Chapter 14: The Hidden Threat of Moonfall Lake (4)
Scene: The False Victory
(A guttural snarl rips through the battlefield.)
(With a powerful heave, the first Terracroc digs its claws into solid ground—the mud gives way.)
(The second follows suit, its massive tail slamming down, hardening the sludge beneath it. A foothold. A path out.)
(Within seconds—)
(They rise. Unshaken. Unstoppable.)
> Garon (eyes narrowing, fists clenching): "You’ve got to be kidding me."
(Garon barely has time to think before—)
(—they attack.)
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Scene: Fight Instead of Flight
(A blur—)
(The first Terracroc whips its tail toward him!)
(Garon dodges, but the second one moves at the same time.)
(BOOM—!)
(A tail slams into his side, lifting him off his feet! He crashes into the mud, pain exploding through his ribs.)
> Garon (coughing, forcing himself up): "Damn it—!"
(The Terracrocs don’t pause.)
They never pause.
(The beasts begin circling, cutting off all escape routes.)
(Garon glances around. The lake? Too far. The forest? Too thick.)
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No running.
> Garon (grinning slightly, raising his fists): "If you think I’m just gonna roll over and die, you’ve got another thing coming."
> Garon (commanding): "Magrion—Flame Wave!"
(Magrion erupts in flames, sending a sweeping firestorm across the battlefield.)
(The Terracrocs don’t burn.)
> Garon (smirking): "Now, let’s see how well you fight when you can’t see."
(Flames rise—blinding light. Searing heat. The battlefield distorts in the haze.)
(The Terracrocs stop. Snarling. Blinking.)
(A brief moment—)
(Garon moves.)
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Scene: Counterattack in the Mist
> Garon (thinking fast): "They rely on sight and tremor-sense… If I keep moving unpredictably—"
(Garon dashes left— then rolls right!)
(Magrion and Stalacera split off, attacking from different angles!)
(The first Terracroc lunges—)
(It misses.)
> Garon (grinning): "It worked—!"
(But then—)
(The second Terracroc doesn’t lunge.)
(It slams its tail into the mud.)
(A shockwave rips through the battlefield.)
(The ground trembles. Shakes.)
(Garon stumbles. Magrion flinches. Stalacera loses footing.)
(And in that single second—)
(The first Terracroc lunges again.)
(It doesn’t miss this time.)
---
Scene: The Battle Rages On
(The battlefield is wrecked—mud, fire, shattered rocks, burning air.)
(The Terracrocs stand tall. Unharmed. Unafraid.)
(Magrion and Stalacera? Panting. Slowing. Weakening.)
> Garon (breathing hard, realization sinking in): "They’re still fine after all that…?"
(A low rumble vibrates through the battlefield.)
(The first Terracroc moves—)
(Fast.)
(Garon dodges left—)
(—but the second one is waiting.)
CRACK!
(A tail slams into his stomach. Air leaves his lungs. The world spins.)
(Garon crashes into the dirt, coughing up blood.)
> Garon (gasping, vision blurring): "Gh—!"
(He forces himself up—)
(BUT—)
(A massive claw comes down.)
BOOM!
(The earth splits. A crater forms where Garon was just standing.)
(Garon barely rolls away as Magrion blasts another fire wave—!)
(The Terracroc walks through it.)
> Garon (eyes widening): "Even fire isn’t working anymore?!"
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Scene: No Openings, No Escape
(The Terracrocs are relentless. No breaks. No hesitation.)
(They know.)
They know he’s breaking.
(The first one lunges low—aiming for his legs!)
(Garon jumps—!)
(BAD MOVE.)
(The second one is waiting.)
BOOM!
(A tail slams into his ribs. Hard. Garon crashes back down, coughing.)
> Garon (gasping, pain shooting through his body): "Tch—!"
(He tries to move—)
(The first Terracroc is already lunging.)
(Its jaws snap shut—just inches from his face.)
---
Scene: Summons Struggle
(Magrion roars, unleashing a desperate Flame Wave!)
(The fire surges—)
(The first Terracroc doesn’t dodge.)
(It walks through the fire.)
> Garon (horrified): "It’s not even flinching—?!"
(Magrion leaps—slashing with its claws—)
(The Terracroc catches Magrion’s paw with its jaws—)
CRUNCH.
(Magrion screams in pain.)
> Garon (yelling): "Magrion—!"
(Stalacera charges—horns smashing into the Terracroc!)
(The Terracroc stumbles—releasing Magrion—)
(But the second one swings its tail.)
BOOM!
(Stalacera is launched into the mud, crashing HARD.)
> Garon (panting, heart pounding): "We can’t… we can’t hold this!"
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Scene: The Breaking Point
(Garon staggers to his feet. His body aches. His mind is screaming.)
(His summons are slowing.)
(The Terracrocs?)
(They look the same.)
Unstoppable.
(Garon’s heart pounds. His fists shake.)
This isn’t just a tough fight.
This is one-sided.
> Garon (clenching his fists, struggling to stay up): "I… I can’t…"
(The Terracrocs step forward.)
(Garon feels it. They know.)
They smell the weakness.
(And they’re about to finish the hunt.)
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TO BE CONTINUED.
