The silence did not last for very long, and Erik was startled by the loud bang reverberating through the solid metal door, which caused a jolt of shock to travel through his body. The enormous amount of force that generated the sound caused the door to tremble, and the sound of scraping metal filled the air.
After a few seconds, there was a second impact, and it was much stronger. The door buckled under the pressure, groaning under the assault of the monster behind it. The fear beginning to well up in Erik's stomach caused his eyes to widen as he took a step back.
A piece of the door suddenly gave way, accompanied by the screeching wail of protesting metal. The horrifying purple creature had punched a hole through the sturdy door, the size of the hole being just large enough to fit its horrifying face.
Erik froze, his eyes fixating on the sight of the monster's face poking through the hole in the wall.
The horrifying appearance of the purple creature's face was an amalgamation of human and beast, a horrifying visage that bore traces of its former humanity but was distorted by monstrous adaptations. It was a nightmarish visage.
Its skin was a dark, bruised purple that appeared to absorb the light in the surrounding environment, giving it a horrifying appearance. What appeared to be human features, such as the nose and cheekbones, had become twisted and enlarged, and the flesh had become gnarled and swollen. However, these features were still somewhat recognizable.
Its eyes, once the windows to a human soul, were now glowing orbs of intense yellow. They were devoid of any emotion that could be recognized, but they were burning with a pang of animalistic hunger. They were deeply embedded into its skull and sat beneath a thick, ridged brow, adding a menacing level of depth to its look.
However, the creature's most terrifying aspect was its saliva-dripping mouth. Instead of having human lips and teeth, it had a gaping maw that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie.
The inside of the mouth was lined with sharp, jagged teeth that glistened menacingly in the dim light. The teeth were set in a disturbing circular arrangement that could expand in a disturbingly non-human manner. It appeared as though the creature was anticipating a new meal by flexing and twitching its four appendages; it had for mandibles that framed its mouth.
Erik felt tremors of dread run through his body as a guttural growl rumbled from this monstrous mouth. The sight was the kind of thing that appears in nightmares.
The monster's features were contorted in an expression of savage rage, and its eyes glowed menacingly in the semi-darkness where they were located. Its hot, ragged breath caused the cold air on Erik's side to become foggy, and it carried with it the putrid smell of decay, which made the young man gag.
The sight of the once-human creature had an unsettling impact on him, and he felt a cold chill of fear creeping up his spine. Despite this, he was unable to tear his gaze away. The beast had become a grotesque parody of its former self, making it a horrifying display for all to see.
In the face of the monstrosity, Erik's mind was a whirlwind of horrifying conjecture, racing with the various possibilities and questions that could arise in such situations. He gave the beast a cursory examination, taking note of its grotesque features, including the glimmer of humanity that could be seen in its eyes and the perverted parody of a human smile that could be seen on its monstrous mouth.
Was this an example of a human thaid, an abomination spawned from the same dreadful process that birthed the creatures now stalking the planet? If so, what unimaginable torment must it have undergone during its transformation, as its body was warped and its mind likely lost to insatiable hunger and primal rage?
Nevertheless, another possibility came into view, and that was that perhaps this creature was the result of some inhumane experimentation. A gloomy relic from an era when science may have explored territory that it should have avoided in order to find a cure for the Sinister Cold?
Erik felt a chill run down his spine at the mere thought. No matter what the answer was, one thing was abundantly clear to Erik: the creature that stood in front of him was a chilling emblem of lost humanity, a nightmarish reflection of the thaid problem, and a testament to the effects of the Sinister Cold on earth.
As he watched the creature's nostrils flare and its gaze seemingly bore into him while it tried to get through the door's gap, the awakener's throat dried up. The creature appeared to be trying to get through the door.
As Erik scrutinized the monster before him, he activated his system's analysis feature, a sense of grim anticipation settling over him. However, he was met with a disappointing but not unexpected lack of information.
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- Name: Unknown.
- Brain crystal power: Unknown.
-Race: Human-like thaid, no further information.
-Physical characteristics: Approximately 3 meters tall. Absurdly muscular. Estimated weight of 500 kilograms. It has purple skin and a mutated mouth. Its eyes are yellow with Feline slits for pupils, and it has long black human hair.
-Personality and traits: It has an aggressive behavior. No further information is known.
-Power Level: 349
-Approximate Strength: 180
-Approximate Intelligence: 2
-Approximate Dexterity: 134
-Approximate Energy: 684
...
...
…
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"This... This is completely insane... what the fuck is this thing doing here?!" Erik shouted, his voice coming out shaky. He could feel the icy tendrils of fear clutching at his heart.
Erik was terrified. Every single statistic and number that described the creature's capabilities hit him like a punch in the stomach.
Given its ridiculously high levels of strength, dexterity, and energy, it was impossible to fathom the creature's capacity for destruction. He was acutely aware of the rapid beating of his heart in his chest; each beat resonated with the growing anxiety he was experiencing.
His mouth and throat were parched, and it felt as though he had just ingested a handful of sand. With its dispassionate and systematic presentation of the facts, the screen appeared to be a warning of impending doom. Every new piece of information he took in served as a jarring reminder of the horrifying truth he was up against.
His thoughts raced, tumbling over one another in chaotic disarray, each one a sharp echo of a single terrifying reality: he was alone against a behemoth of incredible power that tried to destroy the door and kill him. The only thing that kept him alive was the Aclaitrium that made up that door.
His hand wavered in the air, hesitating before the data on the screen, fingers trembling slightly. The screen's bluish-white light flickered on his face, reflecting off his widened eyes, only intensifying his feeling of dread.
He had never encountered a creature this powerful before, with the exception of the mutant Blirdoth back in New Alexandria, whom only the fierce lioness was able to kill. Although the creature was significantly less powerful than it, it was still quite potent. This foe was not to be taken lightly at any point. Erik gave some thought to the amount of manpower that would be necessary to bring such a beast to its knees.
"Even ten full squads might not be enough for this one... probably would need more. Maybe only the Fierce Lioness would be able to kill this thing," he mused aloud, his voice barely audible over the echoing growls of the beast outside. He glanced back at the creature, trying to tear the door down, and swallowed hard, knowing he had to leave this place quickly.
"I need to keep moving," he said, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the nightmarish sight.
Erik turned around, and as he did so, his eyes fell upon a tunnel stretching into the menacing darkness that was behind him. He was holding the fire bucket tightly in his hands. It was a different way to go, another possibility to hold on to. He was sure that his salvation and his way of evading the monstrous being that was pursuing him could be found hidden somewhere in the depths of the pitch-black pit.
He did not waste a single second and dashed through the tunnel, the sound of his footfalls reverberating off the stone walls. He was having trouble breathing, and his heart was pounding so hard against his ribs that it sounded like it was trying to escape the terror that was about to overtake him.
He ran as fast as he could along the winding path, the faint glow of the Aclaitrium ore guiding him through the thick darkness.
Each meter he managed to travel through the seemingly endless tunnel felt like a victory because it represented another step away from death.
The screams of the monster that was behind him echoed throughout the tunnel, and he was able to hear them even after several kilometers had passed.
After what seemed like an eternity of running, his eyes finally caught sight of something a couple of meters ahead of him; it was the cold, metallic sheen of another Aclaitrium door.
He moved closer to it while keeping his gaze fixed on the well-known handle of the vault wheel. He started to turn it, and his muscles tensed up in preparation for the effort.
The rusty wheel groaned in protest as the force was applied to it. As he continued his efforts, his fingers slipped once, then twice, on the cold metal, and sweat poured down his forehead as he did so.
After five long, nerve-wracking minutes, he finally managed to turn it entirely. The door creaked open, the sound echoing through the tunnel. He pushed the heavy door open with one last look over his shoulder.
As the heavy door creaked open, Erik found himself bathed in a soft, diffused light. His eyes quickly adjusted, and what he saw next took him aback.
"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" a woman shouted.
Twenty people were standing before him, their eyes wide open and alert, and a mixture of fear and suspicion reflected on their faces.
Their attire was rudimentary, cobbled together from various fabrics that seemed to have been scavenged from the environment. The textures varied, some looked as soft as old cotton, while others had the coarse quality of burlap, yet they all shared the same signs of long-term wear and careful mending.
They were all armed with spears that had been improvised in some way. The shafts were constructed out of sturdy wood, and the pointed tips glinted with sharp, jagged pieces of metal or stone that had been expertly tied with thin leather strips. Erik realized they were not just tools of defense but symbols of survival.
As soon as the door had been opened, the points of these spears were directed at Erik, creating a barrier of bristly hair between him and the other people. The looks on their faces conveyed a message that was meant to remain unspoken.
"One wrong move, and you will end up with several holes in your body!" the woman shouted.
They held their weapons with confidence that only came from experience. Evidently, they had been through countless struggles, and their wary eyes made it clear. Here, in this forgotten corner of the world, Erik had stumbled upon a group of people; how many chances were there?
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