We make our way down the hallway carefully. I take the lead while focusing my cloud of mana on the area in front of me. Kyle follows behind me with his spear at the ready. Abby’s father, carrying Andy, follows Kyle while Abby takes the rear, watching our back with her own mana.
We make it to the staircase and I take a second to scan as far up as I can. Satisfied that nothing is close we make our way to the bottom floor of the building. The empty lobby greets us as we file out of the staircase.
I push my mana out through the room to make sure nothing snuck in as we cleared the building. After a few seconds of searching I find nothing of note and motion for the rest to follow me.
I cross the lobby floor and make it halfway to the door when a groan from behind me rings out. Looking back I see Andy gingerly touching his head.
“What the hell happened?” He asks groggily.
I’m honestly shocked that he’s still alive. Just taking a glancing blow from the Brute hurt bad enough. Andy was hit head on and is already conscious.
“Shhh. We’re going back to the office. Everything is okay.” Abby whispers to Andy.
“Wha-”
THUUD!
A loud thud rings out from the elevator door cutting Andy off. I turn back to the metallic doors across the room. My mana races out seeping in through the gaps.
Behind the door a short hunched over person stands. It raises its hands to beat on the door of the elevator. After a few attacks it takes a step back. It clutches a weird shaped pouch on its chest and then hurls something at the door.
Only it didn’t throw something. The glob came flying from it’s mouth.
A strange sizzling sound emanates from the door causing the tingle in my head to ring. In only seconds the metal door of the elevator melts away as a black goop eats through it. Revealing the most disgusting and repulsive creature I’ve seen yet.
Spitter
Level: 32
HP: 98/110
Strands of grey hair stretch down the length of the creature. It hunches over on itself as it carries what looks to be it’s guts. The skin around where it’s stomach should be is completely gone. Instead gusts drip out, spilling out on the floor around the monster.
Greenish grey skin droops and sags on the frail looking body of the spitter. A single eye peers through the melted doors at us.
However, that’s not the worst part. The jaw of the Spitter hangs by a few strands of skin. The skin around it’s throat looks melted as I can the pale pink matter of the things throat.
Black ooze squirts out of it’s permanently open maw as it crawls through the elevator door. The ooze falls to the ground and sizzles. Smoke rises from the spot as the ooze melts into the floor and out of sight.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Two high leveled monsters in succession? What the hell is up with this building? At least I regained my mana from leveling up.
I feel my skin grow hot as my mana flares in response to the zombie. I can feel the muscles of the people behind me tense.
The guts of the Spitter contract and seize as I feel a sense of danger build. The tingle in my mind screams at me to get behind cover as I watch the Spitter hunch over even more.
“SCATTER!” I yell out.
I race towards the reception desk and leap over it. Just as I do I hear a disgusting retching sound as black ooze sprays forth from the mouth of the Spitter. The ooze sails through the air in a stream landing where we were standing seconds ago.
Instantly the ooze sinks into the floor with a sizzling sound. A horrid smell fills the room making me want to gag and reminding me of the first room we entered in this building.
With my Magical Sonar I can tell that everyone got out of the black ooze’s way. Abby’s father has his back to the Spitter while standing in front of Abby. Kyle ran to the entrance of the nearest hallway.
Sure that everyone else is safe I focus my attention back to the Spitter. My eyes lock onto it’s name tag and my heart plummets. Level 32? How? That’s more than ten levels higher than me.
No! You can’t focus on it’s level. You’ve been going toe to toe with high level monsters since the beginning. It doesn’t matter how high their level is.
I coat my tire iron in mana. I force the energy to rotate as fast as it can. It grows white as I feel heat emanating off the tire iron.
I conjure a High Velocity Round and send it towards the monster. It crashes into the thing’s skull, rocketing it backwards. The Spitter falls to it’s butt as the ball of rapidly spinning energy pops. My eyes glance up at the thing’s health.
Spitter
Level: 32
HP: 91/110
It’s strong but it’s defenses aren’t as high as the Brute’s. If I’m fast enough I might be able to sever it’s spine or something.
The Spitter recovers from my probing attack and stands to its feet. It turns its attention to me. It hunches back over and it’s guts start convulsing again. The tingle screams at me to run again.
I listen as I vault myself over the counter. A second later black ooze melts through the counter like a hot spoon melts through Ice cream. I roll to a stop in front of the Spitter.
It focuses on me as it’s guts start convulsing again. I bolt towards it focusing on the part of my mind that houses the tingle. A second later the familiar sensation rings through my mind.
I dodge to the side narrowly avoiding a spray of black ooze. I quickly close the gap between me and the Spitter. I wind up a swing with my tire iron, white hot energy rapidly spinning around the metal.
The tire iron swings out and up, cracking the spitter in it’s open mouth. The bottom half of its jaw flies off as I slam the tire iron into its face. The white energy chews into the thing’s face causing a spurt of black ooze.
I recoil in pain as drops of ooze sprays me. I feel my skin burn away instantly. My mana dissipates instantly as I take several steps back. Looking down I see black dots along my hand where the ooze touched me.
Looking up I see the Spitter take several steps backwards as it tries to recover from my attack. My eyes dart up reading that my attack only did 11 points of damage. Then they fall to where I dropped my tire iron.
It lies on the floor covered in black ooze. Smoke rises from it as the ooze burns through the metal. I feel part of me break.
First my baton and now my tire iron. Am I not allowed to have anything?
I stare back up at the Spitter. It’s guts convulse as it point’s it’s open mouth at me. The ringing in my mind screams at me to move just as the black ooze races out of the Spitter’s mouth.
It sails through the air right on track to me. I try to get out of the way but I know I won’t make it. I’m simply not fast enough.
I close my eyes knowing that my death is imminent. It’ll follow the pain brought upon by having my skin melted off.
Moments pass with no pain. Enough time that the ooze should have definitely hit me. I open my eyes to see a blue wall floating in front of me.
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Abby stands next to me, her arms thrusted forwards. From them a wall of mana is projected into the air in front of me. Black ooze drips off of it and onto the floor.
The wall fades out of existence causing the ooze burning into it to fall to the floor. Looking down I stare at the ooze that should have killed me.
Abby saved me again. I stare at her realizing that I owe her my life. She and I are basically strangers yet she’s come to my rescue multiple times.
“This isn’t the time to be resting.” She says.
I snap back to the battle and focus on the beast in front of me. It’s guts are already convulsing again.
I watch the guts seize as notice that the movement comes from a large sack that hangs in the midsts of the other innards. The tingle in my head screams and I lunge for Abby.
We fall and roll away from where black ooze now sits. The pouch contracted shrinking dramatically right before the ooze was spit.
“Aim for the pouch in it’s guts!” I yell out.
I conjure a few Rifle Rounds and send them into the mass of innards. I watch as Abby does the same. They all make contact exploding as they do so.
Then a spear rockets through the air, with a whistling sound, impaling the pouch. My eyes glance at the thing’s health.
Spitter
Level: 32
HP: 66/110
Those few low powered attacks did more damage than all of my other attacks combined. A plan forms in my mind.
“How many more shields can you make?” I ask Abby.
“Two.” She says.
“It’ll have to do. Can I count on you to protect me?” I ask her.
My eyes stare into the emerald sea that is her eyes. I see the resolution behind them as she answers and I know that I can trust her.
“Absolutely.”
I stand turning my focus on the energy inside of me. I take command of the lake and start to drain it. Energy pushes out of me forming a large ball of energy. But I know that it’s not going to be enough.
Just like the Butcher I need as much mana inside of this attack. I feel the energy inside of me grow sluggish as more and more is drained out of me. But I ignore it’s complaints and command more.
From eighty percent to fifty to thirty. A ball of energy bigger than anything I’ve conjured before floats in front of me.
A wall of blue light flashes into existence before me as I continue to add more and more mana to the ball. I hear a sizzling sound but ignore it. I can trust Abby.
Moments later I feel as if the ball is as full as I can possibly get it. I look to the convulsing pouch and know that the ball of energy is too spread out.
Not sure if it’s possible I start to imagine the ball of energy being smaller. It resists but then starts shrinking. I feel pressure build as the energy is compressed more and more. The arctic blue turns a deep blue then a midnight as it shrinks down to the size of a basketball.
Another blue shield of mana pops into existence in front of me. The rancid smell of the black ooze threatens to break my concentration. I clamp down on my focus and push the ball of mana even smaller.
PING!
Skill Evolution:
Mana Manipulation
Novice -> Apprentice
+3 to Willpower
I ignore the screen that appears in front of me as the tingle in my mind makes me feel as if the energy is ready. I lift my gaze off of it and focus on the Spitter in front of me.
It’s guts convulse as it prepares for another attack.
“Over here!” Abby screams.
The spitter turns to her just as the black ooze sprays from it’s maw. Abby leaps out of the way of the ooze just narrowly avoiding the attack.
Thank you Abby.
I focus on the pouch and command the dense ball of energy to fly. It zips through the air faster than any of my other attacks. It collides into the Spitter and I feel my control on it instantly loosen.
The ball of energy expands incredibly fast. A wave of heat washes over me followed by air as the ball explodes. I’m forced back from the strength of the explosion.
I roll along the ground for only a second. I recover quickly and turn my gaze back to the spitter.
It was knocked backwards into the elevator door. The mass of guts are nowhere to be seen. Looking up I read the red screen above it’s head.
Spitter
Level: 32
HP: 1/110
Jesus, just how strong is this thing? That attack should have been more than powerful enough to kill it instantly. But it just so happens to have one health remaining? What kind of bull crap is this?
Wait, is it still a zombie? Do we have to destroy the brain to actually kill it?
I take stock of my mana reserves feeling that I barely have five percent left. I use what little energy I have left to form a Mana Bullet. I shoot the energy at the thing’s stomach cavity.
It explodes in there with a small pop. But it doesn’t drop the thing’s health.
“Aim for it’s head!” I call out.
I feel a headache pulsating in my mind as I stare at the blasted thing. I try calling out another ball of mana but the energy refuses me.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Abby’s father racing across the floor. He carries the broken half of Andy’s bat. He closes the distance between him and the Spitter in a second.
He swings the bat up in the air and with a mighty roar slams the wood down. A wet thud rings out across the room as the man swings the bat down over and over again. After five hits the single point of health drops to zero.
Spitter
Level: 32
HP: 0/110
PING! Ping!
Level Up
Level Up
I breathe a sigh of relief as a wave of ice washes through me. The lake inside of me instantly fills back up.
Hidden Quest Complete:
Reach Level 20
Reward: Class Selection
Accept Reward:
Yes/No
I freeze as a new screen appears before me. After reading it I accept it instantly. Another class selection? Is there going to be a new option?
The window vanishes and is replaced by a screen I only saw once before. This time it has more options then before. I skim through them feelings of excitement growing in me.
“Is it dead?” Abby’s father asks.
His words break my concentration and the window in front of me vanishes. I quickly think of Class Selection and the window appears before me again.
Relief fills my heart as the worry that I lost the opportunity forever fades. Knowing that I’m going to need to think about my options and that this isn’t the time or place to possibly put myself in a vulnerable position I close the window and turn my focus back to the matters at hand.
“Yeah.” Kyle says while picking up his spear.
It’s now missing more than a foot from its original length. And it has no point like before. But with a little effort it can still be a fine weapon again.
Abby picks herself up from where she had fallen. I walk over to her and help her up. My eyes lock onto her and I feel nothing but gratitude well up inside of me. She kept her promise.
“Thank you.”
“Any time.” She replies.
I feel as if she actually means it. As if she’ll always be willing to risk her life for me. I don’t know why and I don’t really get it. But I know I can trust her.
Aside from the burns on my hands and Andy no one is hurt. Abby’s father collects Andy from where he put him down and then we leave the apartment complex. We quickly get back into the police car.
I take the radio out from it’s spot on my belt, glad that it’s still working.
“We’re on our way back. Over.” I tell the radio.
A second later static crackles from the radio.
“Glad to hear it. We will have the garage ready for you guys to come in through. Over.” Decker says through the radio.
I clip the device back to my belt and watch the building blur past. We’re going home.