"Sounds like there are monsters all over the place." She says. "We've still got another room to check. It's probably not going to be so pretty."
The two trade uneasy glances, taking care not to stab light into each other's eyes. They ready their spears and Solbird moves to the door. She turns the knob and uses her shoulder to push the door open as she creeps outside of the room. She peeks her head into the next room as she does so.
"Everything seems clear still."
Steel catches the door behind her as she skulks into the break room. He trails behind her through the room to the other door. Solbird approaches the door and grabs the knob. She turns it and opens the door in towards herself. Steel creeps into the room.
Steel's light breaks into a large, silver cube of a room lined with a tiled floor. There's an interesting stain on the tile. Something like rust swirling, leading to a drain at the center of the floor. A silver chair rests over the drain. A corpse is strapped to the chair.
"We've got a problem." Steel says, creeping further into the room. His headlight beams on to the corpse strapped to the chair. He approaches it as Solbird slips into the room behind him. She shuts the door behind her, softly. Her light sweeps across the room.
"I don't see the Heart."
Steel approaches the corpse and stops.
"I have a feeling things are going to be a little different this time around."
Solbird moves her gaze to the corpse. She walks to Steel's side.
"So, this is someone they were experimenting on? Looks more like they were torturing them, not experimenting."
Solbird crosses her arms, covering her stomach and chest. Steel side steps and takes a look at the corpse from another angle.
"So... am I... I dunno, supposed to release the straps or something?" Solbird asks. Her light swivels down to the straps on the arms and legs of the corpse.
"What else can we do? There's nothing else in here."
Steel stoops over the corpse and fumbles with the straps. It takes him a moment, but he is able to figure it out. The other three straps come off much quicker.
Above them, a light flickers. Then dies.
Solbird and Steel both leap back, readying their spears. They both sweep their lights around the area, frantically, wildly. The corpse in the chair throws it's head back and screeches.
"Screeeeyaaaaaaa!"
Solbird and Steel snap their headlights onto the corpse. They take further steps backwards.
The corpse seizes. It shakes violently and falls forward onto the drain. Black liquid pools out from under the corpse. It crawls up the corpse, coating it in some kind of sludge. It covers the corpse, almost as if it were engulfing it in a mouth, and bubbles. As it bubbles, it grows. It expands outward, thickening the corpse's humanoid shape. Screeching can be heard from within the sludge, but it comes out muffled.
"Cree...eee...aaa...aaa...!"
Sometimes a bubble of the tar like substance pops, and a burst of the screeching can be heard clearly.
Pop.
"Ahhh!"
Pop.
"Eeee!"
Pop.
"Ahhh!"
"What the fuck is that?" Steel asks, aiming the tip of his spear at the corpse.
"I think..." Solbird speaks slowly, carefully speaking her words. "I think... it's pure corruption. The same energy that corrodes away and manifests the Zones... I think it's that stuff... but in a more concentrated, powerful form. It's almost like suffering itself, but materialized."
The black goop stops bubbling. The screeching stops completely. Silence falls upon the three. The corpse has grown half its size larger in all directions. As if it's become a human and a half. Black tendrils, like veins, wrap around the enlarged corpse. They pulsate in a slow rhythm.
The corpse pushes itself on to it's knees. Then to it's feet. There are no eyes on the corpse. No ears. It's like a silhouette or a shadow had ripped itself free. However, in it's chest, a deep red scarlet glows through.
"There!" Solbird says, thrusting her spear forward into the air. "The Heart! It's inside the monster!"
Steel gazes up at the monster, half a human larger than himself.
"Scan..." He orders quietly. The loading bar appears. The red filling slides down the bar but halfway through, it stops. A large red symbol appears over the bar, a large X. Another window appears. At the top of it, two yellow triangles with black exclamation marks sit on either side of the word ERROR printed boldy in red.
____________________________
| DATA CORRUPT |
| ERROR |
|SCAN SEQUENCE INTERRUPTED|
| CANNOT COMPLETE |
| ERROR |
____________________________
[ LOCAL DATA IN RETRIEVAL ]
______________________________
| ALERT ALERT |
|A BOSS MONSTER HAS APPEARED|
| ALERT ALERT |
_____________________________
All of the windows close out and blink away. A bar appears at the top of the goggles. A boss bar similar to the revenant's. Large and neon red, it contains a name.
[ VENGEFUL CORRUPTION ]
The monster throws it's head back and it's arms outward. Staring into the sky it shouts,
"Veeeeeeeeeennnnggggeeeeeeaaaaaaaannce!"
The black sludge around it's hands bubbles. It forms outward and solidifies into large black claws. It throws it's body back forward and looks between Solbird and Steel. Suddenly, it lunges. Solbird dives to the side as it's claws swipe at the air next to her, even opening a small seam in her body armor.
"Try this!" Steel calls out, pulling his spear back into position.
"Eagle's beak dive!"
Steel shoots forward, momentarily glowing gold. He stops immediately, directly next to the monster. All of his kinetic energy rockets into his arms and his spear. He thrusts forward. The tip of the spear glitters gold. The spear presses deep into the side of the monster's pelvis.
[-40 Health Points]
[-10 Energy Points]
A black sliver empties from the end of the neon red health bar.
A small chunk of Steel's energy bar empties from his party slot.
Solbird rolls back and with one hand flings herself to her feet. She runs forward and thrusts her spear upward. It digs deep into the side of the monster's ribs.
[-20 Health Points]
Another sliver empties from the neon red bar.
Both Steel and Solbird pull their spears out as the creature stabs it's claws forward, towards Steel. Steel brings his spear up in front of himself. He pushes it out against the claw as it comes towards him. He is thrown off his feet and into the silver wall behind him.
[-15 Health Points]
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Steel's party slot shakes and flashes red as some of his bar is emptied.
Steel gets his footing and readies himself. Solbird slashes in an arc at the monster's leg, bringing her spear backward and regrabbing it into a ready position again.
[-15 Health Points]
It doesn't seem like anything happens to the boss monster's health bar at all.
Solbird stops what she's doing and grabs at her injured arm. She winces.
"Agh!"
[-5 Health Points] [Bleeding]
A status symbol appears next to her health bar on her party slot. A red drop of water symbolizing the status effect "bleed."
Steel leaps forward. He swings his spear at the monster. The monster notices and backhands the spear with it's claw. The man is thrown off course and stumbles to the side. He lurches over and pulls his spear arm back into his body to force his balance to improve. It takes him a moment to get his footing back again.
Solbird swipes into the monster again. A shallow groove appears in the leg's tar-like goop.
[-15 Health Points]
The monster leaps backward. The dead lights above momentarily flicker back to life, giving the pair a better view of the goliath of a monster. It is oozing and dripping with hardened black goo. The lights flicker again and shut back off. The monster throws it's palms out to the sides. Black sludge shoots out of it's hands and beams into the walls.
"Do yewww whant tewww seeeeyyy what eet wuz liiiike?!" The monster roars at them, it's voice coming out bubbly as if through water but loud as if magnified by a megaphone.
The black goop shoots across the walls. The goop on the wall on Solbird's side zooms across until it is equal with her position. It pools up and fires out like a spike at her. She grunts,
"Hah!"
She tries to throw herself out of the way. The gooey spike javelins through her lower abdomen. It continues through and slams into the wall on the other side, splashing like a thick mucus trying to cling to a surface. Solbird slams into the ground, rolling, her breath being shunted from her. She gasps and fights for more air.
[-30 Health Points]
Her party slot flashes and shakes. A large chunk of her bar empties.
On the other wall, the goop races towards the man. Steel drops and rolls, turning, and brings his spear up. But too early as the goop spits out and lightnings through his shoulder. He is flicked backward onto the ground.
[-20 Health Points]
His party slot flashes and shakes. Some of his health bar empties.
The severed goop slowly drags itself, crawls across the floor back towards the monster.
Solbird pulls herself up onto one knee. She takes her spear and cradles it under her back arm, using her front hand to hold it right under the blade. A shimmering light radiates from her hands. The spear's blade first turns hot at the tip, and red.
"Sun Stream!" She calls out. A light appears around the blade of the spear. It sinks into the blade, scorching it at the core. The blade grows red hot and catches fire. The tip glows and flames beam out like an arrow.
Steel rolls over to his chest. He forces himself to take a knee and, using the spear, pushes himself up to his feet.
The tip of the beam rounds like a mushroom cap while the tail remains connected to the tip of the spear. The beam fires forward, slicing through the room until, about halfway to the monster, the tail disconnects from the spear. The beam of flames jabs through the air and bullets into the monster's chest. The monster, already standing close to the wall, is flung backward into that wall. The beam continues to push it against the wall as the flames spread around it's body.
[-50 Health Points]
[-40 Energy Points]
A sizable amount seems to now be missing from the monster's health bar.
Most of Solbird's energy bar in her party slot drains.
Solbird's spear cools. The flames simmer away and the red hot color drains from the warm steel which is now charred black. The woman uses the butt of her spear to try to get herself to stand. She pushes herself up but wavers and falters into the wall next to her. She thwaps into it shoulder first and slides down until she is sitting against the wall with her legs curled halfway under her.
Flames crackle around the monster, burning it.
[-10 Health Points]
Steel slides a foot forward, scraping the ground with a Schhhhh. He grabs his spear with both hands, his shoulder pointing towards the monster. He pulls the spear back. He bends his knees and shouts,
"Eagle's Beak Dive!"
He shimmers gold and rockets forward. His invisible rails of energy carry him forward to the monster. He flicks to a stop and thrusts the spear into the stomach of the monster. The spear cracks into the wall behind the monster. Steel winces from the collision.
[-10 Health Points]
[-10 Energy Points]
Steel's party slot shakes and flashes and his bars empty some more. The monster roars.
[-35 Health Points]
More of the monster's bar empties. Fire crackles around the monster.
[-10 Health Points]
Another sliver empties.
The fire fizzles out. A charred monster with a thick, abyssal black shell of a body is left behind. The monster grabs the spear sticking through it's stomach and snaps it in two.
"Feel my pain!" It bellows. It brings one clawed hand back and guns it forward into Steel's body. Huge claws sink into Steel's stomach and chest. The monster pulls it's claws out, dripping red with his blood.
[-50 Health Points]
Steel's health bar in the party slot flashes and shakes. It empties. Steel slumps to the floor.
Solbird cracks the butt of the spear into the ground. She pushes down on the floor, groaning.
"Graaahhh!"
With the other hand on the wall, she manages to will herself back to her feet. She leaves her hand against the wall and lifts her spear over her shoulder. She takes a step forward, pushing against the wall and javelins the spear into the air. She falls forward from the momentum, slapping into some of her own blood pooled on the ground.
The spear twirls through the air.
The monster stands over the man, peering down at him. The spear plunges itself directly through the monster's thick skull. The monster tilts over with the momentum of the spear, crashing into the ground.
[-60 Health Points] [Critical!]
The monster's thick black shell softens and the sludge melts towards the ground. The goop rises from the monster's body. It extends upward and opens up, becoming a pedestal. Veiny black tendrils pulsate, reaching inside of the monster. They pull something upward, to the top of the pedestal.
Solbird raises her head, peering to get a good look at the new structure growing from the monster. She narrows her eyes. She shakes her head and redirects her gaze to Steel. Her headlight illuminates the blood pooling out around him. She moans and reaches for her backpack.
"Uhhhgh..."
She catches the straps and finesses the backpack off.
"Hruuuh!"
Solbird forces herself to roll onto her back. She unzips the backpack. Fishing inside, she pulls out the crafting fabric they looted from the Revenant. She tears it into as many long strips as she can and knots the ends together. Awkwardly, she wraps the bandage fabric around her body, rolling as she does so.
[Makeshift Bandage! +10 Health Points!]
Her party slot shakes and flashes green. A small portion of her health bar fills from the left.
The message fades away as she finds just enough strength to push herself back to her feet. She staggers towards the monster and Steel. Getting a better view of the two she announces,
"The Heart!"
In front of Steel, a black heart dripping with sludge is displayed on a pedestal, a deep scarlet radiating from within it. It beats as if it were inside of a chest. The goop drips onto the ground making soft slapping sounds with every pulsation and undulation.
Solbird staggers her way to Steel. At him, she drops to her knees and grabs at his backpack. She wrestles it off of him. She has to roll him on to his stomach and fight his shoulders to get it off. From it, she removes the bandages. Doing what she can, she covers the man's chest and stomach in the entire roll.
[Bandage used! +20 Health Points!]
Steel's party slot shakes and flashes green. A small chunk of his health bar fills from the left.
Steel takes a deep and loud breath, as if erupting from the ocean's surface.
"Haaaah!"
His torso jolts upright. He winces, yelling,
"Gah!"
Steel drops himself back on the tile floor. He grabs at his wounds.
"This isn't the kind of challenge I had in mind when I woke up this morning! This hurts!"
Solbird slaps his shoulder.
"Hey. Don't think of it that way. Instead, think about how we haven't even gotten any experience points from it yet."
"What?" Steel bolts upright again, wincing. "There are no drops either!" Steel's gaze stops upon the altar before him. "What kind of evil is this?"
The woman matches his gaze on the pedestal.
"That, my friend, is what we came here for."
"What?! Are you serious? That's it? The Seed of Corruption? The Heart?"
Solbird smiles and nods.
"No way! Have you ever read about it appearing like this?"
Solbird shakes her head. "No, not really. Never read or heard about the Heart growing out of a monster before. Usually the monsters grow out of the Heart."
Steel pushes his forearm to the ground and growls.
"Grrrrrraaaahhh!"
He forces himself onto his side.
"Hey... can you stand? I could really use some help here. Since we have to purify that thing, I have to be standing."
Solbird groans and fights her way to her feet, using her spear as a prop. She steps around to Steel's backside and grabs his arm. With both of them moaning and groaning, they manage to get Steel onto his feet.
"I can't think of the pain. I can't let it beat me. There are too many lives probably at stake." Steel says. Solbird shakes her head.
"Always so cheesy. Hey, I never knew that you only have one technique."
"I-it's because I mostly trained my core stats. Look, I'll get some more later, okay? Jeez." The two slump themselves closer to the pedestal and the Heart. Solbird lifts her hand and presses her palm against it, her spear still propped against the ground in her other one.
"Pay attention, slowpoke." Solbird says, gesturing her head towards the Heart.
"W-wha? Hey! You were the one who asked in the first place! Forget you!"
Steel shakes his head and lifts his hand up. He places a palm against the oozing heart. They both close their eyes. A golden light grows from within their palms. They both snap their eyes open and shout,
"Purify!"
The golden light growing in their palms shines brighter. Their lights seep into the Heart, burning the corruption away. The Heart fills with and becomes golden as the light moves to it's core. The entire Heart fills with golden light. It shines brightly, waves of golden energy radiating outward from it. The lights above them flicker and burst back to life. The shadows and tendrils around the room burn away, leaving behind the plain-ness of the silver and tile.
[+50 Health Points]
[+50 Health Points]
Both of their party slots shake and flash gold as some of their wounds are healed. Some wounds clot and close and some soothe away.
[+20 Health Points]
[+20 Health Points]
Their health bars flash and shake more, filling up even further.
The Heart glows brighter with the golden energy as it burns itself away completely. The monster and the structure catch with golden flames. They fizzle away, leaving only Steel and Solbird standing comically with their palms held out to nothing.
The room is still stained with blood.
They let their arms drop. In their goggles, more information appears.
[3000 EXPERIENCE GAINED]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[ ! A R E A P U R I F I E D ! ]
Steel peers at the ground.
"Oh look! Loot dropped!"
He squats down and picks up a claw off of the ground. Solbird peers at the item in his hand, illuminating it further with her headlight.
"Scan!" Steel calls out. The bar loads quickly and windows of information appear in the goggles.
_________________
|UNKNOWN CLAW|
|UNKNOWN VALUE|
| UNKNOWN |
__________________
Still kneeling, Steel grabs his backpack and stows the item away.
"Must be important somehow. Other than money, this is the only thing that dropped."
Solbird squats and starts collecting money, shoveling it into Steel's backpack.
"Think we'll get a bonus for this insane dungeon?" She asks, pocketing some of it. Steel zips his backpack up and swings it onto his back. He stands.
"I'm not sure. More importantly, we've got to get all of these records into the right hands."
Solbird stands and nods. She walks to the wall and retrieves her own backpack. She slings it over her shoulder.
"Looks like our day isn't over just yet."
Together, Solbird and Steel walk out through the door, letting it slam shut on it's own behind them.