Chapter 7: Struggle

The colossal serpent repeatedly bashed itself into the island, slowly chipping away fragments of rock and soil. It was aiming to destroy the entire landmass. 

The snake was the length of a bus and had the strength of multiple. Covered in purple-hued skin, each impact left gashes of blood on the beast.

It stared at him with red, burning eyes. The monster bit down on a piece of rock, smashing it apart. The debris fell and dropped into the endless sea. 

Gulping at the sight, he made a split-second decision to engage the serpent. However, it would turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes he's made.

Summoning and igniting the Last Light, Nox leaped towards the beast, hoping to blind its eye.

However, the monster whipped its tail, sending him rocketing back into the ground.

'Shit.'

Having tried to use his arm to block the impact, he had shattered every bone in it. His body wasn't faring much better from the attack, either, with multiple broken ribs.

The blow left a deep cut on his chest, barely missing his vital organs. A single hit was all it took. It seemed that this beast had a Curse as well. To face two voiceless creatures in a row, both with Curses...

'How unlucky am I?"

Clenching his chest with his remaining arm, he tried to stop the bleeding. He was getting weaker by the minute.

Barely managing to get up, Nox stumbled his way to the dead tree. Leaning his half-dead body on it, he closed his eyes.

'Is this how it ends?'

'I came all this way, just to die to some random overpowered water snake?'

"I refuse."

Mustering his remaining strength, Nox lifted himself back up.

If he would die, he would do it after killing the damned serpent.

[Divinity: Mythmaker is reacting to your actions!]

[Even faced with certain death, the frail child didn't back down. He approached his enemy, aiming to rip it apart despite the difference in power. He would Struggle like he had done his entire life.]

[The first Epic has been written.]

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[Divinity: Mythmaker]

> Struggle: Faced with an opponent stronger than you, this aspect will serve as an equalizer. 

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Noticing something was off, the serpent let out a deafening roar as it approached him. Time seemed to slow down as golden strings wrapped around his body. The threads dove inside his limbs, filling him with strength. Calculating the distance, the beast would reach him in 3 seconds. 

'That's fine.'

Feeling a sudden surge of energy rush into his body, Nox suddenly felt as if he was powerful enough to crush rock into powder with his hands.

One. 

His mind cleared up. Nox stood up as the broken ribs repaired themselves.

Two.

He lifted his arm, bones reattached themselves one after another.

The monster exploded out of the waters, mouth agape. Revealing hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, it had come to finish off its prey.

But, the boy was no longer prey.

Three.

Placing a hand on the tree, he uprooted it with ease. Imitating the motion of throwing a spear, he rammed it into the serpent's open mouth.

Breaking from the impact, the tree broke apart and split into tens of chunks. The serpent itself was impaled into the island. Though it had impressive offensive abilities and speed, its fleshy body left a lot to be desired.

However, the battle wasn't over yet.

Nox felt all the energy leave his body. With his opponent now as desperate as him, his divinity slowly faded away. They were now on the same level.

He grabbed a fallen tooth that had come off the viper during the battle and got into a defensive stance. Even after a critical blow, the serpent still was much stronger. A mistake can just as easily change the tides of battle.

The serpent was out of its optimal hunting environment. Now flailing around in the center of the island, it couldn't get back to the ocean without killing Nox first.

It knew this and rushed at him. Launching across the small island, it opened its massive jaw.

Not making the same mistake, Nox opted to dodge its bite, hacking away at its body with the tooth. The makeshift weapon pierced its purple flesh, leaving the monster writhing in pain.

This went on for a while, with the beast slowly losing strength with every failed attempt.

Until finally…

Nox stumbled on a rock, and the snake seized the opportunity to wrap itself around him. He had made a mistake.

Blood gushed from his mouth as he felt his organs getting crushed.

Tattered and bloody, the serpent was still able to constrict Nox.

Raising the tooth, Nox stabbed down again and again. It had turned into a battle of perseverance.

'Just...die... already!'

He felt his consciousness fading as he dropped his weapon for one last attack. Summoning his relic, he jammed it into the serpent's eye. The wooden stick somehow managed to pierce the beast. Igniting it, he heard an unearthly screech and felt the stench of burning flesh. 

The monster squirmed, smashing apart nearby rocks with its powerful tail, but it couldn't reach him.

The serpent collapsed, releasing the boy from its grip.

Covered in red and black blood, Nox managed a small smile as he fainted, lying on the corpse of the colossal beast.

[You have slain a Voiceless Creature: Serpent of the Black Sea]

[You have received a relic: Gift of the Water]

[A lurking Constellation is impressed with your accomplishment!]

(End of Chapter)

*Bonus*

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[Name: Serpent of the Black Sea]

[Rank: Voiceless]

[Curse: Sudden Impact]

[Description: A drop of darkness sank into the blue ocean, turning it as black as night. The peaceful creatures of the sea transformed into machines of death, fueled by an undying anger to rip apart anything they come across. The serpent was no exception. Once a powerful beast respected by the inhabitants of the waters, all that remained was an insatiable hunger for blood.]

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