MAD DASHER. . . OPENINGS

Rex did not even stutter in his steps as he dashed past Malhric towards the humongous abomination in an unthinking speed. His actions predating his thought process.

Even as he dashed towards the humongous abomination, it did not for a moment disengage its eyeless sockets from Malhric's form.

As Rex raced forward, he concentrated all of the cool energy that flowed within him towards his right hand, his dominant fist. The purple flame burned with an intensity unlike ever before on his right hand. 

As Rex got within striking range, he got a better view of the creature. Its fleshy body was constantly squirming as if each piece of flesh within its body had an independent existence of their own. This unsettling thought flickered briefly through his mind.

BOOM!

His feet pulsed purple, reinforced by the power of RAGE BORNE, he launched himself upward. Shooting up several inches, even though his leap still fell short of reaching the towering abomination's head. He managed to reach the level of its chest and he punched forward with all of his might.

DUUMM!

A muffled thump resounded through the air, the area where Rex's punch had landed caved in, as a flesh-burning smell hit his nostrils. The Humongous creature howled in pain, yet the force of the blow was not able to bring it down as he had hoped.

But it did achieve something.

After the creature retained its stance, after his punch. Its head moved as its eyeless sockets turned directly towards Rex.

The instant Rex's eye met that of the creature, he could feel his bladder fill up and tighten, even though he was in a game.

"Damn, Is this an action game, or a horror game!" Rex screamed as he tried to shut out the fear that was creeping it's way up his spine with his shout.

It did work, he felt more lucid after getting his displeasure out of his system, but a lucid mind had no help to offer in what happend next.

The hand of the creature shot forward, he noticed its movement, but it was too fast.

DIMMMM!

He was able to muster a block but as the two-fingered blubby hand of the creature made contact with it. He felt his hand turn to jelly as he lost all sensation of it.

He barely had time to process this injury as he mowed down several common skeletons and even a few dark ones as he shot backward.

Rex could barely feel anything when he finally ended his flight backward. He could taste iron on his tongue. Blood trickled down freely from his eyes, nose, mouth and the numerous parts of his body with torn skin and muscles.

ahh…Ahhhhhh!

Rex cried out in pain, before he could scream out again. His whole being suddenly radiated white, as the most pleasant of sensory experiences flooded his being. The experience was so pleasant that it felt unreal, it felt like something that could only exist as a fantasy. But his senses were currently experiencing such fantasy.

He returned to his normal, non shining state, and as he did so. All his torn skin and muscles were back to their prior state. He felt better than he ever felt, even with a fully rested body.

"Be Careful." 

Malhric's voice sounded clearly in his mind.

"Yes Madam!" Rex responded excitedly as he stood up.

"Thank You."

Malhric spoke again, and Rex couldn't help but break into a wide grin.

The Humongous undead thing had not resumed it's march towards Malhric, it was being held back by a giant of a man, wielding a massive double-sided Axe. His moves weren't as thoughtless as Rex's. WIth each move he was slicing large chunks of grotesque flesh from the humongous mass of the creature. 

Balhrok.

Luna was lodging in arrows continuously into the humongous creature from a safe distance away. 

'The effectiveness of her Salvo, demands attention,' Rex thought as he dashed towards the humongous mass to assist Balhrok.

"Coordinate your attack with mine!", Balhrok screamed when he spotted Rex. 

"I admire your bravely, but don't dash in thoughtlessly!"

Rex felt a strong kick on his ego from Balhrok's commands. But the big man was very right.

He stopped his dash as he tried to analyze what form of assist he could offer.

As he watched Balhrok narrowly avoid the swings of the creature and slice off its fleshy mass before it could retract its limb. An idea came to his mind.

Big-Boned Ben had mentioned it severally in training, 'Openings'.

Moments in combat, when the enemies vulnerability spiked beyond its optimal level.

At any given point in combat, an opponent possesed a vulnerability value, but this value is extremely dynamic and fluctuates in proportion to how inexperienced in combat an opponent is. 

Common situations where 'Openings' often appear in combat include when opponents miss an attack, mess up their footwork or are actively suffering or initiating an attack.

Looking at the barbarous attack of the Humongous Creature, he had an idea on how to create such openings.

"Slash!"

Balhrok surgically sliced of a huge chunk of squirming flesh from the blubbery hand of the humongous creature, following a dodge. 

It rapidly retracted its hand.

As the creature took back its lacerated limb, Rex followed the retracting hand backward. Reinforcing his hand he jumped and punched the torso of the creature. The creature was in no position to swipe at him with it just-retracted limb and could not immediately initiate a counter with the other.

It footwork wobbled as it took several steps backward as it tried to retain its stance.

Balhrok was a veteran warrior, he was already on the move the instant Rex had jumped.

SLASHH!

An upward cleave, his Axe dug deep into the abdomen of the Humongous creature as it cleaved upward. 

He was chanting a spell as he dashed forward and as he slashed, following his cleave, he murmured a word "FORGE".

His eyes turned a fiery red as steam visibly poured out of his pores.

His speed instantly tripled as his axe cleaved through the legs of the humongous creature, creating a devastating discontinuity in the structure of both of its legs. The blades of Bahlrok's Axe burned with a crimson glow that matched the intense glow of his eyes

He did not end his attack there, As the humongous creature, fell forward due to it's cleaved legs.

His Axe moved once again.

"Swoooshhh!!"

It rapidly cut through air, decapicating the creature in one swift move. A red sync shot forward from his Axe, reinforcing the cut.

"Woww!" Rex couldn't hold back his shout at Balhroks' move. The Creature was no more.

Balhrok did not look pleased at all, his eyes were distant, fixed upon the tear in reality where the humongous creature had walked out from.

Rex turned to the direction of his gaze. Another such humongous creature was currently stepping out from the ominous tear and another was following it.

"Damn" Rex muttered under his breath.

Rex felt a tug, he turned instinctively and his eyes met that of Malhric. 

Her gaze was piercing, Rex felt like she was peering directly to his soul. 

She finally looked away, turning towards the direction where the meteorite was and still pulsing.

She transmitted her words directly into Rex's mind.

"You have to end this."

It was a single sentence, but the intensity of emotions enclosed within was overwhelming.

Luna saw the exchange, she could feel the palpable tension of the moment.

Balhrok seemed to sense it too; he tore his eyes away from the emerging creature for a moment and screamed to Rex. 

"Always keep your wit about you, boy!"

"Always!"

Rex gave him a thumbs up as a reply as he turned towards the meteorite. 

'Time to finally see what this is about, alright,' he thought. He made to move but he felt his body not responding. 

Malhric was currently pointing her hands at him and muttering.

He saw a visible pulse shoot forward from her towards his body, When the pulse hit him he felt his being saturated with strength. It was similar to the spell she had used earlier on him when he was fighting the three dark skeletons, but much more stronger.

"Thank You!" Rex screamed as he resumed his dash.

"Heyyy! Heyyy!!"

Luna screamed at the top of her lungs as she chased after Rex. Rex noticed her.

"Luna!" Rex screamed back, acknowledging her call and waving at her.

"What's your real name, Prime?" She screamed, her voice carrying a hint of excitement as she dashed after him.

"Rex!. . .Rex Axel!!"

Rex screamed back, she stopped dashing after him as she smiled.

"Be Careful Rex!" She shouted one more sentence before Rex weaved into the skeletal battlefield.