The cold water weighed heavily on my limbs as I swam toward the shore, the raccoon clinging to my shoulder. The cavern around me was alive with danger—creatures lurking in every shadow, waiting for the slightest mistake. But I had no time to think about them. I needed to reach land and find a place to regroup. Fortunately, the salamanders were more interested in the ants than in me and my little furry companion.
When I finally reached the shore, I carefully scanned my surroundings. I had swam to the closest point of land, which appeared to have no monstrously huge insects or amphibians in the immediate area. After comfirming the coast was clear, I moved further away from the lake and found a tall rocky passage that seemed almost too tight to squeeze through. I could see through it and the passage seemed to open up into a slightly bigger area, which was exactly what I needed. The raccoon dug it claws into my shoulder as I began to walk closer to the passage, its small body trembling. I gave it a gentle pat. "Shhh it's okay, we have to hold out for one more day." I whispered, hoping it would understand. The raccoon chittered softly, clinging to me as I moved deeper into the cave system.
I squeezed through, feeling the cold wet stone wall scrape against my skin. The air was thick with tension, the quiet was unsettling and the air almost oppressive. The passage was slightly wider, allowing me to walk normally. The only thing I could hear was my own breathing, although it was if I could feel something lurking ahead—something dangerous. It felt as if my body could sense something else ahead. The raccoon gripped my shoulder even tighter while letting out a small whimper.
As I emerged into a small, dimly lit cavern, a low, rumbling hiss echoed through the space. My heart skipped a beat. From the shadows, a monstrous creature crawled into view—a giant scorpion, easily as big as a car, with two massive tails tipped with deadly stingers. The scorpion's armor gleamed in the faint light, its pincers clacking ominously as it advanced. I backed away slowly, trying not to draw its attention. The raccoon, sensing the danger, clung even closer to me. I knew I had to get it to safety.
I turned back to the tunnel I had just come through, remembering I had saw a small alcove while shuffling through. It was narrow, barely large enough for the both of us, but it would have to do. Keeping my eyes on the scorpion and the spider, I gently sat the raccoon down pushed it toward the tunnel. It hesitated, but a firm nudge sent it scurrying into the alcove.
Once the raccoon was secure, I turned my attention back to the scorpion. A system message appeared before me:
[You have encountered the Trial Realm Boss, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion !]
[Mission updating...]
[Trial Realm Mission Objective(s):25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcUxZf4ePb
-Defeat the Twin-Tailed Scorpion25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6L3XlP8Rv
-Protect the Raccoon for the initial Trial Duration.]
[Rewards will vary based on users performance.]
A hidden boss. My stomach churned with fear. This creature was massive, and its armor looked nearly impenetrable. I needed a plan—something that would allow me to take it down without getting close enough for it to crush me.
I retreated to the alcove in the crevice, trying to think. Scorpions were normally fast creatures, in the same family as arachnids. They immobilized their prey with a strong pincer hold followed by injecting venom from the tail. This scorpion seemed slow but powerful because of its size. Its tail and pincers were the real threat, capable of striking with lethal speed. If I could immobilize those, I could have a chance.
"But how, was I being tempted by the rewards or did I truly just want to escape?", I thought to myself.
I faltered, knowing I was getting ahead of myself, even with these unnatural abilities this was still a minivan sized scorpion. I didn't even have the strength to think about fighting something like that. Then it hit me, I could make that strength. I sat down, pulling the raccoon closer as I began to pull up the Merge screen. I clicked on the first hexagon and my list of abilities showed up again along with the Trial time remaining.
[Primary Traits: Telekinesis(E), Shield Generation(E)
Secondary Traits: Enhanced Senses(G)
Primary Perks: Power Bestowal
Secondary Perks: Immortal Body, Linked Growth, Analyzing Eye, Guardian Link]25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaMvacUsGh
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[Trial Duration: 36 hours 19 minutes remaining]
I inwardly thought of a plan or any possibilities that could help me out of this situation. All of these windows and their descriptions indicated that others may be experiencing their own powers or missions. If that truly was the reality of the world outside of this 'Trial Realm', there could be even more dangerous situations or monsters. Meaning this could be an unbelievable opportunity that may never come again. Although it was risky, I could try holding out for as long as possible and attempt to challenge the scorpion last second. I was drawn of out my spiral by a notification appearing before me.
[A user is observing you.]
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a pulsing glowing light that appearred overhead. I slowly looked up and was in awe at what I had seen. A large eyeball materializing out of golden mist. Around the eye were four large, shadowy black wings, two emerging symmetrically on each side. The wings, resembling those of a raven, were flapping slowly and creating a breeze that went unfelt. Despite their dark appearance, the wings seemed to merge with the mist surrounding the eye. It was stationary, staring straight ahead at the wall before fully taking shape, making it slightly shake while the wings increased in speed. It began to turn and slowly fly down, stopping almost three feet from me. The raccoon noticed it and got frightened, scrambling over my wet leg and hiding behind it. I attempted to use 'Analyzing Eye' and a small window appeared.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJbDiiSedH
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[Manifestation of the Perk 'All Seeing Eye'. Will disappear in 2 Minutes 50 seconds.]25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GKV7g9odJ
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I inched closer to it and whispered, "Jon? Is that you? Can you hear me?? Are you okay?!"
The eye was still for a few seconds before moving up and down. I let out a sigh of relief before noticing the raccoon fleeing from my periphrial vision. I turned to see it flee the alcove and head towards the cavern holding the scorpion.
"Fucking hell." I said rising to my feet, I quickly followed it and approached the entrance of the cavern. I panicked, the raccoon was nowhere to be found. I found the scorpion in its previous spot but this time it was laying on the ground with its curved tails resting on its back. I inwardly begged for it to be sleeping. I spotted the raccoon about twenty feet away from it munching on more mushrooms. It had ran past the sleeping giant and was eating the more abundant clusters from a darker corner. I inwardly cursed it and called it the embodient of glutton.
I quickly pulled the Merge screen up again and entered my two main Traits, Telekinesis and Shield Generation, and clicked merge. There were three products this time but one seemed exceptionally useful, grabbing my attention. After clicking it, a new system message appeared.
[You've gained the Perk, 'Shield Detonation!']
[Secondary Perk: Shield Detonation- User can will their shield formations to explode when more quar is infused. Explosions vary based on quar infused.]
This was extremely useful but before I even thought about going forward, I put a half-assed plan into action. I needed a back-up plan incase the scorpion awoke during my retrieval. The cavern walls were lined with loose rocks and jagged stalactites. The ceiling was high enough to inflict some damage if they were to fall. I could use that. My telekinesis wasn't strong enough to lift the scorpion, but it could manipulate the environment.
I crouched down and focused on the rocks scattered around the cavern. Using my telekinesis, I lifted them one by one, positioning them strategically above the scorpion. They weren't large, but if I could drop them at the right moment, they might distract or even injure the creature. I could even use telekinesis to hold them, then form a shield on one side and detonate it, essentially making a bootleg grenade. Next, I reformed my shield into sharp spikes. These wouldn't pierce the scorpion's armor deeply, but they could target its joints or eyes, anything to slow it down. I turned to see the raccoon attempting to climb a rock pile to reach a higher mushroom, but the rocks to began to sway. I attempted to use telekinesis to catch it but my range fell short. The rock fell to the cave floor with a hard echoing thud, bouncing three times before stopping. I heard a chittering and turned to see the scorpion rising from its slumber. The raccoon had awakened it. I had to act now. I looked back to see the golden eye had followed us. I looked towards it, waved and said, "I'll see you soon Jon."
With everything in place, I stepped out of the shadows, whistling and drawing the scorpion's attention. It turned, meeting my gaze and letting out a revolting hiss. It scuttled forward and sent its tails lashing out with terrifying speed. I barely managed to dodge, the stingers embedding themselves in the ground where I had just stood. The scorpion lunged, its pincers snapping inches from my face. I rolled to the side, leading it toward the center of the cavern where my traps were set. The scorpion's massive body followed, its movements slower and more deliberate as it closed in on me.
I triggered the first trap, sending a volley of rocks crashing down onto the scorpion's back and into its joints. The creature screeched in anger, its pincers thrashing wildly as it tried to locate the source of the attack. I used the distraction to target one of its tails with my shield and detonated it. The purple formation vibrated violently before forming an explosion that seemed to swallow the tail. The explosion was about the size you'd expect from shooting a gas can, I could even feel myself getting slightly exhausted with how much quar I had consumed.
The scorpion howled, venom dripping from its now deformed stinger as it struggled with the pain. I didn't give it a chance. Using the sharp spikes I had formed from my shield, I launched them at the scorpion's eyes. Two struck true, embedding themselves in the creature's face and blinding it partially.
The scorpion reared back, its remaining tail lashing out wildly. I ducked and weaved, using the rocks and my telekinesis to keep it off balance. Each strike I made was calculated, aiming to chip away at its defenses and slow it down.
Finally, I saw my chance. It was under the largest stalactice, its movements were becoming sluggish and its injuries were taking their toll. I focused on a large stalactite hanging directly above it. With all the strength I could muster, I formed a shield and focused on it exploding. With a thunderous boom, smaller stalactites and debris went flying. Though the explosion wasn't enough, causing me to generate another shield and once again detonate it. The stalactite plummeted, crashing down onto the scorpion's body, its tails flinging about madly. The impact cracked its armor, and the creature let out a final shuddering screech before collapsing. It was trapped, still alive but trapped. I looked around, attempting to find the golden eye with no luck. I let out a victorious chuckle as I hesitantly walked closer to it, leaving about twelve feet. I lifted my hand and detonated the shield spikes still trapped in its eyes.
[You have defeated the Trial Realm Boss, The Twin Tailed Scorpion.]
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