The air in the cave was frigid, a stark contrast to the forest’s warmth outside. Each of Seth's steps echoed softly, reverberating off the walls and into the deeper darkness ahead. Beside him, Nightmare moved with silent grace, every muscle coiled, ready to disappear into Illusionary Emptiness at any given moment. The duo slowly advanced while the tingling of Nightmare’s Danger Sense gradually intensified.
Seth reached down to his belt, quickly verifying that he still had his Healing Potions and Marcus's Agility Potion tucked safely in his pouch. Satisfied, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
The soft glow from the cave's luminescent moss gave him just enough light to see a dozen feet ahead, casting an eerie blue hue on the walls and floor. As they delved deeper, he began to notice something odd. Instead of the corpses he’d expected, numerous mounds of ash were scattered sporadically throughout the cave. He couldn't even see bones—Professor Reat’s spells had incinerated everything.
Seth wondered, glancing from one mount to the next.
The moment they neared the end of the tunnel, the cave expanded into a large chamber. The faint light illuminated the contours of a creature in the middle—an enormous beetle, which was easily the size of an Inferno Bear. Its dark carapace gleamed with a metallic luster, while six powerful legs supported its massive body, each limb tipped with razor-sharp claws.
Two giant, multifaceted eyes glinted with an unsettling array of colors, and a set of massive horns jutted from its head like gnarled tree limbs. Its mandibles and , showing glimpses of sharp, grinding teeth that could probably crush rocks—and definitely bones.
Seth's heart pounded in his chest and his core instantly ignited, filling him with its energy as he sighted an arrow on the giant creature. The beetle seemed to be studying them too, its head tilting slightly—there would be no element of surprise this time.
, Seth thought as Nightmare vanished from his side. Professor Reat must have chosen that beast since it had low Strength and Arcane Power so neither he nor Nightmare would get killed in a single blow—which was great, but not perfect.
',' he said, pulling the string of his bow and taking aim. ''
'' Nightmare’s voice echoed in Seth’s mind.
Tension filled the air as the Night Beetle's multifaceted eyes locked onto Seth. Its mandibles began ominously, echoing like a death knell in the cavernous chamber. Suddenly, the beetle's horns glowed and tiny lightning arcs appeared, covering them in a flash.
Seth immediately released his arrow, sending it soaring toward the beetle's shimmering eyes. But just before it could hit, a bolt of lightning sprung from the beast’s horns and intercepted the projectile midair. The explosive impact obliterated the arrow, turning it into a cloud of dust.
Without missing a second, the beetle then charged at Seth, its six giant legs hammering the cavern floor and causing the ground to shake. Nightmare's fur bristled, and his snarl rippled through the cave as he pounced at the creature’s back. Almost instantly, the dark carapace shifted to a glowing blue hue—the direwolf's teeth merely scraped the shell’s surface.
A bad feeling grasped Seth's stomach—he had seen a similar pattern on a hunt before. ''
The moment Nightmare began to dash away, the creature spun around and a purple cloud sprayed out of its gaping mouth. The noxious smoke barely touched the direwolf's tail but still scorched his fur and skin, drawing a sharp, pained yelp.
''
Seth's bow clattered to the ground as he snatched the Agility Potion from his pouch.
After uncorking the vial, he gulped down its green liquid, tossed the flask aside, and grabbed his dagger’s hilt. His core erupted and burned, sending waves of fierce energy through his body, filling each muscle with the potion’s and Haste’s aether. Guided by nothing more than his enhanced instinct, Seth tore across the cave and slashed one of the beetle's unprotected leg joints.
The creature turned and its claws whipped out, but Seth ducked under them, slicing another leg at the same time. The Night Beetle’s mandibles snapped in frustration and the large insect slammed its legs down, trying to crush him. Seth dodged left and right, dancing between the giant limbs while the claws brushed past his face. There was no way he could win alone—but thankfully, he wasn’t.
Nightmare growled and rejoined the fight, leaping at the beetle, thick black smoke billowing from his maw. The direwolf’s fang sank into the beetle's hard shell as he emptied a fifth of his Well, raising the density of aether flowing into Shadow Bite’s grooves.
The spell quickly dug into the carapace, corroding and melting its blue surface before eating away at the raw, vulnerable flesh beneath. The beetle screeched out a wail of pain and anger that resonated through the cave, sending chills down Seth's spine. The creature's horns crackled with an abnormally high amount of aether, lightning gathering menacingly at their tips
'' Seth called out.
His heart raced and his core screamed in his chest, yet before he could do anything, the beetle thrashed Nightmare off, and released the lightning bolt. The moment the direwolf landed, he quickly leapt to the side, but it was too late. The spell still hit him, sending him sprawling across the chamber.
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Nightmare’s body slammed into a large rock dozens of feet away, twitching violently as sparks rippled across his fur; his agonized howls echoed through the cave.
"No!" Seth cried out, lunging forward and slashing the exposed flesh of the beetle’s back.
The creature screeched and turned so it could swipe its giant horns, which were covered with purple aether. Seth raised his dagger and blocked the blow, but the impact flung him backward, pain jolting in his arm. As he slid, he glanced at Nightmare, still lying motionless on the ground.
Swamped by a torrent of rage, Seth charged forward, aether furiously surging through Dark Shocking Strike’s and Haste’s grooves. The beast tried to crush him with its mandible, but he dove underneath, slashing its exposed neck while also sending black lightning arcs up to rip through its massive body.
The giant insect howled in agony and retaliated by spurting its toxic spray, but Seth had already leapt out of the way, dodging the noxious cloud before striking back. Driven by Feral Instinct, his body weaved and twisted around the creature's sharp claws as his dagger lashed out, targeting the exposed joints.
A cacophonic dance unfolded between them; Seth's blade clanged relentlessly against the beetle's hard shell while the beast’s claws raked the cave’s floor, sending sparks flying with each miss. Surrendering himself to the primal ferocity of his core, Seth abandoned all swordsmanship, relying purely on instinct to guide his dagger. Amidst the onslaught of toxic sprays, deadly bolts, and enhanced horn-thrusts, he remained one step ahead—one step that separated a hit and a miss, life and death.
Aether repeatedly rammed into Haste’s grooves, violently bending them before digging into Seth’s muscles. Each fiber burned and ached, screaming in protest, begging him to give up, to let himself get killed—Seth gritted his teeth and kept going, his dagger slashing and stabbing at any exposed flesh he could find.
Blood splattered with each strike, his blade slicing through the beetle’s body and leaving deep, dripping gashes. Yet with each second, Seth felt his Well being depleted, edging closer to its bottom while his body began struggling under the strain. The beetle’s attacks kept missing by narrowing margins, each spell grazing closer than the last, brushing his skin and leaving a scorching trail in its wake.
As aether once again crackled around the beast’s horn, Seth tried to dodge to the side—this time, his legs refused to obey. The bolt struck his upper chest, blasting him several feet away. A searing pain arced through his arms first, then spread like wildfire, squeezing and tearing his muscles. He tried to push himself up, but his body couldn't move, transfixed by the intense agony.
Rearing back, the Night Beetle immediately prepared another devastating bolt, aether condensing around its horns. But before it could release it, a black blur lunged toward the giant insect. Nightmare growled and snapped his jaws onto one of the beetle's back legs, pulling just enough to make its large head drift sideways. As a result, the lightning bolt veered off course upon release and struck the wall instead of Seth.
The creature writhed and thrashed, trying to break free, but the direwolf held on and cast Shadow Bite once more. Dense, dark smoke poured from his maw, seeping in and corroding the beetle's limb.
The large beast shrieked and aether started swirling around its mandible, getting ready for another toxic spray. However, before it could spew forth, Nightmare jerked his head with all his strength and ripped the creature's leg off. Dark ichor gushed out, painting the cave’s floor, and the Night Beetle let out a loud screech.
Its massive body teetered, unbalanced after the loss of the limb, and the aether gathering in its mouth vanished, leaving it completely vulnerable. Clenching his teeth and trying to ignore the pain, Seth pushed himself up and lunged toward the beetle's other limbs.
His dagger, devoid of aether, slashed the joints one after another. With a strangled cry, the creature swung its horns, hitting Seth and catapulting him across the room once more. He slammed into a large rock with a sickening , pain shooting through his back and leaving him sputtering to catch his breath.
Nightmare wasted no time and dashed toward the beetle to draw its attention. The direwolf’s red eyes burned with rage as he relentlessly assailed the giant insect. The moment the beetle mustered aether and spewed another toxic cloud, Nightmare darted to the side, immediately targeting another leg.
Impaired by its missing limb, the massive creature struggled to fend off the direwolf's continuous onslaught. With every lunge, every snap of his jaws, the direwolf managed to deal more and more damage, ripping off chunks of flesh.
Pushing through pain, Seth grabbed his dagger on the ground and got to his feet once again before scanning his Well. .
His grip tightened, and he broke into a sprint, forcing nearly all his remaining aether into Dark Shocking Strike. The spell's grooves pulsed violently, deepening and morphing under the immense strain, threatening to crack apart from the surge of the energy. Black lightning flickered to life along the blade, snapping at the air like a wild beast as each arc sizzled with raw power and bursts of light.
Nightmare cleverly held the beetle's attention by biting its leg, allowing Seth to flank the massive insect. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged forward and buried his dagger hilt-deep into the creature’s acid-corroded back. Black bolts surged across its massive body, scorching its way through every ounce of flesh; the large beast let out a bloodcurdling shriek while rooted into place by the pain.
Without hesitation, Nightmare sprang at the creature’s neck and sank his teeth deep into the unprotected base. Pouring his remaining aether into his maw, he ripped away a large chunk off in a gruesome spurt of blood.
The Night Beetle staggered backward, its multifaceted eyes dimming as life faded inside when suddenly, with no warning, a burst of purple gas erupted from its mouth. The massive insect collapsed into a pool of its own blood, but the toxic cloud rapidly expanded, engulfing Seth and Nightmare in an instant. Exhausted, the direwolf attempted to turn and run, but his legs gave out and his breaths turned into strained gasps.
Ignoring the scorching pain, Seth grit his teeth through the deep-aether nausea and crushing fatigue, then rushed to Nightmare’s side. He wrapped his arms around the direwolf’s torso and dragged him along since he didn't have any aether left to move him inside his necklace.
Each step was agonizing; the noxious smoke seared through Seth's skin and eyes, making it feel as if burning flames were crawling inside his flesh. Nightmare’s body grew heavier with every second, and Seth could feel his strength leaving him. His vision blurred while blood slowly trickled down his cheeks. For an instant, he saw his life flashing before his eyes—a life filled with pain, injustice, and suffering, all thanks to those damn nobles.
The question slithered through Seth’s mind like poison. Even if he kept moving, even if he made it out alive… would anything actually change?
Spending time around geniuses like Elena had made him realize the cold truth—he wasn't special. Without his father's gift, he would have never made it this far. Those Boreal Wolves would have easily killed him, and he would have been just another dead body in the forest.
He wasn't someone destined for anything great. He wasn't a hero from one of his mother’s stories. He was just a commoner playing at being a knight. One too weak to protect or save anyone.
Even if he reached Iron, people would still suffer. And he would remain a spectator. Just like when Lucius had shattered Renwal’s arms.
Noble Houses like the Faertis would never let him live long enough to truly threaten them. They could squash him without a moment’s thought if they ever truly tried.
So why keep advancing?
Seth gritted his teeth.
All the rage and the hopelessness inside him crystallised into a single defiant thought.
And then, deep in his core, something flared to life. A fierce, primal energy burst out, flooding his veins and forcing his failing muscles into motion. Seth snapped his head up, hands clenching onto Nightmare.
As long as he was alive, he would push through and thrive. This was the Path he chose.
He would be that weed that sprouted through stone without water, without sunlight. Challenges were meant to be overcome. Pain was nothing more than fuel for his growth. Suffering would shape him into something unbreakable. The world might try to bring him down, but he would keep rising. Again. And again.
The thought echoed in his mind as a solemn vow.
Embracing that fierce energy, Seth grunted and pushed forward, hauling Nightmare’s large body. The luminescent moss on the cave walls served as guiding stars through the suffocating purple gas. Each grueling step sent further waves of pain through his body, but he continued to advance until, finally, they stumbled out of the beetle’s spell.
Seth let Nightmare’s heavy body fall to the ground, then collapsed beside the direwolf, a wracking cough tearing through him as he expelled the remnants of the beetle's poison from his lungs. Each ragged breath scraped Seth’s throat raw and echoed through the silence of the cave.
The red patches covering his skin felt like a thousand tiny brands, searing with every breeze that came from the entering tunnel—but even that was nothing more than a dull ache compared to the agonizing pain rising from the blackened spot on his torso where the lightning had struck a few minutes earlier.
Beside him, Nightmare whimpered softly, his previously glossy black fur marred by numerous scorched marks. They exchanged no words as the pain that gripped their bodies slowly died out. For what felt like hours, they stayed there, Seth staring at the ceiling, Nightmare at the far wall.
They had killed an Iron beast.
January 15, 2026 (8h30PM ET)
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