The basilisk snarled at her movement. It seemed angered at her challenge.
Instead of bringing its teeth down on her, it lashed out with its tail. The tail's breadth could match a decently sized road.
She tried but failed to jump over it. It struck her at her side, sending her smashing into a tree. The bark penetrated her skin, drawing out blood.
[-130 Damage]
She could feel and hear the thunderous crunch as several of her bones shattered from the impact. She groaned in severe pain. Her forehead contorted, her mind convinced that she was going to die.
She gritted her teeth and bore the pain as she raised herself back onto her feet, the virtual pain ever increasing. There was no time to drink a healing potion.
The basilisk roared and started wrapping her with its tail. It was tightening its snare.
As she had logged hours leveling up and had her fair share of in-game deaths, she had been stabbed, slashed, and attacked by many creatures. But never before had she been crushed to death!
Her spear had fallen out of her hand, so she had no way to defend herself. She squirmed in the basilisk’s grip, unable to scream as it crushed her lungs.
Just then, the basilisk gave a loud screech and released the grip. She fell down to the ground to see an unfamiliar player slashing and stabbing.
A gorgeous blonde warrior with the identity marker @SuaveQueen25 had come to her rescue. She was doing everything she could to keep the basilisk away, while the other yellow eyes lurked in the distance. They too joined the fray and soon her rescuer was hard put to defend herself against all of them. Even so, she fought, ever so valiantly. Slashing, stabbing, crouching, whatever she could do to save herself from dying too.
Brittany tried to get up, but the pain became too much to bear. @SuaveQueen25 was providing an efficient distraction, so Brittany quickly procured a healing potion from her inventory and gulped the whole flask down in one shot.
System Alert!
Your HP has been filled to 100% capacity.
[HP | 700/700]
Her wounds healed and she felt her bones snap back into place. A warm sensation weaved its way through her skin. She then looked for her spear.
The fight had pushed it away. She quickly leaped over a couple of tails and landed next to the spear, picked it up and turned on her heel. A basilisk had come right atop her, its bright yellow eyes bearing down on her. She felt a deep sense of dread grasp her tight. Her legs straightened and felt as though nerve impulses had completely disregarded them. Was this how paralysis felt like?
Its fangs bared, she saw the green ooze drip. Her armor melted when the poison connected with it. The poison was far more lethal than she had thought. Mustering her courage, knowing another drop would likely melt her skin, she raised the spear and drove it deep into the top of its mouth. She twisted and yanked it out. The basilisk screeched and raised itself before falling down again.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
StabTwist: Difficult
Instant Kill
[+70 XP]
Skill Unlocked: StabTwist
Delivers an Instant Kill when you stab your weapon into an opponent, and twist while withdrawing. Chances of Instant Kill are 90%. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 6, Strength > 9, Agility > 4, Stamina > 5, Intelligence > 4, Willpower > 4
The basilisk's entire weight bore down on her, but she rolled over to the left before she could feel its brunt.
Phew! Missed me by a couple of inches!
One basilisk down, she moved on to the others who had swarmed around her new friend, who kept fighting as if there was no tomorrow. She couldn't help but admire the girl.
Screaming a battle cry, Brittany attracted two of the basilisks. They slithered towards her, fangs trying to strike at her. She swiftly moved from one to another and back. Like an oscillating pendulum, she was striking and dancing with her spear.
Strike
[-50 HP]
Stab
[-70 HP]
Slash
[-20 HP]
Jab
[-40 HP]
Reptilian screeches were the only sound in the forest. Heaving a deep breath, she thrust her spear into one of the basilisk's eyes, blinding it.
[-500 HP]
Unable to see, it moved here and there, crashing into the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her new friend take down one of the vile creatures. Seeing an opportunity, she moved to the side, climbed up a tree and scaled along a branch. Quickly storing the spear in her inventory, she pulled out a broadsword that she had recently acquired. She then jumped onto the blind snake, and stabbed through its head. The basilisk crashed down to the ground.
HeadStab: Difficult
Instant Kill
[+70 XP]
Skill Unlocked: HeadStab
Delivers an Instant Kill when in close range. Chances of longer range accuracy are 25%. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 5, Agility > 2, Stamina > 3, Intelligence > 3
As it fell, she pulled her sword out of the creature and slashed across the neck of another.
NeckSlash: Difficult
Instant Kill
[+70 XP]
Skill Unlocked: NeckSlash
Delivers an Instant Kill when slashing across an opponent's neck in close range. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level > 7, Agility > 2, Stamina > 4, Intelligence > 4
LEVEL UP!
+1 Agility
Only one remained, which her new friend was trying to fight off. As she rushed forward to help, she saw the woman behead the last basilisk with a strong move of her gleaming sword. Brittany's eyes opened wide, admiring the brute strength.
And then as if nothing had happened, without giving her even a cursory glance, @SuaveQueen25 activated a Spawn Stone and disappeared in a flash of light.
Well, that was rude. I didn’t even get a chance to thank her for the assist!
----------------------------------------
© Copyright 2022 R.M. Mulder. All rights reserved.