The cave was disturbing, frigid air bit at Sam's exposed skin, droplets of crisp water dripping from stone walls as he walked into darkness, shivering, his body trembling as it tried to adjust to the unnatural drop in temperature.
He wasn't wary of the darkness, though. He was already familiar with chilling, slithering shadows enveloping his body like a cloak. Holding his breath, Sam let the sinister blackness swallow him whole as loud screams penetrated the cave, echoes traveling to its very end.
Then he heard the insidious clattering of fangs, a cacophony of starved screeches that made his body tremble. He closed his eyes and waited for the legion of rats to pass.
"Ke-keeeh!"
"Krek-keeeh!"
Literal waves of the King's legion washed over the cave, each creature surging forward toward the source of desperate, panicked screams.
Some rats died along the way, their bodies smashed by their own kin in the uncontrollable, frenzied march.
As they passed, Sam exhaled softly, lowering his head as he scanned the area. After confirming they'd truly left, he moved instantly, dashing forward toward his target, to slay the Rat King.
The Rat King wasn't strong on its own. Without its minions, it was weaker and more vulnerable. Yet it was still a ferocious beast, towering at three meters tall, its claws like obsidian blades, its fur dark and glistening.
Its red, crazed eyes were filled with starvation, saliva dripping from its fangs, its tail like a mace. It had a distended belly, no matter how much it ate, it remained gluttonous and hungry.
It was quite an appalling creature, Sam could admit as he stared at it. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a Rat King, but every time, the same feeling of disgust washed over him.
The place was permeated with the foul smell of excrement, piss, and rotting flesh. Sam observed the beast devouring literal shit and scavenged meat, saliva bubbling and dripping from its ferocious fangs.
Sam knew the importance of every ingredient. Criminal was the most unique pathway, there was no other like it, nothing more individualistic than a devil.
However, there were characteristics they shared, traits that came directly from the potion itself. Those traits separated devils from other Beyonders, and they originated from the ingredients.
That was why a devil should understand the symbolic meaning of every ingredient and sequence.
For example, the main ingredients of Criminal were the head of a savage dog and the crystal feather of a murderous black crow.
The head of a savage dog symbolized wild savagery and mindless aggression, the brutality driven by animalistic impulses. That's why every Criminal was so brutal. Even Sam, who could restrain himself, still ended up mutilating his victims' bodies like a beast.
As for the murderous black crow, it symbolized death and opportunistic killing. A murderous black crow is by no means a scavenger, it actively seeks victims and slaughters them. But the crow isn't mindless. It is cunning and sadistic, killing for the sake of killing, an absolutely unnecessary display of violence, driven not by food or survival, but by the desire to satisfy its corrupted urges.
And its beautiful crystal feather is what makes crime so alluring and liberating. We're Criminals not because of reason or circumstances, but because a Criminal is freest when breaking the law. There's no need for reason, it's just our nature to go against it.
Consuming them, drinking their blood, is practically internalizing violence and senseless murder.
One piece of any ill-gotten gain or trophy obtained from a crime... you could say it's the fruit of our labor. Evidence of finding thrill in crime and feeling pride from doing wrong.
And lastly, ten drops of tears from a victim is the final push into the abyss of depravity. We're disregarding others' lives as if they're nothing, finding pleasure in others' misery.
Yet at the same time, we know it's wrong... We know it. We still have a heart, but... it's rotting. And even if we're aware of how wrong our actions are, we still do it because we're tempted, becoming slaves of the earthy desires.
As for the Rat King... it symbolized betrayal of self, abandoning your nature, embracing depravity and malice. Like the Rat King, you become a hateful wretch, eating whoever you want to eat, killing whoever you want to kill. Only obeying your desires and nothing more, nothing else.
Sam swallowed, thinking about this was depressing, considering that after becoming an Unwinged Angel, he would become a cold-blooded beast. And to digest the potion, he would need to commit all kinds of vile crimes. After all, he would be unwinged, not winged. Meaning... he would fully start his journey, walking the path that would inevitably lead him back to the abyss.
He sighed, shaking his head, trying to calm his beating heart. He clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened, eyes closed and breathing unstable.
Taking a deep breath, he sighed softly. His lungs inhaled and exhaled air without frantic movement, and his heart stopped trying to escape from his chest.
Wiping sweat from his forehead, he unsheathed his blade, its edge gleaming coldly, while preparing thermite bombs.
He crouched, closing the distance silently, placing bombs at seemingly random locations as he finally reached the Rat King.
The foul smell almost made him throw up, but he held his breath, swallowing his own vomit with a grimace. He wiped his mouth and locked eyes with the filthy creature, a malicious smile splitting his face as he lit the foil of the last thermite he had left. "Hey there... you ugly fuck."
He grinned wildly as the Rat King snapped its head back with a ferocious snarl, only to be slammed by the thermite bomb exploding in its face.
"KER-KREEEEEK!!!"
An insidious roar split the air, the deepest part of the wet cave saturating with the king's rage as flames consumed half its face. Flesh peeled away, blackening and scorched, falling to reveal exposed white bone and fangs. Its fat turned slimy, dripping like resin.
Sam smiled faintly, spinning his dagger in his hands, and dashed forward. The hunt for the Rat King had officially begun.
Sliding down on wet stone, Sam avoided the ferocious claws of the giant rat, his boots finding purchase as he leaped forward. Wind fluttered his oversized coat as he positioned his body midair, diving toward its brain.
But the beast wasn't foolish. It roared, raising its mace-like tail and driving it with stunning force toward Sam's body. He gritted his teeth, twisted midair, and kicked off the stone wall, ricocheting back to avoid the fatal blow.
Landing on the ground, Sam dashed forward, raising his dagger to block the dark claw. He twisted a dagger in his hand, deflecting the strike, his arms shaking from the force as he clenched his teeth.
I need to deliver one clean hit to its brain… and I can't let its blood touch me. If I can't, then the bombs should do the job.
Sensing the monstrous body of the murderous beast lunge forward, Sam dodged left. Something whistled past his temple with terrible speed. A fraction of a second later, and his skull would have been pulverized by its mace-like tail.
Turning the dagger upward, Sam thrust it toward the beast's throat. As a hint of panic appeared in the abomination's eyes, it changed the direction of its claw, choosing defense instead of offense.
The razor-sharp blade bit into the rat's claw and bounced off. However, that gave Sam the opportunity to create distance by leaping back. Despite the fact that his bruised hand was shaking, he put it back on the hilt of the dagger and faced the towering king once again.
But soon, he noticed a problem. He was cornered, and he'd miscalculated, the rat was faster than he'd thought. That was why he was a hair's breadth from death as the bestial claw descended toward him like a death knell.
Now... Sam could either allow himself to be pierced by the blade-like claw or let go of his weapon. Obviously, he chose the second option.
The dagger flew far away as Sam raised his arm to deflect the strike. The raw strength of the attack shook his bones as the weapon clattered on stone. There was little hope of retrieving it, he had no time to reach it quickly.
Indeed, he was out of time. Almost instantly, the hideous beast lunged at him, sharp, gleaming claws ready to slice Sam's body like a fish.
Hmm... Good old hand-to-hand... Hand-to-claw combat it is, then. He thought grimly, a nervous smile appearing on his face as he gulped down saliva and dashed forward.
Dodging a deadly strike, he twisted his body and delivered a ferocious blow of his own. His fist connected with the beast's fang, making it reel back.
Sam, while smaller than the Rat King, had a trained, athletic body. His muscles bulging, veins popping from the force he exerted. In a way, Sam's body was refined for killing. The raw skill from fighting every day in the Abyss, battling horrors unimaginable for normal children, and his ridiculously high pain tolerance from all the torture and beatings he'd endured made Sam deadlier than a mere rat.
…And yet, he wasn't nearly as strong as the Rat King. While shaken by the blow to the face, the Rat didn't look seriously hurt. It screeched, and its savage strike almost made Sam buckle, his knees weakening as cold dread filled his wildly beating heart. His arms shook as he shielded himself. The beast's mace-like tail blasted him off his feet, crashing him against the cold stone. He spat blood, coughing and gasping for air.
No time... to waste... He thought grimly, rolling away quickly to avoid having his face turned into bloody paste by the Rat's tail. But in every negative thing, something positive can be found. At least he'd reached his weapon. Gripping its hilt, he stood up, wiping his mouth.
The Rat King was at a dire advantage in thus fight. With its tremendous might, much larger weight and reach, all it had to do to win was land one fatal strike. Knowing that, Sam had done everything in his power to avoid letting it reach him. He twisted and moved, dodging its sharp claws and delivering strike after strike.
Soon, the Rat was bleeding from dozens of cuts on its bestial body, its melted face showing signs of exhaustion. But Sam was no different. He let out a tired breath, his chest rising and falling, unable to stabilize it. Bruises covered his body, his legs shaking.
Yet the malicious smile never left Sam's face as he laughed, taking another step back as the Rat King chased.
But Sam had already reached his bag. Pulling out a matchstick, he lit the torch. The light made the Rat King shriek in displeasure, raising its claws and hiding its eyes, discomfort apparent as it felt blinded.
However, it wasn't really dangerous for it, the rat just wasn't used to light. Regardless, it didn't matter whether it was or not. Because when it opened its eyes, it didn't see the vicious human but a torch near a can, its foil lit.
"Kreek?" It tilted its head. And, In the next moment-
BOOM!!!
A chain of explosions followed as stone walls shattered and debris fell from above, burying the roaring beast beneath rubble. Its legs were destroyed, its tail smashed to a pile of flesh and blood as it tried to free itself. Then another giant stone fell, pulverizing its body and effectively ending the Rat King's reign.
No matter how powerful... a beast was still a beast.
However, Sam wasn't safe yet. He avoided falling stones, his breathing unstable and ragged, his limbs shaking as his eyes darted. His instincts took over to ensure his survival, adrenaline flooding his body.
Crack!
He heard a sound that made his already alarmed heart panic further. Part of the cave was collapsing. The cave was massive, it resembled an ant colony, but instead of being underground, rats had carved it into the mountain.
Because of that, Sam wasn't down where Amelia and Yuri were fighting the legion of rats, but instead at least a hundred meters higher.
Glancing abruptly to his right, he saw an endless blue horizon and the beautiful twilight, basking in the warmth of light.
Yet the light brought no comfort this time, only fueled his growing horror as the ground he stood on started shaking, cracks spider-webbing until the stone shattered and Sam lost his footing.
A loud scream of disbelief escaped his lips as he tried to balance himself, leaping onto the Rat King's sliding body and gripping its fur with all his strength. Leaking blood from the beast fell on his flesh and hissed, forcing another groan from Sam as his skin started burning, the acidic liquid melting it.
It was only a few drops, but the pain was unimaginable. What concerned him wasn't the pain, though, he was used to that. The truly horrifying aspect was that he was infected now... and had barely a week to live until he succumbed to the poison. And that was only because of his tenacious, stalwart body.
Twisting his body, he jumped onto another rock as the beast's body rolled. Gritting his teeth, he leaped forward, using a lone tree as a foothold to ricochet his body left with all his might, his bones shaking as he wrenched himself away and fell onto the unforgiving, cold ground.
Sam screamed as he felt his rib faintly crack, his body bruised and blood leaking from his wounds. At the same time, he grabbed his bag, threw it onto the snowy ground, and rolled onto his back, pulling a piece of wood from his shoulder with wide, crazed eyes. His teeth were clenched so hard from the pain that they nearly cracked.
But he quickly composed himself, staring at the sky with bitterness, and then at the sliding body of the beast.
I'll find it later... He thought, his arms shaking as he struggled to rise, dragging his body forward. Endure it! Endure it! Endure it! Feeling pain means I'm still alive. What the fuck is useful about complaining, huh?! complain about what? bad luck? I wanted to kill it, and I did. That was my wish, no one forced me. Bitching around is the mindset of pussies.
He grinned darkly, dragging himself forward as he found the resolve to move his battered body.
The Great God of War;
The Symbol of Iron and Blood;
The Ruler of Chaos and Strife;
Praying to his Lord's Angel of War for strength and courage, Sam continued moving forward relentlessly. My Lord's Angel was indomitable and brave, never giving up and always fighting. I should fight too until all my bones are shattered, my flesh ripped apart, my body drained of blood, and my heart stops beating. How can I call myself a son of God if I can't endure even this little pain...
Slowly, he killed the pain in his mind, his body shivering from cold as he picked up his backpack. But then he heard another sound, like a roaring beast, and looked back.
Only to see an avalanche of snow surging forward like a tidal wave.
Sam's smile froze, a resigned look appeared on his face as he closed his eyes peacefully. Fuck it! I still won't complain!
***
[A/N: Is this how Gege felt? Torturing your characters is oddly satisfying. It's like being on a high, XDDDD.
Don't worry, Sam. Your suffering isn't for nothing; it's to get you reasonably developed, lmfao.]
***