later, another head did the same. Then another. And another. And another. Soon, smoke was rising from nearly half of the countless heads scattered across the creature's body. With every passing second, more poured out. It spread slowly through the air, wrapping the gigantic monster in a dense gray haze.

The smell changed. The stench of decay was now mixed with the acrid scent of burning flesh. Lloyd froze. Every instinct in his body screamed that something was terribly wrong. His heart pounded wildly inside his chest. Then... The world went white. An earth-shattering explosion erupted. So powerful that the very air seemed to tear apart. The mountain of corpses exploded upward in a torrent of fire. Charred limbs, chunks of flesh, and shattered bones were hurled in every direction.

A blazing inferno swallowed everything around it. The shockwave struck Lloyd before he had any chance to react. His body was thrown dozens of meters through the air. He slammed into a rusted iron grate with bone-crushing force. The impact drove every bit of air from his lungs. A blinding flash filled his vision. Darkness swallowed his consciousness for several seconds.... When Lloyd opened his eyes again, the entire world swam before him. Slowly, he struggled to his trembling feet.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Its metallic taste mixed with smoke and ash. With great effort, he lifted his head. Where the monster had stood only moments before, an enormous sea of fire now raged. Towering flames stretched several meters into the air, devouring the remains of countless human bodies. Even from a distance, Lloyd could feel the unbearable heat against his face, as though he were standing directly before a gigantic furnace.

Through the roaring flames, he occasionally caught sight of a massive charred fragment of the monster's body. It no longer moved. It simply crumbled away beneath the relentless blaze. Lloyd stared at the scene for a long time. Unable to believe his own eyes. At last, he whispered hoarsely, — Did... did I actually do it...? But something else answered him instead. His right hand suddenly began to grow hot. At first, only slightly. Then more intensely. Thin streams of gray smoke began to rise from his skin.

Lloyd slowly lowered his gaze to his hand. The color instantly drained from his face. Pure terror filled his eyes. He already knew. He knew exactly what was about to happen. And in the very next instant, his entire right arm erupted into a blinding crimson flame.