The Blade in the Storm

Chapter 13

Aarav's POV

[The Guardian of Hellhound's domain, Foultooth, has appeared.]

[As an extended privilege from defeating the previous floor's guardian, you will be given a 10% buff in all abilities in the fight against Foultooth.]

As I was staring at the message in front of me, a thought crossed my mind.

'How long does the association take to get their team ready.' I looked at my watch to note time.

I hurriedly rushed towards the only unexplored area in the 2nd floor, The Den of Hellhounds.

Post Time Skip

Aarav's POV

After running for about a minute or two, I reached the Den of the Hellhounds. I personally never ventured inside the den because of the large number of hellhound in it. But since the Gurdian appeared, most of the hellhounds ran away in fear of being eaten by Foultooth.

With most of the hellhounds gone, an eerie silence had fallen over the den. I carefully entered the Den making sure I don't make any noise. The air was thick with the scent of rotten flesh and the echoes of the hellhounds' distant howls, a reminder that they were never truly far. Each step I took was measured, my heightened senses kept track of every sound and movement.

In the shadowy confines of the den, the scars of previous skirmishes adorned the walls, silent witnesses to the Guardian's might. With each step further into the cave, the air grew clearer, the oppressive darkness lifting slightly to reveal the end of my journey. Amidst the jagged rocks and hissing acid streams, a battlefield lay before me, a stark clearing that seemed to challenge the very nature of this place. And there, in the heart of the clearing, stood Foultooth, the formidable guardian of the second floor. This eight-foot behemoth, with eyes like smoldering coals, was a sentinel of stone and fury (look at the picture above), its gaze fixed unswervingly towards the entrance, as if expecting an adversary at any moment. Fortunately, it remained oblivious to my presence, granting me a moment's grace to observe, to plan, to muster the courage for the confrontation that was to come. The air was thick with the weight of impending battle, each breath a silent pledge of the struggle ahead.

The thrill of facing a formidable opponent can indeed be exhilarating. It's a feeling akin to standing on the edge of a cliff, where every sense is heightened and the heart races with anticipation.

No One's POV

Aarav knew he didn't have much time until the IPA raid team arrives. He has to attack first.

'Alright let's think. I need to make 18 successful hits for life steal to get its health at 10%. After that I can kill it with skill combo of accelerate and voltaic burst. Problem is how to make the 18 hits.' Aarav racked his while coming up with a strategy to defeat the guardian.

In the meanwhile, the wolf-like monster also picked up someone's smell. It started growling at the rock Aarav was hiding behind, which startled him.

Our hero was determined to take down this monster. Just as the guardian started charging at the rock, he slid under a different rock and quickly applied blood poison to his sword. He saw the guardian attacking the rock he was previously in and gulped in fear. One attack from Foultooth and the rock shattered to pieces.

Foultooth, looked around and saw it's enemy peeking from another rock. It quickly took a battle stance but didn't attack.

It was smart enough to know that just attacking the rocks would waste its energy. Aarav slowly came out of his hiding spot and stood directly in front of the monster, ready to attack. Foultooth smirked. The guardian charged with all its might towards Aarav.