Chapter 66 ‒ The Beast Unleashed
Chapter 66 ‒ The Beast Unleashed
Brontusk thundered forward, the arena trembling beneath its mountainous weight. Tyler bent low, knees coiled like steel springs, his gaze fixed and unwavering. When the creature collided, the impact was catastrophic — a sonic boom of flesh and bone meeting unstoppable force.
[HP: 150/500]
Tyler felt his ribs creak and his vision blur, but he refused to collapse. Gritting his teeth, he roared and lunged forward, gripping Brontusk’s massive horn. Fingers dug into the coarse surface, knuckles whitening as he began to wrench it sideways. Brontusk screamed, a thunderous bellow that shook the dust from the cracked walls. The horn shivered under Tyler’s furious strain, a fracture line snaking along its base.
Brontusk shuddered violently, trying to pull away, but the [Ram] skill had locked it into immobility — a cruel price for its overwhelming power. Tyler twisted again, muscles bulging, sweat pouring from his brow. But the horn wouldn’t give — not yet. As the [Gigantify] effect waned, Tyler released his hold and staggered back, his breath ragged and sharp as shards of glass in his lungs.
[HP: 200/500] [PE: 0/40]
He darted, dodging Brontusk’s sluggish swings, his health and energy slowly regenerating. Again and again, he returned to the horn, each time deepening the crack, each assault a savage dance of precision and risk. Brontusk’s movements grew frantic, eyes rolling in terror as it realized its doom was being carved piece by piece.
Above, Drellic leaned forward, lips curling in disdain. “Pathetic. He drags this out like a street brawl…” But his sneer faltered. As Tyler’s attacks grew more relentless, a cold sweat slid down Drellic’s neck. “What… what is he really doing?”
Tyler’s focus narrowed. He activated [Berserk], a red haze swallowing his consciousness. His strikes turned savage, the blade becoming a blur of metal and blood. Brontusk wailed, each bellow echoing like a funeral bell across the empty stands.
With a feral roar, Tyler invoked [Gigantify]. His frame surged upward, towering like a demigod. Every movement carried the weight of an avalanche. He seized the horn again, his hands massive and trembling with unstoppable energy. A deafening crack split the air as he twisted once more — bone and sinew splintered like dry wood. Blood erupted in a violent geyser, soaking the sand red.
The arena became a maelstrom of sound and horror. Brontusk’s guttural screams mixed with the wet slaps of blood hitting the stone walls. Steam and the acrid stench of burning flesh curled into the air, searing the lungs of anyone left near enough to breathe it. Tyler stood amidst the chaos like a vision of hell incarnate, his eyes wild and unblinking, his face twisted into something beyond human — a savage demon born from pure instinct and wrath. Every motion radiated a feral elegance, as if he was orchestrating a macabre symphony to the rhythm of Brontusk’s dying howls.
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Brontusk shrieked, its body convulsing helplessly. Tyler lifted the horn above his head, eyes ablaze with primal hunger. He plunged it down, impaling the beast’s neck. Brontusk staggered backward, its legs giving out in a pathetic sprawl. Its eyes rolled, and a last, gurgled scream spilled from its shattered throat.
Tyler stood atop the beast, blood and viscera dripping from his arms, his expression a void of pure, consuming rage.
High above, Drellic’s face turned pale as parchment. His fingers trembled so violently that gold coins spilled onto the stone floor. “This… this isn’t a warrior’s duel… he’s… he’s butchering it… no… he’s revelling in it…”
Drellic backed away, bumping into crates of gold and gem-laden chests. “He… he could’ve killed me… all of us… at any time… he chose to play along… why? Why did he wait?” His eyes bulged, mind spiralling into horror. “He’s not a human. He’s not even a Player… he’s a predator… and I set him free. Gods… what have I done?!”
He clawed desperately at the chests, gold clinking as he stuffed pouches, hands slick with sweat. “I have to run… I have to get away… he’ll come for me next… he’ll rip me apart…”
Tyler, still atop the beast, switched to his Storm Wizard Hat. His Power Energy surged, a tidal wave of raw magic flooding through him.
[PE: 70/70]
[Activated Skill: Fireball]
Fire ignited in his palms, roaring to life. He launched them into Brontusk’s gaping wounds — each explosion a blossom of searing agony. Flesh bubbled and charred, the creature’s final roars shattering the quiet of the arena. While his PE regenerated, Tyler dropped to the ground, hacking the open neck wound with his sword. Each blow was a symphony of wet cracks and splashes. Tyler’s face, twisted in manic focus, dripped with blood and sweat.
The air trembled with heat and terror. The stands echoed with ghostly silence. Drellic collapsed to his knees above, tears streaming down his face. “Mercy… oh gods… no… there’s no mercy left… he’s the true monster… I’ve unleashed him… and now… now he’ll devour everything…”
Drellic sobbed as he crawled toward the exit, dragging his overflowing pouches behind him like a dying insect. “I should’ve never trusted him… should’ve never… he’s coming… he’s coming for me…”
Below, Tyler’s eyes glimmered like shards of a black star. With each strike, he seemed to slip deeper into something beyond humanity — a void where nothing remained but violence and primal hunger. Brontusk’s final, pitiful cry faded as its gigantic form dissolved into a thousand motes of light drifting upward like lost souls.
[+90 XP]
[Level Up! Tyler Level 123 → 125]
[Attribute Points: +2]
[Achievement Unlocked: Breaker of Behemoths]
[Grade: A]
[Condition: Defeat the rampaging Brontusk the Behemoth]
[Acquired Runestone — Ram]
[Skill: Ram]
[Charge forward at extreme speed, dealing damage equal to 500% of your Attack stat.]
Tyler stood in the centre of the blood-drenched arena, the horn-turned-spear glinting in his grip. His breaths came heavy and ragged, each exhale a quiet promise of further carnage. The last echoes of Brontusk’s death rattle faded into the wind.
For a long, frozen heartbeat, the arena stood silent. Only the whisper of the cold wind dared move. The sand, soaked in crimson, bore witness to the birth of a new monster.
Tyler raised his head slowly, his gaze falling on the exit above where Drellic had vanished. A slow, terrible smile crept across his face. His fingers tightened on the sword handles.
His next prey awaited.