The lights kept flickering.
On.
Off.
On—
Off.
The trio stood there, frozen in place, their eyes darting from building to building as the once-dead city began acting… alive.
Confusion settled in first.
Then tension.
Then—
Shatter!
The sound of glass breaking echoed sharply through the empty streets.
Zachary instinctively raised his arm, shielding his eyes as shards rained down from above.
Cole stepped back, flinching, while Eleora turned her head away, her heart jumping at the sudden noise.
Something moved.
A figure dropped from one of the shattered windows above.
For a split second—
It looked small.
No bigger than a pinky finger from where they stood.
But as it fell—
As it got closer—
It grew.
Bigger.
Larger.
Heavier.
Until—
BOOM!
It slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact, the force cracking the pavement beneath it.
Dust and debris scattered outward, a wave of pressure hitting the trio as they instinctively stepped back.
Zachary slowly lowered his arm.
And looked.
The thing in front of them…
Was massive.
Its body resembled a lion—
But twisted.
Unnatural.
Its fur matted and uneven, its muscles coiled unnaturally beneath its skin.
And its heads—
Not one.
Not two.
Multiple.
Snake-like necks twisted and coiled from its shoulders, each ending in a snarling, hissing head.
Their eyes glowed faintly, their jaws twitching as if tasting the air.
"A… Chimera…" Cole said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper.
The creature's heads turned.
All at once.
Fixing onto them.
"'You worthless humans,'"
(This Symbol, '" next to speeches indicates that my characters can't understand the language said)
The Chimera spoke.
Its voice was deep.
Layered.
Almost like multiple voices speaking at once.
Zachary frowned.
"…What did it say?"
Cole shook his head slightly.
"And how is it even talking…?"
"'How dare you stand before me!'"
The Chimera's tone sharpened.
Mocking.
Disdainful.
Then—
It moved.
Lunge!
A violent gust of wind exploded outward as the Chimera launched itself forward, its massive body cutting through the air with terrifying speed.
"Gnt—!"
Zachary reacted instantly, his body twisting as he dodged to the side just in time.
The Chimera's body slammed down where he had been standing moments ago, stopping abruptly with unnatural control.
Zachary steadied himself, turning back toward it.
"Who are you!?" he demanded.
"'Simply putt, I am the owner of this barren city.'"
The Chimera replied, almost casually.
"…Ugh," Zachary exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Why did I think asking would work…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"I can't understand your language."
Then—
One of the snake heads lifted slightly.
Its jaws slowly opened.
A glow formed inside.
Bright.
Blinding.
Zzzzzzzzt—
The air vibrated as energy condensed within its mouth.
Zachary's eyes widened.
"Run!" he shouted immediately.
Cole didn't hesitate.
Eleora turned—
But glanced back.
"Zach!" she called out, her voice strained with worry.
"GO!" he barked.
She clenched her teeth—
And ran.
Zachary stood his ground.
His gaze locked onto the growing light.
"…Come forth," he said quietly.
"Barnacle."
A dark presence formed behind him.
Heavy.
Silent.
The glow intensified.
Then—
TZZZZZZZZT!
The beam fired.
A blinding ray tore through the air, leaving a trail of heat and distortion behind it.
Zachary shifted—
Preparing to dodge—
But—
It passed him.
"…?"
His expression froze.
Barnacle stood behind him, sword raised—
Perfectly aligned to deflect.
Zachary turned.
Slowly.
And followed the path of the beam.
His heart dropped.
Eleora—
Was on the ground.
Her body barely moving.
A deep wound carved across her back, the fabric torn and scorched.
"…No…"
Zachary's eyes widened.
Shock—
Turned into something darker..
"'Hahahaha! Weak girl—'"
The Chimera laughed.
Mocking.
Enjoying it.
Zachary turned.
His fists clenched.
"…Activate."
The word left his lips quietly.
Then—
Whoosh!
A violent surge of wind erupted around him, his mana flaring outward like a storm breaking loose.
The air grew heavier.
Denser.
Power flooded through his body.
-[Stats]-
-[Strength: 8239.5 points]-
-[Agility: 7672.5 points]-
-[Recovery: 5252.4 points]-
-[Durability: 5117.4 points]-
-[Mana: 5378.6 points]-
-[Casting speed: 5432.4 points]-
Zachary's eyes glowed faintly.
Cold.
"I have ninety-nine ways to kill you," he said slowly, his voice steady—but filled with something sharp.
He raised his arm.
Halfway.
His finger pointed.
"But I'll choose the most painful one."
"For you."
Then—
He vanished.
Appearing behind the Chimera in an instant.
His arms lifted.
A small ice spike formed in his hand.
Tiny.
Almost laughable.
The Chimera turned—
Paused—
Then laughed.
"'Hahaha! All that nonsense you've been blabbering about—'"
It stopped.
The spike—
Was growing.
Larger.
And larger.
And larger.
Until it towered above them—
Massive enough to overshadow the entire cityscape.
The Chimera's laughter died instantly.
Zachary didn't hesitate.
He brought it down.
CRASH—
The ice pierced through the Chimera's body, pinning it into the ground with overwhelming force.
It screamed.
Struggled.
Its heads thrashing violently.
Zachary landed on top of it.
His foot slammed down—
Crushing one of its heads into the frozen mass.
It fired another beam—
Desperate.
Wild.
But it didn't matter.
Zachary scoffed.
"Nothing but wasted mana," he muttered coldly.
Lightning crackled in his hand—
Then discharged.
The Chimera's body convulsed violently as the electricity surged through it.
Then—
Silence.
Zachary stood over it.
Breathing steady.
Eyes emotionless.
"You'll work well… as an undead."
A black circle formed beneath the corpse.
Dark tendrils rising.
-[Would you like to make this creature an undead?]-
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
The circle swallowed the Chimera whole…
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then—
It rose again.
Changed.
Its flesh torn.
Bones protruding through its body.
Its presence darker.
Heavier.
It was no longer alive.
But not dead either.