The balcony door swung slowly.
It wasn't the wind—Zaire, frozen, knew that much. And from the corner of his eye, he saw the reason coming.
It was huge.
A marred dog's face with an open jaw.
A dark tongue, lined with violet blisters, hung out. Each fang was baked red from dried blood.
Vomit leaked from Zaire's mouth due to the harrowing smell. Though frozen, his body convulsed.
His sclera slowly reddened; his eyelids began to droop.
GRRRR...
The beast, likely drawn by the commotion, poked its head out from the balcony. Lucky for it—it had found lunch.
[PASSIVE SKILL: PERSEVERANCE HAS LEVELED UP. IT IS NOW: LEVEL FOUR.]
Suddenly, the mental chains fear had woven around the scared young man loosened.
And Zaire's fear-stricken panic finally unleashed—all at once.
"AAAAAA..."
Zaire screamed as tears, snot, and spit spilled out.
He immediately turned to run, but the noise had alerted the beast.
Seeing its prey desperate, the beast rushed out of the balcony. Now its entire body was visible to Zaire.
And Zaire felt his head spin.
The beast's body was that of a man, yet it crawled on its knees and hands.
Each knot of its spine jutted out; its entire back was painted with lacerations. These lacerations bled not blood, but black matter and green pus.
Its nails were nauseating. Each was thin, black, and a foot long. They twisted against one another, their edges stuffed with pieces of black meat.
Seeing Zaire closing in on the door, the beast decided to stand.
And it stood—not like a man, but like a gremlin.
It balanced on its toes, its back remaining arched.
And like a frog, it jumped, homing in on its prey—Zaire Zontes.
Zaire shook with terror. He was still a few feet from the door when he felt the room dim.
He turned and saw the reason covering the bulb.
The beast was high in the air, descending fast on its target.
Zaire raised his arm.
His panicked response had always been the most defensive guard he knew—the cross-arm guard.
And that's what he did.
Thus, the man-dog beast, which had aimed for his head, now chomped down on his left arm.
"AAAA..."
Zaire felt the teeth reaching bone.
The pain overrode the adrenaline pumping through his body.
GRAAH...
Suddenly, after sinking its teeth deep, the monster jumped and spun.
A crocodile death roll.
And Zaire felt it.
He felt his shoulder tearing.
Luckily, his frail body was nothing more than a ragdoll. He spun with the monster, and his arm didn't completely sever.
Zaire, now on the ground, slowly felt his senses dull.
His profusely bleeding body began giving up.
[PASSIVE SKILL: RESOLUTION HAS LEVELED UP. IT IS NOW: LEVEL 2.]
A wave of clarity washed over Zaire. His blurry eyes abruptly refocused.
I can fight. I have to. Fuck, I still have skills.
Zaire, down with a mangled arm, saw the beast's paw crashing toward him.
He rolled left.
His arm wouldn't move, so he found himself on top of it.
"Arrgh."
Using his right arm, he rolled once more. Finding the wall against his back, he quickly postured and got himself up.
The beast had brought its arm down too fast, too hard.
Its hardened nails had shattered against the ground.
Now it screeched shrilly.
Zaire's face tightened.
Fuck, my eardrums might burst...
But he saw an opening. The beast was distracted.
A quick plan formed in Zaire's head. Without hesitation, he muttered,
"Blood of Atlas."
Zaire's blood boiled. Like some sentient being, his wounds began healing.
Even his mangled left arm visibly reconstructed itself.
Zaire was spellbound.
This isn't healing—it's fucking reconstruction.
But he regained himself and started the countdown.
5.
Zaire dashed toward the beast. A gold-hued energy now wrapped around his body.
Closing in, he crashed into it with a right overhand.
BAM.
The beast, still screeching over its own agony, felt like it had been hit by a car.
Grngh.
It flew back and crashed against the opposite wall.
4.
Zaire followed. Closing in, he jumped and threw himself forward.
He attempted a spear, aimed right at the monster's solar plexus.
TWAK.
Concussion—Zaire was sure of it.
But he felt it: the beast's ribs caving in.
3.
Now it was the beast that turned desperate.
GRAAAA.
Howling, it began flailing its arms at Zaire.
Zaire, nauseous, started bobbing and weaving.
He was cut multiple times, but he kept his vital regions safe.
2.
And there, amidst the dodging, he found the perfect counter.
Slipping a swipe, he instantaneously propelled himself forward with his hind leg.
Just like that, he found himself close to the beast's chest.
1.
"Terra Bullet."
Pressing his right middle finger against the underside of its jaw, he released his Level 2 Terra Bullet.
Now empowered by the Blood of Atlas.
0.
Zaire's vision went black.
He never saw what happened next.