Steven felt his body tremble under the malevolent aura of the approaching Disaster. His breath hitched and his eyes bulged in their sockets. He could feel his heart thump violently against his chest, screaming at him to run. But he knew this was the only way, for him and the others to survive.

Running with Favour in his grasp was just a sore replay of his first encounter with the King Beast. Slowed by her weight and forced constantly on the defensive against multiple tendrils. If they carried on the same way now, they would simply be impaled by the tendrils and die without accomplishing anything.

He was the fastest among them, and no matter how much he hated playing the fucking hero, this was the only way for all of them to survive.

"I hate my friggin brain!" Steven pronounced, taking a battle stance as he prepared himself for combat.

Lin, who was still running ahead, reached Favour, who had managed to stand, barely able to do so. She kept her eyes fixed on Steven as he prepared to face the full brunt of the King Beast alone, and from her expression alone, worry gnawed deeply at her chest.

"Favour, you have to fucking run!" Lin shouted, reaching her and stopping her in place.

But Favour did not listen. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she watched, not caring for her own safety anymore.

There was no time for this, Lin thought, taking abrasive measures.

Slap!

Favour’s eyes blinked rapidly as her cheeks reddened in pain. She turned to Lin, a tear slipping free and trailing down her cheek.

"He did this so you can escape. Run! I’ll support him and I’ll be right behind you," Lin explained, her hands finding Favour’s shoulders as she shook her back to consciousness.

Favour stayed silent for a moment, then nodded, turning around and beginning a painful, limping attempt to get away from the battlefield. She wasn’t fast, but at least she was gaining distance from the hell that was about to unfold.

Lin readjusted her gaze to Steven, her mouth going dry. "I don’t know what to do to support you, but I hope you have a plan," she said, her eyes glinting with fragile hope.

Meanwhile, Steven braced himself for the full brunt of the King Beast as it drew closer. It shot out all of its tendrils at him, the sharp ends cutting through the air with a heart-wrenching whistling sound as they tore toward Steven.

Each of them was fast, but thanks to the buff, Steven was able to see them all coming.

He maneuvered to the best of his ability, avoiding the first few tendrils that came his way. He escaped with multiple scratches, but nothing immediately fatal.

Then, as he found an opening, he slashed his dagger at another tendril, cutting it clean off.

[-5 hp]

{Bleeding effect has taken place}

The Disaster shrieked as the injured tendril writhed. Instead of being dazed by the attack, it grew furious, its tendrils picking up even more speed. This sudden acceleration jolted Steven, who was already struggling to dodge them before.

Then the King Beast joined the assault, catching up and swinging its massive paw at Steven.

He jumped backward, avoiding the hit by mere inches. But he wasn’t out of danger yet. At the same time, three more tendrils came flying toward him.

He managed to sidestep one, but the other two were faster and slipped past his defense before he could react.

Luckily, Lin had seen it coming. She sent two of her crescent beams at the tendrils, knocking both off course and saving Steven from certain death.

’Shit!’ Steven backed away slowly, evading yet another attack. ’I can feel my body at its limit already. I can’t hold on for much longer.’

[-3 hp bleeding Effect]

[-3 hp bleeding Effect]

[-3 hp bleeding Effect]

[-3 hp bleeding Effect]

As the battle dragged on, Steven began to accumulate injuries of his own, each wound stacking upon the last. He wasn’t attacking anymore, only defending and even with Lin’s support, he wasn’t faring any better.

If this dragged on any longer, he would end up dying soon.

The King Beast, meanwhile, seemed to be taunting him. Openings appeared where it could have killed him outright, but it didn’t. Instead, it struck non-vital points, deliberately crippling him and reducing his speed.

It mocked him, disgracing him for standing behind and facing it alone after escaping once before.

Still, Steven continued to parry its attacks, letting out a battle cry every now and then as he felt his resolve begin to crumble.

’Am I... really going to die here?’ he thought, staggering backward after narrowly evading another tendril. ’I can’t even get an opening... I miscalculated badly, and now I’m going to pay for it. Shit! Shit! Shit...’

His breath seized as an attack slipped past his defense. A tendril shot straight for his head. He tried to sidestep, but the accumulated fatigue slowed him down. He wasn’t fast enough.

This time, he was really going to be impaled and—

Boom!

A massive torrent of water slammed into the face of the King Beast, forcing it to stagger. This attack carried far more force than the ones it had endured earlier, saving Steven from his impending doom.

Lin, who was nearly out of mana, craned her neck past the tear in the thick fog. She saw Favour and the other two standing at the opened door their way out.

She turned away quickly and shouted, "Steven!"

Steven didn’t respond immediately. Dismissing his dagger, he raised his palm toward the recovering King Beast and fired a concentrated beam of energy.

{Rampage Blast}

{Mana 5/10}

The beam struck the Disaster’s face with terrifying force, tearing straight through it. Half of its face melted away as sizzling flesh scattered through the air.

But Steven wasn’t done.

Aiming at the front legs of the King Beast, he fired another beam, too fast for the monster to react. The attack tore off its right leg, causing it to crash to the ground, trembling violently like a mad dog.

This was likely the first time it had ever been injured this badly. Disoriented by the loss of half its face and a limb, it thrashed helplessly.

{Mana 0/10}

Steven turned and, summoning every ounce of strength his battered body could muster, charged toward Lin. His body screamed in protest, pain and accumulated injuries trying to drag him down, but he ignored them.

He had to.

Because he knew that when the Disaster rose again, it wouldn’t end well.

Lin waited for Steven to reach her, and once he did, the two of them sprinted toward the exit with everything they had left.

Steven was still slightly faster, so he took the lead. His body gave everything in short, desperate bursts. His eye twitched, his breath ragged, lungs burning as air abandoned him.

If he continued at this pace, he might die from exhaustion alone. Still, he forced himself forward, the goal was close.

One step... one more step... and—

Steven burst into the next room first, staggering as he crossed the threshold. The moment his body no longer needed to fight, the fatigue crushed him, and he fell forward.

Favour stepped in instantly, catching him. "I’ve got you..."

Steven’s face brightened faintly in appreciation. He was safe now. And so was—

SLAM!!!

Steven’s face paled at the sound. No, he knew that sound all too well, even though he had only heard it once and only a few moments ago.

Craning his neck toward the door, his eyes locked onto Drake, standing there with both hands still pressed against it, the deed already done.

And that deed was made horrifyingly clear through the observation window embedded in the door.

Through the square glass pane, he saw a familiar face.

His heart sank, despair crashing into him with a force he hadn’t felt in a long time.

On the other side of the door stood Lin.

Her face was pale, tears streaming down as she stood alone with the monstrous Disaster instead of them.

She had been locked out.

Her mouth trembled as she tried to speak, her expression twisting into one filled with grief and terror.

"Steven..."

SPLOOOSH!

Blood splattered violently across the viewing window.

In the blink of an eye, Lin was gone, nothing left but a puddle of warm blood and scattered chunks of flesh that let the grim reality settle in their heart.

Lin was no more.

//Author’s Note//

Please your power stones, Golden Tickets and Gifts will be much Appreciated.

For every super gift you find it in your heart to support with. Mass release of 3—8 Chapters.

Lin fan art for the memorial!