Time seemed to slow down for Aldric.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each thump echoing louder than the last. Adrenaline surged through his veins like fire. Every breath he took burned his lungs, and every muscle in his body tensed to its absolute limit.
At that moment, something within him began to shift.
His vision sharpened—colors deepened, edges grew clearer. His pupils dilated, glowing faintly under the pale light. His thoughts raced, overlapping and splitting into countless flashes of instinct and logic. His mind spun rapidly, sharper than ever before, every sense heightened beyond normal comprehension.
His mana—usually calm and faint—now roared like a raging storm. He could feel it, coursing through his entire being, potent and alive.
Death was right before him. The claws of the vile spawn gleamed, only a heartbeat away.
In that instant, memories came flooding back.
The pain.
The loneliness.
The endless humiliation.
Everything he had endured—the cold orphanage, the chains of slavery, the blood, the scars—they all resurfaced, vivid and raw.
He could almost hear the echo of laughter that once mocked him. The cries of others. The bitter silence that followed.
Aldric's teeth clenched. His jaw trembled—not from fear, but from something else. A cold, burning rage mixed with sheer determination.
With a loud shout, he pushed forward.
The creature's claws met his forearm with a deafening crash. The impact sent a sharp pain shooting through his arm, but Aldric didn't stop. He took another step forward, his boots sliding against the soaked ground, forcing the monster backward.
He used all his strength, his entire body weight pressing forward, and slammed his free hand against the earth.
In that instant, the world responded.
The ground beneath them trembled violently. Cracks spread out in all directions like lightning. Then, sharp earthen spikes burst upward from the soil, piercing the vile spawn's torso and chest.
The creature shrieked in agony, a sound so distorted that it barely resembled anything human or beast. Dark liquid gushed out of its wounds as it flailed, impaled from multiple sides.
Aldric's breathing was ragged, his vision blurring.
He could feel it—his mana draining rapidly. He hadn't controlled it properly. The surge was wild, raw, unrefined. He had poured everything he had into that single act of creation.
It worked—but the price was steep.
His body screamed in pain. His head spun. His mana reserves were completely empty. He felt hollow, as though all strength had been sucked out of him.
Still, the creature wasn't dead.
Even while impaled, it twitched and struggled. Its claws scraped against the stone spikes as it slowly tore itself free, pieces of its body breaking apart. The spikes shattered one by one, the sound echoing across the ruined battlefield.
Aldric tried to move, but his legs gave out beneath him. He dropped to one knee, gasping for air. His armour was dented, his arm bleeding, his mind fading into a haze.
The vile spawn stumbled forward again, its body in ruins but its hatred burning stronger than ever.
Aldric raised his head weakly. He could barely keep his eyes open, the world around him spinning.
He knew he couldn't move anymore. His strength was gone, his mana was gone. There was nothing left to give.
The creature screeched and charged, its claws outstretched to end him.
Aldric's mind began to blur. The only thing he could register was the faint sound of his own heartbeat—slow, fading. His vision dimmed, and his eyes rolled back.
Just as the creature's shadow loomed over him—
A flash of steel cut through the darkness.
Whoosh—
The vile spawn's head flew into the air, black liquid splattering across the ground. Its body froze for a brief moment before collapsing in a heap beside Aldric.
The strike was clean. Precise. Final.
Aldric blinked weakly. Through his blurred vision, he saw Adrian standing over him. The man's full set of battered iron armour was splattered with black fluid. His sword—dull and worn—was still humming faintly from the force of the slash.
Adrian's chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared at the creature's corpse. Then, suddenly, he dropped to one knee.
Blood started pouring from his nose. Then from his eyes. His entire body trembled violently, his breathing growing erratic.
He gritted his teeth, pressing a trembling hand against the ground as if to keep himself steady.
His voice came out hoarse, but filled with unmistakable fury.
"The bastard…" he growled, the words heavy with venom and rage.
The night wind carried his voice across the battlefield, mingling with the silence that followed the death of the creature.
Aldric's eyes slowly closed as the exhaustion finally took him.
The last thing he heard was Adrian's pained breathing—and then, nothing but darkness.