Rise of Tyrus

“A human-shaped figure and a scent that reminds me of wet soil and water. Only a few creatures come to mind, and none of them stand on two legs...”

Resembling an unstoppable power, the creature forcefully sliced through the haze with its spear. A reptilian’s low-slung body moved with the fluid grace of the waterlogged environment. With its mossy-gray scales that seemed to blend in with the fog, leather protected the creature’s shoulders while it wore a loincloth around its lower body. A weighty, muscular tail flailed violently, projecting a ferocity mirroring its blazing eyes.

The reptile’s sharp, serrated snout bore rows of needle-like teeth, and long, sinuous fingers, each tipped with razor-sharp claws, twitched ever so slightly as it clutched what appeared to be a wooden spear with angular, bone tips. In a daring move, the creature soared into the air and brought down its spear in an attempt to skewer Tyrus.

Instead of directly confronting the attack, Tyrus evaded to the side just as the lizard forcefully plunged its spear into the ground, as if it effortlessly sliced through butter. Hastily, it seized the weapon and rushed towards Tyrus once more.

"Your demise shall be at my hand, wretched Beastfolk!" it roared.

Tyrus's jaw dropped as he lowered his weapon. During that brief moment of hesitation, the lizard capitalized on it and swiftly hurled its spear at alarming speed. Tyrus let out a yelp and swiftly tilted his head, yet he could not fully escape it as he watched a crimson liquid drip from his cheek. He didn’t have enough time to find out how severe the wound was before he heard quickened steps.

A rough hand grasped him by the throat; he desperately fought to suppress a scream, gasping for air as he kicked and writhed against the snarling reptile. When it seemed like the creature wouldn't budge, Tyrus tried desperately to release lightning and break free.

Like a flickering candle, a pitiful excuse of mana spurred forth, merely serving as a tickling attack. His heart pounding in his ears, his vision faded as he desperately fought off the enemy, who menacingly brought its sharp claw toward his face. As his vision slowly turned black and his heartbeat slowed, Tyrus could only think of one way to escape.

A dagger materialized in his right hand, and with a last surge of energy, he plunged it into one of its eyes. It released a sharp howl that echoed through the air as it immediately let go of Tyrus. His rear hit the ground hard as ugly gasps filled the air. His vision gradually came back to him, and the black that occupied his eyes retreated. A pain like swallowing a large rock enveloped his throat as he struggled to rise to his feet.

I… I almost died there, Tyrus thought to himself. Weakly, he looked up to see the humanoid removing his dagger out of its eye. In one motion, it tossed to the side and whipped around, glaring at Tyrus with brimming fury.

“I was not aware your putrid kind could fashion weapons out of thin air,” it growled. “What sort of trickery is this?”

Tyrus, still struggling to catch his breath, answered with a few dry coughs. “L-Like I’ll tell you. You can’t expect me to answer when you just about killed me…”

The creature frowned and hissed, releasing a forked tongue. “So you lot are capable of communication. Those I've killed could only make growling and hissing sounds, like lesser creatures.”

Tyrus stood firmly on his two feet. Just what did the reptile mean by his lot? Was it referring to the others sent to the Wasteful Wetlands alongside him? If so, that wouldn’t make any sense because there was no way it could’ve killed them. They were all under supervision by Selena and the others. If one of their lives were in peril and on the verge of death, an overseer would save them. The method they would use remained a mystery.

It also mentioned that the ones it killed could only growl or hiss. It didn’t take a genius to know that the applicants knew full well how to speak. He could only consider the possibility that it was lying or had potentially harmed a similar creature to the applicants. Either way, that didn’t matter. Because of the reptile, he was almost sent to the place above the skies! Dying could wait until after he achieved his goals.

The reptile cupped a hand over its eye, wincing as it continued to glare. "I will have to confer with the Shaman to address the injury you've inflicted."

“Your fault for attacking me like that,” Tyrus interjected. He stole a quick glance at his sword, sitting right in front of the reptile. Judging by the distance, he was a good few arms’ length away. Trying to jump for the weapon would be pointless, since the enemy would snatch it first. As for his dagger, it was even further away; grabbing it was not an option. All that remained for him was mana.

To Tyrus's disappointment, the reptile reached out and grabbed the sword. “Rather than using fangs and claws, you rely on steel and The Gift. It's not just that, but you also have some skills. Yes… your bones will make for a very splendid weapon. Your kind has always been good at that.” In order to strengthen its threat, the reptile licked a small amount of blood flowing from its wound.

Shivering, Tyrus backed away. “I don't think I have the qualities to be a good weapon. Can you explain your dislike for Beastfolk, or even me, for that matter? I have done nothing to you and your…kind.”

“Playing dumb, are you? Regardless, now that I'm aware of your ability to speak coherently, I must bring you to the chieftain and interrogate you. It is only then that we will know the reason for your trespassing.”

“Can’t we talk this out instead? I’d rather avoid a fight with you.”

The reptile crouched down, ready to strike at any moment. “You don’t have a choice in this matter. You wasted no time in butchering those inferior beings. This should be no different. If you choose to struggle, prepare for a painful death.”

Fighting goblins is way different from a fight with a talking creature, Tyrus thought. In his view, confronting and battling beasts that operated purely on primal instincts was a challenge he had little qualms about. To him, it was akin to hunting, whether for training or sustenance. It was a straightforward, almost mechanical pursuit.

However, engaging in combat or hunting against creatures capable of thought and communication was an entirely different matter. When they possessed the ability to convey emotions through their expressive eyes and faces, it added an unsettling layer to the situation. It was one of the primary reasons he had hesitated to outright kill the armless treant, as finding out it could talk sapped him of his desire to win.

Only if the situation was drastic would he have no choice but to resort to killing. Relating to the enemy in front of him, that last choice may creep up if peace was not an option. If he could help it, he’d rather avoid a fight to the death.

Alas, the reptile held no concern for his dilemma as it moved, still clutching Tyrus’ sword. Clicking his tongue, he squared his shoulders and stood firmly against the bounding enemy with renewed determination. If talking would not work, then he’d have to resort to violence.

The humanoid lurched forward with the blade and swung it in a wide arc. Backpedaling from its trajectory, Tyus shot forth a few Lightning Bolts, watching the tip whiz past. Shaky orbs streaked by, hitting the reptile directly on its face. It produced a hiss as resonant as roaring steam, ceasing instantly. Tyrus took that chance to let loose a Lightning Snare and more Lightning Bolts.

He believed the reptile would not have sufficient time to recover from the preceding assault, yet Tyrus had greatly miscalculated its stamina. Despite the loss of one eye and enduring a barrage of Lightning Bolts to the face, the reptile displayed the dexterity to evade the spells with the quickness reminiscent of a slithering snake. Vibrant bursts of blue arcs and flashes erupted into the fog.

“How can it still move like that?” Tyrus grumbled.

Snapping out of his surprise, he looked to where it had previously moved to. Yet when his eyes locked on its location, the beast was nowhere to be seen. Tyrus began creeping in as he whirled around, scanning desperately across the area. Sadly, it was hard to pinpoint where it was exactly because of the annoying fog. Even then, shouldn't its outline be discernible just like before?

“Illumination.”

Immediately, a golden light appeared over his shoulder. Tyrus then commanded it to circle around the expanse, hoping to catch the beast. Did it decide to run away knowing it was outmatched or was it biding its time to wait for the perfect chance to ambush him? Either way, that thing took his sword! He had just bought it and someone had already snatched it out of his hands. Reflecting on it now, he realized that maintaining a few weapons was a challenging endeavor.

Engrossed in his thoughts, he came up empty-handed in his search for the enemy, even with Illumination activated. The spell had done a clean circular sweep of the area, yet the reptile was nowhere in sight. Just as Tyrus thought it had truly fled from the battle, he felt a crawling sensation on his neck. Then came the sound of footsteps as light as a feather, much different from the heavy plodding that usually occurred, and afterward a familiar scent.

Upon using augmentation, a rush of mana filled every section of his body. Tyrus turned just in time to see the faint outline of a sword. Like the reflexes of a cat, he ducked below the swing in a heartbeat, glancing as it swiped across his ears. Right after, he swiftly lifted his arm to the spot he believed the creature to be and unleashed a Lightning Bolt.

From the fog came a hiss, followed by a wet plop. A tall figure staggered backward, illuminated by a flickering light of dazzling energy. With the enemy’s location now a beacon of light, Tyrus sprinted to its location with adept agility. He passed by his sword that the foe had dropped and picked it up without breaking stride. The bright lights that enveloped the beast were fading fast. If he didn’t act quickly, it would slink back into the fog.

To reach his opponent, Tyrus burst into an explosive lurch–all the while noting his steps–and slashed his sword. He hadn’t realized that Beast Transformation had activated at that moment, but he didn’t care at all. What mattered was that his sword would unerringly reach the reptile.

While the reptile had just recovered from its daze, it noticed too late the hunk of steel rapidly approaching. It tried desperately to maneuver around the blade’s trajectory, but that action soon proved to be its downfall. With its attention solely on the blade, it hadn’t accounted for the other attack Tyrus had been brewing in the meantime.

Simultaneously swinging, he lifted his left arm with the palm facing the lizard's face. At the precise moment the blade was poised to meet its torso, a surge of mana burst forth from his palm.

Tyrus felt himself striking flesh and witnessed a shower of sparks and blood stain the ground. A screech that sounded like a garbled mess of choking and gargling water emanated from the reptile. Before long, silence ensued as it dropped to its knees. On its chest was a diagonal gash bleeding profusely from its shoulder to hip, and its face was a charred mess. Not long after, it fell face-first into the dirt.

Tyrus, breathing heavily, stuffed his sword back into the storage ring. He briefly locked eyes on the fallen enemy, a frown etched on his face, before pivoting on his heels. Spotting his dagger sitting idly by, he rushed over to the weapon and stored it as well. His gaze lingered on his blood-splattered hands and boots.

“It didn’t have to be this way,” he mumbled, wiping the blood on his trousers.

When he was just about done cleaning most of it off, his body stiffened when a bone-chilling noise sliced the atmosphere like a thunderclap. Tyrus turned just in the nick of time to witness the reptile standing upright, its head pointed towards the heavens as it emitted a whistle into the atmosphere. It wasn’t just an ordinary whistle that originated from joy or anger. No, it was a noise Tyrus instinctively knew after only a second of hearing it.

His blood turned cold once it disappeared. Right after the noise dissipated, the reptile let out one last croak before toppling onto its back, remaining completely motionless once again. Not even a second later did another whistle come forward. Then another, and another. Not from the dead reptile, but from all around him. It felt as though the surroundings were sentient, audibly voicing their discontent over the demise of one of their own.

Adding to the complication, next came a horn. After covering his ears from all the noise, he looked up in horror as a terrifying sight befell him. The silhouettes of more than a dozen humanoid figures emerged in the distance, all wielding what seemed to be spears and clubs.