Varik was just as unmovable as he had always been, even with the relentless attack of the foul creature it didn't seem to faze him. But behind hos mask, there was hints of sadness. He was in charge of leading the Firstborns, yet on this little mission of theirs to capture Riven, he had already lost five of his men. Still, all he needed to do currently was to kill the monstrosity in front of him that took the lives of his comrades.
Its body twitched unnaturally, the bloom of flesh spinning. The thing dragged itself with grotesque limbs that didn't bend the way they should. Each movement released a sickening sound, like it's flesh were tearing. It slammed forward without warning, claws flashing. Varik moved, slow but deliberate, shifting the weight of his stance as he raised the bulbous shield strapped to his left arm, the strike hitted the shield. A loud clang echoed through the tunnel, sparks flaring off the edge of the shield.
He didn't seem to react, or flinch. Instead, the greatsword in his right hand swung forward with brutal force, flames in his crystal mask burning even brighter.
The rotten monstrosity didn't dodge, It didn't need to, there's was no need to will just regenerate anyway, varik' s blade connected, but no wound healed itself almost instantly. The flesh twisted, warped, and mended itself as if nothing had touched it at all.
Varik stepped back, his boots grinding against the stone floor. He needed to think of a way to kill it, or at least slow it down long enough for them to leave the tunnels.
Riven, on the other hand, wasn't doing so great. Even though the utility-type Firstborn tried to heal him, it wasn't working. To be precise, he was a Firstborn healing that amount of injury was impossible. All they could do was stop the blood loss.
Riven laid on the floor, his stomach split open, trying to somehow manage the pain.
Jae took a step toward Riven and gave him a mock look, trying to hold himself back from laughing.
"Riven, you don't look so good."
Riven looked at Jae, anger and hate in his eyes.
"No kidding, you bastard."
Jae was looking down at Riven. Just a while ago, Riven was the one trying not to laugh but somehow the tables were turned.
Riven gritted his teeth and cursed in a low tone that only he could hear, trying to somehow not look at his own guts.
Eros hesitated for a bit, then said in an awkward tone,
"Nira, you sure you can kill that thing? You're currently angry about the death of those firstborns. You can't fight that way, And the moon... it isn't even out yet. And even if it was, we'd have to find a way to get moonlight."
Varik stood his ground, gripping a bulbous shield in one hand and a heavy greatsword in the other. The wolf-like monster snarled, its eyes stare in different direction. It lunged. He met it head-on, raising the shield just in time, the impact slamming through his arm. Gritting his teeth, he swung the greatsword in a wide arc, trying to catch the beast before it circled again. The monster shifted backwards, claws scraping against stone as it darted around him. He turned with it, shield up, tracking its movements. Blood pounded in his ears. The thing moved again he braced himself, the shield absorbing the hit, but the weight nearly knocked him off balance. Snarling, he shoved it back, stepped in, and drove the sword down hard toward its shoulder.
The blade struck, not deep enough, but enough to make the creature screech and twist away. That flesh-like thing on its head wanted to make another devastating attack. No time to think. He raised the shield again, muscles burning, ready for the next charge.
Eros stood up from beside Nira.
"I guess it's time for me to join in."
He had been by her side near the wall of the tunnel, but in the next moment, he was gone. He moved like a blur, flickering in and out of sight as his daggers flashed. One second he was at the creature's left side, the next he was behind it, slicing into its thick, diseased flesh. The monster let out an inhuman screech that made Riven's ears ring. It swung its massive limbs and the grotesque growth protruding from its skull, but Eros was already gone, darting across the ground and striking again. His blades left shallow cuts—not deep enough to kill, but just enough to bleed and disorient the creature.
The monster couldn't keep up. Every time it turned, Eros was already somewhere else, stabbing, slashing, constantly on the move. His breathing remained steady, his mind focused. This wasn't a fight of brute strength—it was about pressure. He was wearing the creature down, hit after hit, never giving it time to recover.
But the monster couldn't focus all its attention on Eros. Varik still stood in front of it, unshaken. He shifted his stance and hurled his bulbous shield directly at the rotten monstrosity. The impact struck the beast hard, staggering it for a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Varik advanced. He gripped his greatsword with both hands and swung it in a powerful horizontal arc, aiming for the bulbous bloom of flesh coiled around what used to be the monster's neck. The blade tore through the mass, slicing it cleanly off. But he didn't stop there.
Using the momentum from the first strike, Varik pivoted, his entire body spinning with the force of the movement. He brought the greatsword around in a second, brutal arc—this one lower, with more weight behind it. The edge of the blade cleaved through the creature's midsection, cutting it in half in a single, crushing blow.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the severed chunks of flesh began to move, pulsing and twisting unnaturally, dragging themselves back together. The creature's body was reforming.
Varik took a step back, his voice ringing through the tunnel. There was exhaustion in it, and a sorrow buried just beneath the surface.
"Firstborns, leave this place. Take him with you."
His gaze moved to Nira, who was barely standing.
"We're blowing this damned place up."
A look of shock passed over Nira's face. But then, slowly, it twisted into a dark smile.
Jae made a glaze towards varik
"I guess it time to go"
Riven could barely stand but thanks to the help of the other Firstborn with him, he was able to help him