Aio's chest heaved with each ragged breath, the pain in his body was excruciating. He could feel the sharp stalagmite piercing his lungs, and his mana was almost depleted. Aio knew he only had a few minutes before death took him, and his mind raced with all the things he still wanted to do and experience. The thought of disappearing into the abyss of the labyrinth, alone and afraid, was too much to bear.
"I won't die like this!" he screamed, his voice hoarse with pain. Aio summoned all his strength to break free from the stalagmite, but the walls around him began to crack and crumble. Desperate and terrified, he called out for help, but the deafening sound of collapsing rocks drowned out his voice.
The pain was overwhelming as the walls and roof of the cave collapsed, crushing his bones and organs. Aio gurgled through the blood in his mouth, pleading for someone, anyone, to save him. But there was only the sound of dripping water and the weight of the rubble crushing down on him. Just as he was about to pass out, a drop of water landed in his mouth. Aio was surprised by the tastelessness of the liquid and its rejuvenating effect, restoring his mana if only slightly and making him feel better than before. But this respite was brief, as the crushing weight of the rubble made him croak out in pain once more.
The weeks that followed were filled with unbearable agony, as Aio lay trapped under the rubble, feeling the pain of his bones being crushed. He blacked out several times, but the pain never ceased. Eventually,as he got used to the pain this brought him, he managed to transform into a smaller, weaker behemoth, using his black fur and small horn-like protrusions to escape the rubble. His muscles felt stiff from lack of use, and most of his bones were still crushed, so he used [biomorphing] to give himself the regeneration of a troll to speed up his healing. Aio knew that he had to find a way out of the cave before it was too late.
And so as he searched for a way out through the rumble, Aio stumbled upon a glowing crystal that emitted a bluish-white light. The crystal was the size of a basketball and radiated a glow even deeper then aquamarine. Aio had seen this crystal before in a book that Hajime was reading. It was called a god crystal a phomonima, in which mana would comdense in one spot until it crystalized due to it being pure mana the god crystal had a ejuvenating effect on those who drank the liquid mana that came from it, in other words it would restore one's health and mana.
Aio felt a glimmer of hope as he held the crystal in his hands, realizing that he had found a way to survive in this dark and treacherous cave. He knew that he had to be careful and conserve his mana, but with this be could afford to be a little bold and so. With newfound strength and resolve, Aio set out to find his way back to the world above, leaving behind the darkness and despair of the labyrinth.
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After traveling for what felt like miles through the dark and quiet walls of the labyrinth, Aio finally stumbled upon a chaotic scene. In the center of the room, he saw three kickmaster rabbits and a massive twin-tailed wolf engaged in a fierce battle. The wolf let out a howl that momentarily paralyzed the rabbits, but they quickly recovered and launched their own attacks at the wolf, avoiding its strikes by luring it with one and attacking from another side.
Aio observed the fight with interest, studying the creatures' movements and strategies. As he watched, however, he realized he was hungry. The thought of food had not crossed his mind during his arduous journey, but he suddenly felt the urge to satisfy his hunger. With a burst of energy, Aio leaped towards one of the kickmaster rabbits, utilizing his biomorphing ability to transform into his massive 5-meter-tall behemoth form. With the horns and black fur of a behemoth, the arms of a battle ape, the jaw structure of a red fur wolf, and the agility of a wolf, he overpowered the rabbit with ease and began to feast on its flesh.
While Aio enjoyed his meal, the other two rabbits and the twin-tailed wolf stared at him with a mix of anger and fear. The rabbit he had killed was their leader, and the others were not going to let his death go unpunished and as for the twin-tailed wolf would not let this third party steal it's prey. Aio quickly transformed again, this time giving himself an extra set of front legs and utilizing the ogre skill muscle compression to compress his muscles to make himself 2.5 meters, ready to fight.
The twin-tailed wolf let out another howl, and a surge of electricity enveloped its body, forming a barrier around it. The wolf charged towards Aio, but he was ready. With a quick swipe of his clawed hand, he shattered the electric barrier, sending shards of electricity flying in all directions. The kickmaster rabbits, realizing they could not take on Aio directly, decided to use their speed to their advantage. They darted around him, landing quick and unpredictable kicks on his back and legs.
Aio growled in annoyance but did not give up. Instead, he utilized his behemoth form to create a shockwave, knocking the rabbits off their feet and stunning them for a moment. The twin-tailed wolf took advantage of the rabbits' distraction and launched a powerful bolt of electricity at Aio, hitting him square in the chest and leaving a scorch mark. However, Aio quickly healed thanks to his troll regeneration, and the injury disappeared moments later.
The wolf looked surprised and confused, but it did not back down. It charged towards Aio once again, but this time, Aio was ready. With a powerful swipe of his claws, Aio sent the wolf flying, its body crashing into the wall of the labyrinth with a loud thud. The kickmaster rabbits, seeing their momentary ally defeated, tried to flee, but Aio was faster. He utilized his biomorphing ability to change his bone density to that of a kickmaster rabbit and used his immense size to block their path, overpowering them with his strength.
After defeating his opponents, Aio learned a valuable lesson in fighting and satisfied his hunger. He brought his god crystal over and moved the bodies of his kills closer together before beginning to eat. Aio, still in his behemoth-hybrid form, devoured the meat with voracious hunger. As he finished, he picked up the god crystal using his jaws and moved deeper into the labyrinth's upper levels.
As Aio ascended, he encountered another battle this one between two massive claw bears. The smaller bear stood at a towering height of 6 meters, its thick white fur and jet black legs making it a sight to behold. Its red glowing markings around its neck added an eerie and mysterious quality to its already intimidating appearance, while its beady snake-like eyes seemed to pierce through anyone who dared to look into them.
But the larger claw bear was an even more monstrous beast. Standing at a staggering height of 8 meters, its bulky frame and powerful muscles made it a formidable opponent. The two bears clashed with tremendous force, going straight for each other's vitals, and sending deadly wind blades at one another. The smaller bear appeared to be more vulnerable to these attacks, while the larger one appeared almost immune to them.
In the end, the larger claw bear emerged victorious, easily killing its smaller counterpart. But as it basked in its triumph, Aio emerged from the shadows, still in his behemoth-hybrid form. He stood 2.5 meters tall, with the speed of a kickmaster rabbit, the body structure of a red fur wolf, the fur, helmet-like horns, and the muscles of a behemoth, the bone marrow of a troll for its super regeneration, and the hackle of a twin-tailed wolf giving him the twin-tailed wolf's electricity field, which he could use as a sort of barrier or throw at his enemies.
The behemoth-hybrid and the monstrous claw bear clashed in an intense fight to the death. The bear's ferocious attacks were like a hurricane of destruction, but Aio was relentless, and his quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the bear's massive attacks. The two traded blows, each trying to outmaneuver and outsmart the other.
At first, the claw bear's sheer strength overpowered the behemoth-hybrid, but with every blow, Aio grew stronger. The behemoth-hybrid's unique abilities allowed him to find openings in the bear's defense and launch his own attacks. The battle was earth-shattering, as the two titans exchanged deadly blows.
Finally, after a brutal struggle, Aio managed to find an opening in the claw bear's defense. He compressed the muscles in his right hand, plunged it into the other beast's chest, and ripped out its heart. Aio then bombarded the bear with a close-range electric field, frying the already-dying beast. With a wicked smile, Aio watched as the claw bear took its last breath. He then consumed both bears and continued his journey deeper into the labyrinth, his behemoth-hybrid form carrying him forward with ease.