CHAPTER EIGHT

The Will of Self-Sacrifice, Part 2

“It’s a thunderbolt,” Sam reminded her. “Is it even solid enough?”

“What do you think, lame-brain?” she asked, her eyebrow rising once more.

Ha-ha-ha, lame-brain… I like that one.

“No one asked you,” Sam snapped at the message box.

“Tell Chiron I said hi,” Thunder chuckled.

“Chiron?” Sam asked. The name sounded very familiar.

Thunder’s reply was caught in her throat. It seemed her slip of the tongue had been corrected by the mysterious system.

“You’ll have to figure that out on your own,” Thunder shrugged.

The surrounding atmosphere dropped even more as the terror drew nearer. The time for banter was over.

“By the way, if you’re going in close make sure it doesn’t get the chance to bite you,” Thunder warned.

“Is this about the Blight?” Sam asked.

“The stronger the horror, the more powerful its corruption,” Thunder answered. “Alpha-level horrors are basically Blight super-spreaders.”

The priestesses of the gods preached that the taint born from a horror’s birth could cause sickness so foul that it could bring low even the mightiest of heroes. They were referring to Hercules, the most famous hero to lose his life to the Blight.

Thunder was the first to charge forward. She deftly dodged the whip-like appendages the terror sent against her while closing the distance between them. Sam followed, stopping only to activate Herculean once more so he could pick up the hammer that was lying between them and their enemy. The same warnings appeared over Sam’s vision. Only, they sounded much direr now. As if to tell him that this was his last shot at beating the horror.

Thunder launched herself into the air to lure the terror’s gaze away from Sam who’d slid down to pick up Onus, which was now too close to the horror’s feet.

“Artemis, goddess of the hunt,” Thunder yelled while in mid-jump, “let my aim be true!”

Thunder threw her thunderbolt at the terror, and it seemed like it was almost a miracle it slipped past the horror’s limbs to penetrate straight into its chest.

“Now, Sam!” Thunder urged.

The terror let out a mighty screech that caused Sam to momentarily slow his pace. Still, he managed to jump up while gripping Onus in both hands. But, just before Sam could swing the hammer down on the bolt protruding out of the terror’s chest, something heavy smashed into the side of his head.

Sam hit the ground hard, face first, and the pain that lanced up his brain was so intense that he wondered why he hadn’t blacked out yet.

ALERT! [Regeneration (ζ)] is working to counteract the damage. Refrain from taking action while this is in progress.

So that’s why, he thought. He wasn’t even allowed to lose consciousness.

Something sticky dripped down his forehead. More of it was stuck to the side of his face. A metallic taste filled the inside of his mouth.

“I’m…bleeding,” he mumbled.

Sam blinked away the black dots crowding his vision, and his sight returned just in time for him to watch the round mouth filled to the brim with needle-like teeth dip toward him.

Sam sighed. “We were so close…”

Just as the terror’s mouth grew even wider, preparing to swallow him whole, Thunder appeared out of nowhere to take the hit that was meant for Sam.

“Get out of the way…” he whispered.

The terror’s maw latched down on Thunder’s left shoulder. There was no doubt it had pierced her chest, too.

“No…” Sam breathed. “No…”

Thunder managed to keep the terror’s mouth from snapping completely shut. She’d grabbed at both ends of its maw and held them open through sheer force of will.

“It’s not over yet!” she screamed.

But Sam could tell that it was. Blood was dripping down Thunder’s back even worse than when she’d had a hole in her stomach.

The terror’s hand latched onto her arm to pull her off it, but Thunder wouldn’t budge. Her body shuddered as she tried to hold on. Even now she struggled to endure.

“Godsdammit,” Sam whispered. “Take me instead…”

Here’s lesson number two, kid; persevere! No matter the pain, no matter the struggle, a true hero never stops to answer the call when it is given!

Sam bit his lip while he read Chiron’s words.

Now get up, lame-brain!

“Argh!” Sam screamed as he tried to push himself off the ground. Pain caused his hands to shudder. “Argh~~h!”

Come on, kid! Show me you’ve got what it takes!

As if it had responded to his will, Sam’s regeneration strengthened the muscles of his arms and legs, allowing him to get on one knee.

Sam gasped for air. “I...I can do this...”

I’m going to skip to lesson number ten. It’s called self-sacrifice. The very embodiment of heroism is the will of self-sacrifice. Putting yourself in front of danger to protect others, that’s what being a hero’s all about

Sam’s gaze drifted toward Thunder. He imagined the master was talking about her.

“I can do this,” Sam said, a little louder this time.

Strength flowed into his veins once more, just enough of it so he could rise to his feet.

“Hold on, Thunder,” Sam gasped.

She didn’t respond, but her posture stiffened at hearing his voice.

Sam knew healing Thunder wasn’t an option. Not when they were both so close to death. Only one route remained to him.

He reached down for the hammer that was lying on the ground. His fingers grasped onto its handle. Then he gritted his teeth and whispered, “Herculean...”

Ha-ha-ha! Your determination’s giving me goosebumps, kid!

A familiar pressure spread across his body as the temporary power flowed through him.

Onus felt even heavier in his hands, which meant his burden had probably increased, especially now that he was responsible for a life other than his own.

“Hold on just a little longer,” he told Thunder as he limped past her.

The terror was so focused on biting her, it ignored Sam’s approach completely. Crackling energy radiated out of the jagged spear embedded a third of the way into the terror’s chest.

Sam knew he had one shot. Once he threatened its life, the terror would immediately move to put him down. Despite the shiver running up his spine, he felt pretty relaxed.

He launched himself forward and the terror reacted instantly. Its remaining hand detached from Thunder and whipped back to smack at Sam as it had done earlier. Instinct drove him to dodge the first attack. The second one grazed his side, causing him to wince in pain. But it didn’t matter now—Sam was within reach of the thunderbolt.

His vision was clouding over when he yelled, “I can do this!”

Sam swung Onus up toward the thunderbolt with what little strength remained in him, and in that one shot drove it deep into the terror’s chest so that the other end of it pierced out of the heavily-injured horror’s back.

The thunderbolt unleashed all its energy. As the brilliant light exploded outward, the force of it sent Sam flying back and crashing onto the ground far, far away.

He was lying face-up with his gaze turned to the night sky. As consciousness began to leave him, Sam thought the constellations above were much brighter than usual, as if to point out that the gods were watching.

Darkness covered his vision, and the last thing he saw was a system notification.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed the mission [Save the Girl, Save the World]. You have leveled up! You have leveled Up! You have leveled Up!

Then oblivion finally took him.