The Minotaur King threw Kael's body into the air as if he were worthless trash. Blood still poured from the mutilated remains of his body while the regeneration slowly advanced, rebuilding destroyed flesh, muscles, and bones. However, the monster had not the slightest intention of allowing him to recover.
It did not want to kill him quickly.
It wanted to break him.
To enjoy him.
The enormous minotaur smiled, revealing its blackened fangs while flexing the muscles in its legs.
And disappeared.
BOOOOM.
The air exploded when the creature leapt toward Kael at a monstrous speed. Before he could react, an enormous hand violently grabbed his neck.
—I GOT YOU!
The impact came a second later.
CRAAAAASH.
Kael's body was brutally slammed into the ground, shattering the thick layer of rock as if it were glass. The entire terrain collapsed beneath them and both crashed through the floor toward a lower level of that gigantic cave.
But the monster did not stop.
It kept descending.
It kept smashing him.
PACK.
PACK.
PACK.
Each impact destroyed another stone floor while enormous clouds of dust and fragments of rock exploded around them. The sound rumbled like an endless earthquake that made the entire cavern tremble.
Kael could barely think.
Each blow destroyed his body again the moment it finished regenerating.
Ribs.
Organs.
Bones.
Everything exploded over and over again.
—YOU'RE REALLY TOUGH, HUMAN!
The Minotaur King roared with excitement, like a child enjoying a new toy.
PACK.
Another impact.
PACK.
Another one.
Finally, after breaking through multiple layers of black stone, the monster stopped smashing him against the ground.
Both landed in a much deeper area.
Darker.
Colder.
The minotaur released Kael's neck and let him fall heavily onto the ground while enormous chunks of rock continued falling from above.
—SEEMS THE GROUND IS MORE DURABLE IN THIS PLACE.
It inhaled deeply, sniffing the air.
Its black eyes locked onto Kael.
—Ah… and you're still alive too.
Kael violently coughed blood while trying to breathe.
His body was regenerating again, though much slower than before. Flesh rebuilt itself between painful spasms while his bones cracked back into place.
—Ah… ah…
He tried to speak.
—Are… you… done… yet…?
The minotaur let out a monstrous laugh.
—HAHAHAHAHA.
It slowly crouched in front of him.
—YOU'RE STRANGE.
Its enormous black eyes gleamed.
—YOUR BODY IS STRANGE.
It brought its face close to Kael's.
—AND THAT DARK AURA… THAT DAMNED AURA…
The monster's skin violently bristled.
—IT MAKES MY ENTIRE BODY TREMBLE.
Kael could barely stay conscious.
The pain was unbearable.
But even so…
He was still alive.
The monster watched with fascination as Kael's torn-off arm slowly finished regenerating.
—INTERESTING.
It smiled, showing its teeth.
—YOU'VE RESTED LONG ENOUGH.
It stood up again.
—NOW LET'S KEEP PLAYING.
Kael tried to move.
His hands trembled.
He tried to crawl.
Leaving a trail of blood over the black stone while breathing desperately.
The Minotaur King simply watched him.
Enjoying it.
—LOOK AT YOU.
Its voice echoed throughout the cavern.
—THE GREAT HUMAN CAN ONLY CRAWL.
Kael clenched his teeth.
His vision was beginning to blur.
(…System…)
His voice weakly echoed inside his mind.
(…Please…)
There was no response.
(SYSTEM!)
His nails dug into the ground.
(ANSWER ME!!)
Silence.
And then—
«Error.»
The mechanical voice finally appeared.
«The system cannot activate any obtained abilities.»
Kael's eyes slowly widened.
«All abilities have been blocked.»
His breathing stopped for an instant.
«The system cannot help.»
No.
No.
No.
«Loading update…»
Kael trembled.
«Estimated time for reactivation: one year.»
The world seemed to freeze.
One year.
One damn year.
—…Damn it…
Kael slammed the ground hard.
—Damn useless system!
His voice came out broken.
Filled with rage.
—WHY DID I DO EVERYTHING YOU ASKED?! FOR THIS?!
His breathing was chaotic.
—DID YOU JUST BRING ME HERE TO DIE?!
The Minotaur King tilted its head in confusion.
—WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO, HUMAN?
Kael kept crawling.
—DAMN IT ALL!
—WHO ARE YOU YELLING AT?
The monster slowly began walking toward him.
—STOP RUNNING.
Then—
Something changed.
A different presence appeared in the darkness.
Cold.
Deep.
Ancient.
—…That magical power…
It was the voice of a woman.
Soft.
But strangely heavy.
—Could it really be him…?
The Minotaur King immediately stopped.
Its black eyes scanned the darkness.
For the first time…
It seemed uncomfortable.
—WHO SAID THAT?
The monster stepped back once.
—SHOW YOURSELF!
There was no immediate response.
Only silence.
A strange silence that made even the air feel heavier.
The voice was heard again.
But this time it spoke to Kael.
—Hey.
Kael slowly lifted his head.
—You… the one crawling.
His eyes could barely stay open.
—What is your name?
Kael breathed with difficulty.
—…Kael…
The voice remained silent for a few seconds.
—I see.
The Minotaur King roared furiously.
—STOP IGNORING ME!
The darkness trembled.
But the voice paid no attention to it.
—Kael.
Its tone became softer.
—Do you want to live?
Kael tried to answer.
But the pain barely allowed him to breathe.
—He…lp me…
The voice let out a small laugh.
Not mocking.
More curious.
—And what will you give me in return?
Kael trembled.
—Wh… whatever…
His fingers dug into the ground.
—I'll give you… everything…
His voice began to break.
—But… help me…
Silence returned.
And then—
—Then I accept.
The darkness trembled.
The Minotaur King quickly turned in every direction.
—WHAT IS HAPPENING?
The voice continued.
—Now listen carefully, Kael.
Something began to glow within the darkness.
A black light.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Slowly, a sword appeared floating in front of him.
Its blade was dark like the deepest night, but crimson lines ran across the entire sword as if living blood flowed within the metal. The hilt was elegant, covered in ancient engravings impossible to understand.
And even so…
Kael felt something.
Familiarity.
As if he had known that sword for a very long time.
—My name is Elyndra.
The sword slowly descended until it stopped before him.
—The Crimson Eclipse.
The Minotaur King stepped back once more.
And for the first time…
It felt fear.
—THAT SWORD…
Elyndra's voice echoed inside Kael's mind.
—Stand up.
Kael trembled.
His body barely responded.
—I… can't…
—Yes, you can.
The sword shone intensely.
—But first you must accept me.
Kael slowly lifted his gaze.
—Accept you…?
—Give me everything.
The black aura slowly began expanding.
—Your pain.
The sword vibrated.
—Your fear.
The air began to distort.
—Your soul.
The Minotaur King violently roared.
—I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE… BUT I'LL KILL YOU ALL THE SAME!
It charged toward Kael, destroying the ground with every step.
But Elyndra completely ignored the monster.
—Say it.
Kael slowly extended his trembling hand.
His fingers touched the hilt.
And in that instant—
He felt something pierce through him completely.
—Elyndra…!
The aura violently exploded.
—Crimson Eclipse Sword…!
The darkness trembled.
—I ACCEPT YOU WITH ALL OF MY BEING!
Time stopped.
Literally.
The Minotaur King froze in the middle of movement.
The stones suspended in the air stopped falling.
Sound disappeared.
And then—
The memories arrived.
Thousands.
Millions.
Kael felt his mind on the verge of breaking while foreign images violently invaded his consciousness.
---
Crying echoed inside a dark room.
A child barely nine years old desperately hugged a coffin while endless tears fell down his face.
Inside the coffin rested a woman.
That woman was none other than his mother.
The child trembled without stopping his crying.
Because he had already lost his father four years earlier.
And now…
He had lost her too.
The people around whispered among themselves… without approaching the child.
—Poor boy…
—Now he's completely alone…
—Who will take care of him now?
But no one approached.
No one hugged him.
No one stepped into that small broken world where the child was slowly dying inside.