The lumber mill was a big building. The roof was a good four stories tall, although a network of rafters crisscrossed the top quarter of the open space. The rafter braces were supported by tens of support beams evenly separated down the length of the building in parallel rows. Between each set of support beams was one or two rows of conveyor belt lines, with round saws at various stages to make round tree trunks into usable wood.

The building was large and open. Light streamed in from the riverside chute openings and the windows that ran down the building's entire length 20 to 30 feet up. The office space three stories up on the riverside also had a lower section that would also allow supervisors to overlook the entire production. Wooden stairs on either end led up to that level. It was for the nearest set of stairs that Michael knew they needed to make for first.

The giant monitor lizard stood there staring in their direction for a few moments, its long tongue flicking out to test the air. Michael knew it was only a matter of time before the stalemate was broken. It would be better for the two of them if they were the ones to get an extra split second of time to get to a more defensible position

“Get to the stairs,” Michael demanded tugging on Kyrie’s arm as he dashed for the wooden stairs. Kyrie ran in unison, perhaps being only a step behind him.

Michael could only assume that the lizard monster had started after them. His sight was focused on the wooden stairs ahead. They had several hundred feet headstart on the beast. The stairs had one cut back, with the elbow actually pointing back the way they were coming. Michael was even with the flat landing when he first heard the horrible ‘clack, clack, clack’ of the creature's talons on the wood.

He reached the end of the stairs wheeling about. Now he could see the beast lumbering toward them, and now he was also moving towards the beast as he climbed the steps two at a time. Michael only had a few steps left before he reached the landing and could turn and climb in the opposite direction. However, the giant monitor was already there. It launched itself up, landing on the side of the stairs, catching the stair crossbeam supports for its footing.

Its long neck came up and over the stair railing, even as wood groaned and its legs fought to maintain its position. The creature was not too preoccupied to take a snap at Michael. He gave it a machete to the neck for its trouble, having easily sidestepped the wide open maw. The blade cut into fresh, but not too deeply. For a creature of this size it was likely just a flesh wound.

The head whipped in pain, catching Michael in the side and slamming him into the stair railing that groaned from the impact but held. Kyrie was there a second later, swiping with her katana. The creature whipped its head and neck backward to avoid the swipe. That is when the wood the creature was using for support gave way, sending the creature tumbling awkwardly back to the lumber mill cement floor.

Michael hopped back to his feet and started up the next flight of stairs. Kyrie was a couple steps ahead. Michael heard the creature launch itself back onto the stairs. The claws scrambled for grasp and the stairway groaned. They hit the walkway and started toward the office door. Last thing Michael saw before entering into the office was the giant monitor pulling itself up on the landing. He closed the door behind them.

The office seemed fairly typical: a desk, metal filing cabinets, and another oval like table, likely used for small meetings with a handful of others. On the far end were steps. The stairway coming back their way was evident due to the diagonal ceiling. Michael immediately pushed one of the filing cabinets in front of the door. The doorway was normal. It would likely be as good a place to make a stand as any other.

“I’m going to go grab the drop,” Kyrie said, running away.

“What?” Michael cried, but she was already gone. He only saw one of her legs before it disappeared and he heard her thumping up the stairs.

Michael did not have to wait too long. The monitor slammed into the door. The upper hinge gave way immediately resulting in the metal door bending into the office from the top down. Michael saw the monitor's face, and instantly sent a pulse empowered bolt toward the creature. It was a direct hit. The head snapped back, hissing in pain.

A second later the door was ripped outward by one clawed hand. Michael had his left hand already extended, pointing toward the opening. He let the bolts fly. The head was not visible, but with how big the creature was he could hardly miss. Bolt after bolt were sent into the creature’s main mass. They each sank deeply in, causing the creature to writhe in pain.

Then Michael saw the body disappear, wood snapped, and the creature’s guttural roar cut off abruptly. Michael dared himself forward to take a look. Had the beast actually fallen off the walkway. Michael mounted the metal filing cabinet and looked out. The railing to his right was gone. The remnants were splintered wood that had given way when the creature had thrown its body into it. Michael saw the creature 25 feet below scramble back to its feet. Its head swiveled back in his direction and it let out one angry hiss.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Damn wasn’t the creature supposed to land on one of those round saw blades and be dead, like in the movies. Seconds later the creature was bounding up the stairs. Michael glanced at his status. He had shot 10 bolts using 3 pulses. They had definitely hurt the creature, but Michael only had enough pulse to manage a couple more. He had plenty of more bolts to use, but they would do less than the pulse empowered ones.

It only took the giant monitor seconds to hit the walkway and it ran full sprint at the doorway. It smashed into the frame, its front hips hit on both sides causing the frame to splinter inwards before the creature’s momentum ran out. The creature was to wide. Michael drained his pulse down to 1 shooting 3 more bolts at the creature's head. He hit the neck with the second one causing the head to whip around.

Michael moved to the steps peppering the giant monitor with non imbued bolts. Despite the thrashing, Michael could make out where the bolts had hit. Blackish blood dribbled from each of them, but the creature was as lively as ever. The doorway bulged even further as wood splintered, Michael retreated up the steps to the upper office.

The upper office was similar to the executive office they had been at the day before ornate furniture and a fancier desk and chairs. All coated in years of dust and grime.

“Get anything useful,” Michael called out to Kyrie who was still in the corner of the room.

“Unlocked my Ki,” she said, flashing him a smile.

“Happy for you,” Michael called, starting out onto the balcony. In truth, despite the situation he felt nothing but frustration at the girl. Why did she keep getting good things on her first try? The premium upgrade was awesome, but as he had just seen his bracer had not become some sort of cheat item. If he wanted to get through the whole survival battle with it, he would have to upgrade it over and over again to keep up with the battle creature’s progression.

“We're going to have to get out onto the roof,” Michael said after a moment’s deliberation. Once the creature had wiggled itself through the door frame, it would easily be able to manage the stairs, and this office did not offer any sort of cover.

While there was a roof slanting down under the balcony toward the chutes, it was steep and made of sheet metal. They would slide right down it. Last thing he wanted to do was fall three or four stories with a creature hot on their heels. He might have considered it, if he felt they could run away escaping the creature. However that clearly was not an option.

Instead Michael climbed up on the balcony railing to reach the office roof that ran perpendicular to the rest of the roof. With his increased attributes, pulling himself up was a simple thing. Kyrie climbed up right after him. They heard a terrible crash. Seconds later the creature was already scrambling up the stairs. The noise stopped, momentarily as the creature searched the office for them. It only hesitated briefly before the crashing resumed as it barreled through the office.

Kyrie and Michael stood near the edge of the roof. It was the last good place for them to make a stand. They had the high ground. Michael had used an energy shot recovering 25 points. Enough to fire 8 more fully imbued shots, which was about as many as he had to expend.

The creature hit the balcony, its tongue testing the air. It wheeled about after a few slithers. It easily lifted itself on its hind legs and gripped the edge of the roof with its front claws. Its serpentine neck lifted up and over, putting it at their chest level. Both Michael and Kyrie attacked from both sides to keep the creature from climbing the rest of the way.

They both weaved in and out of the creature’s range. As the monitor snapped at one the other moved in to deliver a strike. Michael was able to use quick step to go in and back out, and Kyrie was able to freeze it briefly with her spirit energy. The two alternated without the creature seemingly learning. Finally Kyrie was able to connect solidly to give the creature a nasty gash. The monitor pulled back its front legs landing slamming back on the deck. The whole area shuddered.

The balcony groaned and Michael heard wood snap. The balcony started to sway back and forth. Michael continued the attack firing pulse imbued bolts. Three misses, and then one went down its throat as it hissed at them. The giant monitor stumbled further away toward the edge of the balcony. The center of balance shift caused the remaining supports that were holding up the balcony to give out. The entire balcony slammed down onto the roof below and started sliding down the steep roof and over the edge.

Michael and Kyrie watched in disbelief as the giant monitor and balcony both went over the lip and disappeared from sight. A moment later they heard a crash of metal as the balcony and creature hit the chutes down below. Then another crash of wood and metal as they hit the ground below. In total the drop was likely a good 40 to 50 feet since this side of the building was closer to the river. Not something a normal creature should be able to walk away from, but this was a tier 2.

However, after several minutes of listening they had not heard anything. With all the wood and metal that had likely fallen around it, there surely would have been some noise. “Do you think it’s dead… Or perhaps knocked out?” Kyrie asked.

“Maybe… but the real question is how we are going to get down from here?”