Ethan grabs his blade, hurling himself at the creature. Its grotesque organic gun shoots a seed-like projectile that scrapes along Ethan's coat. His blade arcs above its head, and he brings it down, consuming all his Ether through Strengthening.

A metallic snapping sound echoes through the cavern's walls. His long sword breaks on its skull, sending shrapnel of metal flying in the air. Its feet crash into the ground under the force of the impact.

It slashes at his chest. Its claws pierce Ethan's armor, digging into his abdomen. He screams, letting out the pain. Ethan hurls his fist at its chest, sending the beast into a wall.

As it stands back up, Ethan focuses on drawing more Ether from his surroundings. He grabs his side with his left hand and casts the Flame spell with the other. The resulting jet of fire engulfs it. Pops echo through the air, above the raging flames, along weak, sharp screeches.

The creature rushes through the fire, thrashing at Ethan, who ducks at the last moment. It's almost unscathed, with the exception of its left arm, whose organic bags and cables turned to ash.

Ethan draws his dagger and bursts forward, stabbing the creature under its chest. It screeches, recoiling and slashing aimlessly. Ethan continues his assault, avoiding its claws as he drops low and stabs it behind the knee.

Dark Ether forms around the dagger, and Ethan uses it to cast debilitating hex. The monster falls to its knees, unable to move. Ethan rushes it, aiming for its throat.

The dagger exits through its raspy tongue. It bends its head, aggravating the wound but catching Ethan's forearm. Its teeth lack the strength to pierce Ethan's armor, but they immobilize his arm. Its tail stabs Ethan's right leg, and fire spreads through it.

Ethan uses his left hand to grab his dagger from its throat. He pulls it out and stabs it in the eye. The creature opens its maw, and Ethan jumps backward. His right leg refuses to move, and he tumbles to the ground.

The monster jumps on him, pinning him to the ground with its claws. Its stingers impale Ethan's left arm, spreading its poison into his flesh. It snarls, delighting in its victory. It opens its toothy maw, its body flexing for a final snap at Ethan's throat.

As the monstrous jaws descend toward Ethan, time seems to slow. Ethan's sight darkens; in his last moments, he thinks, 'My body fails me. I'd just wish someone would come save Russ.' A nightmare flashes before his eyes – the prediction that they will both suffer the same fate as the corpses surrounding them.

"Strengthening!" he yells, his heart bursting as he taps into his life force. With superhuman effort, he grabs the monster's face and slams it into the ground using only his shoulder. Steam rises from his muscles as he twists and stands, still gripping the creature's face. His enhanced strength cracks its skull as his fingers dig into its shell.

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The creature thrashes blindly, clawing at Ethan's chest and stabbing the floor. With a guttural war cry, Ethan launches both of them forward. Its body craters into a wall, fracturing its exoskeleton in multiple places.

Drawing on every drop of his life force, Ethan tightens the hold. He runs along the wall, dragging the creature into it and carving the stone. Black ichor splatters on Ethan as the monster screeches in agony.

The monster falls from Ethan's grip. It lost all its five limbs, lingering as a torso, and a limp head. Ethan falls to his knees as black veins grow along his skin. He grabs his heart, focusing on remaining conscious. 'You can't go down now!' he screams in his mind. 'Stand up!'

Ethan stands up, limping towards Russ. His body protests every move, the life force exhaustion, and his wounds draining him of his strength.

Ethan kneels at Russ's side. His remaining hand shakes as he opens his first-aid kit. Russ whines as a small parasite moves inside of him, lifting his ribs on its path. The wound is mangled and bleeding profusely. He triggers predator's sight to follow the parasite and see the path it created.

Ethan feels lightheaded, his breath hastening as his sight blurs. He approaches a plier from the wound but stops, unable to calm his shaking hand. Predator's sight flickers in and out as Ethan loses his focus.

'I will take care of your friend,' Maelor's voice echoes in Ethan's mind. His sight blurs completely, fading to darkness.

Ethan returns, his hands finishing to cast a Heal spell. A parasite lies dead on the ground. Russ stands up, happily licking Ethan's face. Ethan's sight darkens once again as his body abandons him. Several announcements echo in his mind, but he fails to understand them. He falls onto his back and into unconsciousness.

Ethan wakes up, his sides, left arm, and right leg screaming in pain. His entire body protests as he sits up. Russ lies down alongside him, his jaws covered in black blood. The fresh corpses of five parasites are scattered around them. Ethan grabs Russ in his arms, dragging him into a hug. Russ wiggles frenetically, licking Ethan's wounds with worried squeals.

Rubbing his dog's belly, Ethan thinks, 'Did he just take control? I insulted him, yielded to him that I would expel him from my mind, spat on his faith, and yet he –' A bloodied screech interrupts Ethan's thoughts.

The monster lives, even in its mangled and destroyed state. Ethan rises from the ground, with Russ following him closely. He stands above the monster. 'I wonder,' Ethan thinks. 'Insight.'

Huskstalker queen

Lv.20/20 (Huskstalker) Huskstalker

Lv.19/20 (Huskstalker queen)

Strength: 29 Charisma: 0

Dexterity: 31 Perception: 27

Constitution: 30 Willpower: 12

Intelligence: 8

Talent

Nullified presence

Abilities

Iron skin (E)

Silent steps (D)

Territory (F)

"That's what I thought; you're their queen," Ethan mutters. "Is your race your class? And if so, how do you have two of them?" He pauses as he thinks of his conversation with Elowen. "Are monsters able to visit the Realm of Ascension? I should obtain more information; perhaps in a public library," he whispers.

Ethan sighs, looking around for a crate. "That doesn't matter. Right now, I have a new plan that includes you," he says as he spots an imposing steel cage at the edge of a shack.