Chapter 32: Joining the Battle

"What...what is that thing?" Lynn muttered in dismay. This newly emerged creature was far more human in shape compared to the mass of flesh it had gestated within. But its fleshy, tentacled form was no less horrifying.

Alice's expression was grave as she observed the squirming creature. "A monster created by the influence of the calamity source," she said solemnly. "Although it failed to fully evolve and assimilate the calamity source into itself."

The tentacled humanoid pulled itself free from the ceiling completely. Though dwarfed by the hulking stitched monstrosity, the size difference did not seem to cow the smaller creature. It tilted its head and regarded its opponent with eyeless malice.

Without warning, a dozen tentacles shot forth from the thing's torso towards the stitched creature, spearing violently into its patchwork flesh. The monstrosity roared in fury and immediately grasped the speared tentacles, trying to rip them free. But they would not budge, firmly rooted deep in its body.

From the back of the stitched creature, four razor sharp bone blades emerged, stitched into the powerful back muscles. With a guttural roar, the blades sliced through the air, hacking through the speared tentacles and severing them from the aberration's body.

The tentacled monster let out an unearthly shriek as its severed tentacles fell writhing to the floor. But just as swiftly, new tentacles sprouted from the stumps, regenerated anew.

"This thing can rapidly regenerate, it will be very hard to kill." Lynn said grimly.

The stitched monstrosity grasped two more speared tentacles that were rooted into its torso. With explosive force, it hurled the tentacled aberration overhead, smashing it into the far wall.

Then it rushed towards the fallen tentacled aberration and unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes, pummeling the creature relentlessly. Massive fists smashed down with bone-shattering force, pulverizing the fleshy mass beneath.

But the tentacled humanoid did not let itself be destroyed so easily. As the next crushing blow descended, its arm suddenly split apart into dozens of smaller tentacles, all tipped with razor-sharp bones that had sprouted from within.

With lightning speed, the bladed tentacles sliced towards the stitched monster's arm, seeking to sever it. But at the last moment, the bone blades stitched to the back of the creature shot forward, intersecting the path of the tentacles.

There was a cacophony of cracks and snaps as the sharpened bones collided, straining against each other. After a few seconds, the stitched monstrosity's the bone blades shattered under the pressure, allowing several of the bladed tentacles to tear into its arm.

Dark blood poured from the deep gashes as the stitched creature staggered back, letting out an enraged roar. The tentacled aberration clambered swiftly to its feet, regenerated tentacles writhing.

From their hidden vantage point atop the fallen tank, Lynn and Alice watched as the two creatures continued to battle fiercely. Though the stitched monster maintained the upper hand with its raw power, the repeated impaling and cutting strikes from the tentacled humanoid were clearly taking their toll.

"They seem to be weakening each other with this prolonged struggle," Lynn remarked in a low voice.

Alice gave a slight nod of agreement, her expression pensive as she observed the scene. "Yes, their energies are becoming depleted" she said.

The stitched monstrosity rushed forward again, though its charge was slower now, the massive body clearly fatigued. It swung its arms in wide arcs, forcing the tentacled aberration back.

The humanoid creature retaliated by extending more spear-tipped tentacles, but these were noticeably thinner and less lively than before. They glanced off the stitched creature's thick hide rather than piercing deep as earlier strikes had.

Both combatants were slowing down rapidly from exhaustion. The stitched monster's blows came slower and weaker while the tentacled creature's rapid regeneration had stalled.

"Its regeneration ability is slowing down," Lynn observed. "This drawn-out fight is exhausting resources on both sides."

The stitched monstrosity smashed the tentacled aberration down once more, but its movements had lost their previous fury and brute force. Still, the blows seemed to damage the smaller creature, which struggled to pull itself upright.

After nearly 15 minutes of intense combat, both creatures were visibly flagging. Where the stitched monstrosity had once stood firm, its legs now trembled from the sustained assault. The tentacled aberration remained hunched on the ground, regeneration almost at a standstill.

As they watched the battle progress, Alice's eyes suddenly widened in alarm. "This is not good - the stitched one has stopped moving!" she exclaimed.

Lynn quickly refocused his attention on the scene. As Alice had noticed, the hulking stitched creature was no longer fighting back or trying to detach the tentacles speared into its body.

He was standing still in front of the tentacled aberration, as this latter was slowly standing up.

It seemed almost docile as more and more tendrils extended from the humanoid aberration, plunging deep into its flesh.

The tentacles of this creature entered from the orifices of the face of Dr. Stein in the ripped chest cavity, spearing inside the entire body of the stitched monstrosity.

"It's trying to devour the stitched monster from within," Lynn realized with dismay.

Rather than continue trading blows, the tentacled creature was now focused on draining the last vestiges of energy from its opponent. Dozens of worm-like tendrils snaked through the stitched creature's body, tapping into veins and burrowing deeper.

The hulking monster twitched and thrashed weakly, but seemed unable to muster any real resistance. The invading tendrils had anchored it in place.

"That tentacled freak is going to absorb the stitched monster entirely at this rate," Lynn muttered.

He tightened his grip on his sword, muscles tensing. The situation was rapidly deteriorating - if the aberration succeeded in assimilating it's the stitched creature, it would regain most of its strength.

"Then it's time I join this battle," Lynn said.

Alice looked at him with concern. "Are you certain? This tentacled monster is incredibly dangerous."

Lynn gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, muscles tensing. "Yes!"