Chapter 110
The air of the dungeon room hung heavy, the only sounds echoing were the ominous throbbing of her heart and footsteps.
Clair gripped her spear tightly, her amber eyes narrowed as she cautiously scanned the chamber.
She had done her research and knew that her ferocious sabretooth-like opponent was likely nearby, lurking in the shadows, sneaking around to deliver an unexpected strike.
Her grip tightened even more around the sturdy shaft of her spear, the cool metal a comforting presence in her hands as she squared her shoulders, her feline eyes narrowed as she had spotted her opponent.
Across the chamber, the liger fang observed her, letting out a low growl when she found it, its frame rippling with raw power.
With its savage fangs bared, it crouched low, muscles coiling as it prepared to charge.
Clair's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding even harder in her ears as she steeled herself for the coming onslaught.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
With a sudden blur of movement, the liger fang launched itself forward, paws outstretched, jaw agape and its razor-sharp fangs glinting in the low light.
Clair's body reacted on pure instinct, her senses heightened as she activated her special skill - chronological acceleration.
Her vision blurred as she activated her skill, the world around her slowing to almost a crawl.
She could see every twitch of the liger's muscles, every flex of its powerful limbs in excruciating detail.
Pivoting on her heel, Clair twisted her spear, the blade slicing through the air as she parried the liger fang's attack.
The impact sent a jolt through her arms, but she held her ground, amber eyes locked on her opponent.
The liger fang landed a few paces away, its powerful muscles coiling as it crouched low, a rumbling snarl escaping its jaws.
It observed Clair with its piercing gaze for a brief moment, searching for an easy opening.
Clair knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down, even for a moment. She needed to be a few steps ahead of this predator.
ROAR!
The liger charged again, its massive paws leaving deep gouges on the stone floor.
Clair braced herself, her muscles coiled like springs.
As the liger drew near, she darted to the side, her spear thrusting forward.
THUD !
The tip grazed the fur on liger fang’s shoulder, eliciting an irritated growl.
Undeterred, the liger fang immediately whirled around, its claws slashing through the air.
CLANG!
Clair's spear met the liger fang's claw, the impact forcing her to take a step back.
She pushed back, her muscles straining, then swiftly thrust her weapon forward, aiming for the creature's vulnerable shoulder joint.
The liger fang anticipated the attack and swiftly sidestepped, its jaws snapping dangerously close to Clair's arm.
She felt her heart nearly leap from her throat as she narrowly avoided the creature's dangerous bite.
Clair continued her assault, her spear a blur as she executed a series of precise thrusts and sweeps.
The liger fang responded with a flurry of slashes and pounces, its movements a blur to the untrained eye.
But Clair's enhanced perception allowed her to anticipate each attack, her body flowing with a graceful, deadly rhythm.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of metal against razor-sharp claws echoed through the chamber.
As they were clashing, Clair soon felt a familiar sensation.
She realized that she couldn't afford to keep up the high-intensity pace of combat for much longer.
The side effect that came with using her skill "Chronological Acceleration" without pause was starting to show.
She could feel the familiar drowsiness that usually followed creeping in.
Quickly, she reached into her pocket and popped a white cube into her mouth, the substance providing a much-needed delay to the side effect.
These were glucose clumps that Draco made for her exclusive use.
The liger fang, sensing Clair's momentary distraction, seized the opportunity.
GROWL!
It lunged forward, its jaws snapping shut just inches from her body.
THUD!
She stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
But the liger fang wasn’t going to give her any breaks, her eyes widened in horror as the creature followed up with an immediate assault.
It came barreling towards her, its paws swinging in a flurry of quick slashes.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The air itself trembled with the sheer force and blinding speed of the liger's strikes, sending shivers of dread down Clair's spine.
Gritting her teeth, Clair unleashed a rapid volley of jabs and thrusts, her spear a blur as she desperately sought to keep the ferocious beast at bay.
But the liger was relentless, its superior size, tough fur and raw strength allowing it to weather her wild assault with ease.
With a mighty swipe, it batted her weapon aside, leaving her horribly vulnerable.
Clair's heart pounded in her chest as she felt the scorching, fetid breath of the liger fang near her skin.
Desperately, she threw herself to the side, rolling across the uneven, rocky floor of the chamber to retrieve her weapon.
Pain lanced through her as her shoulder slammed against the rough stone, but she pushed the agony aside, more adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Springing back to her feet, Clair quickly took up a defensive stance, her keen eyes scanning the area for any advantage she could exploit.
The liger prowled around her, its movements slow and deliberate, as if it savoured the fear it instilled in its prey.
'Damn this beast!' Clair thought, gripping her spear tightly.
She knew she needed to turn the tide somehow, to seize the initiative.
Seeing the liger fang tense its powerful muscles, she attempted to predict its next move - it was either going to lunge or pounce.
She had to make the right guess and deliver a critical blow.
"Lunge," Clair decided, she immediately turned and lunged forward, the tip of her spear thrusting towards the monster's chest.
But the liger fang was faster than she had anticipated, its lithe form darting to the side with blinding speed.
Clair's eyes widened in dismay as she realized her mistake - it wasn't that the liger had become faster, but that her increased adrenaline and exertion had somewhat messed with her own skill.
As she overextended, the liger swung one massive paw, its razor-sharp claws slicing through the air towards her unprotected flank.
SKREEE!
Clair hissed in pain as the claw attack almost completely tore through her side, blood spattering across the dungeon floor.
Her armour had taken the brunt of the damage so she could still fight.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the searing agony, spinning her spear and sweeping it in a wide arc.
The liger fang leaped back, avoiding the attack, but Clair refused to let up, her relentless assault forcing the creature to retreat further.
GRRRR!
Saliva dripped from the liger fang's fangs as it eyed Clair warily.
Clair's grip tightened on her spear as the liger fang attacked once more, its jaws snapping at her head as she had crouched to evade the attack.
She then darted to the side, the creature's fangs missing her again but this created an opening that she needed.
Seizing the opportunity, Clair thrust her spear forward, the blade sinking into the liger fang's open shoulder joint.
ROOOAR!
The liger fang howled in pain, thrashing wildly.
Clair braced herself, digging her heels into the ground as she struggled to maintain her hold on the spear.
The creature's powerful movements threatened to wrench the weapon from her grasp, but she refused to let go.
Suddenly, the liger fang twisted its body, the spear tearing free from its flesh.
Clair stumbled, her guard momentarily lowered again.
In a flash, the creature lunged, its head slamming into her chest and knocking her to the ground.
Clair gasped as the air was forced from her lungs, her spear clattering to the floor beside her.
The liger fang loomed over her, its hot, foul breath washing over her face as it opened its jaws, ready to deliver the killing blow.
SKREEE!
With desperation for survival fuelling her in that moment, Clair forced her skill "chronological acceleration" to the absolute limit her body would allow.
Time seemed to slow even further, and she could see every detail of the liger fang's oncoming attack in excruciating clarity.
Thick veins throbbed on her head, especially around her eyes.
Blood flowed profusely from her nose and tear ducts, but she couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters now.
Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fist and punched the liger fang in the eye.
The creature reeled back in pain, momentarily giving her some space.
Quickly, Clair rolled away, narrowly avoiding the liger fang's retaliation.
Landing on her hands and knees, she snatched up her spear.
The liger fang rounded on her, its golden eyes gleaming with malice but it didn't immediately attack, much to her relief.
Reaching into her pocket, Clair retrieved another handful of glucose clumps.
Shoving the sugary confection into her mouth, she felt a tiny bit better.
She knew she couldn't keep relying on her special skill - the strain was already extremely heavy on her, and she could feel the onset of drowsiness creeping further.
She needed to end things in a decisive attack.
Gripping her spear tightly, Clair charged forward, her movements a blur as she darted and weaved, studying the liger fang's movements and searching for an opening.
The creature responded with a flurry of swipes and lunges, its speed and agility making it a tough opponent.
It seemed as though the creature had boundless stamina, never showing any signs of fatigue.
SKREEE! GRRRR!
The two combatants exchanged a series of blows, their battle growing more intense with each passing moment.
Clair could feel the fatigue setting in, her muscles aching, her vision starting to blur.
But she refused to give up, her determination fuelling her every move.
At some point, Clair had begun to move minimally, conserving her energy for a decisive strike.
Finally, as the liger fang prepared for a fast dash attack, Clair saw an opportunity.
The shoulder joint wound that she made earlier in battle caused its left front leg to falter, it gave out when the liger fang crouched, putting all its weight on the leg in preparation for a fast dash attack.
Timing her attack based on this observations, she immediately thrust her spear forward, the blade managing to pierce the creature's throat.
The liger fang's eyes widened in shock, a gurgling roar escaping its jaws as it collapsed to the ground, thrashing and convulsing.
Clair stumbled back, her special skill fading as she fought to catch her breath.
She watched as the liger fang's movements grew weaker, its life slipping away.
With a final, ragged breath, the creature fell still and disintegrated, the room enveloped in an eerie silence.
Wincing in pain, Clair wiped her bloodied face and pressed a hand to her wounded side, the little strength she had slowly wearing off.
She knew she needed to remain awake, after all, she was still in the dungeon, but her body felt heavy, the drowsiness from overusing her skill “chronological acceleration” threatening to consume her.
Reaching into her pocket, Clair retrieved the last of the sweet treats.
Looking at the sweets in her hand, Eleni’s face popped in her mind.
Letting out a hollow chuckle, she threw them into her mouth, savouring the sugary taste.
As the familiar warmth spread through her, she steeled herself, picking up the magic stone and her spear tightly, moving toward where her familia waited.