Unwilling to be caught up in the coming storm, Alan and Su'ong shared a glance, and retreated deeper into the wall of [Healing Fog]. Alan glanced at his Statistics, and when he saw that his Hp, Mp, and Stamina regeneration rates had all been tripled, he knew another round of Spell Experimentation was soon to come.
This [Healing Fog] is not only way stronger, but it's not showing any sign of weakening. If I'm not mistaken…it actually seems to be getting stronger…
A bolt of electricity as thick as Alan's leg dropped from the clouds, breaking his train of thought and slamming into the Wyrm's tightly restrained head. Alan growled in frustration when he was unable to keep his Spell from also destroying the remaining shadow-arms.
Now unrestrained, the livid beast was done taking chances. It reared its head back, aiming to escape into the ceiling with the help of its strange portal-like ability. Before it was able to make an escape, another bolt of electricity plummeted from the clouds above, slamming into the Mana-Steel rods bulging from the Wyrm's eye. For just a moment, as the electricity coursed through the boss's stunned body, Alan swore he could faintly see the outline of its skeleton and organs through the now-translucent stone carapace covering its scales.
When he first laid eyes on the Wyrm, he'd made the false assumption that the beast was nothing but another strange contraption powered by a Core. The sight of a large red eye had even strengthened this belief. However, when that same eye had been pierced multiple times, and the beast never even slowed, it was obvious the eye was no core.
Now he was sure. The brief look into the Wyrm's complicated internal structure led him to believe he was on the entirely wrong track the whole time. He now knew for sure that this was a beast of flesh and blood he was dealing with.
But if that's the case, then what IS this thing? Alan thought in concern. Is it some kind of reptile? He wondered. When the final [Lightning Strike] fell from the dissipating clouds, the Wyrm's eye finally couldn't withstand any further damage and ruptured. It erupted like a geyser, sending a mass of pink jelly and Mana-Steel rods tumbling to the floor.
The Boss was now completely blinded, and obviously in pain. As the beast began to scream, a red haze built up in the air around its body like a bloody mist. The Wyrms rage-filled howl created a wall of pressure that shot forward, and hit Alan and Su'ong like a train, sending them both flying like leaves tossed by the wind.
Before they hit the floor, the Boss had already turned around and charged into the dense cluster of stalagmites taking up the majority of the cave. Lost in a rage, the beast barreled aimlessly through the cavern like a runaway bull. It didn't even bother to avoid the stone forest.
Anything standing before the Wyrm was ruthlessly knocked aside. Alan winced at the deafening booms as the stalagmites toppled like dominos, colliding with one another and crumbling on the floor.
During its brief loss of control, the Wyrm occasionally rushed at Alan or Su'ong, sometimes both at once. It tried to snap them up In its snapping jaws, and when that failed, it switched up tactics and made several attempts to squish them flat. But for the most part it seemed satisfied with running wild. One after another, the beast avoided or tanked Alan's Spells, and the occasional Skill Su'ong was able to toss out. Though it was clear to see that she was still running on fumes. It had already been a long, trying fight, and it still wasn't over.
No point being a hoarder now...
<”Here, use this.“> Alan said, sighing in defeat as he pulled his final Mana Potion from inventory and tossed it to Su'ong. He was forced to jump aside when the irate Boss slammed headfirst into the wall right next to him. As it thrashed its body in an uncontrolled fury, chunks of the rock-like outer layer began to break away, revealing the shimmering translucent scales of a reptile that were hidden beneath.
Sighting a potential weakness, Alan unequipped his Warlockwood Staff and pulled his Basilisk Fang from inventory. With dagger in hand, he activated {Meteoric Rush} and winced in discomfort when he felt every muscle in his body writhe and twitch. With his Hp and Stamina draining rapidly, he crouched down and coiled his leg muscles. When the strain was becoming too much to bear, he launched himself forward at the beast's exposed flesh.
As if rockets had been strapped to his feet, Alan covered the distance in the blink of an eye. Lifting his blade, he braced his arm as best he could and thrust the Basilisk Fang forward. Although the Wyrms scales were tough in their own right, and its rubbery flesh was surprisingly sturdy, they utterly failed to withstand Alan's attack.
His high-velocity strike pierced through the Wyrm's tough outer layer as if it were made of paper. The Boss released a burbling growl and began to flail as the Basilisk fang sank into its guts up to the hilt and beyond. Alan was unable to stop himself as his fist followed his blade into the newly-opened wound.
Caution! (Petrification) Debuff failed.
By the time his momentum was expended, not only had the Basilisk Fang's Debuff failed to take effect, but Alan's arm was sunk inside the Wyrm's body up to his elbow. He dismissed the notice and tried to pull free, but the beasts innards clung to the toothy hilt of his blade. He couldn't help but gag as the putrid scent of blood and bowels struck him a physical blow to the face.
Alan was unwilling to remain in this revolting position any longer. Feeling bile rising up his throat, and worried the contorting beast was about to pull his trapped arm off, Alan reactivated {Meteoric Rush}.
He lifted his legs and braced them against the Wyrm's scales and pulled with all his might. He refused to release his dagger, but it, as well, refused to part with the beasts innards. What are you doing you idiot! USE YOUR GOD'S DAMNED STORAGE RING!! Though the outburst from his subconscious was annoying, it made a solid point. Alan mentally acceded the win to his inner-voice, and stored his gore-drenched Basilisk Fang.
As soon as the anchor holding him in place was gone, Alan felt something in his overworked ankle tear when his overclocked leg muscles propelled him backwards.
When his feet hit the floor, he wobbled unsteadily. His injured leg was now barely able to maintain his weight.
Before he was able to contemplate doing any further damage to the Wyrm, the beast managed to activate its movement Skill, and disappeared into the wall. In its retreat, the Wyrm's thick tail swept to the side and struck Alan like a slugger would a baseball, sending him flying across the room yet again.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
He was able to right himself mid-air and avoid landing on his head. Yet as his boots met the hard floor, his already-weak left foot landed on an unstable chunk of shattered stone, and twisted one hundred eighty degrees in the wrong direction. The sound of snapping bone and popping tendons rang out as Alan yelled in shock and fell to the floor, grasping at his leg in confusion and agony.
Remarkable! Your Skill (C)[Enhanced Pain Resistance] has grown to Level 2!
With a twenty-foot long snake-monster charging unchecked through the walls, he knew there was no time to lament this latest injury. Alan grabbed his unsightly, backwards-facing foot and took a deep breath. With a silent prayer that the pain wouldn't be as bad as he feared it was going to be, followed by a sharp yank, he was barely able to twist it back into position before the Wyrm was upon him.
The Boss monster dropped out the ceiling above Alan, its jaws fully extended. He almost froze up at the sight of all those teeth, yet at the last second, he managed to will his pain-clouded mind to push his body out of the way with his one good leg. As he scrabbled backwards like an injured crab, Su'ong appeared at the boss's side, and clapped her hands to the floor. With a quick activation of [Stone Manipulation], a wall of liquid stone lifted up at Alan's feet, blocking the Wyrms charge and allowing him the time he needed to force himself to his feet.
Because his mobility was severely limited, Alan unequipped his Basilisk Fang and pulled out his Warlockwood Staff. He leaned against the staff, alleviating the pressure from his leg in hopes it would provide him with an opportunity to heal, if even a little bit faster.
This [Healing Fog] is not messing around! Alan thought. As he stared at the wall separating him from the charging Wyrm, he realized that that at some point in all of the chaos, his [Mana Perception] Skill had deactivated. Yet even without the Skill, his eyes had adjusted to the fog. Either that, or the Spell was finally beginning to fade.
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a grating pop, and the dull ache of his ankle bones mending.
It was obvious to see that even though they had destroyed the boss's eye, it was still able to locate them somehow. He concluded that it must be using some sort of Skill like his [Mana Perception] right as the beast slammed first into Su'ong's waist-high barrier and was brought to a sudden stop. Its momentum was enough to break the hastily-made barrier, but she wasn't out of tricks quite yet.
As the wall failed, she swept her arms up into the air, and the remnants shot up out of the floor to match her movements.
The broken wall lifted the Wyrm up off of the floor and crushed its wounded torso against the few intact stalactites waiting above. As the sound of breaking stone reverberated through the cavern, Su'ong let her arms drop to her sides. Once her barrier was unmade, the Wyrm fell to the floor. When it landed on its back and struggled to right itself, several dislodged slabs of stone fell from the ceiling and pinned the beast to the ground. Alan took the opportunity Su'ong had just provided, and tossed out a quick [Examine].
Lvl 22 Earth Wyrm HP: 5,420/11,000 (Enraged)
You've gotta be shitting me! It's barely halfway dead? What's it gonna take for us to kill this thing? Alan wondered, the situation getting worse by the second. The tremors in his hand had not only gotten stronger, but they had already spread to encompass his entire body.
Fearing what this signified, yet already certain he knew the culprit being these irritating ailments, Alan opened up his PSA and checked the progress on his Emotional Stockpile.
*Unique*{Suit of Anger} Lvl 1 Current Emotional Stockpile: 100%
As soon as he read the description, a notification flashed into existence.
*Warning!* Your Emotional Stockpile has exceeded it's storage capacity. Immediate activation of {Suit of Anger} is recommended. Failure to activate {Suit of Anger} may result in Technique self-activation.
Alan knew he couldn't put it off any longer. If he didn't want to risk the Skill self-activating, the time was now upon him to use {Suit of Anger}. And no matter how he tried to rationalize the need to do so, it still didn't sit well with him at all.
<”Umm…Su'ong? I'm gonna need you to uhh, get away from me for about 5 minutes…“> Alan said hesitantly, unsure of how she'd take such a blunt statement. But regardless of how she chose to take it, he NEEDED her to get to a safe distance away before he was willing risk activating such a dangerous Skill.
<”Why? What's going on?“> She asked, her projected voice laced with concern. And, if Alan wasn't mistaken, mistrust.
<”It's my Emotional Stockpile… It's fully charged, and I'm beginning to feel a bit rage-ish…if I don't use {Suit of Anger} now, there's a good chance it will activate on it's own.“> And I REALLY don't want that to happen, Alan thought grimly.
After a short pause that seemed to Alan to drag on forever, she replied. Though her voice sounded strained. Alan was unsure if the cause was his willingness to activate {Suit of Anger}, or the fact she was struggling to keep the Boss pinned to the floor.
<”Are you sure about this?“> She asked, <“Those Daemonic abilities of your's are obviously cursed Alan. Daemons are not well-known throughout the Multiverse for their kindness, nor for dealing in goodwill.“> She paused, considering her next words as she added another layer of stone to the Wyrm's binding.
<”They are treacherous, devious, and self-serving down to the last infantile Daemonling…I fear that you are but a pawn in a game far beyond my abilities to fathom…there's no way those Daemonic Flames aren't affecting your body and mind in negative ways. What if you TRULY become a Daemon? I don't relish the idea of having to cut you down. But believe me when I say it would be better that, than the alternative.“>
<”I don't WANT TO USE IT!!“> Alan roared, the stress and fear finally getting the best of him. <”But I don't want this damned Skill to activate on its own. What if I were to attack you? Look…I'm sorry Su'ong. I really am. But I just don't see any way around it.“>
<”If you are set on this decision, I will do as you ask and retreat."> Su'ong stated icily, <"But I do have a condition. If we're going continue working together, I won't stand for you keeping secrets like these. No more waiting until the very last second to warn me that you're about to become a mindless, raging Daemonling. An early warning would be much appreciated.“> As she fled to the other side of the room, the pillars restraining the Wyrm lost their power source and crumbled to dust.
Alan allowed his partner time to retreat, took a deep breath, and activated {Suit of Anger}.
Caution! You have disbanded your Party! Party Chat, and most Party leader functions are now offline.
Alan was immediately encased in an orb of Spectral flames, and hidden away from view. His last conscious act was banishing the notification. He thought he might've heard himself growl like a rabid animal, but his rationality was fading, and he couldn't bring himself to care one way or the other. There was nothing but pure instinct and raw emotion left behind in his place. Not only did he no longer have the ability to respond to Su'ong, he no longer knew what a Su'ong was.
Across the room, the Naga coiled her serpentine frame around the base of a massive stalagmite. After writhing her way to the top, she locked herself in place with her powerful tail. From this new vantage point, she had an unrestricted view of Alan's silhouette radiating, and then being hidden away, within a ball of roiling green fire. Before her very eyes, the flames began to condense into a hooded cloak. One that covered him from his neck, all the way down to the floor. She could do nothing but watch, as if in a trance, when Alan reached back behind his neck and grabbed the flickering hood.
As he tore it up and over his head, his face disappeared beneath a featureless, red-eyed mask of hardened flames.
When he turned to look at the Wyrm and erupted in a fit of unsettling, high-pitched laughter, Su'ong knew Alan's sanity had reached an all-time low.