In an instant, Dean kicked off the ground and twirled the spear into a rapid rotating parry.
BAANG! BAANG!
The relentless blows rattled his arms, his hands trembling beneath their force. Most of the attacks were deflected, however, two managed to slip through his crossed arms— slamming straight into his chest.
"Kgha!"
A sharp pain erupted from within him as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Careening across the floor, each impact sent a jarring pain through his senses. Nevertheless, Dean gritted his teeth and dug the spear into the ground— finally skidding to a stop.
"Kgha!"
He spat out another mouthful of blood. In that instant, he felt it—A tremor in the ground.
For a second there, he froze. The creature was moving!
Twitch!
Dean's grip on the Antraizel spear tightened, his vision blurring as the crimson-armoured beast hurtled towards him.
'Focus Dean! Focus!'
He bit onto his lower lips, forcing himself into a concentrated state. But by then, the creature had already rammed into him. Backed by its inhuman momentum, it launched Dean backward in a violent arc.
Crack! Kaa!
He struck the ground hard, skidding and rolling, each impact jarring his senses.
"Ukh!"
Blood trickled down Dean's lips as he staggered to his feet. His chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm as his hardened gaze locked onto the monstrosity before him.
"Hu, hu…"
He knew time wasn't on my side. And he had to end this battle as fast as possible. However, with the inhuman strength of the ant-like creature, Dean doubted he stood a chance against it, talk less of defeating it.
And at that—as fast as humanly possible.
"Ugh!"
He groaned, anger and frustration bubbling up within him. But the creature could care less about his thoughts. It was relentless in its attacks, its limbs a blur as Dean struggled to parry its strikes.
BOOM!
A collision rocked the space, pushing both figures in opposite direction. He thought to make use of the moment to catch his breath. But before he could even do so—
Crack—!
The creature lunged towards him once again.
"Curses!"
With a groan, Dean charged towards it, shards of stones hurtling into the space behind me.
Arriving before it, he swung the Antraizel spear into a vertical arc. In its lethal arc, the spear's tip pierced through the creature's arm.
A violent tremor wracked its grotesque form, and for the first time since the battle began, he saw something.
"..."
Hesitation. It flickered within the creature's hollow eyes.
In that moment, a dark smirk curled up his lips.
'He needn't be told to know what he had to do.'
Hedidn't stop. He continued with the relentless assault and gave the dark creature no breathing space.
'He couldn't afford to.'
As the creature stumbled back, Dean caught the flaw in its nightmarish form:
Its limbs were too bulky for its body, arms too enormous. Hence...
Any powerful strike sent to its leg would deal to it— the most significant damage.
Dean chased after the retreating supernatural creature, and like a seasoned warrior, he ducked and weaved through its punches.
As he lunged the spear forward, a dark grin spread across his face.
After lunging forth and feinting high, the creature's breath suddenly hitched, and the spear's trajectory shifted mid-air, spiraling downwards. The spear plunged into its jointed legs, snapping bones and carapace with a sickening crunch.
"AARGH—!"
A deafening, blood-curdling shriek rocked the entire space- rattling Dean's skull and dulling his senses.
For a second there, he lost his footing. But—
"Hah..."
He was quick to regain it. Side-stepping right after, he rolled clear of the creature's flailing strikes, its movements now fueled by desperation.
Distancing himself from the supernatural creature, he focused, studying every visible part of its body. And there—
'He saw it! Just what he was looking for!'
With one of its legs now broken, the creature's movement was nothing short of erratic. For a second there, it staggered, its balance now shattered.
Dean caught sight of the moment.
'How wouldn't he? It was such a perfect opportunity!'
With a dark smile and a burst of speed, he slid across the ground, avoiding a strike of the creature before pushing himself off the ground.
Thud!
Landing on the creature's thick crimson carapace, Dean grinned for a second before driving the spear down with every ounce of strength he had left.
Puchi!
A final, guttural growl marked its end as the spear tore through its impenetrable carapace. For a second there— as the creature crashed onto the ground, time seemed to come to a stop as a soothing relief washed over Dean.
'The relief that he didn't end up dead!'
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to rest and lie down. If only for a few seconds.
But, he knew time was ticking, and the longer he stood here, the lesser time he had to make it to the nearest dune structure.
"Ugh!"
Groaning in annoyance, his chest rose and fell, heart pounding in an uneven rhythm.
He staggered to his feet, supporting himself with the broken branch before walking towards the dead carcass.
Staring at it, Dean felt a mixture of emotions.
From happiness to joy. Joy to—
'Euphoria.'
Yet, the most apparent of them all would be the slight tinge of jubilation swelling within him.
"So much for thinking it could win," Dean glanced at the carcass with a mocking look. "In the end, it was nothing more than the ant it was."
And then, as though he had just said the funniest thing, a jagged laugh slipped past his lips. Then another. And another.
Before long, it grew into a loud, unsettling laugh.
In the suffocating silence, he laughed to no one but myself.
...The facade he had worn to mask the slipping away of his sanity.
***
Regaining his bearing,
"Hu, Hu..."
Dean breathed heavily, his gaze drawn towards the "heavenly" fruits- the crimson fruits glistening ahead. Their allure— strangely hypnotic and mesmerizing.
....For a second there, he swore they looked no different from fresh blood.
'Paranoia Dean. Paranoia.'
He told himself.
Even if somewhere within me— he knew that wasn't the case.
Shaking his head, Dean walked towards the self-infliction fruit.
Step. Step.
Arriving before it, he removed the fruits he could find. As many as possible. And hid every single one of them.
Nodding —mostly to himself— he gave the plant one final glance.
Due to his battle with the god-damned creatures, he only had three hours at most to make it to the next dune structure. Else—
Step!
He could say goodbye to staying away from the cold, inhuman grasp of death.
Thinking about dying. Again.
He felt a cold chill run down my spine. Gritting his teeth, he made way to leave. But, just as he turned, unnatural movements caught his eyes.
From the depths of the darkness—
"...."
Three silhouettes emerged. Their presence growing sharper with each step they took.
Dean's breath hitched, heart pounding as he considered taking to his heels. Yet no matter what he did, h-he couldn't move.
"Hu… hu…"
As though an invisible force was crushing against his chest, immobilizing him, he could do nothing but watch them creep closer.
Just then,
"..."
He heard it.
The spell. It resounded in his mind:
[You have slain an awakened aemon, Antrím]
[Your darkness grows stronger.]