Hell's Glitch (initial draft)

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Sam found that he couldn't exit the gated barrier behind him. Just like in the previous Death Planes game, once you crossed the barrier, you had to defeat the boss to make the barrier disappear. Though he could always use his Phoenix Floo to escape back to the Beacon Fire if things got too hectic.

"What did they call this thing before? A soul barrier?"

He quickly checked his items for something useful that could help with this fight. He read the descriptions for both of his new items.

Warrior's Soul

Souls of this nature can be broken down into usable soul currency.

A fierce warrior's soul. Oftentimes clarity can be gained on the battlefield. Struggle breeds greatness and there is no greater struggle than life or death combat. The warrior's soul is strengthened through such conflicts.

Decoy Soul

Lures simple minded enemies to the location where it was thrown.

Cursed men, curious minds, demons, and those who thirst for power are all attracted by souls. It has been a fact of life since history has been recorded. A decoy soul is a weak soul that has been given false properties to make it more appealing. Those who aren't finely attained in the soul artes can be easily fooled into thinking that these are the highly coveted prizes that they've been seeking.

Stim Plant

Aids in the regeneration of stamina.

A very useful plant that resourceful warriors and soldiers use to enhance their performance in battles of endurance. It is said that this plant lets even old warriors and soldiers fight as if they were in the prime of their lives. There was a rumor long ago that some famous Alchemist was responsible for creating these wondrous herbs though many saw such a man-made triumph as an affront to the supreme ones.

It was just as he suspected. The Warrior's Soul and the Decoy Souls wasn't something he'd get any immediate use out of, but the Stim Plants that he'd collected from the Stumpies should come in handy here. He put them in his Quick Access inventory along with everything else he had there including his Soulfire Flask, Torch, Bandages, and Absorption Herbs. His gear was the best and only gear that he currently had and his Rapier was his best weapon by far, especially now that it was upgraded. He was as ready as he'd ever be for what was to come. He inhaled deeply then let it all out in a long breath.

"Alright, here we go."

Sam held his shield up and stepped forward into the open. The dew coated grass covering the ground was laid flat by each of his footsteps. He looked around for the expected threat, but found himself blanketed by a sudden shadow. Something had eclipsed the sky above in mere moments. Sam felt a rush of air and friction crash into him and break him. The force had knocked him flat to the ground. He didn't have enough words to currently describe any of the pain he was in. It all felt brand new and his body felt nearly useless. Perhaps this was what getting hit by a truck felt like. Like all your bones were ground into mulch.

Luckily, or unluckily, he was still alive and possessed a barely visible sliver of HP. He had the presence of mind to instinctively get up to his feet so that he could move out of the way and heal his damage. Once on his feet, he held his shield up again and looked for whatever the hell had hit him. The first thing he noticed was a tree, a really tall one that wasn't present before. This one was wider and had thicker bark than many of the others in the forest. But that wasn't all, there were three other tall trees nearby that weren't there before. He noticed that they swayed frequently as if blown by the night wind—no—not only that but they were moving forward and bending at certain sections. They were legs. Sam glanced upwards and caught sight of the beast's body. The sight made him wish that he had stayed on the ground. It was enormous, massive, and terrifying. The upper parts of each of its legs as well as its body was green and purple, same as the forest leaves. Its body was thick, seemingly engorged with a round center and a long and thin neck. Sam could currently only see one side of the creature. It had a bulbous head with bulging red and yellow eyes with a purple procession of leaves covering much of its head and cascading down part of its neck. It was completely different from the Forest Dragon in the Death Planes. They had completely redesigned it and made it even bigger than before. How the hell was he supposed to kill something that was the size of a whale? He didn't have time to get a good look at it before it started attacking again. It reared its head back at him and Sam prepared to roll out of the way, even though he felt like he would fall over at any moment. Instead of chomping at him, like he expected, it blew a thick crimson mist all over Sam and the rest of the battlefield. The mist was hot, enveloping Sam like a shower, and it quickly brought relentless pain with it, some burning sensation. Sam was blown to the ground by the force of the spray and as he lied there, he watched as the grass all around wilted into a dead field of brown. His own health, what little he had, was swiftly ticking down from the instant poison and bleedout status that the attack had inflicted. The only good thing about this encounter, Sam thought, was the fact that he had at least outlived the grass. His screen faded to black followed by some familiar words painted in red.