Chapter Text
1x put its hands over the papery flames it had spread throughout the terrain. The sky was blotted out by artifacted smoke, and most everyone had left or died.
A sword was lodged into the spawn point, sizzling with something akin to acid bubbling up. No one would be coming back.
1x got up, admiring its surroundings. There were buildings that none could inhabit, painted by digital blood and digital soot. A pond lied next to it. Blood dripped and dissolved into the water in a quite hypnotizing manner.
Glitched corpses tried desperately to despawn, but it had rigged them so they could not. Their textures pixelated into the atmosphere.
1x sighed. Another peice of art done. Their tail joyfully swung. The kids were sure to be sharing this tale for ages. 1x had really outdone itself this time.
It inhaled the smoke and copper blood from the air.
Dusting off their hands, the adversary took their sword out from the spawn and settled it over their back. Their other blade scraped the grass over the ground, cutting a line through the greenery.
Eventually, 1x reached the edge of the map. Like always, it was sky all the way down. It inhaled, put a foot out, then dropped.
The air rushed past them as they fell into the null space. Their form distorted ever so slightly, but they were used to this.
It reached the boundaries of the skybox and fell into a grey void, which they plunged into and which slowed its fall like water. Now, it swam in an infinite sea with sky-textured boxes all around itself.
1x looked contently back up at the one they had just left. The sky inside was smoky, dulled, and beautiful. A true masterpiece.
It assumed a laid back position, resting while its body digested the meal of fear and suffrage. For once, its mind was clear and its hunger sated.
Living the life of a myth was no easy task. Anything resembling a "myth" was more akin to a worm or virus. While players had made-up bars for health and other such things, myths had to feed on types of energy to live.
The smaller myths did not need much to prosper. However, for arguably the biggest myth out there, 1x had to ravage whole worlds in order to get proper sustenance. It was an act that had to be ugly, lest it go hungry from the lack of terror in the air.
For that reason, the adversary patted itself on the back. This one was so disastrous that hopefully it could even make the top of forums. 1x could not talk in those forums itself, but could see what the general public was making a fuss about. That's how they found out the best places to strike.
It was giddy from the idea of a dozen new threads talking about a big tragedy with itself in the center, and how others would deny claims, starting the cycle anew.
Then, an odd scent crossed their path. Like blood in the water, they could smell pain from a mile away, and this scent was palpable.
It was curious. Usually the only great white in the ocean was 1x. Who could spill that much blood? And who would do it so... messily?
1x would've rather rested in place, but this matter was much more important. If it had a new opponent of equal power, it would need to eliminate them to stay on top. It was simply how being the apex went.
1x used its thick tail to give it propulsion as it shot through the watery depths, kicking off the edge of different skyboxes and objects to gain speed.
Soon, it pinpointed the smell to a server of a game it knew well: Natural Disaster Survival. It was one of, if not the most popular game on the site. 1x had fed on it many times before.
It seemed like whoever the new kid on the block was, they had their priorities straight.
1x slowed itself, now in front of the skybox from which everything spilt. The smell was near overwhelming. 1x coughed and wafted it away to no use.
Their heart started to pick up speed again. No one would dare wreak more havoc than 1x itself. This myth needed to be taught its place.
Taking a big breath, 1x dropped into the skybox. Their talons landed on hard metal- it was the large tower overlooking the island on which the disasters did their work.
Strangely, no souls were here. After death on the island, players would usually end up fine and dandy in the tower. Either a game had just started, or something was wrong. 1x betted on the latter.
It moved towards the panes of large panes glass that gave a good view of the outside.
On that island, there was something big. Its textures seemed to glitch. The tiny dots of players ran from it, but it was no use. Whatever it was hit with the power of a truck. Anything caught under its hand would die immediately.
1x watched silently as the thing licked its palms of the code pouring out of its victims. Then, it caught in its sights another jolt of movement, and pounced on top of the next person. As it did, it roared- halfway between the war cry of a man and the trumpet of an animal.
1x was absolutely intrigued. This was not another person, but a beast instead. If 1x was the knight, then this was the dragon it had to slay.
With great haste, 1x climbed the stairwell and leaped the roof into the endless sea below. It swam as fast as it could until its hands reached the rocky start of the island, and it pulled itself to the edge.
There, 1x watched intently as people ran and purposefully plummeted into the ocean at the sight of the raging beast. The creature itself was mostly yellow, but occasional broken textures made it reflect the blue skies above.
It switched from four legs to two legs like a bear would do, rising up only to slash at more people.
It was fast, and 1x had a hard time finding its face, but it had the standard color patterning of a robloxian, just larger and weirder.
Its shape was hunched. It had claws and a small tail. The closer 1x got to it, the more it truly looked like a monstrosity. It was fascinating.
Then, it turned to face it. A wide smile... rows of human teeth in an inhumanly large grin. Its mouth dripping with viscera. Two deep-set, clouded-over eyes. Tear streaks down its face. If 1x squinted, it almost saw the remnants of a man.
It was there only for a second, then went back to lumbering. 1x could hear its sporadic, deep voice. It was muttering things that 1x couldn't make out. It breathed heavily, then charged at another soul.
By now most of the players that weren't dead on the ground had found their way back to the tower, and were watching as if it were a coliseum.
The beast slowed its movements, getting up to two legs. It was panting furiously and its form violently glitched. 1x brought themselves up to stand on the same plane as the monster.
It hadn't yet seen 1x, and instead plodded over to one of the corpses, lifting it up with a shaky claw and plunging its face into an open wound.
1x heard the disgusting sounds of skeleton and gore cracking and squelching under the pressure of teeth. It kneeled and dipped its head in again, every so often craning its neck up to breathe. Then, it would ram its head back into the wounds, gorging itself.
This was 1x's change. Carefully, the adversary pulled out one of its swords and walked toward the creature, steady with its blade. The thing seemed none the wiser.
Soon, 1x was right up behind the beast. It was so much bigger up close. The sun was blocked out by its back. Sky blue scars covered its body, as if its skin had split to make way for its size. 1x slowly raised its sword.
Suddenly, the beast raised its head and whipped around with a roar. Somehow, it had sensed 1x's presence. A giant, bloody claw came 1x's way.
1x leaped back and took its other sword out. It shot to the monster with incredible swiftness. It raised both swords and slashed an x onto the thing's shoulder.
The monster roared in its uncanny vibrato. Despite the pain, its smile was as large as ever. After grimacing, the monster opened its blank eyes wide to stare down at 1x. It raised itself to two legs, eclipsing the sky from 1x's point of view.
1x soon realized what it was about to do as it flung its claws up. It started to fall forwards, and 1x quickly ran for it.
The monster slammed its fists into the ground, sending shockwaves throughout the island.
1x lost their balance from the quake, tripping over themselves and falling flat, swords clattering beside them. For a second, they were locked in a dizzy haze.
The boom of quickening footsteps snapped 1x back into reality. Half in a panic, 1x sat up and grabbed a sword.
The thing was charging at them like a bull. Where its horns would be was a sharp, open maw. 1x had no time to get out of the way.
The beast bounded closer. 1x held out the sword with two hands and braced for impact. And...
There was a deafening screech. 1x had stabbed the underside of its chin. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to have the beast staggering back and clawing at its open wound. Blue, gushing code hit the grass beneath it, withering the ground with glitches.
The beast curled up into itself, frantically trying to stop the blood from coming with its large, clumsy hands. It's breath hitched while it whispered illegible words.
1x looked down at their swords. One was now covered in wavy, glitching blue. At some points, it turned into the sky above, or binary.
As a threat display, 1x clinked their swords together over their head.
"Come and get me," they yelled, now beaming with confidence.
The thing only glared at them with its cloudy eyes.
It, unexpectedly, stepped back.
It kept doing so, keeping eye contact, until it was at the edge of the island. Then, it quickly turned around and leapt into the sea, creating a colossal splash.
It was gone.
1x sat open-mouthed as the fine mist rained down on them. They were looking for a legendary battle, not a cowardly backing down. What an utter embarrassment! They went to all this trouble just for the thing to run off.
They half-wanted to go furiously swimming after it, but 1x was tired. Making two large scenes in one day was already exhausting enough.
Looking back up to the tower, they saw a few fortunate players standing at the edge. This must've been the most exciting day of their lives. It was a shame it was cut so short.
They rubbed their face. They shouldn't dawdle. 1x went the opposite direction and pushed themselves off the edge with a jump. They decided to find the edges this place and leave to get a good rest.
As they swam, 1x could only think of how tiny a dent they made in the ocean.