The Beast Within [https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/104545400/d898c4e9aaa049cf8522c8d910be3321/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-time=1717459200&token-hash=VT1Bb2bcxkri3SsNuKd0zVB4i5xXgyxMgsYOErSeXH0%3D]
The narrow tunnel, winding like a wounded serpent, through which we had been navigating for the past hour, finally came to an end, revealing a wide fork in the path. Three dark passages stretched out before us, each promising mystery and danger. Serge, our self-proclaimed leader, ordered a halt.
"Oleg, Damon, check the left and right passages," he commanded, drawing his dagger. "I'll see what lies ahead in the center."
"Perhaps it's best we stay together?" Oleg countered, his voice trembling. "Who knows what might be lurking…"
"Don't be a coward," Damon scoffed, a cruel edge to his voice. "We have Aqua with us, the great mage. He will protect us!"
I clenched my jaw and sighed. This arrogant youth was once again attempting to humiliate me, to cast me in a negative light. How weary I was of his attacks on my gift! But we had more pressing concerns at the moment than his desire for self-affirmation and hormonal instability.
Without waiting for a response, Serge marched into the central passage. Oleg and I exchanged glances, ready to explore our assigned paths when the situation took a turn. From the left passage emerged two fish-men, their repugnant bodies glistening with moisture, their eyes burning with hunger and cold, predatory cruelty.
Serge, without hesitation, abandoned his plan and charged towards them, dagger drawn.
image [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/OqVrRm3_jf6DiURcMmLN9-eo7XMn5gcN6rAy8xoXKL9SD7Sow30qkVQos1PGNfvZKLxjc9P-6T4vb0-8mUyN69KVuUQCNtGluQ9utiOjY3NJhUzpRD2k6_KcAdp3BjEUEUXoeB7f_B8tRVTd78AYlbw]
"Follow me!" he roared, his voice unexpectedly resolute, forgetting that he was leading civilians, not soldiers.
Oleg froze, unsure of what was happening, while Damon, surging forward, stumbled and fell, dissolving into tears. It seemed the stress and fear had taken a toll on this self-assured young man's psyche.
Our commander had barely taken a few steps when an invisible force contorted his body. Serge fell to his knees, clutching his head, his eyes rolling back, a inhuman scream escaping his lips.
From the darkness of the central passage, a massive fish-man emerged, his head disproportionately large. Waves of dangerous mental energy emanated from him, causing me to shudder. I instantly recognized him – a psion, a puppet master controlling the other fish-men.
"Back!" I shouted, shoving Masha behind me, back into the passage we had emerged from. "Damon, Oleg, take Serge!"
"Grab the commander and drag him back to the tunnel! Quickly!" I roared at the two men, imbuing my words with mana and mental power.
I may not be a psion, but I had practiced mentalism, a branch of magic that attempts to replicate psionic abilities. My command not only snapped my companions out of their stupor but also caused the fish-men's psion to hesitate.
Oleg and Damon, trying not to look at the fish-men, picked up Serge like a sack of potatoes and carried him back into the narrow passage. I, on the other hand, rushed towards the fish-men, buying my comrades some time.
I lunged forward, intercepting the fish-men that had emerged from the left passage. My staff, infused with power, whistled through the air, smashing the monsters' heads like rotten pumpkins. Blood and bone splattered everywhere, painting the cave walls crimson.
Two more fish-men emerged from the left passage. I parried the blow of one, but the other managed to scratch me. Sharp claws ripped through the sleeve of my robe, leaving deep gashes on my arm. Pain shot through my body, but I had no time to pay attention to it.
Another fish-men lunged at me, attempting to sink its teeth into my throat. I dodged and struck its chest with my staff. The spike protruding from the end of the staff pierced the monster's ribcage, and it collapsed to the ground, choking on its own blood.
But there were too many of them. The fish-men advanced from all sides, their hideous faces contorted in grimaces of desperation, fear flickering in their eyes, yet they still surged forward, attempting to tear me to shreds. I retreated, defending myself with my staff, but I knew I wouldn't last long.
"Alex!" Masha's voice called out. "This way!"
She stood at the entrance to the narrow passage where Oleg and Damon had just disappeared with Serge. I glanced at the psion, who had risen to his feet and was observing the battle with cold interest. He had not yet joined the fight, conserving his strength, waiting for the opportune moment.
I rushed towards Masha, deflecting the attacks of the fish-men. The entrance to the passage was narrow, and only a couple of monsters could attack me at once. This gave me an advantage.
"Get inside!" I yelled at Masha, pushing her deeper into the passage.
I retreated slowly, continuing to fight. However, in the confined space, the staff became a hindrance. I stored it in my ring and continued the fight with my bare hands.
Prana coursed through my body, strengthening my muscles and bones, transforming my hands into deadly weapons. I struck with fists and elbows, breaking bones and tearing flesh.
The fish-men continued their assault, undeterred by their losses. Their bodies filled the narrow passage, turning it into a bloody mess.
Fatigue washed over me, my breath grew heavy, and red circles swam before my eyes. I was a mage, not a warrior; my body was not accustomed to prolonged combat. My body was covered in numerous cuts and bruises, the new fish-men wielding crude stone knives in addition to their teeth and claws. But I couldn't give up; I couldn't allow these creatures to win.
"Finally!" I sighed with relief as the fish-man with the enormous head appeared in the passage. "I've been waiting for you."
Throughout the battle, I had not expended a single shred of magic, saving it for this moment, for the main opponent. In my aura, paralyzing spells and a spell of pure mind were ready, though the water shield was not yet complete. However, I hoped it wouldn't be necessary.
I turned to face the lead fish-man and charged into the attack. Pain, fatigue, fear – all faded into the background as adrenaline surged through my veins, washing away extraneous thoughts, leaving only the burning desire to survive and to conquer.
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I fought like a wounded beast, pouring all my strength, all my hatred for these creatures that sought to kill me and my companions, into every blow.
And I was winning. The fish-men fell one by one, a gap forming in their ranks that led to the psion. Without wasting time, an energy pulse of paralyzing magic erupted from my aura and struck the psion's head. He collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
The other fish-men, losing control, scattered in panic, disappearing into the darkness of the tunnels.
Damn, I forgot to see what the system says about these creatures. Well, at least I'll take a look at their psion.
----------------------------------------
Greater Fish-man
Leader of the Pack
System Monster
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My hands itched to scan this beast with prana, but I had a more pressing matter. I needed to check on our warrior. When he was dragged into the cave, Serge was definitely alive, but I needed to assess his current condition.
Turning around, I saw the trio of my companions in the distance, waiting for something.
"So, where did you take our brave commander?" I asked quietly, fatigue weighing on me.
"We took him further into the cave and then rushed back to help you," Oleg answered for all of them.
"You're not helpers, you're a burden!" I remarked irritably. "What if other monsters were following our trail, and you left a helpless man alone! What if his throat is being ripped out right now?" I stopped Oleg, who was about to head back. "Where are you going? Go finish off the wounded monsters while they still cling to life. I'll check on Serge myself and try to heal him. Just don't touch the big fish-man yet; I need him alive!"
When I reached Serge, he was lying in the cave, against the wall, in a pool of his own blood, not breathing. Touching the commander, I sent a sliver of my prana into him. The scan showed that our warrior had not died from the fish-man's magic but from a knife wound to the heart.
We have a giant rat among us. This thought had barely crossed my mind when a scream erupted from the passage I had just exited.
"What are you doing? We were told not to touch…" Oleg's monologue was cut short by a gasp, followed by Masha's loud scream.
Infusing my muscles with prana, I rushed towards them, realizing I was already too late to save Oleg. But my main priority was to save Masha, to whom I had already grown attached and felt responsible for her life.
When I burst into the passage, Damon was pulling a bloody dagger from Oleg's chest as he slowly sank to the ground. Behind them stood Masha, screaming incessantly in terror.
"Not so fast, Aqua," Damon uttered, his voice cold and sharp. "The system rewards the strong. And the weak…" He raised his hand, and a clot of psychic energy shot towards me. "...the weak become stepping stones on the path to greatness."
As soon as the clot touched my aura, my head felt as if it were caught in a vice. My thoughts became clouded, and my body began to crumple to the ground.
If I hadn't been practicing mentalism, this attack would have instantly sent me into a coma, as it did with Serge. But with the last of my strength, I managed to focus on the cleansing spell and fill it with mana. A warm wave washed over my body, purging the mental influence, restoring my strength and clarity of mind.
Coming to my senses, I saw Damon's back as he, instead of finishing me off, turned towards Maria, saying:
"Yes, today is my day! Not only will I escape this sewer, but I will also lay the foundation for my power! And you will be the first in my harem, though not for long…"
I couldn't listen to this madman's raving. Seeing Damon approaching Masha, I took action. I retrieved my staff from the ring, released the hidden spike with a single motion, and hurled it at Damon's back. The staff pierced the young man's sternum, and he fell dead, never realizing his insane plans.
Whew. Made it in time and didn't overdo it. In the last seconds, the thought flashed through my mind that I had used too much force and could accidentally hurt the girl. It worked out, my ward is safe, but frightened. I have to calm her down again.
"Maria, calm down," I said, approaching the girl. "It's over."
She nodded, her eyes filled with tears and horror, but she was alive. And that was the main thing. I embraced her, trying to soothe her, feeling her body tremble.
It seems she's calming down, thank goodness. I won't have to waste mana and use magic. I still need to heal my own wounds. The bleeding has stopped, but it's better not to delay, lest some alien infection gets in. Sepsis, suppuration, or, God forbid, gangrene would be much more difficult and expensive to treat than ordinary, albeit deep, scratches.
"Finish off those who are still alive," I ordered, releasing her. "I'll heal myself for now."
She nodded and, taking a spear, went to finish off the wounded fish-men. I leaned against the wall, feeling fatigue engulf me. I wouldn't say that Damon's betrayal had shocked me to the core, but it awakened old memories, and once again, throughout my long life in various worlds, I am convinced that in this world filled with dangers, the greatest threat is not monsters, but humans.
Closing my eyes, I began to heal my wounds. Prana, flowing through my body, relieved the pain and restored damaged tissues. I formed spell after spell, mending the most dangerous injuries. It's a pity you can't do the same with wounds on the soul, and some of them will take a long time to heal. Betrayal, cruelty, death – all of this has left its deep marks on my heart. Sometimes I envy people who don't remember their past lives.
I looked at Masha, who was returning to me with my staff, her face pale, horror frozen in her eyes. She had experienced too much in this short time.
"A coin fell from him," Maria whispered in a frightened voice and handed me a skill coin.
"What coin, from whom?" The meaning of her words didn't immediately register.
"From Damon," the girl began to sob. "And I received double the experience for him as a reward, as for a criminal! And it seems I have completed the individual system task…"
It appears the system awards XP points to whoever first touches the weapon that killed the victim. Useful information that I need to remember, but I learned about it a bit too late. Now I have to calm the girl down again.
"We need to collect the bodies of our fallen comrades and move on," I said, rising to my feet. "It's dangerous to stay here."
After storing Oleg and Serge's bodies in my ring, I hesitated for a moment over Damon's body, contemplating whether to take his body as well, but ultimately decided to do so. Perhaps he was a psychopath and a rotten person who had killed two people, but his family was innocent, and it was worth returning at least his body to them. At the same time, I glanced at the coin that had fallen from him. As I had suspected, it was the skill of the fish-men leader.
image [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ecWUBZeBj_EbINfgUulP4OEon3a__wsIK2_O1ablZ84B0VCbLVXnRJlBuundm1QvOOBP_Inq85_5yEUkNTMr-cXJkb7a_imobIJCcQ_j5H_77oFSjVGzXDrmoUSlyAZiy2RaBQyf1ohG3ZeI_GBqT4c]image [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wF6GjN7oNZULHzZ4lN7pfWZB17xAOyOG9IXvj4h4Jpy90lDMJW38w3QgUoNagUOFLdAj-jlHRmGnN4DP-n7NPJ_X0hzILY-kjk2QTkh3zqw81EwX9Uk0uy4QzByY7mFVZvtEuKv6IMXTXSjPBzAfLfE]
Skill Coin
(Contains)
Psionic Strike
Description
Forms a structured clot of psionic energy and directs it towards the designated target. Suppresses the victim's mental activity, causing temporary loss of consciousness. Only affects intelligent opponents! In the absence of a psionic circulation system, the skill can only be used once a day.
Psionic Energy Cost:
15 Psi units.
Range: 50 meters.
Skill Level: 1/5
Cost of learning: 10 XP
Skill Rank: E
"Don't you want a new skill?" I asked, not holding out much hope that she would agree.
"No, I don't want anything to do with that creep," I received the answer I expected, and for some reason, I'm sure she's not talking about the fish-man.
It's okay, I think later, when she calms down, I'll be able to convince her to learn this skill. This new world is too cruel, and Psionic Strike will allow her to at least protect herself a little.
"Let's go, there's nothing more for us here." The girl nodded, and together we walked into the darkness of the tunnel.
Behind us lay the bodies of slain monsters and the fading hope of rescue for the entire group. Now we were once again alone in these repulsive catacombs, on this brutal planet, and it was up to us whether we could survive.
It seems, however, that these catacombs do not want us to return to our planet alive.