*Scan* - Monster -

Name: Denizen of the Abyss

Rank: Beginner

Age: ???

Class: Locked

Average Attribute Level: 1.0

Scan results - This undead creature is on the verge of sentience. Its hunger for the flesh of the living has given it great strength and speed, however its mind is still growing.

Warning - This monstrous creature is connected to all of its kind and will learn through its life to adapt. If killed its brethren will be less likely to die in the same manner.(

What, how is that fucking fair, its a god damn learning zombie…!

Drake blinked away the scan, appreciating the ability that informed her about her opponent, but immediately understood how many of her favorite fictional characters came to complain about system based pop ups. It was a common trope in all the stories she loved, but she could honestly see a badly timed box result in her death.

Focus Drake this isn’t dial up internet, you don’t have a virus. Take any help that’s given.

The skeletal monster walked toward her, straight backed and giving her the impression that it most definitely could handle itself in a fight. The monster clenched its fists over and over as if it hungered for violence as it approached, stepping smoothly as many of the various combat instructors her father often trained with had throughout her younger years.

I wish I would have listen to dad and learned everything I could have from him and his friends!

She often watched her father compete in martial arts competitions, loving how skilled her dad was. Yet her parents love of combat had never infected her with the same addictive love for hand to hand as it had them.

Her mother had been a world champion fighter in multiple styles of combat before she died, but Drake only ever learned the absolute basics from her parents, pursuing her own interests instead.

However, she did remember her parents number one rule of combat as she slowly strafed around her opponent.

Always find the weakness… Analyze your opponent in every situation, may your adversity be a fight or trial. There is always a route to victory.

She smirked as her eyes danced up and down the body of the skeleton. Tooltips appeared when she focused on the heart and Braine with the words, Potential Vulnerability*. The words centered in the hovering red boxes that pointed toward the ruby like substances that were located in the chest and skull.

That’s a start. She glanced at her broken spear and began to slowly inch forward.

Let’s try the heart first…

She did her best not to be frustrated by the pain that emanated through her right arm, wishing that she still had use of her dominant hand. Not only was her main hand more dextrous, she knew that if the broken spear was raised in her right, whatever strike she attempted would be that much closer to the heart of her target.

No matter what she did however, the feeling of agony that was sent through her arm when moving the extremity was only comparable to that of a blinding pain. She couldn’t even move a single finger on her right hand without instant regret. Yet, staring into the black holes that were the eyes of her enemy forced her concentration away from the overwhelming sensations in that moment, and made her prepare for what was to come.

Breathe Drake, here it comes!

Once the monster got but a yard away, everything changed. Its movements became not only skillfully coordinated, but precise in a way that showed it was aware of her current weakness.

The first strike was aimed at the shoulder of her broken arm. The blow glanced off her arm. She almost managed to dodge; yet the mere brush of the blow was still powerful enough to send a terrible fire shooting through her entire torso.

She wailed, dropping to a knee as her vision went white. She tried to blink away the water that filled her eyes, only to be kicked directly in her face. The straight kick landed with the flat of the monsters foot centered on her face, sending her soaring backward.

She crashed down rolling end over end on the ground, until she came to a stop, the flat of her back clapping with a resounding slap against the stone floor of the cavern.

She was slow to rise, shaking her head as the monster continued its deadly approach. Her head spun, a sensation of vertigo momentarily taking her balance. She stumbled to her feet, dabbing tenderly at her bleeding nose, thankful that it wasn’t broken.

She felt anger begin to build in her chest. Anger at her situation. At her choices both in regards to the learning of self defense and those that landed her in a dark cavern fighting a monster. Anger at everything.

This time when the sensation to roar overwhelmed her. She let it loose. The roar came free of her as if from a dragon, Drake becoming lost in the fury that built within.

She focused once more on the monster, and charged. Once in rage, the same series of attacks began.

Luckily for her she hadn’t let go of her broken spear, but the weapon proved useless as she dodged the fist aimed at her broken arm. The metal tipped weapon skittered ineffectively off the black muscle and white bone of the monsters torso, literal sparks dancing through the air between her and her foe.

The straight kick came, and once more Drake was sent flying. This time the strike took the air from her lungs as she was hit in the gut. Her body folded around the monsters outstretched leg with enough force to make her spit up blood even before she landed.

She fell on the side of her off hand. Dropping her weapon as she slid a few yards before coming to a complete stop.

She blinked, gasping for air, scrambling backward, scooting frantically until she saw that the Denizen hadn’t started to rush her. She bit her lip trying to get to her feet as she struggled to breathe, checking herself as her body began to tremble. Not in pain, or fear, but in an all out rage.

She felt anger at her weakness. Anger at how unfair the situation at hand truly was. Even anger at how little she knew of this new world she found herself in.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Never back down…!

She stood, walking toward where she saw the broken spear, its metal tip glittering in the dark next to the runes that continued to light up the cavern. She kept her eyes on the monster as she bent to pick up the spear, catching a whiff of a smell that reminded her of fresh fruit. Her stomach once again groaned, and Drake’s vision blurred as she received a notification, forcing her to blink rapidly.

*Notification* - status effect - Starved.

You are on the verge of becoming absolutely ravenous. This may cause an increase to the senses. However, staying in this state for too long will cause the loss of normal cognitive functions.*

Hmmm…

Drake tore her eyes from the notification and returned her gaze to the monster. This time as she watched the skeletal creature step closer, its movements seemed just the tiniest bit slower.

She raised her weapon and dashed into melee range. She felt an immediate difference in her own movements. The little light offered by the illuminated runes in her periphery seemed to blur, and the exchange of blows began again.

For the first time, Drake was able to see the fact that the skeletons opening move was that of a palm strike and not a well placed punch. An understanding of how this attack was harder to dodge instantly filled her mind, as the open palm covered far more surface area than a closed fist.

She dodged the blow, watching as the monster began to lift its leg to deliver yet another straight kick.

Not this time bucko!

She kicked out, angling her heel straight toward the knee of the monster’s leg that wasn’t being lifted to kick her. The monster was barely moved, stopping its attempted straight kick, stomping its extended leg down as it sent a flying back fist in her direction.

Drake ducked, but was still clipped enough to be sent sprawling onto her side, screaming as her broken arm struck the ground.

The skeleton lifted its leg to stomp down on the arm of her off hand, causing her to perform a half roll to dodge.

The eyes of swirling darkness never left her, as the same leg was lifted again, extended far upward. The skeletal leg this time straightened, showing the monster’s absurd flexibility, as it swung its heel down in a chop that forced Drake to roll once more.

She was once more forced on to her broken arm to avoid the blow.

The foot struck the ground where she’d just been, cracking the stone floor. Shards pierced the air around her as she once again jumped to her feet; kipping upward rather than continuing to roll, knowing she was still in a dangerous proximity to her foe.

The flip to her feet was impressive, but still showed her just how much her new body wasn’t acclimated to those types of maneuvers. Her body wasn’t weak by any means, nor did it lack endurance, but Drake could tell by how her head spun after righting herself so quickly, that the previous owner of her current vessel wasn’t acrobatically inclined by any means.

She growled, barely able to contain the rage that was overwhelming even her heightened senses in that moment.

“Bring it on!”

Once more the Denizen’s brutal combo of furious blows began, and Drake did her best to avoid each and every strike, hoping that an opening would present itself.

The palm strike whistled by her, brushing passed her chest as she turned sideways to dodge. More of what she’d been taught filled her mind as the reality of the life and death battle she was now in brought memories to the surface.

Keep enough distance to be able to strike back. Watch how each limb bends, and how the muscles of the body bulge and relax. Defend even as you strike.

The straight kick came, and instead of trying to unbalance her foe as she had prior, she waited until the limb was extended fully. She then pushed as hard as she could, extending her left arm away from herself, performing a footballer’s stiff arm.

The maneuver wasn’t as effective as it could have been without the broken spear she held, but still ended up working in her benefit.

The monster’s body turned slightly , but not enough to completely stop the swinging back fist that was sent toward her. Once again she ducked, but due to her last subtle deflection, she had enough time to dodge.

Her hair was whipped up by the force of the blow sent over her head, and Drake could feel her heart racing as she stepped forward.

The skeleton stomped, the noise of the bone against stone enough to make her ears ring, but she ignored it, waiting for the heel drop she hoped would still be sent at her.

The monster lifted its leg straight into the air powerfully enough that the limb whistled and snapped once reaching its apex.

“Got ya!”

Drake spun toward the side of the monster with its exposed beating heart, and thrusted upward, aiming toward the pumping red crystal with everything she had, roaring as she did so.

However just before her strike landed.The skeleton whipped out another palm strike that thudded into her midsection. The blow wasn’t meant to send her flying backward with its ferocity as all the previously landed blows were, but was instead meant to stun.

Her heart stop beating briefly, Drake momentarily frozen as the monster transformed its heel drop into a spinning roundhouse. The perfectly aimed kick cleaved into her side, launching her clear across the cavern.

Her body skipped like a rock sent speeding across the surface of a pond until she crashed into the shallows of the nearby pool. Her body floated to the surface unmoving. Her eyes closed, and her breaths shallow.

She didn’t wake up until she was lifted by her neck. The monster raising her into the air with a single hand, causing her to flail about wildly.

Drake somehow Still managed to hold onto the broken spear. She was now furious at how useless the weapon felt in her hands, watching her end draw near. An all consuming rage overtaking her senses and making her see red.

I guess this is it, thought Drake with a mental chuckle as she scoffed aloud,glaring at the skeleton while the Denizen cocked its arm back to finish her.

“Ha, well… I tried my best…”

Then the boy she’d stepped in to defend screamed and once more everything changed.

…

Aurora watched helplessly as the Traveler in her body was barely able to defend themselves. She noted the Traveler had good fighting instincts, but their lack of combat experience was showing.

Aurora had never killed, but as far as martial combat was concerned she had countless hours of training.

At least she learns fast…

The opponent she fought used nothing but the basic forms from a style of fighting known as Genocide. The combination of powerful and precise strikes was mixed with sweeping attacks , making the art form a perfect union of many dead combat arts. This made its practitioners able to overwhelm single opponents as well as defend themselves against a multitude of enemies. Slowly giving its users the ability to pick their opposition apart one by one with deadly strikes.

Aurora was captivated by the fight as the traveler moved as skillfully as her elder siblings at some points, yet Aurora knew how low her bodies stats and attributes were. Which made Aurora wonder if her perception of stats was skewed.

Are the limits of what are bodies can do as Cultivators far higher than we believe? Are we far more powerful than we know, or has this Traveler’s presence within me changed my bodies capabilities somehow?

This fight left her with so many unanswered questions, changing her beliefs as to what was possible. She knew that Cultivator’s had long lost the grandiose abilities claimed by their ancestors to move mountains and split seas. Seeing this Traveler fight and grow drastically moment by moment, made her ponder on the limits of her reality though.

Is this mental talent, maybe the traveler has a perception of power that we are no longer capable of achieving?

Her thoughts continued to race, Aurora glad that her new senses offered the ability to pay attention to many details or lines of thought all at once.

No that can’t be it, can it?

Though she wanted to give her entire focus to the fight between the Denizen and the Traveler, Aurora couldn’t help but sense the strange energies building in the boy that still lay unmoving in the pool. His eyes flickered about, taking in the fight as a strange black energy coded his body.

She could feel him begin to sweat even though his body was cold. Saw his eyes dilate, and even heard the drumming of his heart grow to that of a wild stampede.

What is happening to him?

The longer the fight took to conclude, the more of the energy surrounded the boy. Until she could tell that his vessel had reached its limit, and was incapable of taking in anymore of the strange black energy being pulled from the environment all around him.

Pulses of power rippled outward from his body , pushing back the small waves that buffeted against his skin.

Finally the Traveler was struck hard enough to be knocked unconscious, crashing into the now blood tinged pool of water. She floated there, bobbing at the surface of the water as the skeleton walked toward her. Aurora screaming once again for the Traveler to wake.

Nothing worked, and though she’d felt as if she’d gotten through to the Traveler before, the invader didn’t rouse until she was lifted from the pool by her neck.

The Traveler began to flail wildly, Aurora helpless, unable to aid her charge in any way shape or form. The broken spear her charge held did nothing but caused sparks to fly about. The metal tip ineffective and couldn’t penetrate or damage the monster.

“Well… I tried,” said the Traveler with a heavy sigh. Aurora’s mind went blank as she watched the skeleton prepare a spear palm, readying a strike to pierce its hand directly through the chest of the Traveler. Through the heart she once called her own. Then the boy opened his mouth and screamed.

…

Drake’s eyes glanced over to the boy as he screamed in horror, at least that is what she believed was happening, until a black beams shot from his eyes, and the skeleton froze.

“Kill it now!”

Drake’s eyes widened, her gaze traveling down the streams of black lights being shot from the boy’s eyes. An ominous energy consuming the skeleton, its body unmoving as she stared it down.

“What are you doing, kill it now!”

Drake glanced back at the boy, and nodded, turning back to her foe before she roared and stabbed out, aiming for its heart.

The first stab made the red light that backlit the crystalline structure of its heart and brain dim slightly. Seeing this, Drake retracted her arm, and stabbed again and again, still hanging from the monster’s upheld chokehold.

The black light that consumed the monster began to fade, and Drake grew desperate. Instead of continuing to stab at the now dimmed heart, she aimed for its brain, thrusting the spear tip directly into the exposed side of the monster’s head, watching as the black swirls in its eye sockets vanished completely.

She roared in its face, raising her hand in victory, screaming unintelligibly, kicking the unmoving skeleton over and over as she hung from the hand still clamped around her neck.

“Fuck yeah, killed you mother fucker!”

She continued to curse in the monsters face, letting her rage die as she let her pent up fury ease from her mind. Only for a moment later to realize that the boy still couldn’t move, and now laid with his eyes closed; the tremors within the cavern still growing as she struggled to free herself. The sounds of growling seeming to grow the more she listened.

“Son of a bitch, are you fucking kidding me, no way I’m fucking stuck!”

She lifted both legs, nearly standing horizontally on the skeletons muscular chest as she pushed with all her might.

“Oh come on, let me go you dead son of a bitch!”

Then she heard it, another growl coming from just behind her drew her gaze to the shaft where the first monster had come from. Her mind unbelieving of the sight as two more Denizens fought to climb free of the shaft, slowing one another down as both tried to escape the tunnel. Both attempting to push passed the other, trying to be the first to exit the shaft and get at her.

“Oh come the fuck on!”