Starlight trembled as he stared at the harrowing figure of the slug-like creature. He was at a loss for words; he didn't know how strong the creature was, its type or rank, or even if it was friendly. All he knew was that he either had to fight or run.
He chose the latter: run. He got up and sprinted as fast as he could. He didn't care about anything or where he was going, just as long as he was far from that thing.
However, what kind of monster would the slug be if it let its prey escape?
The monster swiftly shot one of its tentacles at Starlight, and he barely managed to dodge it. The slug whipped another at him, but Starlight ducked just in time.
'It looks like I'm going to have to fight this thing.'
Starlight clenched his jaw at the thought of having to face that thing in battle. Nonetheless, he turned around and stared directly at it.
A few meters away, Starlight could make out the creature's body and a few more tentacles.
Anticipating the slug would attack again, Starlight jumped to his right, landing on the cold, hard rocks. Moments later, another tentacle shot out from where he had just been standing.
"I actually dodged it." He almost laughed in disbelief.
Following the failed attack, the slug slammed another tentacle down towards Starlight. He rolled away and quickly got to his knees. He realized he rolled right through a puddle of slime. The slime on his shoulder wiggled unnaturally. Creeped out, Starlight scraped it off and flung it aside.
The creature shot another tentacle right at Starlight. He threw himself backwards, falling on his back. The tentacle landed right where he had flung off the slime.
After hitting the ground, it stopped and hovered above the spot where it had just attacked. Starlight got to his feet, frozen in confusion.
A moment later, a barrage of slimy tentacles appeared right in front of his body. The slug flailed its tentacles out in all different directions.
"Arghh," Starlight groaned.
Right before a tentacle hit him, Starlight pulled his cloak over his chest. The tentacle came crashing into him, knocking Starlight to the ground.
His mother had told him the artifact had come from a demon, so he imagined it would be able to stop the blow somewhat.
The cloak had indeed blocked most of the force, leaving a lingering pain, like being punched in the chest - not that Starlight had ever been punched before.
The cave was no longer pitch black; rather, it was filled with dim blue light from the slime that the tentacles scattered everywhere. The room was about fifty meters wide and half as tall. He could now clearly see the monster in all of its might.
It did, in fact, look like an enormous slug; it was over twice the size of the kid and equally as wide. Its head and neck towered over its body.
Starlight stared at his precious cloak, covered in blue slime. He threw it away.
He had figured something out, and he was taking a risk: giving up his only protection.
Although it was just a guess, he was willing to put his life on it; this was his one chance. Earlier, when the tentacle attacked the slime instead of him, Starlight guessed that the creature was blind and could only sense him through the slime. In other words, because he didn't currently have any slime on him, the creature didn't know where he was.
Starlight got up and sprinted to the left of the monster, just as three tentacles zoomed behind him and stabbed into his cloak.
By the time the slug realized Starlight wasn't with the cloak, he was already at the edge of the cave, grabbing a stalagmite and breaking it off the rocks. The makeshift weapon was dagger-sized, its cone leading down to a pointed tip.
Summoning the last of his strength, Starlight rushed toward the menacing monster. The slug had begun flinging more tentacles, and one of them brushed against his shoulder, leaving a small cut covered in slime.
When the slug had fully turned to face the boy, Starlight had already approached the slimy being. With his dagger in hand, he aimed at the monster.
He darted past the onslaught of tentacles. Starlight continued forward, driving his dagger through the beast's coat of slime and into its body.
Starlight exhaled, sighing in relief. After all, he had just slain a monster; now his trial would be over, and he could leave this tunnel of darkness.
'Soon enough, the Hex would notify him that he had defeated a monster. Right...?'
A few moments passed, but still nothing.
He trembled, his legs grew weak, and he fell on his knees, still gripping the makeshift knife he had lodged into the monster.
Starlight felt something slimy on his back - a tentacle. The tentacle stretched and wrapped around his chest, then pulled Starlight up into the air, ripping the knife from the slug's body.
Starlight hung over the creature, too tired to fight, its bright red eyes glowing indifferently as the tentacle lowered him into the back of the slug.
When he reached its body, slime wrapped around him, consuming him whole. The feeling was warm and soft.
Starlight felt himself losing consciousness.
"What went wrong?" he asked himself.
Just before Starlight passed out, he spotted a light. A circular object, it was dimly glowing and crystal-like in appearance.
'A spirit core.'
Starlight looked in disbelief. The spirit core was a monster's heart. A God-given opportunity to kill it had just arrived, a second and final chance to kill it.
Starlight started kicking, hoping to find some way to propel himself forward. He swung wildly, attempting to cut the slime.
He finally managed to push off something - what it was, he didn't know or care. The core was in reach, and the slime around it was especially thick. He drove the dagger forward with everything he had.
Crack!
The tip had pierced the core.
SKREEEE!
The slug let out a monstrous shriek. Unfazed by this, Starlight continued pushing the stalagmite deeper into the core.
Finally, it shattered, letting out a burst of energy. The slug gave out one last scream, then slumped to the ground.
[You have hunted a Beast: Cave Slug]
[You have obtained an artifact]
Starlight didn't have any time to marvel at his accomplishment; he had to get out of this slime.
He sliced through the side of the slug's body, grabbed the rough stone floor, and pulled himself free of the monster's carcass.
"Ha... ha... ha...I beat it, I killed a monster," he gasped, "I really did it."