Chapter 14 The Lab Monster III

Damien's eyes flickered open. A sharp breath rushed into his lungs as he slowly regained consciousness. The familiar weight of his body felt different now. The ache of his wounds, the exhaustion that had once dragged him down, had all vanished. He could feel something new coursing through his veins, an unfamiliar warmth and strength, like fire pulsing under his skin. His muscles hummed with energy, raw power surging through him.

He groaned as he tried to push himself up, his body no longer sluggish or worn down. He stood tall, his movements smooth and controlled. There was no hesitation in his limbs as he glanced down at the sword still lying on the ground beside him. He reached for it, then paused. Something didn't feel right. The sword… it felt unnecessary.

Without a second thought, Damien tossed the blade aside with a flick of his wrist. The weapon had no place in this fight anymore. He didn't need it.

His eyes locked onto the shadows at the far end of the room, the dark corner where the evolved had disappeared moments before. He could sense its presence, its hunger waiting to strike again. The beast was still out there, but Damien was no longer the same man he had been when they first crossed paths. He wasn't afraid anymore.

A deep growl rumbled from the shadows as the evolved stepped forward, its eyes narrowing at Damien. It was stunned, its mind struggling to process what it was seeing. Damien was standing, fully healed, stronger than before. His body had regenerated, and the power within him surged like a storm ready to burst.

Damien grinned, his breath steady, his eyes cold and determined.

"Hey, you bastard!" he shouted, his voice ringing through the lab. The evolved hesitated for a moment, its eyes widening in disbelief. But that hesitation was all Damien needed.

Without warning, he surged forward, his legs propelling him with explosive force. The evolved barely had time to react before Damien's fist collided with its chest. The impact was thunderous, sending the creature skidding backward across the floor, its claws scraping against the ground. The force of the punch was unlike anything Damien had ever felt before. His body moved with the power of a storm, every movement precise, every strike packing an overwhelming force.

The evolved staggered to its feet, eyes blazing with fury. It wasn't used to being hit like this. It was used to being the predator, but Damien was no longer the prey. He wasn't a man out of his depth anymore. He was a force to be reckoned with.

The creature lunged at him, claws extended, but Damien was faster. He ducked under its swipe and planted his foot in its stomach, driving the beast backward. His hand shot out, grabbing it by the throat and lifting it off the ground with ease. The evolved clawed at his arm, but Damien's grip tightened, and he slammed the creature into the wall with a sickening crash. The lab trembled from the impact.

"You're not so tough now, are you?" Damien growled, his voice low and full of power. He could feel the heat rising in his body as he held the evolved up against the wall. The creature gurgled and snarled, trying to fight back, but its strength was no match for Damien's newfound power.

The evolved managed to swipe at his arm again, but Damien twisted its wrist, hearing the snap of bone as he crushed its limb with a brutal twist. The creature screamed, its blood splattering across the lab floor, but it still tried to fight, still tried to claw its way back to the top. It wasn't done yet.

But Damien wasn't done either.

With a snarl, he threw the evolved back down onto the floor. The creature landed in a heap, dazed and battered, but it quickly regained its feet. Damien wasn't giving it a chance to recover. He closed the distance between them in an instant, delivering a crushing uppercut that lifted the evolved off its feet and sent it crashing into a nearby table. The table splintered under the force, but Damien didn't stop. He was relentless now, every strike fueled by the power surging through his body.

The evolved staggered to its feet, shaking its head, trying to clear the haze of pain and blood. But it was too slow. Damien moved in again, his fists a blur of motion as he hammered into the creature's chest. The evolved's body began to buckle under the blows, its ribs cracking with each punch.

Damien's hands became a blur of motion, striking with deadly accuracy, hitting the evolved from every angle. His fists collided with its face, his knee driving into its gut, sending shockwaves through its body. Every movement was fueled by the newfound strength inside him, and with each strike, the evolved seemed to grow weaker, its monstrous form crumbling under the relentless assault.

The creature roared in fury, trying to retaliate with a swipe of its claws, but Damien was faster. He ducked under the attack, delivering a brutal punch to its side. He could hear the sickening crack of ribs breaking as the evolved howled in pain. But it wasn't enough to stop it.

Damien could feel his body beginning to tire, but he couldn't let up. He couldn't stop now. The evolved wasn't going to give up easily, and neither was he. He pushed through the pain, each punch landing harder than the last. He could hear the creature's snarls turning to gasps, its breath ragged and labored as Damien continued his assault.

With one final, earth-shattering blow, Damien delivered a crushing punch to the evolved's face. The creature's head snapped back violently, its neck breaking with a sickening crack. It fell to the ground, lifeless, its body twitching for a moment before going completely still.

Damien stood over the fallen creature, his chest heaving with exertion. Blood dripped from his fists, his body bruised and battered, but the fight was over. He had won.

But as he stood there, victorious, he suddenly heard something that sent a chill down his spine. The sound of breath, slow and ragged.

The evolved, somehow, wasn't dead. It began to stir, its body twitching, its claws flexing as it slowly rose to its feet once more. But this time, it was different. There were no visible wounds on its body. No signs of damage.

It was as if the fight had never happened.

Damien's heart skipped a beat. He had killed it. He had beaten it. And yet, here it was, standing once again, as though nothing had changed. The evolved's eyes glowed with renewed hunger, and Damien realized, with a sickening realization, that the battle wasn't over.

"Wtf ..... Again!!!"

For two long days, Damien battled the evolved monster. Each time he defeated it, the creature healed and returned, stronger and more relentless. Damien's body grew battered, his strength fading, but with each defeat, he felt his power surge back, his body healing and growing stronger. Still, the creature matched his strength, dragging the fight on longer than Damien thought he could endure.

The evolved creature landed devastating blows, knocking Damien down and even nearly killing him several times. Each time, he revived, his power rising with every battle. By the second day, Damien was nearly unrecognizable, his body bruised and torn, but his spirit unbroken.

Just when Damien thought he could no longer keep going, he stood again, stronger than before. But this time, instead of attacking, he froze, his instincts telling him something was different. The evolved stopped, its eyes locking with his. To Damien's shock, it spoke.

"Stop."

The creature took a step back, its voice calm and deliberate. It turned away and said, "Follow me."

Damien stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The creature spoke. With no other choice, Damien followed the evolved into the darkness, unsure of what awaited him next.