NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Wave after wave?!!
Lila's sharp eyes scanned the Stoneback Behemoth, her gaze dissecting every inch of the grotesque creature. Its massive form loomed over them like a nightmare given flesh—a twisted parody of a bear, monstrous and foreboding. But despite its terrifying presence, Lila focused on what mattered. Teeth and claws.
Its primary weapons were obvious. Jagged, bone-like claws that could tear through stone, and a mouth bristling with teeth that looked like crude blades. Those were the threats.
Lila's voice was cold and methodical as she muttered just loud enough for Noah to hear. "Teeth and claws—it doesn't seem to rely on much else." Her gloved hands tightened around the shaft of her scythe. "We avoid those. That's step one."
Noah stood nearby, his shoulders tense, though his eyes were alive with focus. He didn't flinch under the creature's roars, even as the cave walls trembled in response. Lila continued, her tone unwavering. "Category 3 beasts are a different breed, Noah. That scythe of mine?" She twirled it once for emphasis. "Level one. Made for handling Category 1s, maybe a weak 2 on a good day. This thing?" She gestured at the Behemoth with her chin. "It's a whole other level."
'She's calm… too calm,' Noah thought, forcing his own breathing to steady. His mind raced. Lila might be more experienced, but even she knew they were punching well above their weight. A Category 3 wasn't just big or dangerous—it was smart. Noah's gaze flickered to the creature's hulking torso. The thick plating, the rippling muscles beneath… getting through that would be hell.
As if reading his thoughts, Lila spoke again. "It'll guard its core like its life depends on it—and it does. We get through that armor, or we don't walk out of here. Simple as that." She glanced at Noah. "But we need to find the weak spot first. Most beasts leave themselves open somewhere—an opening, a delay. We hope it doesn't have a surprise attack waiting for us."
'And if it does?' Noah pushed that thought away. He couldn't afford to think about failure. His pulse hammered in his ears as he ran a quick assessment in his head.
He raised his voice just enough to cut through the tension. "I'll take point. Lila—you hit from the rear."
Lila arched a brow at him but didn't argue. Her smirk was faint but approving. "You're the boss, Noah. Just don't get eaten."
Noah nodded, his mind settling into a calm rhythm. Teeth and claws. Avoid them. Get to the core.
He crouched, muscles coiled, ready to sprint. "Coordinates locked. Let's move."
The two launched forward, boots pounding against the cave floor. The air seemed to crackle with tension as they closed the distance, the Stoneback Behemoth's guttural growl echoing like thunder.
Noah led the charge, zigzagging to keep the beast's attention on him. Every movement was calculated; every step placed with precision. He could feel the Behemoth's feral eyes tracking him, the claws already preparing to swipe.
'Keep moving. Keep breathing. Focus.'
From the corner of his vision, Lila swept wide, her scythe gleaming with deadly intent.
The Stoneback Behemoth roared, its monstrous form shifting, and the battle began.
Noah gripped his twin blades so tightly his knuckles went white. For a fleeting second, a ridiculous idea hit him 'What if I threw one at its eye?'
But reality kicked back in just as fast. 'Yeah, sure. And what if I miss? Then I will be down a weapon and the bastard still breathing down my neck,' Risk had its place, but this wasn't a video game where he could hit restart, adjust his strategy, and try again. This was life or death, and Noah liked being alive.
The Stoneback Behemoth made the first move. It slashed down, claws screaming through the air like knives.
'Shit!' Noah ducked low, instincts kicking in as his body slid across the dirt floor in a scrape of boots and grit. He twisted mid-slide, blades flashing as he got within striking distance. With every ounce of strength, he slashed both weapons into the Behemoth's side's one for good measure.
Nothing.
It felt like smacking wood with a blunt machete. Zero damage. Noah's heart sank. 'This thing's hide is tougher than it looks,' He barely had a second to process before the beast roared, twisting its massive frame. Noah's stomach dropped as its jaws snapped down toward him, teeth gleaming like bloody daggers.
'Move, move, move!' Noah threw himself into a roll, skidding out just in time to avoid becoming lunch. He wasn't faster than the beast so no way could he outspeed a Category 3 monstrosity like this but his instincts were sharp. They had to be. Growing up in the barracks, he'd spent too many years scrapping with other kids in the dirt. No formal training. Just raw fights, bruises, and survival. Enough to give him a fighting chance, but not enough to win against this thing alone.
'It's fine,' he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone.'We've got this,'
A blur of motion caught his eyes. Lila. She was fast, scythe glinting as she moved in from behind. Noah couldn't help but notice how she swung despite the... "physical challenges" that came with those huge boobs in front of her. They most be acting as natural wind breakers or something. The thought earned a crooked smirk. 'Huge racks and huge weapons? Physics doesn't even apply to her'
But there wasn't time to admire. Lila's scythe hit the Behemoth's stone-like back with a sickening clang, reverberating through the cave. The beast barely flinched, and Noah winced when he saw her grit her teeth in frustration.
Meanwhile, he wasn't faring much better. The Behemoth's claws swept toward his chest with terrifying speed. 'Not happening!' Noah darted back, nearly tripping as dirt flew up around him.
The beast locked onto him like a predator with fresh prey.
'This taking point thing sucks,' Noah thought as he sprinted, the Behemoth close on his heels.
Noah's boots skidded across the cave floor as the beast lunged, its guttural growl reverberating off the walls like the prelude to an avalanche. He spun and darted to the side, but there was nowhere left to run. The cold stone of the cave wall pressed against his back, leaving him boxed in as the Stoneback Behemoth bore down on him.
'This is it. Game over,' Noah thought, hands gripping his twin blades so tightly his knuckles went white. He was out of options, out of space, and—he was willing to bet—Lila was running out of time.
Suddenly, a streak of motion flashed in the corner of his vision.
Lila.
She came from behind the beast, her scythe swinging in a brutal arc. This time, she aimed differently—at the joint near its hind leg. The blade sang as it struck, cutting a shallow gouge into the beast's hardened hide. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
The Stoneback Behemoth turned on her with a roar that rattled the air. Its monstrous frame surged forward, and Lila braced, planting her feet firmly. As it lunged, she raised her scythe across her body like a shield, and the beast's jaws clamped down, the blade sinking between its teeth. The force of the bite dragged her along with it, her boots scraping furrows into the dirt as the beast swung its head to the side. Lila's body snapped through the air before she hit the cave floor, rolling to a stop.
Noah froze for a heartbeat. Watching.
'It'll kill her. It's going to kill her, and it'll be on me.'
Adrenaline exploded in his chest. He didn't think—he just moved. Sprinting toward the beast with a snarl, he ducked low as its attention fixated on Lila. His mind raced through options.
'Underbelly? Already tried—nothing but wasted effort. The core? Out of reach. But the eyes—'
The idea clicked into place as his gaze darted toward the beast's massive head. Those gleaming, predatory eyes looked like they could be vulnerable. He just needed to get a clean strike. But getting close enough for that?
The beast suddenly roared again, slashing at Lila as she struggled to her feet. She was tough, but even Noah could see she was faltering. Her body language was tight, movements slower. And then—her eyes flared green.
Noah stumbled mid-step, stunned. The rocks scattered around the cave began to shiver. Then, as if some invisible force snapped into existence, they shot toward the beast with incredible speed, slicing through the air like bullets.
'Telekinesis. Right. Forgot she could do that.'
The rocks struck the Stoneback Behemoth with relentless force. The beast bellowed, momentarily disoriented as the sharp debris pelted its face, flanks, and legs. Noah stopped dead in his tracks. Going in now would be suicide—those projectiles didn't discriminate.
Lila's focus held the barrage steady, her face twisted in grim determination, until—
A single claw slashed across her arm. Her concentration shattered. Her eyes flickered back to normal, and she staggered. The beast capitalized immediately, its jaws snapping down and catching her hand, yanking her off balance. Her weapon fell, skidding out of reach.
Noah felt a cold spike of panic shoot through his chest.
'Shit, she's done for. Think, Noah. THINK.'
His mind swirled with desperation. His blades were useless. His power—
His power.
Noah's head snapped toward the cave entrance. Without warning, he bolted.
Behind him, Lila managed to look up. Her face fell as realization hit.
"You coward," she whispered. It wasn't anger. Just quiet resignation.
But Noah didn't stop. He ran, chest pounding, feet slamming against the ground. Just when it looked like he might escape entirely, he skidded to a halt near the cave's inner exit. He turned around, fists clenching as his throat vibrated with something raw, primal.
His mouth glowed faintly purple.
"Rarrrrrghhhhh!!!"
The sound that erupted from him was monstrous, so perfectly replicated it sent chills down his own spine. The Stoneback Behemoth froze mid-motion, its massive head swiveling toward him.
Noah's heart thundered as the beast began to stalk toward him, claws dragging through the earth with a screeching scrape. Lila, still on her knees, gaped at him.
'What the hell are you doing, you idiot?' she thought. But Noah didn't stop.
"Rarrrrrghhhhh!!!" he roared again, his voice echoing even louder this time. Sweat dripped down his forehead as the beast picked up its pace, drawn to the sound like a moth to flame. Noah stepped back, leading it away from Lila and deeper into the open area of the cavern where the terrain widened into three separate tunnels.
'Come on, ugly. Follow me,' Noah thought, forcing his breathing to steady. The beast's attention locked onto him, its slow, deliberate movements intensifying with every echo of his voice.
"Rarrrrrghhhhh!!!"
The third roar blasted through the cavern. Only—this time, it wasn't Noah.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. The bracelet on his arm buzzed with a chilling notification.
[Level 3 beast detected]
[Alpha Stoneback Behemoth]
Noah's face paled.
"…Just fuck me," he muttered under his breath as another deafening roar thundered through the cavern.
The sound came from one of the tunnels.
'There's two of them?'
The cave rumbled, shadows shifting as the second beast's massive silhouette emerged from the darkness.
Noah let out a sharp breath, his grip tightening on his blades.
"This day just keeps getting better."