Chapter 31: Unavoidable Struggle
With no way out the being opened its gigantic mouth,
filled to the brim with layers of razor-sharp teeth it growled at me.
*Grrooowlll*
This was followed by a painfully loud high pitched screech.
The being had not eaten since its awakening and was thirsting for blood.
Locking onto its first meal... Me! I knew this was bad... but I couldn't get away anymore, which meant I had to face my fears!
The being shrugged off the remaining goo, splashing it everywhere.
As it fell to the ground surrounding the being it quickly vaporized in mere seconds.
The goo's properties were highly corrosive... So why didn't it inflict damage onto the being?!
Boggling my mind over this fact, the beast prepared itself for combat.
Taking a position with its legs, something shifted between its scales. Its legs cracked revealing scythe-like atrocities breaking apart his previous claws. Positioning itself in the dirt surrounding itself it looked up at me and released the loudest scream I had ever heard in my life.
*Screeeeeeeeeeech*
What happened after made me shiver through the core. The spikes that had been sitting between the beings' scales shot into the air one after the others. The spikes were reaching the altitude needed for optimal results. As they began to slow down, they slowly turned towards me as combustion could be seen behind spikes that appeared to have the function of darts. Covered in goo, the slime was propelled to random spots during the time they turned towards me. That was when it hit me… The darts were all targeting me! I had to find a way to get out of this mess…
I slammed my hands onto the ground, there was no time to
doubt myself anymore… not if I wanted to live through this!
Quickly I tried to summon as many [Earth walls] as I could, covering my surroundings.
Leaving a small opening for retaliation. As of now, there was only one being that left the meteorite… But were there more? As the thought began to eat away at my consciousness I knew now was not the time. "Keep your head in the game DAMNIT!" I thought of possible ways to defend myself till time had run out, ways to fortify my defensive position.
[The system noticed the desire of the player to survive through its punishment…
Since Acquiring the system nothing had been purchased, remaining skill points; 120
Would the player like to purchase one of the following skills?]
[ - Stone Spikes – 100 points
- Stone Armor – 100 points
- Poison Resistance – 100 points
- Corrosive Resistance – 100 points
- Earthen Armor – 100 points
- Stone Armor – 100 points
- Giant's Strength – 100 points
- Troll's Regeneration – 150 points
- ??? – unknown value
- ??? – unknown value
- ??? – unknown value ]
The system showed me a multitude of options, but there was no time to look into all of them… The only thing on my mind was my survival, which should be possible with more fortification of the dome I tried to make. There wasn't much time to prepare as the
corrosive dart started to reach the altitude needed for impact. One by one they started falling, aiming straight for me.
"I would like to acquire [Stone Spikes] quickly, please!"
[The player has selected [Stone Spikes] Would you like to acquire said skill?] [YES/NO]
"YES! Quit stalling! I need it right now!!"
[The points needed to acquire [Stone Spikes] have been invested,
enough experience has been accumulated, the player has unlocked [Stone Spikes Lv. 1]]
"Finally, will I still make it in time?"
I started to doubt the ordeal would end with just this single barrage of darts…
But if I wanted to survive I had to use everything at my disposal.
Holding my hands against the edges within the earthen dome I made to defend against the incoming projectiles I quickly implemented my newly acquired skill [Stone Spikes]
I could feel the energy draining from within as spikes began to form at the surface of my improvised dome, Knowing the barrage wasn't the only thing to worry about I summoned spikes all-around defending the surrounding from the being, which could be storming at me shortly.
I had prepared a quick defensive solution in mere seconds… Just in time, it seemed,
as some of the darts collided with my newly made spikes. At first, it seemed like they couldn't get through, but then the corrosive properties of the goo began melting away at the spikes. I had to cover up or get rid of the goo all together before it was too late…
I tried pushing away the spikes which had crashed into the stone spikes with new earth walls. Just in time, it seemed as some darts had different properties to them…
The being didn't give up just yet preparing a second volley to send my way.
The first barrage had ended, but at what cost? Darts struck straight through the dome…
Getting rid of most defenses I had provided for myself.
[02:45:00]
Only ten minutes had passed since the beast had started to attack and the acute thinking and building of defenses began draining my energy rapidly. I wasn't about to give up,
but what was there to do? I had to put up a countermeasure to the beings onslaught.
[Stone Edge] has been activated.
Throwing darts of my own in means of depleting the strength of the being making this a battle of attrition was the only thing I could think of… Was this the right choice? I couldn't know for sure… But I had to stick with it as it was my only option so far.
The first volley had subsided, only for the second one to start raining down from the sky. Just in time for a counteroffensive, I began throwing my stone edges towards them.
The results we unexpected as the collision with the second wave of darts created massive explosions, luckily for me some of the beings' darts got caught in their explosions. Giving me a bit of breathing room.
The time needed to strengthen my defenses once more.
During which the system provided me with much-needed support.
[The Player has accumulated enough experience [Earth Wall Lv. 1] Advances to [Earth Wall Lv. 2] [The Player has accumulated enough experience [Stone Edge Lv. 1] advances to [Stone Edge Lv. 2] [The Player has accumulated enough experience [Stone Spikes Lv. 1] advances to [Stone Spikes Lv. 2].
Even my newly acquired skill had already caught up with the rest.
Thinking about other ways to defend me there was one skill I had not used before.
Thinking about it made the system react automatically which activated it before I could tell it to. [Elemental Armor] Activated.
I had done it, I survived the second volley… Jumping in the joy that I made it through what felt like an eternity I quickly took the chance to catch my breath. Unaware of some of the debris that flew straight at me. I had overlooked a final dart coming my way…
Scraping past my arm it had inflicted its corrosive properties onto me.
Pain surged through my body, my veins burning my skin I felt it eat away at it. Falling in shock the corrosive goo fell or my arm, but the damage had already been done…
[WARNING!! Vital signs are extremely low! WARNING!!]
[The player has accumulated enough experience, following the system
[Corrosive Resistance] has been unlocked. [Corrosive Resistance Lv. 1] Acquired.]
I felt the pain surging through my veins calm down a little… Although at first unbearable, now a little less… It still hurt like hell…
[Due to excessive damage enough experience has been accumulated for the skill [Corrosive Resistance Lv. 1] to advance to [Corrosive Resistance Lv. 2].
"It must have been extremely potent for the skill to instantly gain two levels… Better stay focused…"
The pain was still there, but the shock had subsided, I was able to move…
I looked up, expecting another volley to come my way, but there wasn't any to be seen.
Thinking it could have been over the world instantly had proven me wrong.
A loud thud could be heard at the edge of my dome, followed by a growl I knew all too well.
The being had reached the upper edges of the crater…
Scratching could be heard outside of the dome, followed by what could only be described by the tearing and digging noises that a dog would make as it tried to bury its bone.
But instead, I knew that I was the price that the being tried to reach…
Quickly I pulled up my status window if I was to battle the core of my problem…
The punishment which the system had thrown me in… I had to strengthen myself as much as possible!
[LV. 2
HP: 10/150
MP: 30/90
Stamina: 20/150
Experience; 10%
Name: Geo Birchwood
Title: Hunter of the Night
Race: Human
Class: Berserker
STR: 12
DEX: 15
VIT: 15
INT: 10
WIS: 09
LUK: 25
CHA: 20
Unspent Attribute Points; 10]
"Invest all my remaining points in Vitality!"
[Acquired the preferred input, inserting points… total HP increased to 250, acquired the passive skill to heal over time, with every 25 points in vitality increasing healing properties with 0,2% every minute.]
I had done it! What I hoped for had happened! Now I was ready to face the punishment head-on!
The being climbed on top of the dome, trying to dig his way through the opening in the desperation of finding food to feed his starvation. Unaware of what the system had to say I thought this was it… that these were my final moments to be alive.