“Now you’ve got one to deal with and I’ve got one,” said Finn. “Is that better for you?” He asked sarcastically.
“I think I’ll do much better now. Thanks. Also pressing the button now.”
The gravity shifted and Alex sent himself flying toward the mage automaton with his daggers facing the machine. He let a little lightning leak from his battery as he hit the mage automatons shield. The energy of the two crackled and cracked. Alex pushed his daggers deeper into the shield and it shattered. With another stab Alex cut into the machine.
“I’m button pressing now,” said Finn.
“Wait,” said Alex but gravity was already starting to shift. The dagger he had stabbed into the automaton was left behind as he slid to the side.
Nearby Finn was at the button more ready to take advantage of the shift in gravity. The swordsman’s swing went wild with the change in gravity opening it up for more attacks. Energy warped around his fist as he threw it toward the automaton. Its shield rattled with the attack. Its round frame with a mirror sheen before was now rough and dented. Finn went to sweep the machine’s leg but felt gravity pull him upward.
“What happened to communication?” he called out.
“That wasn’t me. These guys can also change up the gravity remember.”
Finn was quick to his feet when the ceiling flipped to being the floor. Alex had a more awkward transition to the change in gravity. He landed with a thud while trying to keep the battery from moving and possibly breaking. The mage landed on top of him. With a quick kick he sent it back right as it fired off a spell. The spell whizzed past his head and bounced off the ground. Alex pulled himself up from the ground and checked on his battery status. He was down to about 30 percent or three-ish bolts of lightning.
Stretching his senses further he felt the automaton. “Maybe I can use this,” thought Alex.
His attacks had started to scratch and bend the metal frame of the machine exposing its internal components. Alex quickly scanned the mage automaton for where its power source lay. Its battery sat in the belly of the machine. Reaching out with his power Alex grasped at the power source. It resisted for a moment and then gave way. The automaton stuttered as power was interrupted. He ripped the power away and let the electricity fly away from him. Using his echolocation, he sent it flying into the swordsman automaton.
The remaining robotics crashed to the floor. The pieces were singed by the electricity and were now unusable.
“Woah! What was that?” shout Finn. He looked back at Alex who stood over the fallen mage automaton.
The lightning had hit the swordsman automaton causing its shield to shatter and be stunned. Before Finn could move on the opening gravity shifted once more flinging the pair away from their remaining enemy.
Finn fell into a roll as he landed on the new ground. A few bruises were starting to sprout up from his fight. He brought his focus back onto the swordsman automaton. It held its sword out with two hands. The broken shield lay on the ground next to it.
Alex, still disoriented from the sudden shift in gravity, tried to regain his footing. The battery on his back felt heavier with each passing second, and the weight of the previous battles was taking its toll on him.
"Alex, get up!" Finn shouted, dodging a swift strike from the automaton's sword. The blade left a deep gash on the ground where Finn had been moments before.
Alex groaned, pushing himself up. "I'm trying!" He replied, his voice strained. He glanced at the fallen mage automaton, its circuits fried and its metallic body lifeless. He then turned his attention to the swordsman automaton, which was now advancing on Finn.
Finn, with his agility and quick reflexes, managed to dodge another strike. He tried to get closer, but the automaton's reach was far greater than his. Every time he tried to get in close, the automaton would swing its sword, forcing Finn to retreat. On occasion an edge of the sword got to Finn and cut thin lines on his arms.
“I’m going to shift the gravity again soon,” said Alex. “Where do you need me to be?”
Finn looked around assessing the distance between Alex and some of the buttons as well as his current fight with the automaton swordsman. Finally, he decided. “There!” said Finn pointing to the wall to his left.
“I’m on it,” said Alex as he started to sprint toward the button.
On Finn’s end he started to move around the automaton and get into position where his attacks could be the most effective. He let it swing wildly while focusing on dodging the strikes. His previous attacks had slowed it down somewhat. Alex reached the button when the gravity started to change once more. He reacted quickly to the change, however. His hands grabbed onto the pedestal that the button rested on. With one hand gripping the pedestal he reached up his other hand and pressed the button.
The shifting gravity altered the course of Finn and the remaining automaton. His body was first pulled away from the swordsman before flying forward. The automaton didn’t have enough time to adjust. With a surge of energy Finn hardened his fists and put his power toward his attack with little left for defence. His strike landed true. His fingers turned into claws as they dug into the machine’s internals as his hand reached through to the other side. The automaton spasmed and Finn retracted his fist. The machine dropped to the floor.
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Finn dropped as well exhausted from the fighting. Alex walked over and joined him.
“Good job back there,” said Alex.
“Thanks. We should rest though. What do you think is next?” asked Finn.
“Probably more fighting. What it ends up being will depend. This version of the dungeon is already starting to vary from what I faced on the first floor. We may face the boss who I expect will be the same or we could face something else entirely.”
Alex looked over to the now open doorway. Beyond the open doorway was a darkness that his senses could not penetrate. They would not be able to know what the next section of the dungeon would be until they entered.
Alex looked back to Finn. “Thank you for your help. Really. You have been great so far. I’m glad you joined me.”
“You are just glad I could save your old ass,” said Finn with a smile.
“Hey. I am not much older than you. And you did no saving,” said Alex. “I was never in too much danger. The automatons were trouble that just would have taken me longer than I would have liked if I dealt with two at a time.”
“Sure. Sure.”
The pair took another minute to rest before getting back up. They walked through the new doorway to face their next challenge.
The open room had a hill in the center. Alex and Finn entered fighting stances as animals started to exit tunnels built into the hill. They looked up to the top the hill. A simple flag hung from a pole marking their objective. Alex didn’t have much longer to consider what to do before the animals were on them. The creatures were strange, mutated versions like the first floor except they were more amalgamations of multiple animals rather than an altered singular creature.
“I don’t have much left in my battery. I’m going to use it all once they are close. Kill as many as you can while they are stunned.”
Finn nodded ready for Alex’s actions. Alex drew his daggers and focused. He thought back to the similar situation with undead. His vision changed as he focused on his mana and echolocation. Identifying his targets Alex unleashed his magic. Lightning was released from his hands in a wave of energy.
The energy spiderwebbed outward spreading outward into dozens of threads. As the energy threads reached the charging chimera’s, they convulsed and spasmed in response to the shock. The electrical surge momentarily disrupted their coordinated assault, giving Finn an opening.
He lunged forward, his fists still crackling with energy. His movements were swift and precise, his attacks landing on the creatures' weak points, causing them to collapse one after another.
The battle raged on, Finn's combat instincts guiding his every move. His blows were targeted, calculated, and devastating. The creatures attempted to recover from the shock of Alex's spell, but their movements were sluggish, giving Finn and Alex the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Alex's mana expenditure left him drained, but the results were evident. The electrified threads of energy continued to pulse through the bodies of the creatures, causing them to twitch and convulse. Some of them managed to shake off the effects quicker than others, their grotesque forms contorting as they regained their mobility.
Finn's focus remained unwavering, his attacks relentless. He moved gracefully between the creatures, exploiting their weaknesses, and delivering blows with exceptional force. His fists cracked bones, shattered unnatural joints, and incapacitated the creatures with precision. But the fight was not without its challenges. A particularly large and ferocious amalgamation managed to shrug off the effects of the electricity, its mad, mismatched eyes fixed on Finn with an unsettling intensity.
As the larger creature charged at Finn, he leaped aside, narrowly avoiding its frenzied attack. The ground trembled under the impact, and Finn took advantage of the chimera’s momentary vulnerability. He lunged forward, striking with all his might. His fists tore through flesh and bone, and the creature let out a cacophony of distorted roars before collapsing to the ground.
Next to him, Alex had picked up his daggers and got to work. He left his battery pack behind as his daggers cut into the flesh of the creatures. A two headed dog attacked him with the claws of an eagle attached to it. He kept himself moving and watching with his echolocation. The animals were weaker than the automatons but greater in number. Through his use of lightning, he had stunned and slowed them making the fight more manageable.
“Do you think you can grab the flag?” asked Alex.
“Do you think you can keep up?” asked Finn jokingly.
They both turned their attention to the top of the hill. The pack of animals had thinned allowing them to see a few possible paths to the top. Alex considered the options as he stabbed another enemy. He finished off the animal and spoke.
“I’ll help clear a way, but you are faster. Just shove past them if needed. I will make sure that you aren’t overwhelmed.”
Alex slid one of his daggers back into its sheath and focused on one of his remaining spells. His hand brushed past a chimera and ‘Disruption’ activated. He sapped it over bioelectricity causing its body to spasm. It had no defences for the attack. It dropped to the ground and Alex moved past it. Alex continued his attacks and Finn rushed past.
Dodging the horns of a charging ram, Finn shoulder checked another chimera. Its feet slipped causing it to hit the ground, but Finn was slowed as a result. He barely missed as set of fangs on an overgrown snake. Finn grabbed the horns of the ram as it attacked him again. With a roar and slowing to a stop he lifted the beast into the air and threw it into a pack of chimera’s they were toppled allowing for him to slip by and keep moving.
With a surge of energy to his feet he jumped over another creature. It wasn’t expecting him to go above allowing him to get clear past it easily. He landed in a roll. As Finn stood up, he was aware of the chimera to his right but not the one on his left. Finn threw a quick punch in the nose to the one on his right but was soon tackled by the other. He got on top of him bringing down all its weight.
Finn gasped as the air was pushed out of his lungs. The giant bear chimera brought its paws down on Finn once more. In those intervening moments Finn brought his legs to his chest. As the bear came down on him, he channelled power to his legs once more. He kicked outward sending the bear flying backward. The bear crashed into other chimeras. Finn looked back to Alex and to the flag. He was almost there. He exhaled deeply and jumped back up.
Finn pushed past a few of the remaining chimeras. Being so far up the hill it became easier to push the creatures into each other and down the hill. Grasping the flag Finn pulled it out of the ground.