The creature stepped out of the smoke with slow, deliberate movement, its massive frame emerging piece by piece as the dust curled around it. Each step it took left dark streaks across the terrace, its tentacles dragging behind like living shadows. The air grew heavier with its presence, pressing down on the lungs, making every breath feel slightly harder to take.
"GET READY!" Rohan shouted, already moving.
A translucent window flickered before him for a brief moment.
[PLAYER STATUS - ROHAN]
Class: Tank
Weapon: Reinforced Shield + Short Axe
Strength: 3 (+1)
Endurance: 4 (+1)
Speed: 1
Mana: 2
Stamina: 4
Rohan stepped forward and planted himself between the creature and the others, raising his shield with both hands. His stance widened, bracing for impact.
"I'll hold it," he said, voice tight but steady. "Stay behind me."
Pranav swallowed hard, tightening his grip on his longsword as his own status window appeared and faded just as quickly.
[PLAYER STATUS - PRANAV]
Class: Warrior
Weapon: Basic Longsword
Strength: 2 (+2)
Endurance: 2
Speed: 2
Mana: 1
Stamina: 3
"Yeah… yeah… just don't let it touch me," he muttered, though his eyes never left the creature.
Behind them, Aarav remained still.
Watching. Analyzing.
The creature's movements weren't random. There was a rhythm to the way its body shifted, to the way its tentacles tensed and relaxed.
It's testing range… mapping space…
The realization clicked just as one of the tentacles snapped forward.
The attack came fast. Faster than the eye could comfortably track.
"PRANAV!" Aarav shouted.
Pranav reacted on instinct, bringing his sword up just in time.
The impact slammed into his blade with a metallic crack, forcing him backward as his shoes scraped violently across the ground. His arms trembled under the force.
Before he could stabilize, another strike came from above, slicing downward with terrifying precision.
"Shit!" Pranav muttered.
He twisted, barely managing to intercept it. The second impact rattled through his shoulders, sending a sharp jolt of pain down his arms.
"It's not stopping!" he shouted. "It's coming from every direction!"
"Form up!" Aarav's voice cut through the panic, sharp and controlled. "Triangle formation now!"
Rohan moved first, stepping forward and anchoring the front. Pranav shifted quickly to the right, adjusting his stance despite his shaking arms. Aarav positioned himself behind them, completing the formation.
The moment they settled,
The creature attacked again.
Three tentacles lashed out in rapid succession, each one targeting a different angle.
The first slammed directly into Rohan.
His shield rang out under the impact, the force driving him half a step back despite his braced stance. His muscles strained visibly as he absorbed the blow.
The second came for Pranav's right side. He parried it with a desperate swing, the collision sending vibrations through his entire body. His grip nearly slipped.
The third cut in from an angle neither of them expected.
Pranav twisted, barely managing to deflect it at the last possible moment.
"Don't break!" Rohan barked, teeth clenched.
Behind them, Aarav had already drawn the gun.
A system window appeared in his vision.
[PLAYER STATUS - AARAV]
Class: Assassin
Weapon: Basic Dagger + Special Weapon (Pistol)
Special Condition: Pistol consumes 1 Mana per shot
His mind processed it instantly.
Five mana.
Five shots.
No room for error.
The creature's attacks continued, but now Aarav wasn't watching the strikes themselves. He was watching the pattern behind them.
Front. Right. Left and a slight pause before the next cycle.
Not random. Predictable.
He raised the gun, aligning his aim.
The world seemed to narrow, the chaos fading into the background as his focus sharpened.
Front. Right. Left. Pause,
He fired. The gunshot cracked through the air, louder than anything else on the battlefield.
The bullet missed and it struck the concrete behind the creature, sending fragments scattering.
Aarav's grip tightened.
Too early.
"FOCUS!" Rohan shouted as another strike slammed into his shield, forcing him lower.
"I can't hold this forever!"
"Shoot again!" Pranav yelled, barely keeping up with the next attack.
Aarav exhaled slowly, forcing the tension out of his body.
Don't rush.
Watch.
Wait.
The pattern continued.
Front. Right. Left. Pause-
Now.
He adjusted slightly and pulled the trigger.
The second shot landed. The bullet tore into the creature's abdomen, punching through its flesh with a dull, heavy impact.
The creature froze.
For a fraction of a second, everything stopped.
Then it roared. The sound was not just loud. It was oppressive, vibrating through bone and air alike, forcing its way into their bodies.
A system message flashed before them.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
MONSTER: ABYSSAL TENTACLE BEAST
Skill Activated: ROARING SLASH
Effects: Fear induction, temporary stun, increased sharpness
Condition: Applies if Endurance < 6
Their stats flickered.
Aarav – 2
Pranav – 2
Rohan – 4 (+1)
All there got affected.
The pressure hit instantly.
Aarav's body locked. His fingers stiffened around the gun.
Move.
Nothing responded.
Beside him, Pranav's breathing became erratic. "I can't… move…"
Rohan strained forward, muscles trembling violently as he tried to resist it. "Don't… freeze…!"
The creature didn't hesitate. It attacked. Faster now. Sharper.
The first strike hit Rohan's shield again, driving him backward.
The second followed immediately, forcing his stance open.
The third-
CRACK.
A fracture spread across the shield.
Rohan staggered, his footing breaking for the first time. Another strike came before he could recover. The damaged section shattered completely, the impact sending him sideways.
The formation broke.
Pranav stood exposed.
A warning flashed across his vision.
[STATUS: FEAR-STUNNED]
His body refused to respond.
A shadow fell over him.
The tentacle coiled, tightening for a split second before launching forward with lethal precision.
Time seemed to stretch.
"Aarav…?" Pranav screamed.
The impact was brutal. The tentacle pierced through his chest, the force lifting him slightly before dropping him back down. Blood spilled from his mouth as his grip on the sword loosened.
"…we were supposed to win…" Pranav stuttered as his blood ran down his mouth.
The blade slipped from his hand, clattering uselessly against the ground.
The tentacle withdrew.
Pranav collapsed.
And a system message appeared.
[PLAYER ELIMINATED: PRANAV]
For a moment, the battlefield went quiet.
Rohan's breath hitched as he stared, disbelief breaking through his composure. "…no…"
Aarav didn't move. Didn't react. Something shifted inside him.
The fear that had frozen him moments ago didn't disappear.
It hardened. Focused. His grip tightened around the pistol as his pulse steadied, each beat sharp and controlled. Alive.
His gaze lifted slowly, locking onto the creature.
Mana: 5
The monster moved again, preparing another strike.
This time,
Aarav stepped forward.