The barrier shimmered and disappeared. For a moment, all was quiet. Reid's pulse quickened, and the sound of his own breathing echoed in his helmet. The salamander eyed the spot where the wall once was, and took a cautious step forward.
Reid had to raise his head to look up at it. Its eyes burned with ferocity, but it continued a slow advance until it was only a few yards away. It stilled, then lowered its arms to its sides.
Movement shuffled in the smaller salamander groups, then one started to run forward. A roar echoed out from the Crimson Titan. It wasn't a skill, but all movement in the smaller beasts halted. The elite in front of Reid turned at the ones that had broken from the group and screeched. Elites from the main force stalked forward to the still-motionless salamanders that had attempted to run forward - and promptly lopped off their heads. Reid stared on as they killed their own forces for breaking ranks.
When the small runners were all dead, the elites moved back to their positions in the mass of red. The Crimson Titan let out a few loud popping noises, and Reid's elite turned back to face him, arms still hung down at its sides.
Holy shit. I guess it is single combat they want.
Reid suddenly realized he was once again getting away with doing something quite dumb and reckless. He stood in front of an army of beasts, ready to face down one of its most powerful members because he assumed they - the beasts - wanted a duel. They could obviously communicate with their brethren. Reid had seen it in the valley where he fought his first level 10. The Titan's army showcased more of that understanding with their work probing the shield, and responding to the calls from the high-leveled beasts. But he had no reason to truly believe their societal structure or communications were evolved enough to let a contest of single combat take place. It was an insane idea - and also somehow correct.
The elite lowered its head and flashed a mouth full of hooked teeth, then raised its claws. Reid mirrored with a bow and a smile.
He kept both hands firm on Requiem, and kicked off the ground. It compacted under his food as he launched into the air and swung Requiem out at the side of the beast's skull. His mace sung as it split the air.
The elite managed to raise an arm up to block the blow - and Requiem drew first blood.
The center point of a flange sunk deep into the arm with barely a hint of resistance. Another flange blade followed and carved a second channel into the salamander's appendage as Requiem's mass and Reid's strike propelled it through flesh, muscle, and bone. It tore apart the Salamander's entire arm with vicious, efficient brutality - and still had some momentum when it came out the other side. The ragged, bloody appendage fell to the dirt as Reid and the salamander both jumped back from one another.
Hell yeah.
Hitting Mark's wooden dummies couldn't compare to the feeling of slamming Requiem into living flesh. The weight of the impact and the mild resistance as it pulverized through the salamander sent a shiver of excitement down Reid's spine. He flexed his hands around the weapon. With the beast down to one arm, Reid could more easily try to take out a leg next, then use those two injuries to open up a killing blow. The thing was quick, and it would heal if left alone, but Reid had been fighting salamanders for a long time. Bigger and quicker versions of the beasts weren't going to doom him - especially because Reid outmatched it enough with his own speed that he could control the flow of the fight. And, if-
A bright blue glow on the elite's stump interrupted Reid's train of thought. Reid instinctively moved back and got ready to block. The stump pulsed five times over the course of a few seconds, then let off a final blinding blue flash. Reid shielded his eyes with a hand. The elite screeched as the light and energy flared. The thing's missing arm rapidly regenerated out from the stump. In less than a second, the entire arm and claws were completely regrown.
"Fuck, that's new."
The beast flexed its freshly regrown claws, screeched, and charged at Reid.
The word 'unfair' came to mind.
It was unfair that Sanctuary had been pitted against so many salamanders for this fight. It was unfair that the salamanders were worth less xp than people. And it was immensely unfair that the already-regenerating, kill-them-with-zombie-rules asshole lizards now had a rapid regeneration skill.
The fresh claws raked down at Reid as the elite sent out a flurry of strikes. They dug deep gouges into the earth and kicked grass and dirt around the area. A clump managed to make it through the openings on Reid's helmet and into his mouth. He spat it out, and sprinted forward. The creature swung out with a claw, but Reid slid sideways to avoid it. It missed him by inches - and that was enough. Reid gripped Requiem like a spear and thrust straight up at the salamander's chest. The top spike plunged deep and the flanged blades followed. They tore six new holes in the beast, and the force behind the blow carried the loosened gore and viscera past the salamander's spine. Requiem shot out through the salamander's back, and gore came with it like a confetti cannon that stained the grass red.
More flesh tore away in red ribbons when Reid pulled Requiem back through the salamander's chest. An unidentified organ fell onto his shoulder with a wet plop, then tumbled to the dirt.
Reid dodged out the way of another claw raking through the ground. The beast jumped back after Reid did, and then its chest started to glow with aquamarine light.
"Come on, where's the cooldown?!" Reid shouted to the universe.
Skills should be balanced, somehow. Even Sara's Pathfinder had shown its cracks recently. So something like rapid regeneration had to have a flaw. It should've had a massive timer related to the frequency of use. Something to keep the damn beasts in check. Reid kicked off and launched himself forward as he complained.
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Reid noticed it mid leap, when the final bright flash nearly blinded him. The salamander wasn't moving. It hadn't budged an inch since the first blue flash in the regeneration sequence. But as soon as the final flash faded - before the chest had even finished regrowing - the elite charged him again.
That would be a decent trade off, he thought.
If the beasts were immobile while they rapidly regenerated, they would be easy targets for other strikes. Killing strikes.
Reid readied himself to dodge the claws. He bent at the knees, and shifted Requiem into his right hand.
He ducked away from the first sweep of its left claw, then jumped up and over an attempted tail whip. The beast had severely underestimated Reid's speed. It was still wheeling back to face him when his feet hit the ground, and he lunged forward. His left hand grabbed the bottom of Requiem's grip, and Reid smashed his mace into the back of the elite's torso. Ribs cracked like toothpicks as the mace opened a large, deep rend in the elite's midsection. The creature let out a pained screech and tried to create distance.
Not this time.
Reid advanced, and the salamander jumped back again. It paused and looked at him, then took another step back. Reid matched it. The elite let out a low, popping gurgle, and raised its claws up around its shoulders. They faced outward in an obvious attempt to stop Reid from closing in and smashing the thing with his mace again. The claws were technically in the way, but didn't pose much of a threat if they were stationary.
Reid took his first step forward just as the salamander's torso started to glow. He closed half the distance before the first pulse of light. He was in the air before the second.
The creature had made a few mistakes. First, it stopped to heal itself. Reid had fought enough salamanders to know they were generally fine with a bit of time to recover. The thing probably didn't 'need' to heal, even if Reid had hit something important. Second, it left a gap between its claws directly in front of itself. It was wide enough for Reid to fit through. And last, it didn't put its hands high enough to properly protect its head.
Reid contorted his body as he sailed up and through the opening. His arms flexed and elbows bent as Requiem flew out in a baseball-batter's swing.
The mace impacted the side of the salamander's head, which crumbled under the force of the blow like a crash test video. Ridges didn't mean shit if they only protected the top of the skull. Requiem shoved one cheek into the other, and pancaked the thing's brain on the way. A shower of compressed gore sailed up and out of the elite's eye socket before it, too, was deformed by the sidelong swipe.
Reid kicked off the salamander's neck and landed in a decidedly non-graceful manner - but far enough away that the thing's claws didn't hit him as it fell to the ground.
You have defeated Salamander - lvl 18. Bonus Experience Awarded.
Well, fuck me.
Reid took a moment to get his breathing back to normal, and looked down at himself. Despite its size advantage, the elite hadn't put a single claw on him - or his armor.
Its skull had absolutely shattered with the final impact, and he saw what he hoped was unease and reluctance in the other elites back in the Titan's forces. A few of the smaller salamanders screeched, but were again silenced by the Titan. It tilted its head slightly at Reid, then turned right to one of the guardians and let out a series of water drop pops.
Alright then. If a guardian is next, maybe I'll fight the crimson Titan after that? I kill one elite, one guardian, and then the boss. Would the rest flee after that? Do they become property of Sanctuary?
Whatever the outcome, Reid fighting any of the things in a one-on-one reduced their number without putting anyone else in danger. If Reid had to, he'd marathon his way through their entire army in honor duels. He could keep fighting for a while like this, so long as he kept a sense of his state of endurance.
But... that was highly unlikely. He couldn't be sure the guardian coming forward now was going to do the same thing as the elite. And he had no idea how the army would behave. They'd already broken ranks once.
He took a few steps back towards the ATV. It still idled, waiting for him to return to it.
Reid didn't want to have to run.
The lumbering form of the guardian gave a meaningful glance to the elite's broken skull as it walked towards Reid. Now that it was closer, Reid could see more detail on the beast. The crystalline growths on its head did have a few patches of skin exposed, but none were really large enough to put a weapon through. Getting the thing through its eye socket was still the better option. Reid craned his neck. Or he could get the brain from underneath. It would be easy to stab up into the thing with its height difference, as long as he could avoid damage from the claws.
The guardian let out a low hissing sound, dropped its arms, and then bared its teeth while bowing its head.
Just like the last one, Reid thought.
He again mirrored the odd movement, and readied himself. He wanted to see what this one woul-
The salamander dropped its front half to the ground and flew forward using its claws as leverage. Reid did what anyone would do when a giant salamander with massive aquamarine claws came at you low - he jumped. As Reid (barely) cleared the claw's reach, he whipped Requiem down at the guardian. It slammed into the back of the salamander's head - and Requiem impacted the crystal growths with a disconcerting crack. His mace skittered down off the aquamarine crystals, and bit down into the guardian's neck. The beast flinched up in response, then dropped low. Reid found himself bounced higher in the air, and he landed on his ass.
He gave Requiem a glance as he rose to his feet. A hairline fracture was visible in one of the flanged blades. Reid frowned at the guardian.
He sprinted forward, mace at the ready, and skidded to a stop when a quick strike came in from the side. Reid tried to spin out of the way, but the tip of a claw caught on his greaves and sent him sprawling to the ground. He managed to get back on his feet, but frowned at a gash the strike had left in his bone armor. It was good that it could deflect blows, but Reid wanted to limit damage. He needed to have high endurance and longevity here to ride out the duels as long as possible. He needed to dodge as much as possible, and end things with as few strikes as he could manage.
Reid needed another decisive victory.
He repeated the same move, and jumped back without spinning this time as the salamander swept in with a clawed strike. The claws split the air in front of him, and Reid used the opening to bring Requiem over his head and slam it down into the salamander's forearm. It sunk in, down, and cracked through the salamander's bone.
Reid was already getting angry at the guardian for cracking his weapon, and it felt good to have Requiem mangle the thing's arm.
Satisfied with the damaged appendage, Reid started to jump back from the creature's reach.
It was then he realized he'd made a mistake.
The salamander hadn't put everything into its first swing.
It was bait.
The arm was a sacrifice.
The guardian's other arm - and more importantly, claws - closed in from Reid's left. Reid was airborne. He couldn't do much to dodge, and putting Requiem in front of the claws seemed like a good way to get another crack in his mace.
Reid pulled his left arm up to guard his face, and braced for the impact. Based on the damage the claws did to his gauntlet, he would be able to tank this blow. The armor might get cracked open, but Reid would still have enough protection and mobility to make the guardian pay for the strike. He'd already planned out his next actions when the claws started to glow.
Aquamarine light filled the crystal, and the speed of the salamander's strike doubled.
Oh, fuck.
Reid braced for the impact.