1.07
He stared into the creatures vivid red eyes. Its huge maw slavered and revealed wickedly sharp (and large) teeth. Eric stared in fear at the sofa sized rat. It reached his shoulders, not only its height but its length was outrageous. Stupidly Eric could only wonder how the hell it managed to fit through the apartment door. The rat was not alone however. Unknowing to Eric until some had filtered into the kitchen and subsequently onto tiles. The rats had swarmed into the apartment, combined with the rats already her there was now around a dozen of the blighters. A mix of large and normal sized overgrown rats. Accompanied by a true monster. They all intended to wipe out their invader. Eric felt true terror.
The battle began in earnest when one of the smaller rats tried to get the first bite in. It leaped at Eric, jaws wide. To be met by a thrown knife. This was just the beginning however. All the smaller rats then rushed him. Eric survived only through their lack of coordination. As they leaped 8 or 9 at roughly the same time Eric dived under one. Leaving the rest to smack into each other. One rat got its bite of flesh. As it gripped tightly onto his shoulder Eric flailed wildly throwing it off straight into another oncoming rat. After he broke the encirclement Eric never stayed still. He was constantly swinging at the leaping rats with his knives or feet, stepping aside as they rushed past him The rats were dying off quickly but Eric himself was dying a death of a thousand bites. He was covered in both shallow and deep cuts where teeth or claws had reached flesh. Panting heavily Eric plunged his knives into a wounded rat. The smaller rats were now fighting smarter. They used the same tactics as one of the groups he fought before. Feints with better coordination. Eric resolved this group as he had the one before. Throwing knives and then rushing the wounded foes to finish them. As he regathered the knives Eric tried to smirk at the enraged monster rat. Except he was too filled with pain. He felt each and every one of his wounds. The pain was astronomical. He feared checking his status to find out how much health he had. No, what he feared was having to fight this monster.
The monster rushed him, very like the rats previously. Its movements were the same but… This rat was huge. Eric threw a knife before rolling to the side. Eric got to see the knife bounce harmlessly off the rat before it went rushing past. Then he was struck by the tail. He flew into a wall with bone crushing force. His body just missing a flat screen television hanging on said wall. Eric groaned in pain. He had felt a distinctive crunch of bones fracturing as he impacted. His eyes watered but he once again started to stand. To remain down meant death.
The monstrous rat began to rush him again. Eric futilely released another couple of knives before drawing his last pair. This time as he leaped to the side he made two desperate swipes with his knives. One sliced into the monster’s side while the other deflected the tail. The tails own momentum made the knife cut deeply. As Eric reached safety the rat struck the wall. The television then fell. Smacking the rats head. Eric raised his eyebrow. Did the television just kill the monster for me? Moments later the flat screen was thrown to the side by a shake of the rat’s head. It then turned to face him. If possible the rat looked even angrier than before.
Eric retreated to the kitchen as the rat started to charge towards him once again. It was a limp run situation derived from fear and desperation. This time as the rat neared him it was met by a toaster to the face. Slowed down from the attack of the kitchen appliance and struggling to reach its target within the kitchens confined space, the rat backed off. A mistake. Eric used the opportunity to throw a microwave at the monster. Ignoring the pain from his damaged bones and overtaxed muscles Eric followed up the microwave with several knives he had grabbed from a convenient knife rack. The rat was obviously effected by the attacks. 2 out of the 5 knives cut deeply into the rats torso and stayed there. Furthermore, the microwaves smashed on impact. Showering the rat in shattered glass and broken metal. The rat was weakened and frustrated. It pulled back into the lounge.
The rat wasn’t the only one weakened. Eric could feel his vitality draining. Trying to staunch several of his more accessible wounds he grabbed a pair of dish towels and bound his shoulder and thigh. Prepared for the worst Eric said “status” and willed it to appear.
Name: Eric Scot
Age: 27
Race: Human
Class:
Level: 5
Faction: Unaffiliated
Distributable Status Points: 0
Hitpoints: 21/100
Stamina: 17/125
Health Regeneration: 1/s
Stamina Regeneration: 5.25/s
Vitality: 10
Mana: 100/100
Strength: 13
Mana Regeneration: 0.5/s
Agility: 12
Intelligence:10
Dexterity: 11
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 5
Charm: 5
His health wasn’t as bad as he thought. He assumed it was because he had no ‘fatal’ wounds. All his current ones had started to drain his health gradually. The Hitpoints had even dropped by 1 as he stood there exhausted. He knew then that even if he slew the rat. He wouldn’t make it back to the apartment. He once again retreated. This time he stepped quickly out of the kitchen and limp-ran dazedly towards the master bedroom.
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Eric found that it was a woman’s apartment once he began searching for cloth to bind his wounds in the wardrobe. Before that, he closed the door and in agony, pulled off his ragged and bloody clothes. Anxious, Eric unceremoniously ripped apart what was once an expensive silk dress. He then proceeded to press the silk against his wounds. To complete this painful but necessary enterprise he then began tightly wrapping his body with some more clothing. An attempt to mummify himself and therefore keep the makeshift silk bandages in place. Exhausted but to on edge Eric tried to relax. Lying on the king-sized bed, he stayed as still as possible to make sure the clothing stayed in place. He then relaxed his mind. Trying to think about anything other than the monster in the lounge.
Eric was frozen in place. He was surrounded in darkness. It was just him and the monster. Its red eyes flashed. Eric could feel amusement emanating from around him. The monsters slavering maw and bloody teeth came closer and closer. He could see individual pieces of flesh within its jaws. The rat came closer, unable to move Eric began to scream. The monster lunged at him.
Startled awake. Eric could feel sweat on his brow. The nightmare was not the first of its kind since the apocalypse began but… this one was incredibly focused and detailed. The worst one yet. Sitting up he patted cautiously his mummified body. There was no pain. While Eric was tempted to pull off his bandages there was an easier way to measure his recovery. “Status”
Name: Eric Scot
Age: 27
Race: Human
Class:
Level: 5
Faction: Unaffiliated
Distributable Status Points: 0
Hitpoints: 100/100
Stamina: 125/125
Health Regeneration: 1/s
Stamina Regeneration: 5.25/s
Vitality: 10
Mana: 100/100
Strength: 13
Mana Regeneration: 0.5/s
Agility: 12
Intelligence:10
Dexterity: 11
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 5
Charm: 5
It seemed he was fully recovered. Eric got off the bed. Then slowly and carefully he began unravelling the makeshift bandages. It all came off rather easily and rather quickly. Emphasizing how fragile it was. When it was completely off he stood there and examined his body. As expected there were more scars. Though of course they looked months old. Overall he was pleased. He went from near death to relatively healed. Although he was kind of hungry...Thinking about his less than appetizing choices. He remembered that he still had a monster slay.
Sneaking into the lounge Eric could tell the rat had not been idle during his nap. Disgustingly it had eaten the majority of its dead kin. Like Eric had been, the rat was currently sleeping (and snoring). Eric looked for a suitable way to wake it up. There wasn’t that much to choose from. He had thrown most of the loose kitchen appliances during the first fight. The rat was also lying comfortable on a shattered coffee table so there wasn’t a chance to recreate the spider battle. There wasn’t a chance of sneaking past the rat and using some of furniture he had built the barricade with. That would mean passing far too close to the rat for comfort. In the end, he threw a stool.
Although the stools impact looked painful. It didn’t seem to have much of an effect. It shook off its sleepiness and stood once more. The rat turned. Red eyes once again drilled into. Filled with anger and malice. Eric shivered. His recent nightmare was on his mind. Eric searched his inner pockets for a moment. The staring contest went on. Without taking his eyes off his opponent, Eric took a few gulps out of a hipflask. He smiled briefly as he felt the familiar feeling of the spirits warming him. Screwing the lid closed and putting the flask away Eric once again prepared for battle.
As Eric prepared to meet and hopefully counter the beasts charge he forlornly wished for a proper weapon. Preferably one with greater reach. He really dislikes the idea of getting his hands so close to that things jaws. Rushing forward at the same time as the rat. Eric tried to replicate how he fought before. Diving to the left so the rat sped safely past. A slash with his knives to deflect the tail. The first pass was successful. One of his knives missed the tail while the other cut deeply, jarring his wrist. As the rat passed Eric stood back up swiftly. He then sprinted at the rats back. Knives ready to pierce. He was stopped in midair by the tail. It suddenly whipped out and struck him in the ribs. Sending him flying.
Eric rolled as he impacted the ground. Groaning at the pain to his ribs. Frustrated. He stood back up. A little shakier than before. The rat didn’t charge this time. It stepped forward at a slower more cautious pace. It was obviously adapting to his technique. He met its eventual lunge with a knife to the snout. However, the impact knocked him back a few meters. The rat seemed unfazed. Eric regained his balance. The rat lunged once more. Eric stepped agilely to the side. His knife flashing out to cut into the side of its head. The rat winced and shifted its body away from his blade. The battle went on like this for several minutes. When it charged he would dive out the way and try to get a slash in or deflect the tail. If it approached cautiously he would avoid the snapping jaws and slash at any available target. This didn’t go without cost. While the rat was slowly weakening from repeated cuts. Eric was being smacked by the rats greater momentum. He felt like one big bruise and his wrists ached. His grip on his knives failing.
Diving out the way of a charge, Eric once again blocked the tail. He then watched as the rat struck the wall behind him. He used the opportunity. As the rat moved slower, obviously stunned by smacking headfirst into a wall. Eric leaped for its back. The tail whipped out like before but this time, Eric knocked it to the side. He landing knives first on the rats back. Eric didn’t stop there. While the rat winced in pain. Eric pulled the knives out and plunged them back in. He got three good thrusts in before he felt the rat begin to roll. Eric leaped off. As he jumped the rat smacked its back into the wall. Landing safely on the ground and moving swiftly away Eric breathed deeply in relief. He would have been crushed if he remained on the rats back.
The rat was definitely affected by his attack. It moved slower. Its eyes less focused. It took a moment for the rat to turn and face him once more. Eric smirked as he saw the rat act far more hesitant than before. It no longer approached him. No longer saw him as prey. He was the predator. The rats instinctive cowardice would be its undoing. The monster slowly backed up into the wall. Cornering itself. Shirking away from the fight. He could see it continue to weaken. The legs no longer having the same strength. The tail no longer moving wildly. Eric met its new-found cowardice with a thrown stool to the face.
The stool struck hard before be knocked aside. Eric used the opportunity to slash the rat deeply in the side of the face with a knife. He backed off once more. The rat continued to weaken. Losing consciousness from continued blood loss sapping its vitality. Eric waited for it to weaken further. After a moment, he dashed forward. The rats eyes struggling to focus on his moving figure. It tried to bite him. Except, Eric feinted the first lunge. Still wary of the rat. Its missed lunge pulled it out of position. Its slowed movements making it an easy target. Eric’s knife plunged deep into the monsters dim red right eye. The rat collapsed.