Chapter 37: Confronting the Commander
Kaelen could barely stand. Every muscle in his body was screaming in agony, and every breath came out with great difficulty, as if his lungs were about to collapse. His body was covered in multiple wounds and scratches, some deep and bleeding slowly, and his shattered armor offered little to no protection, becoming just a heavy burden. He had just survived a battle against gigantic monsters, a battle that had drained every ounce of his energy and left his soul and body on the verge of collapse. He felt that his magical power had almost evaporated, with only a thin, fragile thread remaining. He would not have been standing were it not for the steady support of Emily and Caleb, who were holding him up from either side, preventing him from collapsing completely.
But the sight before him now made his heart freeze in his chest. It wasn't just another monster emerging from the darkness; it was an entirely different entity, a nightmare made flesh.
The Commander had appeared.
The Commander was not just another beast; it was an entity of absolute terror, belonging to a completely different level. It was taller than all the monsters he had faced combined, dozens of meters high, casting a gigantic shadow over the surrounding land. Its skin was a deep, inky black, absorbing light from around it, as if any light that touched it vanished into an endless void. Its eyes burned with a crimson red color, like embers glowing in the pitch black, staring at Kaelen with terrifying coldness. It had massive horns that curled around its head, sharp and pointed, and every step it took shook the ground beneath Kaelen's feet, sending powerful vibrations through his exhausted body. It had no lower jaw, but a gaping maw that stretched across its face, revealing rows of sharp fangs that looked capable of tearing through solid metal.
"So... this is the Commander," Kaelen muttered, his voice barely audible, as if he were whispering to himself. He felt an immense power emanating from the creature, a power he had never faced in his entire life. His magical energy was dwindling, and he could barely lift his chipped sword, as if it had become heavier than mountains.
The Commander took one step, as if a small earthquake had struck the ground. It made no sound, but its mere presence was deafening, filling the air with dread. Kaelen felt immense pressure on his soul, as if the creature was trying to crush his will before he could even raise his weapon. This was different from anything he had faced; it wasn't just physical strength, but a presence that threatened his core, his entire existence. He realized instantly that this entity transcended everything he knew about power, and that there was no hope of facing it head-on in his current state.
"I can't... give up now," Kaelen thought, trying to gather what little strength he had left, which was fading fast. He remembered the face of his sister, Emily, and his promises to her, and he remembered Laila, Ethan, and Caleb, and all the reasons that made him fight all these monsters. They were his last hope, and the only reason that pushed him to continue. But his body refused to respond, as if betraying him at this critical moment. His vision began to blur at the edges, and he felt a severe dizziness, as if the world was spinning around him.
The Commander raised its massive hand, which ended in sharp, blade-like claws, and this single movement was enough to fill Kaelen with despair. It wasn't just a threat; it was a movement that carried immense destructive power, as if it were preparing to wipe out everything in its path. Kaelen felt the air around him thicken, as if space itself was bending to the creature's will, preparing to explode.
"This is the end," a voice whispered in his head, the voice of the despair he had long resisted. But in that moment, a small glimmer of hope, a desperate idea, formed in his weary mind. It wasn't a plan to attack, but a plan to survive, a plan that would require everything he had left, and perhaps more than he possessed. He had no other choice.
As the massive claw approached, growing larger in his eyes, Kaelen gathered the last remnants of his strength, not to attack, but for something else entirely, for one last chance at survival.