Extra Babel

I plunged toward the monster's enormous mouth, its jaws wide open, ready to consume me. But I had no intention of being eaten today.

At the last second, I kicked off the air, flipping backward as the table I had been holding crashed straight into the creature's gaping maw. Splinters flew as its massive teeth crunched down, but I had already swung the rope, building momentum as I spun.

Using the force of my movement and the rock's weight, I slammed a devastating blow against the creature's right cheek. A deep, pained rumble vibrated through its body as its jaws clenched shut.

Seizing the opportunity, I yanked the knife from my mouth and gripped it tightly in both hands. As I landed on the monster's face, I drove the blade straight into its left eye, sinking it as deep as my strength allowed.

A deafening roar shook the air. The beast screamed violently, its body trembling beneath me. Recognizing its pattern from the game, I wasted no time. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the poison and threw it into its open mouth.

The monster convulsed, its body coiling as it dove into the ocean's depths. And I went down with it.

Water rushed past me as it swam like a raging shark, twisting and thrashing, trying to shake off both the agony of losing its eye and my relentless grip. I clung to its head, muscles burning, lungs screaming for air. I could only hope the poison would work before it tore me apart.

But my strength was failing. My fingers, numb from the cold and strain, began to slip from the creature's rough hide. I could no longer force the blade deeper—my arms trembled, exhausted.

And then, with a brutal jolt, the knife wrenched free. The sheer speed of the beast sent me flying.

Seawater surged into my lungs. The burning pain was instant, sharp and merciless, like fire rushing through my throat. My vision blurred as I kicked desperately toward the surface, lungs convulsing for air.

I broke through.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

I sputtered violently, salt searing my throat as I gasped for breath. My body ached, my limbs heavy. But there was no time to recover. To finish the trial I need to fight until I die.

I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs as much as I could before diving back down.

The ocean swallowed me again. Stinging salt burned my eyes, turning my vision into a hazy blur. But the water was clear enough that I saw it—the dark, monstrous shape cutting through the depths.

Its single, furious eye locked onto me. Its mouth gaped open, ready to devour.

I kicked forward, no plan, no hope—only the will to fight.

The creature covered the distance in an instant. Before I could react, darkness swallowed me whole.

Inside its mouth, jagged teeth snapped down, aiming to crush and impale me. Desperation surged through me as I twisted, my mind racing. Then I saw it—a broken piece of the table lodged in the beast's tongue.

It wasn't much, but it was sharp.

I lunged, seizing the splintered wood and driving it into the monster's tongue with all my might. A fresh torrent of blood flooded the space, and for a moment, its teeth faltered.

I didn't waste that chance.

Yanking the wood free, I stabbed again—this time into its gum. The resistance was brutal; its flesh was unnaturally tough. But I kept driving the splinter deeper, hammering it in with all my strength until I heard the crack.

One of its long teeth shattered.

The beast jerked in agony, giving me just enough time to act.

Without hesitation, I lunged toward its cheek, gripping the jagged tooth I had broken. Using it as a makeshift blade, I sliced through the soft flesh, carving an escape route.

Then, with one last push, I forced myself through the wound and into the open sea.

Water engulfed me as I kicked upward. My chest burned. My muscles screamed. But I didn't stop.

I broke the surface once more, gasping.

Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!

Ten seconds. That's all I allowed myself to recover before diving again. 

The poison would kill it eventually—I just had to keep it distracted, just like I did in the game.

The saltwater stung my eyes again, but I forced them open. Below, the creature shifted, moving with terrifying speed.

Then, its eye locked onto me once more.

I readied myself to repeat the cycle, but this time, something was wrong.

In the game, I knew its attack patterns. I knew how to bait it, how to dodge, how to counter. If I kept entering its mouth and inflicting wounds, the poison would finish it off.

It was simple.

Because in the game, this wasn't a powerful boss—it was just the first Trial of Balam. A tutorial.

That's why I failed to consider something crucial.

This isn't a game.

This is real life.

And in real life, the creature doesn't have to follow a script.

The realization struck a moment too late.

Instead of lunging to swallow me, the beast swung its tail with terrifying force.

I had no time to react. No chance to block, dodge, or escape.

All I could do was watch in horror as jagged thorns tore through the water.

Pain exploded through my body.

The impact sent me soaring, my vision spinning as I was flung into the air before crashing back down.

Agony. Blinding, searing agony.

My chest burned. My abdomen throbbed. My right leg—mangled. My ribs—shattered. My breath—gone.

I felt the warmth of my own blood seeping into the water.

I was dying. 

The sky blurred. The world darkened.

Yet, even as my consciousness faded, I refused to let go.

The Trial demanded I fight to my last breath.

So that's exactly what I'd do.

Even as the beast surged toward me, its shadow eclipsing the ocean's light, I didn't close my eyes.

I would not die here.

The pain was excruciating, every wound searing with agony, and breathing was impossible. But I forced myself to keep moving, to search through the haze for my enemy.

And there it was. A massive, blurry shape moving through the water, swinging toward me with unstoppable force. My heart pounded, but I didn't flinch. The creature was coming for me again.

I watched as the creature closed in, inch by agonizing inch. My vision blurred, my senses disoriented, yet time seemed to stretch out, making each moment feel like an eternity. 

The monster should have been upon me in an instant, but for some strange reason, it felt as though it was moving in slow motion, its massive form inching forward with unnatural slowness.

I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, so I waited, waited and waited more, seconds turned into minutes, before the creature reached for me. I could barely see, but something was wrong.

The damn fish didn't strike. It didn't lash out with its tail, nor did it try to eat me. It simply approached, moving with a chilling slowness, and I could do nothing but watch, helpless.

Then, the creature drifted past me, its blood staining the water in dark, swirling streaks. Its gaping mouth hung open, lifeless, the remaining eye glassy and unseeing. The monster was now a floating corpse, dead and still in the vast ocean.

The poison worked…

The realization was not as satisfying as I thought, because I could barely think about its implication as I kept sinking into the depths of the ocean, my eyes finally closing and giving in to the pain.

I killed it… Now I can rest, right?

As my mind gave in to the darkness, I heard a faint, almost unreal voice. It was an anomaly—especially here, in the depths of the ocean. 

It was a whisper.

[Congratulations, Challenger Kaleb. You have passed the first trial.]