Awakening of the Calamity

The moon, round as a wheel, could be faintly made out among the floating clouds.

The wind was blowing strongly, whistling a strange and discordant melody among the destroyed structures, carrying a smell of rot and decay. The shadows in the streets were long and menacing, forming grotesque shapes.

In these streets, you could see a solitary human advancing at full speed among the rubble blocking the road. He wore a simple traditional black robe, fluttering behind him like a flag.

Behind Lucien, a group of grotesque creatures were chasing him, their low, guttural growls piercing his ears like an echo from a nightmare. Each step he took seemed to give them a second advantage, but not enough.

He continued running at full speed, his breathing was a ragged pant. His legs burned. Sweat blurred his vision. His eyes moved quickly, searching for the path with the fewest obstacles in this street full of debris.

'I can't go on like this. I'm already running out of strength. I have to get to that shelter quickly and let them take over'.

Lucien noticed his stamina diminishing, but he didn't allow panic to take hold of him. His mind, despite the desperate situation, remained calm, thinking about the best option to survive this crisis.

The Corrupted Creatures, with their disproportionate and twisted bodies, were incredibly fast and agile. They moved through the rubble with disturbing ease. They were getting closer, their elongated shadows casting over Lucien like omens of death.

Despite his dwindling resistance, Lucien continued to advance, his body drenched in sweat and his muscles burning with the pain of the effort. He knew he couldn't afford to stop to catch his breath unless he was completely safe.

And then he saw the obstacle.

A pile of rubble blocked the way.

Lucien's brow furrowed. He remembered this part, he knew he was close to the shelter.

'I can't climb that. I don't have the time or the strength'.

Lucien was sure the monsters would get him if he tried to climb that pile. It would be the death of him.

He wasn't so careless and stupid as to make that decision to climb. His gaze fixed on one of the destroyed houses, and a quick plan formed in his mind.

Without thinking twice, Lucien headed towards one of the houses, half in ruins but still standing, while the sounds of the monsters were practically in his ears. Something hot and viscous fell on his neck: saliva from those damned creatures. Sending a shiver down his spine.

He entered the house quickly and jumped to one side, falling, and rolling on the rotten wood. A growl sounded behind him.

He forced himself to his feet, dodging one of the monsters that had caught up with him. With the same force, he got up again. In his hand, a black flame appeared.

He threw it against the beams. The black fire devoured the rotten wood, filling the air with suffocating heat. The flames spread quickly, turning the house into a death trap.

In that brief instant, the claw of one of the creatures grazed his back. An unbearable burning sensation ran through his skin.

Pain shot through his back, but Lucien did not stop. With a quick movement, he jumped out of the window, landing on the street with an impact that resonated in his bones.

Lucien quickly got to his feet, feeling the sting of the wound in his back and the weight of sweat and blood on his skin. He had gained a few seconds' lead and he wasn't going to waste them.

Most of the corrupt creatures had entered the house with him, which was now burning in inky flames. The heat of the black fire filled the air, and the crackling of the wood devoured by the flames echoed in his ears.

Lucien narrowed his eyes, quickly assessing the situation.

'They're fast. They're agile.'

But they're not intelligent.

Despite the fact that the creatures were damn fast and agile, they lacked something important: rationality and intelligence.

For example, if they had any intelligence or rationality, despite being monsters guided by their instincts, not all of them would have entered the house, but some would have waited outside, thus cornering him without giving him any chance.

But they didn't.

A cold smile formed on Lucien's lips. A plan began to take shape in his mind.

However, in that brief moment when everything stopped, some of the creatures had come out, some with their horrible bodies covered in black flames and others not. But their eyes were now bloodshot.

Lucien turned quickly and began to climb the pile of rubble, ignoring the pain in his bleeding hands and feet. In his mind, he was berating himself for his carelessness.

'Stupid. That's twice now'.

He was not at all happy with these two oversights. The first was when he underestimated the situation, and now this one, wondering when he had risked his life to gain a few seconds.

However, it wasn't all bad, at least he had managed to take a brief breather, but he wasn't at all happy. It seemed as if he had momentarily forgotten everything he experienced in his years on the street.

After getting down from the pile of rubble, he continued running, ignoring the burning pain in his back, hands, and feet. His muscles were screaming in protest, on the verge of tearing, but he didn't stop.

Lucien, knowing that he was very close to the refuge where he had awoken, forced his body to increase its speed despite the fatigue. The growls of the creatures were echoing in his ears again, getting closer.

The damned creatures were catching up with him again!

Although it was no longer the same initial group that had numbered approximately twenty. Some of them melted like wax under the effect of the [Fire of Destruction], writhing in flames.

This eased some of the pressure Lucien was feeling, he picked up the pace, forcing his body to move despite the exhaustion consuming him. His expression remained impassive.

At that moment, an articulate and lifeless voice resonated in his mind:

[You've killed a Monster without awakening, Corrupt Human Inverted]

[You've killed a Monster without awakening…]

[You've killed a Monster without awakening…]

'Finally'

A smile appeared on Lucien's face. His plan was working, although more slowly than he had anticipated. He hadn't counted on the creatures having such absurd stamina, but that didn't change the outcome.

In the end, the only thing that mattered was victory, not the time it took to achieve it.

Previously, when he entered the almost destroyed house, it was not just to gain some distance and take a breather. His main objective was much more ambitious: to kill as many Corrupted Creatures as possible.

Lucien was very clear about the effects of his attribute, [Fire of Destruction]. He would not have bet his life in that way if he were not sure that the Corrupted Creatures lacked intelligence and rationality.

It seems he had won the bet... by a narrow margin.

The moon, round and bright, hung in the clear sky. The clouds that had previously hidden its light had dispersed, revealing a landscape of elongated shadows and shattered structures.

Silver rays illuminated the rubble, creating an interplay of light and shadow that gave the city an even more disturbing air.

The cold night wind blew strongly, carrying with it the smell of decay. The rotten wood of the demolished buildings creaked and cracked under the pressure of the air, producing a sharp sound that resonated in the lonely and dark streets.

Lucien ran, his body drenched in sweat and blood, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in his wake on the rubble-strewn ground. His vision was blurring, the blood loss and extreme exhaustion threatening to overtake him at any moment.

But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

His body had long since exceeded its limits, every muscle was on fire and every step was a battle. His mind was screaming at him to stop, to close his eyes, and to let the pain take him away.

Lucien knew that whisper of weakness. He had heard it many times before, on cold nights and empty streets, when hunger and despair were his only companions.

And always, without exception, he had decided to ignore it.

Survival was the only thing that mattered, and pain was nothing more than an insignificant price to pay.

Behind him, the Corrupted Humans Inverted were chasing him, as exhausted as he was. The shadows of the monsters and Lucien's shadow were cast on the city's crumbling walls.

Lucien was panting, his breathing agitated and uncontrolled, but his eyes were scanning the surroundings. It was then that he saw him: in the distance, the man with blond hair and blue eyes that he had seen in the hall before starting his patrol. His shining armor gleamed in the dim moonlight.

With a final effort, Lucien summoned what strength he had left and shouted:

"Monsters!"

The blond-haired man turned towards the source of the scream, his blue eyes immediately taking in the scene: Lucien, covered in blood and on the verge of collapse, was chased by a group of creatures.

A grim expression crossed his face, but there was no hesitation in his voice as he ordered:

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

The people began to leave the building, armed with swords, spears, daggers, etc. Their faces were tense, their eyes full of fear and determination. They all grouped behind the man with blond hair and blue eyes, whose expression was somber and authoritarian.

It was clear that they saw him as their leader.

Lucien observed the scene, his tired and sweat-soaked face illuminated by the dim moonlight. A cold smile played on his lips.

Without saying a word, he ran past the group, ignoring their surprised looks. He quickly entered the building without even turning around. He wasn't going to stop, not until he was completely sure he was safe.

Fifty steps later, his strength left him. His legs gave way and his body fell heavily to the ground. He rolled on the cold, rough floor while the wounds on his body opened even more, leaving bloodstains.

But none of that mattered to him.

He had survived. Despite the monsters, the uneven terrain, and his own body on the verge of collapse, he had emerged victorious.

Not by brute force, but by sheer perseverance!

'I have survived!'

A gleam of triumph appeared in his eyes, red like cold gems.

However, his conscience began to darken, dragging him towards unconsciousness. Lucien forced himself to stay awake, clenching his teeth until his jaws ached.

He couldn't lose consciousness, not here, not now. He didn't know if some creature had followed him to the end.

With a superhuman effort, he crawled into a dark corner, out of sight of any possible threat. There, leaning against the cold wall, he took a deep breath, preparing for whatever came next.