Roarrr!

  The monster’s screech tore through the air, an ear-shattering blend of rage and agony that vibrated deep into my bones. My body was barely holding together, every inch of me screaming in protest as blood poured from the gaping wounds it had carved into me. The monster’s claw slammed into my chest, pinning me to the ground. I felt the crunch of ribs, the wet sound of blood spilling into my lungs. My arms twitched uselessly at my sides, my swords far away. Its weight pressed down, its blood-red eyes locking onto mine.

  fu..

  My vision flickered, fading in and out, and for a moment, I thought I was finally done.

  But my instincts wouldn’t let me go. I felt something stir, bubbling up from the edges of my broken consciousness. Not rage—something colder, deeper. A hunger. My vision blurred, and then... fractured. The monster's face loomed closer, its mouth twisted into a snarl, but the world around it rippled like shattered glass.

  And then something shifted.

  My jaw burned, the skin stretching, the bones realigning in ways they weren’t supposed to. There was no pain, only the sensation of changing. Black tendrils stretched from my jawline, melding with my skin as my teeth grew sharper and longer. My mouth extended into an impossible maw, my fangs glinting like daggers under the crimson light.

  I wasn’t thinking anymore.

  The monster loomed above me, its glowing red eyes burning with malice. Its fangs dripped with my blood, but it didn’t expect me to fight back.

  It should have.

  And then I struck on pure instinct.

  My head lunged forward before I even realized it; my monstrous jaw clamped down on its face.

  CHOMP.

  The sound was thick and wet, like bone splintering under immense pressure. My teeth punctured its flesh, sinking deep into one of its glowing red eyes. The sensation was visceral—sickening and satisfying all at once. The monster screeched in agony, its massive body thrashing violently as it tried to break free of my grip. Its claws raked across my arms, leaving deep, burning gashes, but I held on, driven by something beyond reason.

  But I didn’t let go.

  The taste of its blood was vile, like swallowing molten tar, but I didn’t let go. I bit down harder, my teeth grinding against the bone beneath its flesh. The monster’s eye exploded between my jaws, a burst of hot, acrid fluid spilling into my mouth.

  Fuck. The taste was unbearable, but I used the surge of disgust to push harder.

  The creature thrashed wildly, its tail whipping around and slamming into my side with bone-crushing force. Pain shot through my ribs, but I ignored it, channeling every ounce of strength into my bite. Its screeches grew more frantic and more desperate.

  Its eye. I was biting through its eye.

  Hot, putrid fluid burst against my tongue, and something popped beneath the force of my jaw. The monster's screech grew deafening, its thrashing turning frantic as its claws raked at my sides. But nothing it did mattered. I was locked in, unrelenting, driven by the animal inside me that had seized control.

  I could feel my body weakening; the edges of my consciousness flickering as the pain and exhaustion caught up to me. But I wasn’t done. With one final surge of strength, I clamped down as hard as I could, twisting my jaw and ripping a chunk of its face free.

  Shrrrkkk!

  The sound was wet and gruesome; the flesh tore away from its skull. Dark, viscous liquid sprayed everywhere, soaking me in its foul, searing blood.

  The monster reared back, finally breaking free, its howls echoing through the corrupted air. It stumbled, its claws clutching at the gaping wound where part of its face had been. The empty socket where its eye used to glow pulsed with dark energy, spilling more of its vile ichor.

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  I spat the chunk of flesh onto the ground, the taste of its blood still burning in my throat. As I staggered back, the severed, dripping mass of flesh was clenched between my fangs. My body heaved as the monster reeled away, clutching the gaping hole where its eye had been. Its screams were guttural, almost pathetic, as it stumbled. Black ichor sprayed in torrents, soaking the ground, steaming and sizzling like acid where it fell.

  The thing in my mouth hit the ground with a wet splatter.

  Only then did I "wake" up from the primal state.

  haa…haaaaa….

  My breathing came in ragged, gasping bursts. The haze receded just enough for clarity to set in, for the cold realization to hit. I touched my face, fingers trembling as they brushed against jagged teeth—teeth that weren’t mine. My jaw throbbed, my tongue brushing against fangs that were too long, too sharp.

  But then I laughed. It was low and guttural, a sound that didn’t feel entirely human.

  The monster’s howls turned to furious growls, its claws digging into the earth as it steadied itself. But its movements were slower now, more erratic. I licked the blood from my lips, my voice low and unrecognizable as I whispered, “What’s wrong… can't handle pain… hehehe… crying like a bitch.”

  haa…haaa….

  The world was barely holding itself together, just like me. Every breath was a battle, each gasp tearing through my chest like knives. Blood dripped steadily down my arms and legs, soaking into the dirt below. My left shoulder hung limp, and what was concerning was that my entire left side from shoulder to chest had turned blackish-purple.

  Haaa…fucking corruption…cough…

  But I wasn’t the only one on the edge of breaking.

  Across from me, the monster swayed on its feet, its massive frame battered and torn. The gaping ruin of its face oozed black ichor, the thick, steaming liquid pooling beneath it in grotesque splashes. The hole where its left eye had been pulsed weakly, a sickly black energy radiating out like heat waves. Its chest heaved with every rasping breath, the gashes I’d carved earlier still leaking, still wide open.

  It should have been dead.

  Hell, I should’ve been dead.

  We both are like cockroaches in that regard…

  But here we were, staring each other down, like neither of us could believe that the other was still standing.

  The silence was maddening. The forest held its breath, the corrupted air heavy and suffocating. Even the twisted, blackened trees seemed to close in, their jagged limbs stretching like claws ready to strike.

  “You’re fucked…I’m fucked…how about we do round 2 sometime later…” I muttered, the words slipping out between ragged breaths. My voice didn’t sound like my own anymore—hoarse, shredded, barely hanging together.

  The Monster’s lone crimson eye flickered toward me, its hatred searing. It let out a low growl, a rumble that vibrated through the ground, up my legs, and straight into my gut.

  “Yeah, keep staring,” I hissed. My arms trembled as I tried to lift my claws, but the weight was too much for me to handle at the moment. “Let’s see how tough you are now, you ugly bastard.”

  It took a step forward. The sound of its claws sinking into the earth was wet, sticky; the noise sent a shiver down my spine. Its massive body shuddered with the effort, each movement slower than the last, the ichor pouring from its wounds in steady, heavy streams.

  But it didn’t fall. It wouldn’t fall.

  Neither would I.

  The tension between us was unbearable, like a stretched wire about to snap. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, my vision threatening to cave in on itself, but I couldn’t let go—not when it was still standing. Not when its hulking shadow still loomed over me.

  Its growl deepened, a harsh, guttural sound that made my skin crawl. It dragged itself closer, its legs buckling under its weight but refusing to collapse. Its claws curled into the dirt as it leaned forward, its massive, broken head lowering just slightly.

  The monster froze, its crimson gaze locked on me. For a moment, neither of us moved. Its eye narrowed, the glowing red dimming for a split second.

  It was sizing me up.

  A part of me wanted to taunt it again, to spit another insult in its face and force it to make the first move. But my throat was too dry, and my lungs felt like they’d collapse if I said another word.

  The monster let out a low, guttural snarl, its claws twitching against the dirt. But instead of charging, instead of lunging for the kill, it staggered backward. Its massive frame wavered, the blood loss finally catching up. With a heavy, labored motion, it turned, dragging itself toward the corrupted forest.

  My heart pounded in my ears as I watched it stumble into the shadows, its towering form growing smaller with each unsteady step. Its growls echoed faintly through the trees, growing weaker and weaker until they finally disappeared altogether.

  I stood there, rooted in place.

  It was gone.

  I should’ve felt relief. Hell, I should’ve been celebrating that I was still breathing, but all I could do was stare at the trail of black ichor it had left behind, my chest heaving as I tried to stay upright.

  My knees buckled first, landing hard on my hands and knees. Pain exploded through my body, but I didn’t care. My head hung low, my hair sticky with blood and sweat as I gasped for air.

  The silence pressed in; the only sound was my ragged breathing and the faint, distant rustle of corrupted leaves.

  I stared up at the sky, the faint orange and pink hues bleeding into the black of night. My chest rose and fell with each labored breath; my thoughts scattered and distant.

  You survived.

  The thought felt hollow, distant, like it belonged to someone else. My vision blurred as the exhaustion finally caught up to me, pulling me under like a rising tide.

  The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was the faint, golden light of dawn flickering across the treetops.

  And then, nothing.

  HOUSE OF END DISCORD

  Thank you younghustla917 for the review I know I messed up guys... I went in this novel with a "Webnovel" perspective that I must milk the chapters.... whelp I messed up big time but I'm learning to a better writer and author all because of you guys... You all have my heartfelt gratitude.

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