Zach's fingers brushed against the chest. The ornate wood seed to writhe. It was opened and...
A guttural snap echoed through the chamber. A horrifying sound of death.
Jaws, lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth, slamd shut around the noble kid's head. With sickening force.
A geyser of blood painted the floor. As the noble idiot's life was abruptly extinguished.
One second, he was reaching for treasure. The next, he was a headless corpse. Collapsing in a heap at the base of the pedestal.
The thing was clearly no ordinary treasure chest. It was a Mimic. A monster disguised as loot.
Chaos erupted.
Before anyone could react, sothing worse happened. Shadowy tendrils burst forth from the Mimic's gaping maw. And turned into shadowy creatures.
They lashed out. Charging the closest targets. Three bodyguards, Jero, and even Teacher Hawdean weren't fast enough to escape.
A shadow creature enveloped one bodyguard in its forced embrace. The man's shriek was cut short. The shadow seed to drain the life from him. Leaving behind an empty husk that crumbled to dust.
Another bodyguard was swatted aside like a ragdoll by a different shadow beast. His body slamming against the stone wall with a sickening crack.
The third bodyguard fared no better. He was torn apart by multiple shadow claws in a spray of gore.
Jero was paralyzed by terror. He was an easy target. His screams were swallowed by the darkness as a shadow beast impaled him.
Teacher Hawdean was a transcendent human. A Mystic Scholar. However, he was overwheld by two shadow monsters. As his Ward stopped one beast's attack, another one thrusted shadow tendrils. Piercing his heart.
Panic propelled the remaining bodyguards into a frantic retreat. They scrambled for the exit. Their faces contorted with terror.
But escape wasn't an option.
Mr. Rook and Mr. Elknight had never entered the chamber. They positioned themselves strategically outside the chamber's entrance. Blocking anyone else's path.
A disturbing transformation had taken place. Their once ordinary attire was now jet black. Their faces were sinister. They were smiling seeing the massacre. On their chests, displayed prominently, was a curious insignia symbolizing twin crescent moons flanking a single star.
Ironfist roared in fury. His cybernetic arm was gleaming red.
"Night Salvation bastards!" He roared.
His cybernetic arm whirred and glowed red. Exuding white steam from the joints. His normal hand ripped a steam-powered handgun from his belt. And opened fire on the two figures in the doorway.
Bullets ripped through the air. But Mr. Elknight moved with inhuman speed. He raised his axe. Deflecting the projectiles with practiced ease.
"Stand down, Ironfist." Mr. Rook said. His voice was dangerously calm. "All of you within the chamber are a necessary sacrifice. A small price to pay for the glory of Night Salvation."
Ironfist replied with a charge and a punch. But, Mr. Elknight again stopped him. His huge axe clashed again Ironfist's cyberpunk chanical fist.
Mr. Rook didn't seem to be bothered and continued. "All of you should be honored, really. To die as fuel for sothing so much greater."
He adjusted his top hat. Unfazed by the carnage unfolding in front of him.
Mr. Glacier unleashed a torrent of frost. His face was a mask of icy fury. The chamber floor beca slick with ice. Freezing air swirled around the nearby shadow creatures. Encasing them in glittering prisons.
"You'll pay for this treachery!" He bellowed. Raising his hands to summon another wave of frost.
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But Mr. Rook simply chuckled. A low, unsettling sound that enraged his opponent even more. A lightning covered Ward appeared in front of him. Blocking Mr. Glacier's wave of frost.
Invisible, Jack cursed under his breath. He attempted to use [Mysterious Dream] on the shadow creatures. Hoping to disrupt their attacks. But the ability failed to register.
These shadow creatures were mindless puppets. They were constructs of shadow with no capacity for dreams.
He shifted his focus. Using his [Mysterious Control] to shove a bodyguard out of the path of a lunging shadow tendril. The man stumbled. His eyes were wide with terror. But, he survived.
Jack managed to repeat the action once more. Saving another guard from certain death. But it was a losing battle. The bodyguards were utterly helpless against the relentless onslaught of shadow monsters.
He couldn't keep saving them all. This wasn't like the incident in Tideless Island. There, the explorers had a fighting chance. He could focus saving them. And they killed the opponents. Here... these guys were lambs to the slaughter.
He had to do sothing else.
His gaze fell on the frozen floor. It was now a reflective surface. Courtesy of Mr. Glacier's power. An idea sparked.
He imdiately activated his [Mysterious Mirror World]. Slipping into his Mirror Space.
His spectral form was useless here. He needed raw power. He needed a weapon against these creatures of darkness. It was ti for Jack Deathspark.
He initiated [Incarnation Shift]. The process was slow and agonizing. He could only hope the bodyguards, and more importantly, Ironfist and Mr. Glacier, could hold out for the three minutes needed for the transformation.
Jack gritted his now-appearing teeth. This felt so slow. Every second felt like an eternity.
Finally, the shift was complete. He stood tall. Jack Deathspark. A grim reaper wreathed in ragged shadows. His skeletal hands gripped the handle of his massive Grim Reaper Scythe.
With a surge of dark energy, he burst back into the real world.
The effect was imdiate. The shadow creatures were montarily stunned by his sudden appearance. And right away, they proved to be no match for his scythe.
With each swing, he reaped their shadowy forms. Dissolving them into nothingness. He carved a path through the darkness. His presence was a beacon of death.
Jack scanned the situation in the chamber.
Only two bodyguards remained alive. They were cowering in fear. Their faces were streaked with blood and gri.
Ironfist and Mr. Glacier were locked in a desperate struggle against the Night Salvation traitors. They were showing signs of fatigue. But they should be able to hold on.
Jack continued his work. He was a whirlwind of death. He cleaved through the remaining shadow creatures. Putting the two surviving bodyguards to safety. He moved with a grim efficiency. His every action was a testant to his lethality.
The Mimic was enraged by the destruction of its minions. It lunged at Jack. Its jaws were snapping.
But Jack was ready. He sidestepped the attack with surprising agility. He swung his leg and kicked the chest monster. Sending it to crash to the wall.
He charged at it and brought his scythe down. The Mimic rolled away to evade in weird movent. The blade slicing through the corner of the Mimic's body.
The creature shrieked in pain. Its shadow tendrils were flailing wildly.
But as Jack prepared to deliver the killing blow, a jolt of survival instinct slamd into him. His awareness scread danger. He instantly threw himself. Rolling to the side.
A bolt of pure lightning incinerated the wall. Moving past the spot where he had been standing.
He quickly looked at the source.
Mr. Rook stood over the fallen Mr. Glacier. His face was devoid of any remorse. His hand was crackling with residual energy. He was the one who had fired the lightning.
Rage surged through Jack. He grabbed the still-snapping Mimic. And, with all his might, he hurled it towards the Night Salvation bastard.
The traitor was caught off guard. But he reacted quickly. Unleashing another lightning covered ward. It struck the Mimic and broke apart. But, it halted the danger.
However, Jack wasn't finished. He charged forward. Using his scythe like a baseball bat, he slamd the monster back towards Mr. Rook.
In a sickening display of callousness, Mr. Rook grabbed Mr. Elknight. Who was standing next to him. And shoved him into the path of the oncoming Mimic.
The Mimic's jaws closed around Mr. Elknight's head. The crunch of bone echoing through the chamber. Burst of blood scattered. The man died instantly. His body was collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Mr. Rook was montarily free. And he quickly turned to flee. But Ironfist was nearby. He was fueled by adrenaline and righteous fury. He... kicked the just-chomping Mimic towards the traitor.
The Mimic had insatiable hunger. It clamped down on Mr. Rook's head from behind. Loud crack and burst of blood. It ended his life as brutally as the others.
Consuming two transcendent individuals in a row caused change to the monster. Its body began to swell. It was growing to a monstrous size. Fueled by the life force it had consud.
But for Jack, it was just pointless. He made a swift, decisive slash with his Grim Reaper Scythe. Cutting the treasure-chest-creature into two.
The Mimic shuddered. It convulsed. And then dissolved into nothingness. Leaving behind only the faint scent of decay.
Jack glanced at Ironfist. The Steamrune Engineer was gasping for breath. His cybernetic arm sparking. Mr. Glacier lay unconscious nearby.
Without a word, Jack Deathspark turned and walked out of the chamber. His tattered cloak billowing behind him. He was the Grim Reaper of Judgent. And his job was done.
The survivors watched him go. Their faces were pale with awe and terror. None of them dared to speak. None dared to thank him.
Their minds were struggling to comprehend the horror they had witnessed. They knew they had been saved, but by what? Or rather, by whom? Who was the figure that reaped death to their enemies and spared them from the abyss?
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