[07:04:47:51]

  …

  Cassian stumbled through the open gates leading down to B2. His body groaned with every move; thankfully he finished the fight with no significant injuries, just some minor bruises and the deep exhaustion that followed prolonged combat.

  I’m getting better and better at combat, Thank you gacha lords for giving me [A knight’s squire] card.

  He rolled his shoulders and gave a dry chuckle.

  Manageable.

  He glanced at his digital wristwatch.

  [11:35 PM]

  "Way past my bedtime," he muttered, shaking his head. He wanted nothing more than to search for a few supplies and call it a night.

  But as he stepped forward, it hit him. Like a spike driven through his skull.

  His knees gave out, crashing to the cold concrete floor. His fingers clawed at his temples, breath hissing through clenched teeth as his vision fractured like broken glass.

  A crushing pressure wrapped around his brain, squeezing harder with each heartbeat. Blood trickled down from his nose first, then his ears, and finally from the corners of his eyes, warm and slick against his skin. The coppery taste pooled in his mouth, thick and metallic.

  Shit! What now?…

  His thoughts were noise—jumbled, distant, incoherent. He tried to reach for his essence, to call a card, any card, but nothing answered back. An unseen force had its claws in his mind now. And it wasn’t letting go.

  “Fuck… fuck… where?!” Cassian hissed.

  The messages flashed past in the corner of his vision, but he barely registered. It felt like his mind was being flayed open, something inside digging with sharp, invisible fingers, searching for control. His body trembled violently as he struggled to remain upright, the pressure behind his eyes mounting with each passing second.

  Heal... cast Heal, come on, focus!

  He bit down hard on his tongue, forcing himself to form the connection with the card in his mind. “[Heal]!” he rasped, pushing his essence—but nothing happened. The incantation fizzled, slipping through his concentration like water through broken glass.

  Agh—Damn it!… Why won’t it work? My essence well should be full!

  Desperation clawed at his chest. He could feel the essence there, just beneath the surface—he just couldn’t shape it. The chaos in his head scrambled every thought before it could crystallize into action.

  Something else… try something else

  If healing were out of the question, then maybe he could try and summon the Golem that was the only other useful creation card.

  “[STONE GOLEM]”

  The spell took longer than usual to form, his concentration slipping in and out, It took longer—far longer than usual—but at last the earth groaned beneath him and a familiar weight crashed into reality. A hulking golem of stone and grit rose before him, eyes glowing dimly.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  This one worked!

  The moment was short-lived. From beyond the open gates, something moved.

  A figure stepped into the faint light—humanoid, but far from human. It stood tall, its form unnervingly gaunt yet pulsating with something alive beneath the flesh. Its skin was pale, almost translucent, with veins of dark blood crawling and pulsing under its surface. As it took a step forward, with a grotesque squelch, the creature's torso split open vertically—unzipping like flesh paper to reveal a gaping cavity filled with writhing, blood-slick worms, their segmented bodies twitching and hissing.

  It shrieked.

  A fresh wave of searing pain tore through Cassian’s skull.

  “AahhhHH!!”

  He collapsed onto his knees, coughing up blood as his hands clawed at his temples.

  Cassian choked on his breath as another surge of pain forced him to his knees. Blood dripped freely from his mouth as he gasped for air. His vision swam, darkness creeping into the edges of his sight.

  Goddamn it… do these mental attacks stack? His thoughts were ragged, barely coherent through the haze. Shit—Golem, take that monster down!

  His golem, however, did not falter. The [Stone Golem] lunged with crushing force, as it slammed its massive stone's fist into the creature, sending it crashing into the floor. The impact shook the room. Without pause, the golem raised both fists and slammed them down again in a thunderous rhythm, each blow a small earthquake.

  Cassian gritted his teeth, wiping the blood off his chin with a shaking hand. His head still throbbed, but he fought to hold on to his thoughts, clinging to them like a lifeline.

  He needed to cast Heal.

  Focus. Focus. Just cast the damn spell.

  “[Heal]” He tried again, forming the incantation in his mind, but the connection fizzled before it could take hold.

  “Fuck!” he snarled, spitting more blood. “System, why is the freaking card not working?!”

  "Fuck!" Cassian spat, clenching his jaw as the notification blinked in the corner of his vision.

  He groaned, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. With a sharp exhale, he let go, surrendering himself to the muscle memory embedded in his [A Knight’s Squire] card. His body fell into a practiced rhythm, his breath evening out just enough to restore a sliver of clarity. Through the fog, he caught sight of something alarming—the monster was still screaming, and his golem was moving unnaturally slowly. Its sturdy stone form was now entangled in tendrils of flesh-like vines, constricting it with unnatural force.

  Not good.

  Cassian's instincts kicked in. Without thinking, he reached for the handgun strapped to his thigh, pulling it free in a swift motion. He raised it with both trembling hands, trying to steady his aim on the creature’s head. The barrel wavered as he pulled the trigger.

  BANG!

  The bullet pinged off a wall somewhere behind the target. Miss.

  “Damn it,” he muttered through clenched teeth. His hands were unsteady from the lingering effects of the mental attack. He took a deep breath, bracing himself before firing again.

  BANG!

  Another miss. The damn debuff was making it impossible to concentrate. Frustration gnawed at him, but he had no time to waste. The fucker was up to something, and if it succeeded—he didn’t want to find out what came next.

  He had to move. Now.

  Gritting his teeth, he made a split-second decision. Retreat. It wasn't cowardice. It was survival.

  If he stayed any longer, he would be dead. His golem would have to serve as a distraction. He turned and broke into an awkward sprint, each step feeling heavier than the last. The stairs leading back to B1 weren’t far. If he could make it to the exit and shut the doors, he could buy himself time to recover.

  Metal steps loomed ahead. He bounded up them two at a time, lungs burning, vision narrowing to a tunnel of survival. He was almost there.

  Son of a—

  Standing at the entrance were two more of the same fucking monsters.

  The moment their hollow eyes locked onto him, their flesh split open. More writhing worms spilled from their bodies as they let out their ear-piercing shrieks. An unbearable force crashed into his mind. His body seized up, his knees buckling as he collapsed onto the cold metal floor. Blood poured from his nose and eyes, his head feeling like it was splitting apart.

  Shit!!

  The world tilted sideways as the edges of his vision blurred and darkened. Something wet. Something cold. Slithering around his arms. His legs. Around his throat.

  No. No, no—

  The slimy tendrils coiled tight, pulling him back—and dragging him down.

  Move. Move. MOVE.

  But it was too late. Darkness crept into his vision.

  His last thought before losing consciousness was a bitter curse.

  …

  A/N : Mental attacks are nasty~

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