Chapter 5: The Ritual Begins
1100 Words
The sudden appearance of the monster shocked everyone. Except for Jonathan, who was prepared, the other three were frozen in terror.
"Run!" With his life countdown nearing its end, Jonathan had no fear. If he couldn't kill the Formless Spawn and absorb its magic, he was dead anyway. He roared, trying to snap the others out of their stupor, while swinging the snake-wood cane like a baseball bat—legs planted, waist twisting—and slammed it into the creature's body.
The impact felt like hitting a giant piece of clay; it didn't seem to cause any real damage. But surprisingly, the monster's mass was not proportional to its intimidating size. The blow sent it flying.
Formless Spawn (Incomplete Summoning). The Codex's earlier notification flashed in Jonathan's mind. This creature wasn't at full power; it wasn't invincible. The thought boosted his confidence. But instead of pressing his advantage, he ran to the three men who were still standing there, stunned.
He slapped Little Dumas across his fat face. "This monster killed Salia!".
He kicked Big Vic in the rear. "Coward! Avenge yourself on your enemy!".
He shoved the little boy toward the door. "Run!".
The Formless Spawn, having rolled to its feet, came after them. It didn't walk but tumbled, constantly sprouting new eyes and tentacles. The restaurant's tables and chairs effectively hindered its movement, giving Jonathan, Little Dumas, and Big Vic a moment to prepare.
But before Jonathan could coordinate with his new allies, Big Vic, as if having lost all reason, hoisted a table and charged.
"This monster killed Salia!" Little Dumas, his emotions exploding, charged forward, brandishing a chair.
"For f**k's sake!" Faced with two completely uncommunicative teammates, Jonathan's own sanity frayed. He had no choice but to charge forward as well, swinging his cane.
Little Dumas reached the creature, but before he could bring the chair down, a tentacle lashed out and sent him flying. Big Vic, arriving next, managed to hurl his table.
But the Formless Spawn unexpectedly contracted its body, and the table sailed over its head, missing completely. A tentacle then wrapped around Big Vic's waist and flung him far away.
Jonathan, following close behind, didn't engage the monster head-on. Instead, he used the restaurant's layout to his advantage, circling it. For a time, they were at a stalemate, neither able to harm the other.
As he dodged, Jonathan looked for a way to break the deadlock. He knew this couldn't last. As the obstacles in the room were cleared away, he would have less and less space to maneuver.
His occasional strikes weren't doing much damage, but if he took even one hit from the creature, he'd likely be winded for a long time. Without support, he'd be finished.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Jonathan saw that Little Dumas and Big Vic were back on their feet. But instead of rejoining the fight, they were running toward the kitchen's back door.
"Aargh!" Jonathan roared, his morale plummeting at their apparent desertion. But then he noticed that the little boy hadn't fled the restaurant. He was standing anxiously by the door, watching Jonathan's struggle, looking like he wanted to jump in and help.
"Run!" Jonathan found an opening, turned his head, and roared at the boy again, his bloodshot eyes locking with the child's. After a moment of hesitation, the boy finally turned and ran without looking back.
"Hahahaha." For some reason, watching the boy's retreating figure filled Jonathan with a sense of glee. You'll go far, kid, he thought. Then, he turned back to face the Formless Spawn, all fear now gone from his heart.
He weaved and dodged, landing heavy blows with his cane, shattering several of the creature's eyes. Black ooze dripped from them and vanished into nothingness. But the snake-wood cane was now cracked from the force of the impacts.
He ducked under another sweeping tentacle, but this time a second tentacle was already waiting on the floor. It shot out while he was off-balance, wrapped around his ankle, and dragged him toward the monster.
Jonathan didn't despair. He gripped the cane with both hands, determined to land one last devastating blow before he died. Come on, you monster. I won't go down easy.
"Hold on!" At that moment, Big Vic and Little Dumas rushed out of the kitchen, carrying tubs of oil. They worked together, dousing the Formless Spawn. But Jonathan was already in the creature's grasp, and they didn't dare to light the fire.
Jonathan struggled fiercely, trying to break free, but the tentacles coiled around him like pythons, squeezing so tightly his face turned purple.
"Light it!" Knowing he couldn't escape, Jonathan used the last of his breath to scream at them.
Big Vic hesitated, a lit match in his hand. Little Dumas snatched it from him and threw it at the monster.
The oil-soaked Formless Spawn was instantly engulfed in flames. Jonathan, held in its embrace, was momentarily shielded from the fire. Suddenly, the burning creature and Jonathan vanished in a flash.
Jonathan and the Formless Spawn were transported to a dark cavern. He couldn't see—the darkness was absolute—but he knew. In the depths of the cave was a god. It was short and fat, with a great belly.
Its head was more like a toad's than a god's, and its whole body was covered in short fur. It had the vague look of a cross between a bat and a sloth. Its sleepy eyelids drooped half-closed over its bulbous eyes, and a strange tongue protruded from its huge mouth.
It was Tsathoggua, the Toad God.
It gazed lazily at Jonathan, opened its massive mouth, and inhaled the Formless Spawn. Jonathan remained suspended in place, untouched.
In the next instant, he was back in the restaurant. To him, he had just experienced a strange adventure. But to Big Vic and Little Dumas, it was as if a frame had been cut from a film. The Formless Spawn had vanished instantly, leaving Jonathan standing where it had been. They hadn't even noticed he was gone for a moment.
Jonathan collapsed to the floor and checked the Codex.
Deity Encountered: TsathogguaResisted: Tsathoggua's Inhalation (Tsathoggua, in its divine laziness, has forsaken the food before it.)Status: Parasite of the Formless Spawn (Removed)New Status: Sacred Offering (Followers and spawn of Tsathoggua will prioritize you as a sacrifice.)The Codex has absorbed sufficient magic. The first page is about to be revealed. Please check the Codex after a long rest.
It's finally over. Jonathan lay on his back and let out a long sigh.
- Writer
