Chapter 32: Keeping the Monster Company

I stared at the raging beast barreling toward us and felt a mixture of emotions. The most prominent one was annoyance. Before Derrick or Isabella could react, I charged headfirst. My speed had drastically improved from last time, and with just a few kicks of my feet, I was already in front of the demogorgon, planning to gut it with my claws.

Before the demogorgon could even reach me, my claws sank into its stomach and tore through its saggy black flesh. The sharpness of my claws had increased, so this time it was much easier. The beast roared loudly before swinging its needle-like finger at me, but I ducked under its attack and retreated several steps back.

The demogorgon didn’t have a healing factor, so I could take my time picking it apart.

“Liam, get the others to safety. I’ll stay and fight,” Derrick said, approaching the beast with his claws extended, but I stopped him before he could make a move.

“No, there is bound to be more outside. You take the others while I deal with this one. I’ll catch up,” I told them as I summoned Cerberus from my shadow. “My shadow hound will show you to the exit.”

Isabella stepped up to help me, but I stopped her too.

“You should stay with the others.” It was an order, so she couldn’t refuse. She merely nodded her head and rejoined the group of survivors.

“Be careful, Liam,” Allison said, clearly wanting to say more, but before she could, the demogorgon charged at me again. It didn’t pay any mind to the others and instead only focused on me. The sound that reverberated when it moved was reminiscent of a swishing blade being drawn.

Its needle-like fingers cut through the air at a speed that made it sing. From its movements and speed, I deduced that this demogorgon was the same level as the one that I had fought before. If it was even one level higher, I would’ve been dead already. That’s why leveling up after killing this one was so important.

I worked my way through every one of its attacks, somehow managing not to trip over my own feet. When it swung after my neck, I ducked below its attack and kicked it a few inches away from me. With the added space, my hellfire skill activated, and the orange flames quickly consumed my hand and claws.

In a cramped space like this tunnel, my superior agility was severely nerfed. I kept myself in a low crouch so it would be harder for it to hit me. From my first strike, I realized something. At my current power level, it would be a tall task for me to defeat this creature. The only reason I beat the first demogorgon was because it was already weakened after fighting Derrick.

The only difference between now and then was that I only needed to survive for the next fifteen minutes to be able to win. My sole purpose now was to survive that time.

With the hellfire burning brightly on my claws, I pounced at the demogorgon. The beast squealed loudly before meeting my attack. With every slash I successfully landed, I siphoned a bit of its life force, but it felt like merely just a drop in a reservoir. But with every attack the beast successfully managed to land on me, it was draining my stamina at twice the rate I was draining its life force.

For this reason, I made a quick second decision. I decided to make an escape. It turned out surviving against this monstrosity was too much of a tall order for the current me. I had no qualms about running from a battle. A man should know what battles are worth fighting.

I pushed myself off the ground at full force and dashed through the tunnel. I heard a loud scream echoing behind me and then loud footsteps as the demogorgon chased after me. It charged after me, but since I outmatched it in speed, I quickly lost it. I leaped through the tunnel, pouncing from wall to wall until I finally lost the beast.

When I could no longer hear the demogorgon behind me, I stopped to rest. I lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling of the tunnel as my stamina slowly replenished itself. Soon, I heard the sound of a heartbeat approaching, and after a while, a figure stood over me.

“Are you alright, Liam?”

It was Allison. She stooped down and touched my face to see if I was okay.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I was worried, so I came back for you.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What did Derrick have to say about that?”

She stuck out her tongue at me before answering.

“I didn’t tell him. That meanie would throw me over his shoulder if I ever asked,” she said with a pouty expression. “So, did you kill it?”

“Hmm?”

“The monster, I mean. Well… since you’re here, you must’ve.”

“I didn’t kill it. Rather, I wasn’t strong enough to.”

“I see,” she said as she placed her index finger on her lower lip. “Then we should probably get out of here.”

Allison then extended a hand to help me get up. I grabbed hold of her hand and used her assistance to get to my feet.

“We should hurry. If that thing finds us, we’re done for,” Allison urged.

“Yeah, we only have ten minutes left too.”

“Hmm?” Allison looked at me and tilted her head in confusion. “Ten minutes for what?”

“Never mind. Let’s go.”

My answer only made her more curious, forcing her to come closer to me. A smell of silver wafted into my nose as she moved close to me.

“It’s nothing. We should go,” I said, already walking off.

Together, Allison and I headed toward the exit. We walked mostly in silence, but every few seconds, Allison would find something new to talk about. While we walked, I had a strange suspicion that we were being followed, and then a thought dawned on me: I didn’t completely lose the demogorgon.

But luckily for us, within just a few minutes of walking, we were back at the manhole where we entered. But just before climbing the ladder to get out, I noticed something. I turned away from Allison and approached what I saw.

“What is it?” Allison asked, sounding curious.

In the corner on the wall was a small spider web with a spider nesting in it. Without any hesitation, I picked up the spider and brought it over to Allison.

“Look what I found.”

Allison looked at the tiny insect in my hand and tilted her head in confusion.

“A spider?” She looked a bit wary at first, but then a smile bloomed on her face, and she took it from my hand. “A cute little guy, isn’t he?” she squealed.

I smiled and nodded at her.

“Yeah, he is.”

“SKREEEEE-URGHKKKHHH!”

Just then, a loud blood-curdling scream interrupted the peaceful atmosphere between us. At the other end of the tunnel where we had just come from, the demogorgon stood, its mouth wide open, and in the next instant, it charged at us. Allison and I hurried up the ladder, with me taking the lead, and I shoved the 300-pound cover to the side to get out.

The moment I exited the tunnel, I offered Allison a hand to get out. She desperately grabbed onto my arm, but the moment she did, I tightened my grip around her wrist.

“Ow, what are you doing?” she asked, looking a bit startled by how tightly I held her hand.

“Keep that monster company for me, will you?”

That was the last thing Allison heard before I shoved her off the ladder, back into the tunnel, and covered it with the 300-pound manhole cover.

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