“Gasp!”
Slamming my back against the wall of the passageway and taking big breaths, I look down the passageway. Littering it are the corpses of the zombies, Alice and I were able to successfully lure them in and kill the zombies without being overwhelmed. I’m light headed due to nearly exhausting my entire mana supply, but the only thing remaining in that room was the giant. Given its size and the simple attacks from the zombies I just fought, it’ll be a rough fight but I’ll make it out.
“Kraa, kraa!” Jumping up and down in front of me and flapping her wings, Alice seems concerned. I had noticed earlier; I can feel what kind of mood she was in, maybe it’s because of our connection. Between heavy breaths, I smile and pick her up, stroking and gently kissing the top of her head.
“I’m okay I’m okay, just a little worn out.”
An underestimation by far. My clothing has rips through it, there are light cuts caused by my wind and some bruising on my arms and legs. Some zombies managed to grab me and their grip was strong enough to leave bruises. Or was my Toughness really that bad? Thankfully none bit me, and other than the wounds from cutting myself with the wind, they didn’t pierce my skin. There were many close calls, but with a bit of satisfaction I looked at the System while trying my best to ignore the foul smell of rot.
[You leveled to 12!]
[You leveled to 13!]
[Alice has leveled to 2!]
[Alice has leveled to 3!]
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Alisha
Demonic Fox and Human Hybrid
Level 13
Health: 500
Mana: 750
Experience: 8,300/18,000
Class: Demonic Dancing Fox Fighter
Class Level: 1
Experience: 0/50000
Skills: Demonic Fox Awakening (Incomplete, 3.53% Awakened), Lashing Fire Kick, Drunken Brawler
Spells: Wind Magic]
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Stats
Strength: F Agility: D-
Intelligence: F Toughness: F-
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After gaining two additional levels, I feel a lot stronger than when I was still level 10. Knowing I have become faster and stronger, even if was just a little, I look at my Stats again and tilt my head. They haven’t changed, Teacher Lee did say they weren’t easy to change either, but why was I still gaining strength? Maybe he forgot to tell me something, wasn’t willing to tell me, or I was just getting stronger naturally. Knowing Teacher Lee, it’s more likely he may have just simply forgotten to tell me something important about Stats. I get back up and face the room. The upcoming fight wasn’t something I could avoid, even battered and bruised, I would need to overcome this giant so I could move forward. I don’t know why, I just had a feeling that if I keep pushing forward I could get out of here soon.
Putting Alice back on my head, I turn back and look at the zombies. I considered putting on the armour they used, all the armour they wore was solid, it was hard to punch through and would offer protection if I wore it, but it would cost me my speed, something vital to my fighting style. Shaking my head, I reject the idea of using the armour and continue onto the room.
Still standing in the middle of the room unmoving, the giant doesn’t react to me in the slightest. With a bit more freedom, I look around and see three more pathways, one in each cardinal direction. Taking some steps inside along the wall, I planned to walk into the giant’s blindspot to attempt to kill it in one go. Just as my body crosses the threshold into the room, there is a loud bang. Jumping back in an attempt to get out, my back hits a wall that wasn’t there a second ago. Turning back quickly, I see the door has disappeared, like it never existed. Turning and looking at where the other passageways were a moment ago, they too had been replaced. While I’m panicking, the giant starts moving as its name, level and species change.
[Level 17 Reanimated Frost Giant, Xoszus]
A named monster?! I only know about named monsters because of how fearful the humans sounded when they spoke of them, I don’t know what it entails but if it frightened them, it must be something equally scary. A chill spreads through the room quickly, shivering out of either fear or cold, I quickly get into my stance as the giant starts to change. The System rings out clearly in my mind as I see something I hadn’t seen before from it.
[Emergency! A mutation has been triggered, Zombified Giant has become a Guardian Class Reanimated Frost Giant. Emergency Unique Quest has been updated!
Slay Xoszus, the mutated Guardian of the Depths of Crater Hell. Rewards to be determined upon completion.]
‘The System is calling this an emergency? A mutation was triggered?’ Looking at the giant, Xoszus, its skin starts to become a deep blue, healing itself and losing the rot from before, growing taller, finally stopping as it reaches a height big enough that I needed to crane my neck to see its head. Taking a breath and relaxing myself, a little frustrated that I didn’t know what a mutation is. Thinking to myself that I can’t run from this, I know I need to overcome it. Feeling a shivering from my head, I purse my lips in frustration. “Sorry Alice, things are going to get rough. Make sure to hide if I die okay?” “Kraa!” A strong feeling of annoyance and frustration came from Alice. “Okay okay, you don’t need to say it again. Let's do this together Alice and get out alive.” “Kraa!” Feeling a determination from Alice as well as myself, I look at Xoszus and make a move first. He was still healing and getting up, this was the best time to attack.
Kicking the wind up on my legs, I control it to the highest level I can without losing control, I move fast towards Xoszus’ back. Staying low to the ground, I spring up with the help of the wind below my feet, I go to slam into the spot just below its skull. As I’m about to reach him, I see a shadow moving towards me from the right, it was fast! Relying on my instincts, I threw all the focus of mana towards where it was approaching, pulling all the wind I’ve built up into a wall on my right. Feeling a bursting pop of wind, and a light blow to my side, I slam back into the wall that I had approached from. Sliding down, I gasp for air, quickly checking for any injuries. Seeing some light bruising on the side that hit the wall, I check on Alice and know she is fine from her soft kraa. Jumping up, I spin up the wind around me and start feeling light headed again. Gritting my teeth, I knew if I did that move again, I would pass out due to a lack of mana.
I should’ve rested before coming in here, I was too careless! Feeling my frustration, Alice gives out a loud, determined kraa as she flaps her wings and starts flying around me. Smiling at seeing her flying, even knowing it was not the time, I nodded to her, I knew was telling me to trust her. Getting back up, I see Xoszus standing there looking at me, with his palm behind his neck, it was like he was looking at an annoyance. “I believe in you Alice.” “Kraa!” Flying high above the reach of the Frost Giant, Alice flies around in a circle, a bit unstable initially as she gets used to flying. Facing Xoszus, I clench my fists, and without warning, I move as a fist comes slamming down where I stood a moment ago, rising the momentum brought on by the blow behind me, I approach Xoszus, as he opens his mouth. I see a faint blue light coming from it, becoming brighter by the second. With a bad feeling in my stomach, I trust in my instincts once again and use my full speed swiftly to move under the giant's legs.
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Feeling an extreme cold from behind me, I glance and see tons of ice forming. Turning my body around, I focus energy into my leg. Lashing Fire Kick, it doesn’t use any mana, instead using stamina. Maybe fire will deal more damage to him. Biting my lip, I use nearly the last of my mana to bounce myself up with wind magic once again; however in that moment I notice something wrong with my leg. It wasn’t flaring up, perhaps because of how cold it was. Annoyed, I knew I had no choice but to rely on that.
“System, use Lashing Fire Kick!”
As I call this out, I feel a strong burst of energy as my leg sets on fire. Knowing this was stronger than I could manage at the moment, I started spinning as I threw the kick at the giant's neck once more. Instead of aiming to hit me like last time, it doesn’t move, continuing that frost breath and my kick slams down onto Xoszus’ neck. It’s like kicking steel, so hard! The fire on my leg flares up before going out; I notice a small flame on his neck, burning slowly but getting a bit stronger. Falling down, I spin onto my side, and hit the ground rolling. Getting back to my feet, I run as I make distance between myself and the giant. I jump at the last second and feel a force, likely a fist, slam down and hit the ground, the force sending me flying into a wall once again. Groggy, light headed and bleeding heavily from hitting the wall head first, I slowly get up and look at Xoszus while sensing the little mana I had left. I feel light headed, either from mana exhaustion or hitting that wall, perhaps both.
Slamming a palm on his neck and removing it, I watched as the flame I had left was snuffed out, leaving a small scorch mark. Gritting my teeth, I doubt the flames did much damage in the first place. Feeling my vision turning dark, I bite on my tongue and hold on. I can’t pass out here, I have to survive, I must, I want to see Sally and Gray, I want to watch Alice grow, I want to save my brethren from the humans. Taking out a bottle of mana from my waistband, something that Teacher Lee had given me before leaving and without time to uncork it, I throw the entire bottle in my mouth, crunch down breaking the glass and try my best to only swallow the liquid as I start moving again. It won’t recover all my mana, but it would at least give me enough to keep fighting. Avoiding another blow narrowly, I’m hit with a force of wind and blown away, this time I successfully land on my feet and continue to move. Spitting out what glass I could, along with blood and swallowing the rest, I ran along the edge of the room, dodging what I could. This giant had some power, and that breath attack it did would kill me on the spot. Any attacks from him would kill me.
Feeling my mana slowly restoring itself, I kick up my wind only on my legs, speeding back up. As I pick up speed, I hear a loud “Kraaaa!”. Seeing Alice swoop in, a dark aura erupts from her. I had felt the feeling she had something planned, and seeing Xoszus’ attention turn to her, I let out a loud, deafening roar, surprising even myself. For a moment, the giant looked back at me, it was for a single moment, but it was enough. Surging out, the dark aura shot out of Alice and slammed into the giant's eyes. Alice flies up high once again, disappearing from my view and into the darkness.
[Alice has cast the spell Blindness, Xoszus has been affected.]
Seeing the notice, I kick up the wind around the rest of my body, no longer individually around each limb but encompassing my entire body and swirling it all around me. I extend the claws from my gauntlets, raise my fists above my head and shoot up with a burst of wind from underneath my feet with all my might. As I launch myself upwards, I start spinning my body in the same direction as the wind, becoming dizzy. Before launching myself like this, I had aimed myself at the most obvious weak point this giant has; his eye. Shooting through the air spinning, much faster than I had anticipated, I arrive in front of the eye before I know it, and with an odd sounding pop I burst through his eye and into the giant's head. Struggling, I keep my fists above me as I cut through and soon, I hit bone. Looking around, I start slicing anything within reach. Not caring to see what I was cutting, I madly swung, forgetting my training for a moment. At the same time, I spun wind around me as violently as I could. Surrounded by strange liquid, cut up flesh and squishy parts, I keep cutting away madly, not minding the splatter and mess. The smell threatens to overwhelm me and I grit my teeth.
Everything was shaking, I could hear muffled roaring coming from the outside, I didn't care and kept myself going up and slicing through everything as I moved around. Finally, knowing I was dangerously close to running out of mana and stamina, I cut through the thick bone with several strikes of my claws. With one final slash, and hearing a loud ding sound, I cut through and climbed out. Looking around I see I’m on top of the giant's head. Exhausted, I stand still hoping I’m not noticed, at the same time I notice Xoszus has also stopped moving. Feeling a tremble and quickly moving down his back and jumping off as the giant falls to the ground. Landing on my feet and buckling, I turn and prepare myself…in time to see the giant slam into the ground and stop moving.
[You have defeated Xoszus. You gain 5,000xp.
Emergency Unique Quest has been completed. Rewards Available.]
Ignoring the System message and not bothering to read it, I fall onto my butt, then onto my back as I take a big breath. I got lucky, I know that, if it wasn’t for Alice suddenly being able to use that magic…Alice! Jumping back on my feet, I look around desperately, just as I’m about to call her name, I feel something land in my hair. “Kraa!” Relieved, I sit back down, and look at the giant we just killed.
“I really want to sleep right now Alice, what about you?” “Kraa!” “Mm, we need to keep moving.” Getting up, I look down on my gauntlets. I see four of the six claws have snapped off. Resigning myself, I knew I had no other option if I wanted to escape with my life. Sniffing the air while ignoring the smell from the giant, I faintly pick up the smell of water, and turning towards where it was coming from I see it's a passageway nearest to me. Without any better leads or smells to follow, I get up and stumble towards the smell, with painful bruises all over my body.
After slowly stumbling down the passageway for about an hour, I arrived in a strange room. It’s not a dead end, there is a giant pond of water here, not shining blue like the one I fell into before, with water coming in from a small incline that leads upwards. With a feeling that this might lead outside, or at least to somewhere new, I decide to stop and rest first. Looking into the water, I see it’s rather shallow and monster free, perhaps good for a bath, after all I’m covered in blood, what I assume to be bits of brain and various other liquids. Yes, a bath, Alice could do with one as well, she’s just laying in my hair that is soaked in those weird liquids!
Nodding to myself, I quickly take off my clothes, fetch a bar of soap, grab Alice from the top of my head and a bar of soap from my back and jump in, making a splash. Complaining about suddenly getting wet, Alice flaps her wings and gives me an angry look. Oops! Giggling at her little tantrum, I wash myself and Alice down and put Alice back on my head after rinsing my hair and both pairs of ears with water and soap. Both of us sparkling clean, I grab the spare set of clothing from my sack and put it on. “Alice, can you keep watch?” “Kraa!” Using my sack as a pillow, I lay down and quickly fall asleep.
Waking up after a few hours and eating, with Alice taking a lot of the food, I pack my things and study the water coming into the pond. This water was coming in from the incline that led upwards. It wasn’t steep, in fact it looked rather easy for me to climb up. Sniffing, I can make out different smells from that direction, and one of those smells was wood, this might lead outside! Finally, finally I found a possible way out. Holding back my tears of happiness, and feeling a bit of relief, I start climbing up the incline with renewed vigour. After an hour of trekking up the incline, I finally see it, after weeks of darkness, I see light up ahead. Moving faster, I finally arrive at the mouth of a cave, with water flowing inwards. I see a familiar sight, the river that we had discovered, or at least I hoped so. Not concerned about that, all I care about is leaving this labyrinth behind and never coming back.
“Alice…Alice we can go home!” “Kraa!” Feeling excitement from both myself and Alice, I tell Alice to hold on tight, kick up wind once more at my feet and start running with everything I had upstream, leaving behind the darkness. Ignoring my surroundings, I move quickly, cutting through a few monsters that came my way, and after thirty minutes I see a familiar scene, the rocky terrain where our cave was. As a smile creeps up on my face until I smell something that makes my smile disappear. I smell humans, at least six unique smells, as well as Sally and Gray’s scent. Eight unique smells in total. Slowing down to a walk and dismissing my wind, I use the rocks as cover, and move swiftly and as silently as I can I approach the smell and hear laughter.
“Well, look at what we have here, a pair of monsters thinking they’re humans! We’ll have some fun with the two of you before killing you both, especially you Number 14, I’ll torture you until you tell me where you hid that Demonic Fox, you bitch!”
Feeling my stomach drop, I remember that voice. Gerald, my old handler. Holding back my anger, I think quickly. The pair they’re talking about has to be Sally and Gray, and by the sound of it they were only just recently surrounded. Remembering Teacher Lee’s words, I reach into my sack, grab a bottle of alcohol he left me, uncork it and drain it in one go. I sit and wait, knowing Sally and Gray should be strong enough to hold their own for the few seconds I need, and after those few seconds I feel the effects of the alcohol take place as my mind gets groggy.
[Drunken Brawler activated.]