Time seemed to freeze.
Argo felt her body turn to stone as she faced the monster.
It stood there, towering like a colossal specter in the darkness, six eerie blue eyes glowing, reflecting her small, fragile figure.
She had never seen a creature like this before. Not in the beta. Not in any data she knew.
'Damn it...!'
But Argo had no time to think.
She gritted her teeth, gathered all her strength into her legs, and lunged to the side.
Whoosh!
The air was torn apart.
A black shadow surged forward like a storm, carrying with it despair and the nightmare that lay in wait.
Fast.
So fast that her eyes couldn't keep up.
All she could register was a powerful gust of wind sweeping past, and then, her body was sent flying like a scrap of paper.
BANG!
Her back slammed hard against the rock wall. A sharp pain shot through her spine, her lungs compressed, and for a brief moment, her breath was completely knocked out of her.
"Kh…!"
Damn it.
She staggered to her feet, but...
Thud.
The monster was already in front of her.
It didn't lunge immediately.
It was watching.
She could see its form more clearly now under the dim light from the cave's entrance.
Massive. Ripped with muscle.
Dark fur, but beneath it, faint silver patterns gleamed against its skin.
Six eyes.
Three pairs of glowing, icy blue eyes, cold and devoid of any emotion... except for one thing:
'Judgment.'
A shiver ran down Argo's spine.
No.
This wasn't just a normal monster.
It had intelligence. It was thinking.
She had no idea what it was. No data. No record of it in the beta.
It shouldn't exist.
And yet, it stood right before her.
Thud!
The beast raised a foot.
Argo clenched her fists.
No escape. No way to run.
There was only one option.
She had to fight.
But her hands were trembling, her body weak from pain and exhaustion after taking two surprise attacks.
Just one more hit... even a glancing blow... and her HP would be gone.
That would be the end.
Her body refused to move.
Pain. Exhaustion. Her breath came in ragged, heavy gasps, as if even drawing air was a burden.
Her limbs ached, every joint screaming for rest, but no...Argo couldn't afford to collapse.
Just one more hit, even the slightest graze, and her HP would hit zero. No second chances. No way out.
The monster stood there, towering in the darkness, six eyes glowing like ghostly blue embers. Unshaken, unrushed, it watched her, studied her, like a god passing judgment on a mere mortal.
In that moment, Argo could feel it, this was no ordinary beast.
The thing before her carried an ancient presence, a power beyond human comprehension.
Running? She had tried.
Fighting? In this condition? One more wound would be the end.
She was going to die.
The thought sliced through her mind like a cold, sharp blade, chilling her to the core.
Death...right in front of her, so close she could almost reach out and touch it.
No... No, it couldn't end like this.
She clenched her teeth, forcing her legs to stay steady. She couldn't give up. She wouldn't give up.
Even if there was only a sliver of hope left, she had to seize it.
With trembling fingers, she reached for the dagger at her hip, a weapon far too small for the creature before her.
A fragile, short blade, utterly insignificant compared to the beast's deadly claws.
But even with nothing but a dull knife and a broken body, Argo would fight.
She just needed to find an opening.
One chance.
Just one second.
Thud.
A step forward.
The monster moved.
No time to think. No time to hesitate.
Her body reacted on instinct, every nerve screaming.
'MOVE!'
With all the strength left in her legs, Argo bolted straight ahead, not to attack, but to escape.
If she couldn't defeat it.
She had to find a way out before everything ended.
And then...
Clatter!
Small smoke bombs rolled beneath the monster's feet.
Silent. Without warning.
They appeared as if they had materialized straight from the shadows, tumbling lightly across the stone floor, settling under the six-eyed wolf's claws.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then...
BOOM!
Thick black smoke exploded, swallowing the massive silhouette in a dense, swirling fog.
The blast wasn't loud, but it was enough to disturb the air, enough to make Argo turn her head on instinct.
For a brief moment, she saw it, the monster flinching, its glowing eyes flashing within the suffocating smoke.
An opening.
Argo didn't waste a single second.
Clenching her teeth, she poured all her strength into her legs and dashed straight into the darkness ahead.
She didn't know what had just happened.
She had no idea who had thrown those smoke bombs...
But she didn't have the time to care.
All that mattered was escaping before that monster regained its vision.
Because if she didn't…
There would be no second chance.
With every last ounce of strength she had left, Argo sprang forward, using the stacked stones as leverage.
Like a cat, swift and agile, she climbed higher...
Argo knew of a shortcut to escape this place without having to go directly through the forest or take a long detour.
But the path was treacherous and unforgiving…
She had to scale the massive rock formations of the sunken valley.
There was no other choice.
Argo tightened her grip, her body tense from exhaustion, but her will burned stronger than ever.
Her fingers latched onto the rough rock face, digging into the narrow cracks as if they were the last threads keeping her from plummeting into the abyss of death.
Every step, every breath, every pull upward sent waves of pain through her muscles. Her entire body screamed in agony, but she didn't stop.
Below, the smoke was beginning to clear.
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the air, shaking the very atmosphere around her.
Six glowing eyes pierced through the thinning mist, scanning the darkness that clung to the cliffside.
It was looking for her.
Clawed feet scraped against stone, and then suddenly...
Thud!
The monster leaped.
A shiver ran down Argo's spine. She didn't dare look back, but she didn't need to—her instincts screamed at her that if she was even a second too slow, if it reached her...
It would all be over.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she forced every bit of strength into her arms, pulling herself higher.
The jagged rocks tore into her palms, warm blood smearing between her fingers, but she didn't let go.
Just a little more.
Just a little farther.
The moment she reached for a wider ledge where she could finally stabilize herself.
Boom!
A powerful impact from below sent tremors through the entire rock face.
The monster had leapt right beneath her.
And this time, it had seen her.
"No...."
Argo didn't have time to react.
Her body was falling.
Everything happened in an instant, the chilling slide of her palm losing grip on the cold rock, the sudden loss of balance, and the abyss waiting below.
"Grab on..."
But before terror could completely consume her, a hand shot out from the shadows and grasped her wrist.
The grip was strong...strong enough to stop her fall.
Her breath came in ragged bursts, her heart pounding like a war drum. Argo looked up, and her gaze locked onto a pair of brilliant sapphire eyes gleaming in the night.
Not the cold, eerie glow of the monster's six predatory eyes.
But a light as clear and deep as the starry sky.
Under the dim moonlight, the figure's face was hidden beneath a hood of muted gray. Mysterious, yet strangely reassuring.
"T-Thanks…"
A low voice responded, steady, with the barest hint of amusement.
"Gotcha."
Before Argo could process anything further, the hand gripping her wrist pulled her up with force.
A sharp pain shot through her arm as her body was yanked over the ledge, but she barely had time to register it.
Because the very next second...
Boom!
A massive shadow lunged up from below, snapping its razor-sharp fangs at the spot where she had just been.
Had she been even a second slower.
A cold chill ran through Argo's veins.
Her breathing was uneven, her body trembling from exertion, but when she looked up at the person before her, those sapphire eyes remained calm, as if everything had gone exactly as expected.
"Well then," the stranger spoke, still holding her wrist firmly, "do you still feel like playing around with that thing?"
Argo panted, heat rising in her chest as she struggled to steady her breath. Below, the monster roared in frustration, its six eyes burning like traffic lights in the dark.
She had never seen a creature like this before.
Or rather, she didn't want to believe something like this existed.
"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath, pain flaring in her arm from the earlier pull.
"Why the hell are you still here?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Ren didn't answer right away. He simply stood there, his hooded face unreadable, sapphire eyes reflecting the moon's glow like a still lake.
The night wind howled, carrying the bitter cold of the rocky cliffs and the faint metallic scent of blood.
Below, the monster continued its rampage. It struck the stone pillar with its massive claws, sending tremors through the air. Loose debris crumbled, warning them that this place wouldn't hold much longer.
Ren's gaze remained steady. Finally, he spoke, his voice eerily calm.
"Because some idiot… was way too confident in her own abilities."
Argo scowled. That was hardly an answer.
She opened her mouth to retort, but at that moment.
Crack!
A deep fissure split across the rock formation.
The entire stone pillar trembled violently, on the verge of collapse.
There was no time to argue.
Argo swallowed down her lingering questions, her hands still trembling as she gripped the rock face to stay balanced. "If you're really here, then help me get the hell out of this place!"
Ren was silent for a brief moment.
Then, suddenly, a faint smirk curled at the corner of his lips, cold as the night wind.
"Hold on tight."
Before Argo could react, Ren pulled her toward him.
And in the very next instant, both of them plunged straight into the abyss below.