Husk Mother

The Husk Mother reached out its claws with each step as if it was grasping at the ground as it moved. Its disturbing movement brought it closer and closer to the wall, allowing Kaz to begin to hear the panting breath of the creature as if it was exhausted, and a stench started to fill his nose. Kaz pulled out his rifle and aimed at the creature's head, or what he thought was the head, and he released a shot.

"URRRUURRUUUUUUUURGH!!"

The creature yelled in what looked to be more anger than pain as its pace hastened. Kaz chambered the next bullet and continued to shoot, each time seemingly increasing the creature's anger. It was now past the pits as well the barbed wire and beginning to climb the light wall.

Kaz quickly opened his tower defense panel and his fabrication menu and quickly updated the schematics of the bullets to first drain the energy, then use that energy to compress and release the light before updating all the ammo in his turrets. He then used a new feature in his tower defense to repair the turrets for a material cost and set them to aggro the husk mother. Bullets began to rain again against the husk mother as Kaz opened his spear schematic and began updating it by adding a laser focusing system made from lenses and mirrors to focus the light given off from compression as a laser, a loading mechanism for a nexus core and a barrel that came out of the end of his spear. Now he could use his spear to absorb energy then flip it around to release a laser like attack as a form of special move.

The weapon schematic had space for 3 cores to build up energy and release a laser attack. Kaz updated his spear just as the first hand of the Husk mother reached the top of the wall. The Husk mother was no longer screeching but you could tell it took some damage from the turrets but only lightly. Kaz ran forward and thrust his spear forward only for the claws of the Husk mother to parry it, resulting in a clang as it bounced back. The husk mother finished pulling itself up the wall as Kaz recovered from the parry. The Husk mother then screeched loud enough for Kaz to feel as if he was beginning to lose consciousness. 

When it stopped, Kaz looked up to notice some of the turrets were temporarily disabled due to the screech.

'Shit, this is gonna be harder than I thought.'

Kaz assumed a position that felt comfortable with his spear only to receive a notification.

[Stance activated. Stance buffs are now activated: Speed +25%, Damage +25%, Defense +25%.]

Kaz stared at these buffs, all though he had not seen these stats in the system he decided he would look into it later, focusing on the issue at hand. He began sprinting forward as the husk mother swung horizontally towards him, only for him to slide under the claw. Able to feel his newly buffed speed, Kaz quickly closed in on the Husk Mother, slicing at it using his spear, then retreating to dodge another strike from it. The Husk mother held the slashed area then eyed Kaz with furious red eyes as it began to storm towards him.

He continued to dodge its attacks, but only barely. He knew he would be heavily damaged if hit, after all this was a level 18 creature, and he probably only had it beat in speed considering its size. His fighting strategy was hit then run, as he began to slowly chip its health down, adding scrapes and cuts to its skin. Kaz also was starting to feel the fatigue from keeping up this speed and attacks. After another thrust, stabbing the creature, Kaz felt his spear begin to hum.

'It's ready!'

Kaz got in close and flipped around his spear as he activated the compression within the nexus core that was filled, releasing a bright saber like laser that stretched a couple dozen meters and he slashed at the arm of the Husk mother. Another unbearably loud screech sounded as the arm fell. Kaz in his moment of disorientation from the screech and surprise from his attack was not prepared for the other claw that came at him and he was sent flying, bouncing off of a few structures within his compound before he came to a halt within an indention his body made within the ground.

[Health critical! 52/690 remaining.]

Kaz felt his body ache with pain with each breath as he started to stand back up. He saw that his health was and realized how strong this creature was. He quickly used his cover to change out a crystal in his spear and to create earplugs to prevent the Husk Mother from stunning him again. Once he finished, he drowned out the sound of the husk mother searching the compound for him with the earplugs as he  hopped onto a wall and fired a few shots from his railgun before running at it with his spear again. It was enraged and swinging faster than before, but the missing limb halved that gained speed. Kaz even though he was injured was able to keep up as his health slowly began to regenerate. 

A slash at the shoulder from his spear was met with a retaliatory swipe only for it to miss as he leapt into the air, Kaz spun his body and focused the spear back down, slashing its face on the way back down. He recovered with a roll under its body as it yelled again. His earbuds were working. The husk mother slashed under itself in an awkward fashion in an attempt to hit him but missed as he stabbed his spear into its stomach, resulting in another screech as he pulled his spear out and dodged from under it again. He began to feel his spear hum again but decided to hold off on releasing the laser so that he could release three at once.

Their dance continued for a few more minutes as Kaz slowly whittled down the monster's heath. The monster was slowly losing to Kaz due to its mobility being less than his. Its skin was becoming stained in a dark rustic blood as it was slowing down. Kaz felt the second hum of his spear as a constant vibration appeared in it. Kaz felt a renewed sense of confidence as he continued to slash at the monster. It began to be more defensive as it started backing up. Kaz lunged forward, slashing some of its eyes, causing it to recoil backwards. Kaz could see it screeching again but could barely hear it, though it did make his stomach feel nauseous.

He sliced forward again, continued the spear's momentum with a spin, coming back around and thrusting it into the Husk mother's arm. He felt the third hum and his spear began to resonate with him. He could feel a huge source of energy coming from his spear. He continued slicing at the Husk Mother waiting for the opportune time to strike. She was now at the edge of the wall again, as Kaz continued his pressure. Desperate, the husk mother abandoned defending and began just swinging hoping to connect in a frenzy. Kaz baked up seeing his chance and flipped his spear around.

He condensed the wisps within the spear and a beam shot out at a range of about 100 meters, the light reaching further than the light of the wall. The light melted through husks in the distance as he started moving the light towards the husk mother, feeling the immense weight of his attack. As it started to connect, the skin from the Husk mother started melting off, causing it to writhe in pain for the brief moment it was in contact with it. He had bisected it, killing it almost instantly.

[Boss Killed: 328,650 exp gained.]

[User gained 1 Nexus drop from killing the boss.]

[You will gain +1 stat points per stat for each nexus drop]

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[Level up multiplier increased for reaching level 15! User will now get 5 stat points per level in each skill instead of 1.]

[Skill Level up: {Intermediate Spear Mastery lvl. 4}]

[Skill Level up: {Nexus affinity lvl. 3}]

Kaz felt his strength increase. After catching his breath he removed his earplugs, only hear hear howls and wails coming from all around his base from the surrounding husks.

Kaz smiled wryly, 'They don't seem too happy.'