NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Got me
Atrox stiffened. He wasn't the only one to notice it as well because Kade and Garran sucked in sharp breaths as they watched it play out in front of them.
The darkness was darker than the surroundings and outlined into a shape covered with a tattered cloak and hood. Its hand was raised, holding a glistening metal lute to its lips.
"What the..." Kade whispered.
Atrox had held his breath since he saw the figure, and he stilled when he felt the eyes under the hood settle on him, locking on him like a predator to prey.
He couldn't see, but Atrox could swear he saw... felt the figure smile.
Then it began playing, and the air quivered as a low tune spread out like a ripple. This wasn't an attack type but a soulful sound that settled into the mind and sang of tales of grief and grim.
Atrox felt as if the tide of emotions he held back would burst and swallow him, his face twitching as he wanted to lash out at something.
But that thought evaporated when he saw darkness drip down from the roof like liquid. It fell on the bodies on the ground, and they gained a life of their own, squirming together and running toward the figure.
The mass of flesh and darkness rolled like the tide and began to mold into a wall that collapsed and joined until two new monsters were standing there. They looked like the Fleshspike Ravager but far bigger, twenty feet tall, with spikes jutting out of their limbs.
Those who were digging had joined everyone in looking at the monsters in surprise. The figure stopped playing, turned to Atrox, and then bowed, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
There was a short silence, and then the monsters roared so loud it made Atrox's bones shake and his chest heavy with pressure. And then the monsters moved with a speed that shouldn't be possible with their size.
The sight snapped everyone out of their stunned surprise.
"Shield! Shield!" Garran yelled in panic.
Shields flickered to life around them, but the monsters broke through them as if they weren't there. Hands as large as tree trunks swept forward. Everyone scattered.
Two members of the team were caught and died before they rammed into the wall, their bodies splattered. Atrox threw a wave of essence below himself and flung himself up and away from the monsters, landing behind them. One of the monsters turned, and the Fleshspike Ravager lumbered toward him with the speed of a falling axe.
Garran, Kade, and his remaining team member fell into a roll, and the monster's punch went wild. When they stood upright to face the monster, they had already gotten over their initial fear and surprise. There was nothing to do but fight.
But that wouldn't defeat the monster. It roared, raised its two hands, and pounced. Kade grimaced, forming a lightning ball with the others, ready to fight a monster several times their strength.
Atrox couldn't keep them in his sight as he focused on the monstrosity coming toward him. 'I must not let that thing get close to me!'
That was his first thought because he knew that in close combat, the creature would likely crush him. He mentally brushed against his core and raised his hand, using his will and mind to shape the essence as he wanted.
A large arcing beam of essence sliced through the air, so big it reached the monster immediately, cutting a large chunk into its chest and pushing it back slightly.
But it didn't pass through the muscles to cut the monster in two, and the Fleshspike Ravager roared, curled its body, and then pushed against the ground. It shot forward like an arrow, and Atrox cursed as he jumped out of the way with a blast of essence. The ground shook as the monster landed, sending stones flying.
"What am I going to do with you?" Atrox muttered. He sent another beam at the monster, which avoided it at the last moment, jerking its body around to ram into the wall.
And then the monster locked on him again, raised its two hands, and shot out two spikes. Atrox's eyes widened as he saw two spikes, as big as a human's legs, cross the distance between them. He raised a thick band of shield around himself, and the spikes bounced off after cracking it.
But that was only a distraction. The monster followed behind the spikes and now stood above him.
"Shit," Atrox cursed, fear mixing with adrenaline as he quickly rolled out of the shield and pressed himself into the wall.
Bam! Bam!
Two massive hands, clenched together with spikes jutting out, came down on the shield, and it flickered out of life. The Fleshspike Ravager grunted, looking at the place where his body should have been and then at where he was pressed against the wall.
Atrox smiled. "Ahah. Got me."
The monster raised a hand, but before it could bring it down, a big arc flashed and severed the hand away. It hit the ground with a thud. The monster looked at the fallen hand in surprise— or what Atrox thought of as surprise. He didn't let that go to waste.
He copied the monster's technique and made thick spikes of condensed essence that blasted forward and rammed into the monster's body.
Atrox knew that wouldn't be enough to finish it off. Arc after arc of essence quickly took off its head, and the monster fell with a thud.
His head pounded loudly in his ears, his breath came in gasps, and his hand trembled as he brought it to his face, which felt unnaturally warm. "So this is what it feels like, fighting with your life on the line."
He shuddered, looking warily at the monster's body. After all, the Fleshspike Ravagers were dead before they joined together to form the larger one.
Just then, the monster's severed hand shuddered, moved, and then skittered toward him so fast that Atrox only had time to look surprised before it grabbed him like a doll, wrapping around his chest and squeezed.