Levi's feet pounded against the stone floor of the tunnel, the sound echoing in the confined space. His speed was incredible, far surpassing that of an average human in this world, yet he knew it wouldn't be enough to save him.

'Faster! Faster!! Faster!!!'. He urged his body, pushing it beyond its limits. It had only been a few seconds since his escape, but he could already feel the strain of his origin energy on his legs.

He was pouring the energy into his muscles with reckless abandon, his control over it practically nonexistent.

Origin energy was usually a safe power source, but his desperate and clumsy use of it was causing him to harm himself with every step.

The burning sensation in his legs wasn't just a sign of his speed; it was a warning that his legs were close to collapsing. He was running from one monster only to become his own.

'I can't keep up'. The realization sent a surge of despair up his spine. His legs burned, and his lungs screamed for air. The terrifying truth was that his frantic sprint was nothing more than a slow jog to the thing chasing him.

'System, buy soldier pills!'. He mentally commanded. Soldier pills were a high-risk, high-reward solution, a powerful boost for stamina and energy, but with a nasty list of side effects. But none of that mattered now, his only concern was survival.

A cold, netural voice echoed in his mind.

[ Your points aren't enough for the purchase. ]

Levi's face went from pale to ghostly, anger and resentment clouded his vision. He had escaped death from the hand of Cecilia only to stumble into another situation he couldn't afford to get out of. What kind of mess had he gotten himself into?

Up ahead, the tunnel opened into a large chamber. A waterfall cascaded from the ceiling, its roar echoing in the vast space. It was a beautiful sight.

Levi's face lit up, not at the beautiful sight of the waterfall, but at the realization that he'd found his escape.

A low 'whumm' sound suddenly filled the entire tunnel. The subtle feeling of danger swelled, and Levi turned his head, a wave of instant regret washing over him.

**** Thirty seconds ago ****

In the quiet hall, only six skeletons and a single creature remained.

The creature's body was vaguely human, a male figure clothed in clerical robes. But its face was a bizarre mask: its eyes and mouth were sewn shut with dark thread. Jutting from its back were numerous arms, some a pale corpse-like white with black knuckles, others pure black with white knuckles.

The creature turned and knelt before the altar, its many fingers pressing together in prayer.

"Dear mistress..." it began, its voice a reverent whisper.

"I offer my deepest apologies. For I am about to strike my benefactor."

The creature paused, its numerous hands clasped tightly together. A faint hum of power emanated from its form, but its prayer was not a request for strength. It was an explanation, a plea for understanding.

"I hope I can one day find a way back to your embrace".

"My heart aches at this necessary violence".

"I must act against him, so my people can be made whole".

"I am a lost soul, please, forgive this desperation".

"So that I may one day be worthy to stand beside you once more".

The creature paused, its many arms clasped in prayer, waiting for the familiar, comforting voice of its mistress. But all it heard was silence. The air, which had always felt thick with her presence, was now empty.

A quiet dread, more profound than any fear, settled in its core. The mistress was gone, and with her, her favor. It was alone, an abandoned servant in a desolate land. The bond, a lifeline it had cherished for countless ages, had been severed.

It rose, its grotesque form trembling with an alien emotion— grief.

A chilling despair settled over the creature. If only it had known. If it had known, it would have resisted the pressure from the clan, ignored the foolish whispers of the new generation.

If it had known, it would never have removed the mistress's gift, the Stargaze from the altar.

It was all their fault. The useless new generation, with their empty boasts and reckless actions. They had insisted they no longer needed the goddess, that they could stand on their own. They had stripped the altar of its most sacred artifact, and in doing so, they had severed the last, thread that connected them to their mistress.

And now, the creature was alone. The silence of the hall was a hollow echo of her absence, a testament to its own folly and the arrogance of its kin.

Now, it was driven by a single, gnawing purpose— to infest the land for that vile thing. To this day, the creature still didn't know what the Elder Spawn looked like, only that it had to serve it.

Paying its last respects to the altar, the creature's body suddenly collapsed. It didn't fall to the ground, but instead, it morphed into a torrent of hands.

These weren't normal hands. Some were corpse-white with black knuckles, while others were pitch-black with ghostly white knuckles.

The hands scrambled, gripping the floor, walls, and ceiling, a horrifying swarm moving with unnatural speed. They moved rapidly in the direction Levi had escaped, their collective scurrying creating a low, unsettling 'whumm' that filled the tunnel.

In no time at all, the creature could see the figure of the human who had resurrected it up ahead, a pathetic, fleeing silhouette against the gushing water of the chamber.

****

Levi turned and instantly regretted it. A torrent of hands, a horrifying mix of corpse-white and pitch-black, scrambled toward him with unnatural speed. The gruesome sight froze him in place for a few moments, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.

Then, a jolt of pure terror snapped him out of it. He spun back around and resumed his frantic escape, his legs burning as he pushed every last ounce of his origin energy into his sprint.

The cliff was right in front of him. He just had to jump, he'd be safe once he hit the water— or at least he hoped so. He had to trust that the rushing lake would be enough to slow the creature down.

Levi's eyes brightened. He was almost there. But luck, as he had so often found, was no longer on his side.

A pitch-black hand, detached from the creature's body, shot out at Levi's side. It was moving impossibly fast, and Levi had only a split second to react. He leaped forward, narrowly dodging the attack, a gasp of relief escaping his lips.

He was in mid-air. He'd made it. By the time gravity took over, his next destination would be the water, and he would be free.

Then, he felt something cold wrap around his leg, specifically his knee. A hand? The coldness made him shiver, and a terrible cracking sound filled his ears.

CRUNCH!

The hand tightened its grip, directly breaking Levi's knee like a twig. A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat.

"Arrrrrg".

Levi's body was ruthlessly slammed against the ground. He felt the impact like a hammer, a hot, white pain erupting from his ribs. His vision blurred, and his consciousness began to wane.

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