The Brain Beast pulsed.
The air changed instantly.
Sam felt it before he even saw it.
Pressure.
Not physical.
Mental.
Like invisible fingers pushing into his skull.
"…your thoughts… loud… loud…"
The whisper echoed inside his mind.
Sam gritted his teeth.
His perception stat and mental resistance traits kicked in immediately.
The pressure didn't overwhelm him — but it hurt.
A dull throbbing behind his eyes.
Then the illusions began.
The corridor warped.
Stone walls twisted into melting shapes.
The floor stretched like rubber.
The mana sphere in his hand suddenly appeared to multiply — ten, twenty, thirty copies floating around him.
Sam blinked hard.
"Okay… illusions…"
He steadied his breathing.
"Don't panic… don't panic…"
But the Brain Beast was already moving.
Its long, slick tendrils shot forward like snakes.
WHIP — !
Sam barely ducked.
The tendril scraped across his shoulder.
Even the near miss stung.
He swung the Demon Eye Sword upward.
CLANG — !
The blade sliced through one tendril, releasing a splash of purple fluid.
The Brain Beast recoiled slightly.
"…pain… interesting…"
But the illusions intensified.
Suddenly the corridor filled with dozens of fake Brain Beasts.
Each one pulsing.
Each one whispering.
"…here…"
"…no here…"
"…no here…"
Sam cursed.
"Damn it…"
Another tendril whipped toward his leg.
He jumped back.
Then another.
And another.
He was forced into pure defensive movement.
Dodging.
Parrying.
Slashing.
His speed kept him alive, but he couldn't land a decisive hit.
The illusions made it hard to track the real body.
Sam tried to close his eyes briefly.
Bad idea.
The psychic pressure increased immediately.
"…blind mind…"
"…easy mind…"
He snapped them open again.
"Okay no closing eyes."
Another tendril struck.
He blocked with the sword.
The impact pushed him back several steps.
Sam's breathing became heavier.
He slashed another tendril.
Purple fluid splattered across the floor.
He backed away slowly.
"Think… think…"
His mind raced.
He remembered something.
From the future of Ooo.
Brain Beasts weren't physically strong.
But they relied heavily on mental control and illusions.
Their weakness…
The large red crystal behind the brain.
The exposed core.
He just needed to hit the main body.
Easier said than done.
The illusions kept shifting.
The Brain Beast suddenly closed distance faster than before.
Its tendrils lashed wildly.
WHIP
WHIP
WHIP
Sam dodged left.
Rolled right.
Parried one strike.
His sword cut another tendril.
But one limb slipped through his guard.
SMACK — !
It struck his ribs.
Sam was thrown sideways into the wall.
He grunted in pain.
His endurance absorbed most of the damage — but it still hurt.
The Brain Beast floated closer.
"…fatigue…"
"…mind slowing…"
Sam forced himself to stand.
Lightning flickered around his arms.
"Not… yet…"
The illusions warped again.
Now the corridor looked like it was flooding.
Water rising around his feet.
Fake — but still distracting.
Sam ignored it.
He focused on movement patterns.
The real body cast slight shadows.
The fake ones didn't.
His perception slowly adapted.
"There…"
He spotted it.
The real Brain Beast.
Slightly left.
Floating.
Sam lunged forward.
Lightning surged into his legs.
He moved faster than before.
The Brain Beast reacted.
Tendrils shot toward him.
Sam spun.
The Demon Eye Sword sliced through two limbs.
He stepped inside its guard.
But the creature pulled back.
"…food learning… fast…"
Sam growled.
"Yeah… I do that type shi... Sometimes."
He jumped back to create distance.
His breathing was heavier now.
This fight was exhausting.
But he had an advantage.
He was only facing one Brain Beast.
In the future, they often hunted in groups.
One-on-one…
He had a chance.
Lightning crackled louder.
Sam prepared for the next exchange.
The Brain Beast's brain pulsed faster.
Illusions twisted.
The corridor warped.
Both combatants stared at each other.
The corridor twisted in impossible angles.
Illusions warped the walls.
The Brain Beast floated forward.
Sam stepped in at the same time.
Both lunged.
Lightning exploded across Sam's body.
He pushed mana enhancement to its limit — electricity coating his muscles, his arms, his torso. His hair lifted slightly as static crackled in the air.
"Let's go!"
The Brain Beast's snake-like tendrils shot forward, aiming to wrap around him.
But the lightning coating his body snapped and sparked violently.
CRACK—!
The tendrils recoiled slightly as electricity surged through them.
Sam forced himself forward.
He crashed through the whipping limbs.
One tendril wrapped his arm, electricity surged through it.
The creature shrieked mentally.
"…pain…!"
Sam swung the Demon Eye Sword.
SLASH.
The limb detached.
He stepped inside its range.
The illusions flickered violently now.
The real body exposed for a split second.
Sam remembered.
From canon.
The red gem embedded near the brain core.
The true weakness.
He pulled his left hand back.
Mana condensed.
Not a sphere.
Not lightning.
But a dense bolt.
Thick.
Heavy.
Condensed.
"Got you bitch!"
He thrust his hand forward.
The bolt fired at point-blank range.
BOOM.
The mana blast struck the exposed red gem directly.
The Brain Beast froze.
Its tendrils went limp.
"…thought… ending…"
The entire creature began to destabilize.
Its flesh dissolved.
Its brain cracked.
Then
POOF.
The Brain Beast vanished in a burst of pink glittering smoke.
Silence returned.
Sam stood there.
Breathing hard.
Very hard.
Like he had just sprinted for miles.
"Ha… ha… ha…"
His legs shook.
The mental strain had been worse than the physical fight.
His head throbbed.
His thoughts felt heavy.
He staggered forward.
Then dropped to one knee.
"Man… mental attacks… suck…"
He took one more step.
Then collapsed flat onto the cold stone floor.
Darkness took him.
Hours Later
Sam groaned softly.
His eyes opened slowly.
The corridor was quiet again.
No illusions.
No whispers.
Just stone.
And silence.
He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples.
"Ugh… my head…"
His mana had recovered partially.
His body felt fine.
But mentally…
He felt drained.
"Note to self… avoid psychic monsters."
He pushed himself to his feet.
The fight had taken longer than he thought.
The mana sphere he left floating earlier had long since faded.
Sam summoned a new one.
Soft blue light filled the corridor.
He looked at where the Brain Beast had vanished.
Only faint sparkles remained.
"No loot… figures."
He sighed.
Then began walking back.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The journey back felt longer.
His body moved fine.
But his mind was tired.
Eventually the familiar entrance to the Library of Evergreen appeared.
Sam stepped inside.
The quiet chamber felt comforting now.
Safe.
He dropped his bag beside the study table.
Then collapsed onto his makeshift bedding.
He didn't even bother removing his boots.
"…Tomorrow… I leave the dungeon…"
He stared at the ceiling.
Two weeks inside.
Training.
Fighting.
Studying.
He needed fresh air.
Needed to explore outside again.
Maybe hunt.
Maybe find new survivors.
Maybe…
He closed his eyes.
Sleep came quickly.
The lightning wizard rested.
And far above…
The world of Ooo continued changing.