The creature had positioned itself to where only one arm was able to reach into the cell with full range. The other trapped in an awkward angle by the spacing of the bars.
Eli inched closer, to where he was just out of reach. The creature started to thrash against the bars from his close proximity.
He took one of the bone daggers and stabbed at the outstretched hand, seeing how much damage it could do. The creature grabbed hold of the dagger with its superior speed and reflexes, ripping the weapon from his hand and pulling him closer from the momentum. The next thing he knew he was thrown to the floor as pain exploded from his face.
*ding*
-9 HP
Inflicted with Blind
Sight reduced by 50%
Eli immediately rolled away from the bars. He could once again taste blood as he touched his face. He could feel the bone and gouged flesh on his cheek.
Rage started to build within him as he stood back up and glared at the creature. He took a deep breath as he clenched his fists. The creature was still screeching as it clawed towards him.
Eli roared back at the creature for all he was worth, his scream filled with anger and pain.
*ding*
Blind Removed
As his vision cleared his anger was still climbing. You can't afford to be this fucking stupid! He berated himself. He was smarter than this! He needs to be smarter than this! He didn't just cut off his own fucking arm to die to a fucking one armed zombie! He continued to swear as he tried to bring himself back under control.
Any damage he did would be healed by his aura, so the best option would be to somehow restrain its ability to hurt him while he could whittle down its health. The most dangerous part of the creature right now was its right arm, so the first thing he needed to do was to neutralize it.
He needed a rope, he realized. His shirt was too tattered and there wasn't enough material. He looked at the blanket on the other side of the room that he could probably use but he was unsure of how the creature would react, afraid the creature would readjust itself. Which meant if he didn't want to take that risk, he had just one option. He was going to have to use his pants.
After taking them off he started to use his bone to cut the pants apart into long strips. He then tied the strips into knots. After he finished he tested the strength and it seemed passable, but he was unsure of how it would hold with the creature's strength. There was only one way to find out though. He tied one end into a Honda knot and put the other through a bar that separated the cell next to his to act as a pulley and anchor point.
He held his makeshift lasso in one hand and the end of his rope in the other. This way if the creature grabbed the rope it would pull him safely backwards. He braced himself as he tossed it towards the creature. Luckily, it didn't react to the lasso, it just continued to swipe at the air. He pulled back but it just fell off the creature's arm and onto the ground.
He tried again, this time he waited for the creature to angle its arm upward before he pulled. The lasso caught on its wrist this time. He pulled the end of the rope as he started to walk towards the creature. This tightened the slack which pulled the creature's arm, while his closer proximity made the creature reach farther into the room.
This also had the added effect of turning the creature to its side, neutralizing almost all the reach of his other arm. He then tied the end of the rope into the taught line, creating a slip knot that he ran back into the bar.
Eli looked at the line to see if it would hold up. He couldn't find any blatant weak points, but the creature also wasn't really putting much effort into fighting it. He decided to test it more and moved towards the other side of the cell to inspect the blanket. He watched the creature who now tried to resist its binding, but it held.
The blanket was completely unusable, the material mostly destroyed at this point. He got back up and grabbed a dagger with each hand before he cautiously started to approach the creature. He quickly waved his hand within its strike range, the creature started to struggle more violently but it was ultimately futile. Feeling it was worth the risk, he lunged in and thrust a dagger into the creature's side as far as he could before he jumped back. The creature roared in pain as black blood flowed from the wound.
Eli noticed the wound was starting to heal from the slowing blood flow, but since he left his bone stuck into its body it was unable to deal with the majority of the damage.
His fears were washed away and replaced by a new found rush of excitement as he started to laugh loudly, which joined in the chorus of screams coming from the creature.
He rushed back in and kicked the dagger with his heel repeatedly, until he drove it completely into the creature. He jumped back as the creature's screams started to fade as it's breathing become rapid and shallow. It's body started to slump as its movements became more sluggish.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
He moved in again and put his arm through the bar as he drove the other half into its other lung. He pushed it in as far as he could, the creature started to crumple as he could hear it gurgling on blood. He watched on as the creature continued to choke on its own blood.
*ding*
You Have Gained
Unwilling Aura Lv. 3
Anything Affected Regenerates 0.3 HP/s
Range: 12 meters
Eli paused at the notification, unsure of how it might affect the creature. After a minute more of watching, it was still in an unresponsive state. It seemed that his aura was keeping it alive, but that was it.
This made him grin as he grabbed his last two daggers and opened the cell door. He approached the creature before he kicked its foot, watching as it barely even twitched. He then grabbed the creature's free arm and fed it between a bar and back through until the inside of its elbow rested on the bar. He then brought its hand back towards its chest before he drove a dagger through its hand and into its chest.
This spread the creature on the bars while making it face him. He was faintly reminded of a pinned butterfly.
Using his last dagger he started to slowly cut the creature's skin as he watched it heal immediately after. He pulled his gaze towards the creature's face.
"I wonder what you thought of when you first saw me." He started to whisper to the creature. "Certainly you thought I was weak, you told me that yourself." He looked at his black dyed bone dagger for a moment before looking back into its gaping eyes. "An exotic bug that you could play with, maybe? Something to join in on your games before you got bored and crushed it?" He could feel rage start to build inside him as he thought about how it had strangled him, how it toyed with him, how it had killed him.
He brought his face closer to the creature's face, mimicing its earlier behavior. "Don't worry..." He placed his left hand on its face giving it a gentle tap. "I'll make sure you can continue to watch as this bug continues to play."
He then thrust the bone into its heart. The cold blood gushed all over his skin, doing nothing to calm the rage inside him.
He pulled it out and kept plunging it into the creature as he screamed in anger. Notification after notification started to sound in his ears, but he ignored them as he started to plunge his dagger into the creature's neck until he slowly started to pull and rip the creature's head from its body.
He grabbed the creature's head by its black painted hair before it burst into a bright light. Its form started to twist and change before a familiar sound echoed in his ears. The last of his anger evaporating into joy at the notification, his laughter echoing through the halls.
*ding* *ding* *ding*
You Have Killed Khopuo the Descended!
+0 XP
New Title Unlocked
Aberration
You have slain a Higher Being
-1% to Requirements
Name Insignificant Race Insignificant Level 0 Class Revenant Titles (New!) Progenitor, Tenacious, Aberration Age 0% Lifespan 292 Days Health 40/40 Mana 10/10 Attributes (New!) Unspent Points 0 Strength 1 Dexterity 1 Vitality 1 Wisdom 1 Charisma 1 Will 1 Endurance 1 Affinities None Resistances Pain 2 Essence Drain 1 Active Skills Inspect 1 Passive Skills (New!) Dark Sight 3 Death's Curse MAX Unwilling Aura 3
Khopuo's Skull Primitive (Growth) Bound Armor: 1 Durability: 10
"Well, this is certainly better than what I had in mind." Eli chuckled as he placed the skull helm on his head.