Called Upon

Chapter 16

         The old man, found unconscious, woke up to find himself floating on a river of molten lava, surrounded by deathly steam. He laid flat on a piece of land that increased his lifetime by some few more minutes.

He initially thought it was just a dream, but the intense heat coursing through his veins made him realize it was all too real. He struggled to find a way out, but the piece of land he was on was shrinking rapidly, drawing him closer to his demise.

As he fell to his knees, his face pressed against the ground, he closed his eyes, not wanting to die in such a horrific manner. But as he opened them again, he saw words etched into the land: "If you see your shadow crawl, jump over the lava, fall!"

The old man didn't understand what this meant. How could his shadow crawl? That's absurd! He taught. He stood tall as he was caught up in the mist of confusion, his ambitions seeping away.

But as the stone beneath him began to disappear, he realized that his shadow had indeed left him and was creeping up a nearby wall like an oversized spider chasing a flying dog.

Panic set in as the old man stood there unsure of what to do. But then he remembered the message and decided to leap over the stone and into the lava. As he pushed his leg towards the molten river, he felt his blood boiling up inside him. But he knew that death was inevitable no matter what he did, so he tightly hugged his life and jumped from the stone into the lava.

After the old man jumped into the lava, he found himself in a strange place. He was no longer surrounded by molten rock and steam, but instead, he found himself in a long queue with other people. To his surprise, he felt no heat or discomfort, despite being in a place that should have been scorching hot.

The old man left the queue and climbed a nearby staircase. At the top of the stairs, he saw something massive in front of him. It was an arena, and around it were seated dead souls who were cheering loudly. In the center of the arena, a mortal was fighting a cyclops - a huge, ugly beast with just one eye.

In the grand arena, the air buzzed with anticipation as the mortal warrior stepped forward, his eyes burning with determination. Across from him stood a formidable figure, a towering Cyclops with a menacing sneer etched upon his single eye. The crowd roared, eager to witness an epic clash between these two vastly different beings.

As the battle commenced, the Cyclops lunged forward with immense strength, swinging his massive club towards the mortal. The warrior skillfully evaded the blow and retaliated with a swift and agile strike of his own. His blade gleamed in the sunlight as it slashed through the air, narrowly missing the Cyclops' thick hide.

The Cyclops, fueled by rage and a desire to crush his opponent, bellowed in fury. He swung his club with a thunderous force, sending tremors through the earth. The mortal, feeling the tremors beneath his feet, leaped into the air, soaring above the impending strike. In mid-air, he unleashed a series of lightning-fast attacks, slashing at the Cyclops' exposed flesh.

The Cyclops growled and stumbled backward, his solitary eye burning with anger. Blood trickled down his colossal frame, awakening a primal rage within him. With a thunderous roar, he lunged forward, determined to end the battle swiftly.

But the mortal warrior, undeterred, retaliated with a cunning strategy. He circled around the Cyclops, evading the massive swings of the club, carefully studying his opponent's movements. Timing his strikes with precision, the mortal warrior struck the Cyclops' legs, causing him to lose balance and collapse to one knee.

Sensing victory within reach, the warrior pushed forward. He charged towards the staggering Cyclops, his blade gleaming with concentrated power. With a single swift motion, he evaded the Cyclops' flailing arm and thrust his sword deep into the eye of the towering beast.

A deafening roar echoed through the arena as the Cyclops crumbled to the ground, writhing in immense pain. The crowd erupted in awe and disbelief, witnessing the fall of this formidable creature. The mortal warrior, panting but triumphant, slowly withdrew the eye of the Cyclops, a ghastly trophy of his hard-fought victory.

As he stood amidst the roaring crowd, he was hailed as a hero, a mortal who had triumphed over a godlike creature. His name would echo through the ages, forever etched in the annals of history as the one who defied all odds and emerged victorious. The old man continued to watch as he was marveled of his wondering outcome.

Eventually, the sound announced the name of the next fighter - Aion. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But then he remembered his purpose - to complete his tasks as existence lied in the palms of his hands.

He knew he was facing a cyclops. A mortal faced the same opponent and defeated it. He became confident that he will bear the same fate. With his newfound determination, he stepped forward and entered the arena.