The Nightmare Creature lunged at him with full force, threatening to swallow him whole in its disgusting, circular maw. Its scrawny legs reached out to him like miserable blades and its dull eyes stared at him with forlorn longing, one that has been drawn thin over a millennia of monstrous instinct. It was devoid of any sort of semblance of who - or what - this creature was before, but it didn't matter anymore.
A monster was a monster, even if it had been good once.
Michael stood there motionless, the slit in his helm staring at the grotesque abomination before him with taciturn malevolence. The grip on his dagger was slowly loosening as his hand grew abnormally tense, faintly trembling from the stress and pain it endured.
He had no time to think, he only had once choice left.
As the beast's horrifically long body left the ground and dived at Michael, he immediately pivoted on his leg and threw his whole body into the meadows, just barely missing the creature's dauntingly fast attack as it tumbled on the dirt.
Michael struggled to lift himself off the ground amidst the strong, soothing fragrance of the ashen flowers. He could feel himself being lulled to sleep, reminding him how his mother used to when he was younger. Michael bit his bruised lip further and pushed himself through the dense shrubbery, parting the verdant grass that grew to his upper thighs and pale, ghostly petals.
He made quite a distance before the malformed abomination gave chase, though despite its relatively low body built for digging up graves, it was still alarmingly swift.
'Damn it...'
Michael was banking on the fact the Nightmare Creature would also be affected by the calming aroma, though such a gamble would only be revealed given more time. Time wasn't something he was willing to wager his life on, but it seemed he had to make do.
He ran at full speed with what little stamina he could muster, tripping through the thick meadow as an abhorrent monster was right behind him. Michael descended a hill and violently tumbled down with his unchecked, desperate speed.
Crashing into level ground, buried beneath a bed of ivory flowers, he stumbled onto his feet to locate the abomination.
It was currently sprinting down the hill with surprising finesse and agility, slightly zigzagging down so as to not fall forward and tumble like his prey.
'Do you think you're smarter, huh?'
Michael used what little time he had and hastened his bruised and sore body to create distance. He looked back at his rapidly approaching opponent who finally reached level ground and noticed something.
As it raced deeper into the meadows, it seemed to be getting slightly slower as if the fragrance was finally taking a noticeable effect. Unfortunately, that also became true for Michael.
He could vividly feel the exhaustion reaching a tipping point, ready to shatter any minute now.
'I need to end this, now!'
Michael abruptly halted his anguished dash and prepared a defensive stance, staring at the rushing creature with unparalleled aloofness. They had no fear in their eyes, no hesitation, no thoughts. All Michael had left was instinct, and that was all a monster could rely on.
The beast closed the gap, yet didn't perform a familiar lunge. It instead took several deceptive steps, causing Michael's already terrible predictions to crack when he realized it was too late to dodge.
It slammed into him with its burly body, pinning him below the ashen canopy with its disfigured claws. It opened its dreadful maw wide, yet Michael had no way to see it beyond the flowers. All he could sense was the figure on top of him through his blood, and the foul smell that pierced his nostrils.
The Nightmare Creature resisted the futile attacks Michael made with the serrated dagger in his pinned arm, and it didn't even bother with the other one as it was empty. It slowly penetrated the canopy, staring at him with milky eyes and meat still stuck in its teeth.
Saliva dripped onto Michael's stained helm, shrouding his eyes in impenetrable darkness. He wearily lifted his arm as ethereal sparkles gathered, forming an unlit, crude torch with cloth tightly wrapped around the opposite end. Michael shoved the torch deep into the Nightmare Creature's maw as sparks developed around the ancient fabric.
"Fuck you-"
He let out a screeching, hopeless scream as the monster tightened its maw, locking his arm up to his elbow. The teeth grinded against his flesh and bone, tearing and shredding it apart.
Michael could feel his mind slipping, yet the embers flickered inside the beast until it grew into a flame.
The Nightmare Creature squirmed in pain from the flames, burning with a hope it had long lost. And within seconds, the cursed blood in its maw slithered throughout its body like a worm. It orchestrated its body like a puppet and pushed its organs around, causing involuntary motions and utter anguish.
The blades relinquished its hold on his arm holding the [Wolf's Wrath], allowing Michael to mindlessly stab and slice the abomination's deathly pale skin until it was painted crimson.
It groveled back, escaping his weak clutches with a terrible limp.
Michael laid on the bed of flowers, peacefully gazing at the foggy night sky as if he was serenely dreaming. The various colors of indigo and violet created a beautiful painting, similar to ones his wife once made. His breath was labored and shallow, growing thin as his chest began to calm.
The tranquil moment was soon broken by a thick scent of blood, causing him to regain his senses and groan in pain. Michael sluggishly climbed onto his feet and looked at his arm that once held the torch, mangled beyond recognition and barely holding on. At least the torch wasn't broken and laid safely in his Soul Sea.
Michael averted his gaze onto the Nightmare Creature who had regained some of its strength and no longer suffered from torment. It was as if Michael was actually laying on the ground longer than he realized, giving it enough time to slightly recover.
'No... matter...'
He took a single, heavy step towards the sickening creature. The grip on his dagger uncontrollably stiffened and shook, causing it to fall beneath the bed of flowers. At that moment, the monster looked towards him with two heads, the others were smashed in and ripped apart. Its front legs were almost entirely broken and its main body was horribly wounded, though clearly not enough if it could stand.
Michael tensed the spasming muscles in his remaining arm to form a fist as he willed his blood still inside the abomination's body to listen. As the Nightmare Creature moved towards him in perverted madness, his blood didn't listen.
'I'm too... weak...'
Not even the blood leaking from his maimed arm onto the ashen flowers heard his call. Michael attempted to close his eyes to utterly focus on his alternative sense, yet his mind simply pulsed in agony from the mental strain. And with his bad eyesight, added on with his inability to grip his dagger, he had nothing to rely on.
'It seems... we're both even now...'
As the hideous beast approached, Michael swung a wide punch, shattering the bones beneath his spiked, steel gauntlets. It responded with skewering his thigh, piercing the mantle like it was nothing. He grabbed the blade, cutting into his own hand, and snapped it between his fist. With the shard that remained in his body, he tried to pull it out but was interrupted by another attack.
Michael stumbled backwards clutching his chest while the abomination toppled forward, struggling to lift itself up. The cut was deep and lethal, but it seemed the mantle's resilience caused the beast's own claw to snap.
He stopped trying to pull the shard from his thigh and simply staggered forward, delivering a sweet punch that took himself off his own feet. Michael scrambled to get back up, just barely being able to dodge a slice with its broken leg that would've cleaved him in half.
It followed up by charging at him, aiming to skewer his head and end this pointless fight. Michael outstretched his hand in an attempt to catch it, but it simply pierced his palm and helm, just barely scraping his cheek.
The two were currently in a deadlock where neither could push with their pitiful strength.
One of Michael's knees gave in, giving the abomination the advantage of gravity. The blade slowly dug into his cheek, gradually penetrating his mouth and touching his teeth. He struggled to think of how to get out of this precarious situation, and no matter how much blood stained the blade, it refused to bend to his command.
Michael had no grip onto the blade as it punctured his flat palm, giving him no way to stop it.
'Am I really going to die... because of my recklessness!? This... this could really be the end. Is this going to be the day I die? Why was I so reckless? Why didn't I just rest!?'
'N-no... I can't... I don't want to rest! I don't want to face her! I don't... need rest! I'll find another way...'
The blood drained from his palm, bathing the pale blade in a cursed crimson. It gently drizzled down and seeped into his bloodied helm...
...Until it began to move up, defying all odds.
'...Because I willed it!'
His blood reached towards the monster like wretched fingers desperately seeking the star's warmth. It crawled up the blade, forming veins of gushing crimson that spread like an infectious disease. The blood swelled in his palm, collecting mass and velocity until releasing it all like a tidal wave. It rose to the beast's mouth like a flood, leaving it no opportunity to retreat.
The Nightmare Creature instinctively repulsed, backing away while slicing up in panic. It shredded the blackened helm and split his palm, causing even more blood to surge towards it.
It fell to the ground like every other monster before it as Michael found enough strength to get back onto his battered feet. He tripped over himself as he approached the maimed abomination, looking at it with his remaining eye with nothing but hatred.
His voice was grave and slow.
"You were a human once... weren't you?"
Michael fell to one knee, staring at the Nightmare Creature with crude loathing.
"But now you're a monster... an abhorrence that doesn't belong in this world."
He lifted his arm, pointing his elbow at the last remaining skull. His eye flashed with pity for a moment as he looked down, his voice turning solemn and rough.
"May you find your dream in another life."
[You have slain an Awakened Monster: Graverobber.]
Michael remained motionless and coarsely whispering a short phrase.
"Your nightmare is over."
He stood up, spending a few seconds to pathetically find his footing, and unsummoned his damaged helmet. His vision was obscured by blood for a few moments until his face was stripped bare to the elements.
His brunette hair was wet with sweat and blood, shrouding most of his aloof face. A large wound marred the left side of his face, a lethal gash spanning from his cheek to his eye. Michael's left arm was completely mangled and hung by a thread, and his right hand was split apart, making it impossible to move it.
A huge laceration spread across his shoulder to his waist, blanketing his lower body in a layer of blood. His right thigh still had a fleshy, blade-like limb in it, making any movement strenuous and difficult.
His gaze sorrowfully fell upon the Nightmare Creature in front of him until something in the distance caught his eye.
On the winding dirt path - slowly walking towards the walled city - was a dark, blurry figure. It looked as if reality warped around it.
"Its you..."
Michael's mind blanked as he found himself running towards the departing figure, trying to catch up to it with his measly speed.
"W-wait! Don't go!"
Who was that? Were they simply his imagination, or someone else who truly existed down here? He had to know.
Michael tumbled and fell several times, yet he continued his hopelessly feeble sprint. He jumped out of the meadows and landed on the dusty floor, limping forward like a wounded dog.
"Stop! P-please!"
He could feel himself grow hotter as if he was approaching a nexus of warmth. And as he made his way closer, his cries turned illegible like the incoherent whispers of the dead.
'I need to know! I need to know if its...'
Michael outstretched his bloodied hand, touching the figure's shoulder with his quivering hand.
Before he could do anything, the figure turned and looked at him.
And it spoke.
And with it, a voice beyond comprehension.
"Darling?"