Wolf

Unfortunately I still can’t use my ice element on the devourer. I still don’t know if I’m strong enough to fight the thing, even with it being cut down to size. Literally.

Well, guess the only thing I can do is try.

Right as I’m about to rush forwards though, the wolf pup moves in front of me, making me pause.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” I ask it, knowing by now that this wolf pup most likely knows whatever that poison did.

The wolf pup turns to the side and blows out a small pulse of ice element, then turns to point at the devourer.

“You want me to… use magic on the devourer?” I ask, my confusion evident in my voice. “But that wouldn’t… wait, are you saying the poison made it work?”

The pup nods its head a few times, making me grin.

In that case… I might have a chance against it. As long as I kill it before the ten minutes are over.

I blink at that thought.

Shit. That might not be possible.

Also, is it just me, or did that wolf pup have insanely pure ice element? Purer than my own.

It has to be Fenrir’s child or something. There’s nothing else that could explain a wolf pup having purer ice element than one blessed by Fenrir. Not to mention that it was eternal ice, not normal ice element.

I stare at it for a second before shaking my head, deciding that fighting the devourer is more important than figuring out that little puzzle. So I quickly flood the area with eternal ice of the blue moon, making that beautiful pale blue light shine throughout the abyss of darkness. Then I raise a single hand and point at the devourer, immediately turning the element into spears of glowing pale blue ice that fly straight through the abyss at the devourer.

“Using magic on a devourer? You really have lost it in this dungeon, haven’t you?” the devourer says with a shake of his head while not even bothering to stop the attacks.

Which turns out to be a bad idea as my ice pierces inches into its scales, shocking the devourer in the process. But the shock is quickly replaced with rage as it shouts, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!!??!”

And then it seems to lose it completely, shouting nonsense in its anger.

Hmm, this devourer is extremely different from Talroth. Makes me wonder why.

Talroth was obsessively loyal to The Reaper, but this one seems to hate The Reaper.

I wonder if that’s common amongst devourers? To either be loyal or hate him?

Although it could just be because this devourer was imprisoned by The Reaper.

Anyways, the devourer in question reaches me and I raise my sword, slashing it down to strike at the creatures massive claws. But even with my tripled strength, I’m still forced back rather strongly by it.

The devourer continues rambling on about something as I try to push back against it, to no avail. So I change my tactics. Instead I try to distract it by both freezing it and using spears of ice as I attack it from different directions.

Only to find that my sword won’t even pierce his scales, unlike my magic.

Fucking hell! What’s wrong with whoever decided to make this the damned event boss?!

This thing is way to fucking strong for a floor like this!

I continue attacking it over and over again, only barely whittling away at its scales with my eternal ice of the blue moon, neither my claws and sword doing shit against it. Meanwhile the timer on the usage of the sword continues to drop down.

‘Dad!’ Sapphire exclaims when the devourer slams its massive tail into my side, sending me flying through the abyss while coughing out a trail of pale blue and very much glowing blood. Blood that gives me pause.

Why… is my blood glowing just like the eternal ice of the blue moon?

I watch it as I fly before finally catching myself with my ice and rushing back towards the devourer again, trying to make use of my transformation as much as I can.

But then things change.

The devourer lets out a loud roar and charges straight at me with parts of its body suddenly beginning to glow with a black light as blood suddenly begins pouring out of its body.

My eyes widen at the sudden increase in speed, but I don’t get long to react as the devourer almost instantly reaches me, attacking me with its claws instead of its mouth for some reason. Then it does it again, and again, and again, sending me flying back and forth like a damned ping pong ball without even letting me stop myself.

What the fuck happened to it?! Some sort of berserk power?!

I thought devourers couldn’t use magic?!

The devourer continues sending me flying without giving me the chance to attack it with anything other than my ice as the countdown continues ticking down.

Soon enough, I find myself with just a single minute left on the countdown.

So I let out a sigh and then push out all of the energy I have within me to force the creature aside, even if that’ll leave me weakened afterwards. Then I rush to set up the teleportation pad, forcefully pull Sapphire out of my shadow, and put her on the pad.

Her eyes widen in shock, and she shouts, “No! Dad, don’t do this!”

A wry and sad smile forms on my face as I tell her, “I can’t win this fight, but I can send you to safety.” I pause for a second before saying, “I’m really glad to have had a daughter like you.” Tears spring to her eyes as I finish, “Goodbye, Sapphire.”

And right when she’s trying to leave the teleportation pad, reaching the edge of it, I activate it, sending her back to Aegis before temporarily closing our bond to make it so that she can’t teleport back to me.

Then I turn back right as the devourer shatters my ice and arrives right in front of me, its massive size proving too large for me to even see its head after raising my head. Despite the fact that its size was reduced.

The countdown soon reaches just twenty seconds left, so I go ahead and rush forwards with my sword, just to be swatted away again and sent flying far away.

This time the devourer doesn’t immediately chase after me, instead laughing at my situation.

At this point, I just float in the abyss, feeling like I gave it my all. And I saved Sapphire too, even if she is most likely livid with me right about now.

I smile sadly upwards before glancing at the devourer that is slowly approaching me.

Then I focus on the countdown that is now at just ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

I frown as I find the wolf pup floating up to me.

“Hello little fella,” I say to it while reaching for the pup to pet it once before I die.

The countdown hits three seconds.

Then two.

And when it hits one, the wolf pup bites my hand, sending a very familiar pain throughout my body that has me screaming.