Chapter 21: The Temple of Desire 5
Dust and debris filled the atmosphere as he struggled to catch his breath, blood briefly prickling at the corner of his mouth...
==========================
[DING]
[ENTITY DETECTED: ENENRA]
[CLASS: C⁺ — Shadow Titan]
[TYPE: Spiritual Titan / Illusion & smoke Manipulator]
[WARNING: Visibility reduced by 75%.] [NOTICE: Physical attacks are ineffective — entity composed of death smoke.]
[RECOMMENDATION: Use Wind-based disruption to counter.]
=========================
In that moment, while Minato was reading the system notifications, he shouted, "You fucking prick of a system! Where the hell am I supposed to get wind in an underground temple?!"
But that alone didn’t stop the shadow titan. Instantly, spikes made of smoke burst out from the ground, heading straight for Minato.
Thinking quickly, he channeled all the blood in his body to his back and formed a temporary rope that linked to the wall, pulling him back right seconds before the smoke spikes could have impaled him.
==================
[DING]
[DAMAGE REPORT: LEFT ARM – MINOR LACERATION. BLOOD LOSS: 5%. MOBILITY: STABLE. VISUAL FOCUS – SLIGHTLY DISTORTED.]
[WARNING: SHADOW-BASED ATTACKS DETECTED. DEFENSE TYPE: NON-PHYSICAL.]
===============================
Minato gritted his teeth, his chest rising and falling fast. His eyes were searching for any way out. "Think, think, think..."
ROAR! ROAR!!
The shadow titan lunged forward at Minato, with unimaginable speed, shaking the entire passage with its weight.
But at that moment, something clicked in Minato’s head. Without hesitation or fear, he rolled over, barely dodging the shadow titan claw’s swipe that cracked the stone floor where he’d been standing...
The atmosphere around the passage was filled with smoke, dust, and a hint of bloody stench.
Then...BOOM!...his blood aura burst out violently, painting the corridor in red lights. Minato’s hands moved on instinct, forming a large blood fan, the atmosphere around humming from its stabilization.
With one swing, a fierce gust of wind exploded outward in the passage. "GET LOST!" he shouted, his voice echoing briefly.
The blood fan released a massive windwave that sent the shadow titan down the passage and slammed it hard against the far end of the wall.
Dust exploded everywhere, and the whole place trembled under the fierce impact.
The passage trembled as the dust settled down. Minato then dropped to one knee, panting heavily, as blood dripped from his eyes and nose.
He wiped it with the back of his hand and smirked weakly. "Tch... son of a bitch...still standing, huh..."
======================
[DING]
[HOST VITALS CRITICAL — BLOOD LOSS AT 73%]
[INITIATING AUTO-REGENERATION PROTOCOL...]
[BLOOD PARTICLES STABILIZING... 15%... 39%... 62%...]
[WARNING: TEMPORARY FATIGUE AND MUSCLE SPASMS DETECTED.]
[HOST BODY REPAIR IN PROGRESS...]
=============================
Minato’s veins glowed a little bit as red-hot steam rose from his wounds. His torn flesh sealed up, and some cracked bones realigned with a sharp crack.
He clenched his fists, standing back up his breathing was slow and steady now. "Alright," he muttered, eyes narrowing through the smoke and dust.
"Round two, you bastard."
Roar!!!
The shadow titan lunged forward again, its massive arm tearing through the passage walls as it swung down at Minato. But this time, something was completely different. The claw passed right through him.
That strange moment made Minato turn quickly, confusion written all across his face...then it hit him. The shadow titan’s body had turned completely into smoke.
Before he could even move, the black smoke rushed straight at his face, forcing its way into his nose, mouth, and ears.
Minato’s eyes widened as he stumbled back, choking and clawing at his throat. "What the hell—! I can’t breathe!"
He dropped to one knee, coughing violently as veins began to darken across his neck and face. The smoke wasn’t just entering him...it was eating away at his organs from the inside.
Blood trickled from his lips as he struggled to stay conscious, his breathing growing loud and uneven.
"Damn it..." he muttered between breaths, his voice shaking. "I can’t die like this..."
His hands clenched into fists as his heartbeat sounded like a drum, echoing throughout the hall.
====================
[DING]
[WARNING: HP CRITICALLY LOW — 25%.]
[HOST SUFFERING SEVERE INTERNAL BLEEDING. BLOOD PRESSURE UNSTABLE.]
=======================
"I don’t want to die..."
"I don’t want to die..."
"I don’t want to die..."
"I don’t want to die..."
That was all Minato could think of at that moment. His chest burned intensely, his lungs screamed for the slightest air it could find, but nothing. He slammed his hands against his chest over and over, desperate to force the smoke out, but it only made the pain worse...
Blood quickly poured from his mouth, splattering across the debris-covered floor. His vision became extremely blurry, and the edges of his eyes were dimming little by little.
Then... footsteps. Slow, deliberately audible.
The succubus walked toward him, her expression was calm and mocking. She crouched down in front of Minato’s dying face, her yellow eyes glowing brightly in the darkened passage. Using one finger, she lifted his chin upwards, just within eye contact.
"Little human... You must be in serious pain," she responded, her voice was soft but had a cruel edge to it. A small smirk formed on her lips before turning into complete loud laughter.
"Until the very end, you still manage to amaze me...a human using vampiric abilities..." She shook her head slowly, her tone filled with mock sympathy. "Such a shame. You could have been my favorite pet."
She stood upright again, her wings spreading slightly as she turned her back to him.
"Enenra, end him quickly... and go find that vampire companion of his."
The shadow titan inside his body stirred again, and more blood dripped out of Minato’s mouth.
The succubus stretched outwards, sighing softly. "Hm... It’s hot in here," she murmured, brushing her hair back as she walked away.
Minato’s half-shut eyes slowly widened.
Hot...
That word sparked something inside him.
He looked upward, blood dripping from his lips, his vision shaking between red and black.
"Eternity System..." he murmured weakly, barely able to move his tongue.
=====================
[DING]
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
[HOW CAN I HELP YOU, HOST?]
===========================
He coughed hard, forcing out another mouthful of blood. The metallic taste filled his throat.
"...I would like to kill myself," he rasped, his voice cracking.