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[07: 07: 21: 01]
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[DING!…..]
[DING!…..]
[DING!…..]
Cassian's breath came in ragged gasps, his vision pulsing red as blood filled his eyes. His body shuddered with pain, and his hands trembled as he wiped the thick warmth from his face. Every heartbeat pounded like a war drum in his skull, sending fresh waves of agony across his body. He could feel his limbs trembling, each muscle crying out in protest as he struggled to maintain control.
Fuck! Ahhh my body feels like it's on fire… Never in my life have I exerted myself this much…. Fuuu should have gone to the gym.
A choking cough wracked his body, and with it came the sharp taste of iron as he spat out blood. "Focus and move"
He couldn't afford to black out here. Taking a deep breath and with every ounce of willpower, he reached for his Soulkeep. In the state of his near collapse, he swiftly changed the attunement card. The change took five long seconds, stretching into an eternity. His body was breaking, but his mind clung desperately to his next move. The moment it was ready, he activated his Heal card.
"[HEAL]"
A sudden warmth surged through him, flooding his battered form with life. The bleeding wounds on his skin mended almost as fast as they had torn open, and the deep gashes on his face sealed shut, leaving behind only a throbbing headache and the faint, ghostly taste of iron. The immediate dizziness faded, but the hammering migraine remained—still throbbing in his skull.
Gritting his teeth, Cassian spoke, barely getting the words out, "[HEAL]."
Cassian's breathing steadied as the healing effect washed over him, dulling the pain and restoring a sense of clarity. Regaining his bearings, he lifted a sleeve and wiped the dried blood from his face. He forced a deep breath, centering himself.
That's when he noticed it.
His breathing had shifted. Almost without thought, he settled into a steady, measured pattern—a slow, deep rhythm that felt as if it were syncing perfectly with the beat of his heart. It was a sensation he had never known before, and it brought with it an unnatural clarity.
Huh… is that the [A Knight's Squire] card effect?… I don't remember ever breathing in this pattern… fuuu at least it's effective; gotta remember it.
He didn't recall ever experiencing this kind of calm, but there was no doubt about its effect. Even the raw exhaustion and lingering pain seemed to recede under its influence. Before he could let the newfound calm lull him into complacency, a faint, eerie sound reached his ears—a distant, bloodcurdling screech that grew louder by the second.
Cassian's heightened senses picked up the sound, and his heart hammered against his chest.
Gripping his machete in his dominant hand and a knife in his off-hand, both held in a reverse grip for quick strikes, he dropped into a crouch, every muscle coiled and ready to strike. His eyes, fierce and unblinking, scanned the darkness for the source of the noise.
Fuck… just how many monsters are there… I can't hide for long… too much blood has been spilled here.
Okay now, Crouch. Back away. Shadows are my best friends.
He waited in the darkness, the silence punctuated only by his shallow, controlled breathing and the distant hiss of the monsters.
Two hunched figures emerged—same monsters, Cassian's heart pounded, yet he forced his body to remain in focused calm. He observed as one of the creatures, its milky white eyes fixed greedily on the vivid splatters, paused. The tension in the air thickened as one of the beasts paused, dropping the corpse it had been dragging along. Its partner also halted, and both creatures advanced slowly toward him. As Cassian observed, the whole action of the monsters felt almost mechanical.
Hidden in the Shadows, Cassian's mind raced. His heart pounded in his chest, yet he forced his body into a state of focused calm.
This is it. One more fight…
As one monster drifted past, oblivious to his presence, seizing the opportunity, Cassian sprang into action. In one fluid, explosive movement, he shifted his body to target the creature's partner. His boot connected with the monster's leg with brutal force. A sickening crunch echoed in the corridor as bone shattered under the impact. The creature howled, a sound that reverberated off the walls like a death knell, and collapsed sideways.
The chaos that followed was instantaneous. The remaining monster barely had time to register the assault before Cassian's machete swung in a swift arc aimed at its neck. The blade bit deep, slicing through sinew and flesh. Despite the rusted edge that slowed his strike slightly, Cassian pressed on. Instead of pulling the blade free, he used it as a lever, driving it further into the creature as he pivoted around its still-screaming form.
The first monster, stunned by its partner's collapse, lunged with a vicious slash aimed straight at Cassian. But Cassian's maneuver caused it to hit its fallen ally, and its torso was marred by deep, ragged gashes. A pained howl escaped its throat as it staggered.
Cassian's eyes narrowed and without missing a beat, Cassian drew his knife in a swift, almost instinctive motion. With precise timing, he drove the blade deep into the second monster's ear. The sharp knife plunged in with little resistance, slicing into its brain. The strike was fatal, a single, fluid motion that dispatched the creature with a final, agonized shriek. Cassian then, in one fluid motion, shoved the monster's corpse onto the other monster.
A system chime echoed in Cassian's mind.
[DING! YOU KILLED….]
Ignoring the system's message, Cassian shifted his focus to the remaining threat. The monster, dazed and struggling to regain its balance, attempted to fling the corpse off him. Seizing the moment, Cassian erupted into a final, desperate burst of action. With a scream that tore from deep within his chest, he shoved the creature with all his might. The monster screeched, slamming against the ground with a dull thud.
Before the creature could muster a counterattack, Cassian was already on top of it.
Boot. Face. Down.
He drove his leg down hard, a crushing blow that sent a pained hiss through the air. With eyes burning with a merciless intensity, Cassian plunged his knife straight into the creature's face. The beast's scream of agony filled the narrow corridor, each moment stretching as if time itself were slowing down. In a final, brutal move, he brought his boot down on the knife handle, forcing it deeper into the creature's skull until it crumbled under the pressure.
Another chime rang out in his mind.
[DING! YOU KILLED….]
For a moment, all fell silent except for the echo of his heavy breathing. Cassian forced his racing heart to steady as he gathered his scattered weapons and backed away from the carnage. The adrenaline still surged through him, mingling with the fatigue and the lingering sting of his wounds. There was no time to rest, no chance to dwell on other thoughts.
Without pause, Casted "[HEAL]" once again, feeling the surge of restorative power wash over him, relieving both the physical pain and the weariness that had settled into his bones.
Time was of the essence. Every second counted, and Cassian knew that—others would arrive soon, perhaps even the elite abomination that had been ascending the lift earlier. The odds of facing multiple monsters head-on were grim.
Okay… I've killed some monsters, but I have always had advantages… but for how long will luck favor me…
He paused for a brief moment to assess his surroundings.
"No more time to waste; I should keep on moving," he muttered under his breath. With a final glance at the blood-smeared scene behind him, he moved swiftly toward the stairs marked for the
Almost immediately, his vision was bombarded by a series of system notifications. The words glowed in a blood-red hue, stark against the darkness of the corridor. They flashed in his mind in a cold, unfeeling tone:
[DING! YOU HAVE FOUND A HIDDEN SCENARIO IN THE STORY]
[DING! THE HIDDEN SCENARIO IS UNIQUE AND ONE THAT HOLDS A DEEP SECRET]
[DING! THE SYSTEM HAS DESIGNATED THIS SCENARIO AS A FORSAKEN ZONE]
Cassian's blood ran cold. The words lingered in his mind, each notification sending an icy shiver down his spine. That wasn't normal. The system didn't usually talk like this.
Controlled. Steady, I gotta keep breathing… FUUUU~
Cassian stared ahead. The entrance to B1 Level loomed before him—dark and foreboding. His fingers tightened around his weapons.
[DING! YOU HAVE ENTERED 'KALRACH'S NEST']
[DING! GOOD LUCK]
Kalrach's Nest? Forsaken Zone? Da heck I stumbled into…
"Damn it, time's running out, and I've got no choice but to push on."
[DING! THE SYSTEM WISHES YOU SURVIVE THIS]
…