CHAPTER 160: Sgolkr
Lucas yanked up his sword, barely getting it to his throat height to block before the clash knocked it away. He had just enough strength to keep the Scyrric’s blade from reaching him, though his own sword and arm were flung wide.
Even before he recovered, a taloned, metal covered foot kicked him in the chest, propelling him backwards. Only the skill [Balance] allowed him to land on his feet.
This Scyrric had so many weapons prepared on his body, much like Lucas, but there was a roughness to the way he used them and moved. After only a few clashes, Lucas could tell both with and without his skills, that this invader wasn’t relying on practiced movements or experience, but on pure stats. The sword swings were crisp because he could move with such force, and his strikes and recoveries were because his strength outpaced the weight of the blade.
Lucas, on the other hand, had a class built around knowing weapons and techniques, many of his skills giving him an instinctive understanding of them. [All Weapons] improved his use of anything he fought with. [Proper Stance] gave him an understanding of how to use his body. [Held Against Me] gave him a better idea of how to fight against his opponent’s weapon.
None of those skills would be enough on their own, so Lucas had practiced diligently at the base. He had practiced various weapons while sparring with the Sentinel Army, his group, and even Adam. Then he had honed his abilities while fighting invaders in live and death combat. All this left Lucas just a few steps below a master at multiple weapons.
He had practiced with swords, staves, axes, hammers, knives, all of varying sizes. Anything that could be used as a weapon he had tried to use. Police batons, crowbars, and even random pieces of metal and wood. It was all to increase his techniques and understanding so he could fight as well as possible. Of course, unarmed martial arts had been mixed in too, learning from many of those who had challenged Adam during the lead up to the invasions.
It was obvious that the Scyrric in front of Lucas hadn’t taken that path. The moves he used were very basic, things that Lucas might have scoffed at normally. But that was the path of the berserker. Ability, practice, and technique took a backseat to overwhelming with stats and power.
As if to reinforce Lucas’s thoughts, the Scyrric flashed red with the use of a skill and then lunged for him.
“[Trade Blows]!” announced Lucas as he used his skill. He wasn’t fast enough to prevent the Scyrric’s blade from striking the side of his chest armor, but as soon as he was impacted, Lucas’s sword flashed and also struck the berserker in the chest. No damage was done to either of them due to the armor they wore, but Lucas was thrown to the side from the strength behind the invader’s hit.
The Scyrric’s eyes widened in surprise at not piercing Lucas’s armor, and Randall took that moment to stab forward with [Blitz Thrust]. A loud clang sounded out as the spear tip struck the legs of their enemy, rebounding from the metal over top of it. A bit of the lighting transferred through the metal and Tom tried to use that.
“[On Your Knees]!” shouted Tom.
To his credit, the Scyrric’s leg did twitch a little, but it was hardly even a breath of time before his blade was heading for Tom.
“You dare try to make me kneel?!” raged the Scyrric. “To give respect to you natives?!”
As he focused on Tom, Joseph approached from behind. Everyone who was not in their Tier 3 class evolution had already withdrawn, trying to get to the wall to help protect the gaps. This included the rest of the Reapers and the defenders who had been with them. There was plenty of space around the current fight since the Scyrric soldiers avoided this around while they rushed for the wall. Only one more Kukiolis was alive, but none of the combatants here had time to pay attention to it.
“[Deadly Penetration], [Under the Seam], [Guillotine Slice]!” Joseph used his armor bypassing skills as his modified spear approached the Scyrric’s neck.
A metal covered tail sprang up and took the attack, once more deflecting a strike. Joseph pulled back and prepared for another attack, but he was too slow as the tail swung low and swept his legs from under him. Joseph fell on his back with a grunt.
The others didn’t let up.
“[Empower Blow], [Reduced Obstacles]!” used Lucas.
“[Quick Strike], [Long Reach]!” activated Tom.
“[Lightning Tip], [Blitz Strike]!” were activated as Randall aimed his strongest individual attack.
The Scyrric had been about to turn to Joseph at his rear but stopped when the other attacks had been used. They should have struck him faster than any person could react. Three powerful attacks from three separate directions. Yet somehow the Scyrric had time to curl his lips and bare his teeth before saying, “[Force Expulsion]!”
Energy rippled from the Scyrric’s body. It radiated in all directions. A force like an invisible wall hit all four of the humans, including Joseph, who was still on the ground. They were all knocked backwards about ten feet. The space around the Scyrric was cleared.
The lizard man had been breathing heavily, shoulders heaving. It wasn’t from the exertion, since it was clear he had strength and stamina for days, but due to his anger. His slitted pupils had turned red while his breath came out hot enough to steam the Rift controlled air.
“You worthless worms!” growled the Scyrric, drawing himself up. Standing tall was unnatural to the lizard men, but he drew himself larger, almost expanding his limbs and arching his shoulders to bring his head higher. “You dare stand against me?! Against the Scyrric?! You continue to fight even when your death in ordained!”
Tom sidled over to Lucas, not taking his eyes from their enemy.
“Temp boss, he’s giving me plenty of trash talk to work with, but I don’t think I should rile him up more than he already is.”
“Probably not,” responded Lucas quietly.
“We have given you every opportunity to take your proper place below us,” continued the Metallic Berserker. “To allow you to live while serving and groveling at the feet of your betters. Instead, you dishonor the Scyrric. You dishonor yourselves. Even without the aberration you struggle pointlessly, for there is only one way this can end.”
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Slowly, the invader turned in a circle, looking at each of them before settling his eyes on Lucas.
“This world is ours,” hissed the Scyrric, as if he was teaching them something profound. “Your race will only live at our allowance. I am Sgolkr, your master, the death that will end you.”
“Anytime now!” Lucas said to a display that was invisible to everyone else.
“Roger!” replied a soldier from the gun tower on the wall.
There was no extra sound…no gunshot. Nothing indicated a weapon was used. Sgolkr’s eyes started to narrow at hearing a new voice when a projectile struck his snout where the helmet didn’t cover. The bullet entered above the lips on his right side and through his teeth on the left.
Shards of his fangs were blown away. His own blood poured into his mouth. Sgolkr choked as he inhaled the blood.
“Ack! Ka!” he sputtered, staggering backwards.
The humans attacked.
Randall aimed for the inside of his mouth, once more using [Blitz Strike]. Tom used [Long Reach] and [Quick Step] towards his legs, to try and keep him off balance. Lucas stabbed towards the neck from the side, enhanced by [Empower Blow]. Finally, Joseph, who was back on his feet, attacked the back of the neck using [Headhunt].
All four blows landed. The three towards his neck and mouth struck. Sgolker’s neck was halfway cut off. Randall’s spear crackled with lighting inside his head as it had gone into the mouth and out the back of the skull.
The four humans stepped back, leaving their weapons as they were, unable to pull them out. Sgolkr’s body didn’t fall, balancing on his thick tail as he tilted backwards. Blood was streaming down his armor and pouring from his mouth. The invader’s head tilted upwards as his eyes became cloudy.
“Careful,” said Tom, no mirth in his voice for once. “No kill notice.”
Lucas reached behind him and pulled out an axe. It was a two-headed circular battle axe with a short handle. He looked at it and then back at the Scyrric. Lucas cautiously took one step forward. Then a second. He held the battle axe ready, either to attack or to defend with it.
Then there was a flash. Sgolkr used a skill. A second flash indicating another skill. Three more times Sgolkr was covered by the red flicker of [System] skills. Then his mouth snapped closed. The spearhead and part of the metal shaft splintered.
The group watched as Sgolkr chewed, the shards of metal dissolving in his mouth. His skull, lips, and teeth began regrowing, healing the wounds. Sgolkr reached up and pulled Lucas’s sword from the side of his neck. When the sword was brought to his mouth he took violent bites, crushing and shattering the metal. All of it dissolved to spur on healing. Joseph’s spear fell out of its wound as the pierced scales regrew.
“Your weapons are made from Scyrric metal,” Sgolkr said calmly. “You hardly even corrupted it when you reshaped it. That is…almost impressive. However, it just shows the damage that aberration has done. His existence has damaged all.”
“You take that back!” shouted Tom, anger filling his own eyes. Lucas had never seen him mad enough to forget his jester persona. “The boss is the best! THE…BEST! YOU will grovel at HIS feet before this is all over!”
Randall, Joseph, and Lucas were all stunned by Tom’s angry outburst. Then Tom began using his skills, layering them all together. His friends felt their presence and the pressure of them. Their minds felt malleable and ready to be warped at the power released. Sgolkr once more staggered as his eyes rolled.
“[The More You Believe], [Persuasive Aura], [Think Twice] and…[Illusionary Reality]!”
Reality changed. The destroyed ground turned to grassland. The wall and city vanished as a brick wall rose to surround them. Then Adam stepped forward, wielding his war hammer. He appeared instantly, like when [Gladiator’s Approach] was used.
Adam glared at the Scyrric, snarling at the invader. His expression of disdain and hate looked down on the Scyrric as if he looked at a single goblin, an easily defeated foe that filled him with revulsion. Adam pulled back his hammer and swung.
The flat of the hammer's head impacted Sgolkr. The invader gurgled as blood dripped from his nose. His steps were unsteady as he staggered sideways. Then a second hammer struck him as another Adam stepped from his other side. Four more Adams appeared from the wall, each with a war hammer. They all began pounding the invader, taking out their hate on him, using their desire to protect the world.
After a minute of this, Sgolkr hissed in a staccato rhythm. He leaned forward, bending at the waist. Laugher came from him as the hammer stopped having any effect.
“You worm. You think an illusion like this is enough to stop a berserker?”
Tom wiped blood from his own nose. He was breathing and sweating heavily.
“A guy can hope,” he said, falling to his hands and knees.
“Hope is not enough to defeat a real warrior,” snarled Sgolkr. “[Cutting Twist]!”
A new skill was used. Sgolkr spun on the spot. Blades in both hands and three on the end of his tail whirled. They didn’t reach the humans, but they did something. There was a cracking sound, like ice splitting after putting it into a warm liquid. Then the sound fizzled, and the illusion faded, returning them to the rough earth ground and city.
Tom gasped, and then fell onto his stomach, blood leaking from his nose. He didn’t move.
The air whooshed suddenly and there was a ping on Sgolkr’s helmet as another bullet bounced off it. The helmet was barely marked.
“Cowardly beasts!” snarled the lizard man. “That will not work again! [Armor Shaping]!”
The wings on his helmet stretched, spreading to cover more of his face. Even his exposed eyes were covered before slits too small for a bullet to aim at appeared. Then his chest armor grew upwards, blocking more of his neck. Now there was no place on his body that wasn’t protected.
Joseph scooped up his spear and tried to attack. Without even turning to look, Sgolkr’s tail thrust at Joseph’s chest, rebounding him back. Sgolkr spun faster than Joseph could react, swinging his blade downward as he rotated. His blade cleanly sliced off Joseph’s right arm.
To Lucas’s surprise, Joseph didn’t scream or yell in pain. He looked down at the arm, at the blood pouring out of where it used to be, and grunted.
Lucas and Randall charged. [Ideal Direction] should have told Lucas where the best place to attack was, but instead he just got a fuzzy feeling. There was no place on Sgolkr that would be effective. He swung anyway.
Sgolkr ignored him as his back was now to them while he patiently watched Joseph pick up his severed arm. The tail swung up and to the side, deflecting Randall’s sword thrust, used in place of his eaten spear. It didn’t even require Sgolkr to focus attention on them.
Lucas clanged as he swung, his axe bouncing off the armor. His strength was high enough that it caused Sgolkr to flinch and shift his weight from the impacts, but that was all it did.
Slowly, Sgolkr turned to face him. The axe swings harmlessly bounced off, but when Lucas worked his angle to have a chance at thrusting the point of one of the axe heads under the helmet, Sgolkr’s hand snapped up and caught the edge of the axe.
“You,” slowly hissed Sgolkr. “For your bravery against the yellow little giant, you will have the honor to die first. [Weapon Shaping].”
Lucas tried to pull the axe back, but the metal was crushed and bent in the Scyrric’s hand. Lucas released it and pulled out a combat knife. He went to stab it, but a large taloned claw grabbed his chest armor. The metal warped and drew away from the hand, exposing the leather layer underneath. The talons slowly punctured the feral behemoth hide and dug into his skin.
Sgolkr lifted Lucas's body, bringing him to head height. They both glared at the other. Then Sgolkr’s other hand brought up his blade, pointing it at Lucas’s throat. There was a twinkle in Sgolkr’s eyes as the blade began to move.
***
Detachment Commander Victor Rexus brought down the binoculars he had been looking through. He was standing on a building just outside of the territory, several miles away from the wall. The entire distance between the building and the wall was empty of structures since Jordan had absorbed everything for materials to build the Rift.
He had watched the fighting, observed the enemies. A plan had formed in his head and there was no lack of confidence in his smug expression.
“Go to General Carmichael,” Rexus said to Jamari Gillum. “Tell him to get onto the wall. The base at Jackson will be ready to surrender.”