Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]

Wind whistled in Ethan's ears, ruffling his hair as he fell through a mist of refreshing cold water from a missed jet of water that went wide as he descended upon the hungry water monitors. The largest, the one he was aiming for, closed its mouth as the blue glow in the back of its throat faded, and the mighty reptile took a step back, hissing at him, but there was no stopping now.

Along the lance, red rune-like engravings were glowing. Activating the explosive effect was as simple as flipping a switch, and Ethan was going all out. After all, this was the opening salvo and these were no lizardlings.

He couldn't afford to mess around.

The tip caught the larger reptile in its flank as it twisted itself to move away from Ethan. The spear-like tip sunk through the thick scales, and Ethan triggered the explosion just as a layer of even thicker scales materialized over the reptile.

His feet hit the soft soil hard, but it wasn't as bad as the impact on his shoulders. Even though his grip slipped from his fall and from the violent pulse that ran through the lance, he kept a hand on the pommel. The reptile hissed in pain as its red blood spurting out in a disappointingly modest geyser of flesh and scales, and as Ethan pulled hard to dislodge the lance, he noticed the blue glow in the corner of his left eye.

The lance came out just in time for him to launch himself backward. A thick beam of water flashed in front of him and hit the stone cliff, tearing chunks of stone and carving into the soil, and Ethan had a realization as his feet skidded against the wet soil.

If that hits me in the face, it's taking my eye out.

Ethan tightened his grip on his lance as the monitors began circling. He eyed the one he'd injured and cursed under his breath when he saw it move as if nothing had happened. The hole he'd dug in its back was still bleeding, but that didn't seem to hamper it much.

It summoned scales too… Is that a Prime form or a regular spellform?

Either way, Ethan believed if he pushed the defensive spellform of the monitor hard enough, it would dissipate. To do so, he could cause a few more explosions, but now that he had tested that ability, he knew it consumed essence.

Which is way I might have to frugal with it, he thought as he circled the two lizards warily while their yellow-slitted eyes tracked him. He was waiting for the blue glow, and as soon as the larger one began preparing another water jet, he raised his left hand and shot a [Small Fireball] at the ground between them.

Moss and soil erupted between him and the lizards while another jet of water went wide. Ethan ran toward the left-most reptile, the weaker one who'd yet to summon its scales. His plan was either to take it out of the fight, or force to use its summoned scales.

Coming out of the dust and smoke, Ethan saw it was scanning for him in the other direction, but his movement caught the attention of the larger specimen. The big reptile saw him and hissed, but it also just missed its shot, so unless his count was off, he was safe from its water gun for a few seconds.

Red inscription snaked down his lance as he primed the explosive effect. He took one more step, jumped, and stabbed downward at the smaller monitor's right as turned toward him, and just before his lance impacted, the scales swelled and grew rougher as a clear blue glow emanated from below them. The lance impacted and detonated, but when the bit of smoke cleared, Ethan saw that his lance had barely cut through the reinforced scales.

Shit.

Then a thick, scaly tail caught him in the throat.

It was like trying to catch a falling couch by the neck. Ethan was thrown back, dazed and stumbling at first, but quickly regained his balance as he put a flaming hand around his throat. Unfortunately, the air going through his throat made a worrying whistle as he labored to inhale through the pain. Something was damaged by the larger lizard's attack, but the flames surging out of his left hand were pushing back the pain and slowly helping heal whatever had been damaged.

Change of plans, then, he thought as he dismissed the lance.

With his left hand still around his throat, Ethan pointed with his right toward the duo and sent a gout of scorching flames out. Instantly, the temperature of the area rose dramatically. He just needed to push their magic scales hard enough to dissipate, at which point he could finish them off.

Expectingly, the monitors didn't take the flames lying down, and with both of them shooting water back, Ethan had to abort and move lest he'd get clipped once more, disappearing into the thick, dense fog that had formed.

Just need to push their magic scales hard enough to dissipate.

The lizards prowled forward, rounding on him at an angle that oddly looked like a pincer. Their tongues flicked the air, trying to locate him as they throat shone. They were holding on to their water attacks, believing him to be injured—which he was—but while his throat hurt and his previous offensive attempts had been countered, he was also waiting for his opportunity.

Slowly crouching, he picked up broken, dessicated piece from a fallen mushroom tree. Quickly heating it up until it glowed yellow, he lobbed it between him and the closest one he could hear, and it caught fire as air rushed about it.

The smaller monitor lunged toward it and out of the fog that had been hiding it, jaw open, and Ethan blasted it with a thin and concentrated gout of flames. The monitor hissed, caught unaware, but the flames gave him away.

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A jet of water came at him from beyond the one he'd just burned and Ethan raised his right arm just in time to block the attack, but it still sent him flying back. The steam had dispersed enough by now, and as Ethan picked himself up, flames dancing around both hands, he saw the burnt lizard rolling on the wet mud and clacking its jaw in annoyance. It got back on its feet and hissed at him, mouth still smoking.

He couldn't let them recover.

Ethan shot another fireball at their feet, expecting it to be countered, but it wasn't. Covering his eyes from the wet soil and mud that pelted him, he rushed in. The fireball had gone off close enough to the creature that they must have been affected.

He had to capitalize on it.

Ethan ignored the pain still pulsing in his throat and shoulder, and as the dust and smoke cleared, he bared his teeth in a hungry smile.

The lower-leveled lizard had lost its summoned scales and seemed woozy. It stood low on its feet, shaking its head as it blinked half-lidded eyes. It turned to face him, but was most definitely out of it.

That one first, he thought, but he couldn't just charge it blind. He had to know what the second was up to.

Ethan turned his attention to the second and largest of the two. It was the one he'd gotten the drop on, initially, the one that had taken the first explosive lance. Its manifested scales were still around, and its throat was glowing as it watched him approach, but it didn't shoot yet. It prowled closer and hissed, trying to intimidate him away from its dazed companion. It slowly raised its head as the blue light in the back of its throat glowed brighter—

—And Ethan dashed to the left, putting the injured lizard between them once more before he sent a barely-controlled gout of flame at the larger monitor as a distraction.

"You lose," he told it, right before he summoned the claws and with an activation of [Extending Enhancement] sliced up and tore the still-stunned monitor's throat.

The talons' sharp edges cut through the tough scales like a blunt knife through burnt meat. They didn't go as deep as he would like, but they still did damage. Winding back, he drove his claws back in, again, and again, dodging back as it tried to bite him, but he never stopped until he managed to hack halfway through its neck, and until he was coated in the creature's blood.

The water monitor thrashed with pain while a gargled hiss came out of its throat. Blood sprayed from its neck and mouth as Ethan backed away, panting as he put his flaming hand back on his neck. Its movement slowed, its hissing was reduced to a wet-sounding wheeze until finally, it shuddered once more, then fell.

You have defeated [Water monitor (I) - Level 37]

You have reached Level 32. 1 stat point awarded.

The surviving lizard raised its head and screeched, an odd ululating call, and Ethan capitalized on its distress by sending a [Small Fireball] at it, which it snuffed once more with a quick jet of water.

It narrowed its eyes at him. Ethan braced. Ready for anything the beast might throw at him and then—

It did nothing.

Heavy seconds went by while the reptile stared at him. Its forked tongue flicked outward every few seconds to taste the air, and a cold, slimy feeling began sliding down Ethan's back as he slowly got his breath under control.

That wasn't just some sort of mourning call. It had called for reinforcement.

"You're real bastard, you know."

First, it tried to stop him from finished off its companion, then it tried to stall so that more of the monitors showed. Ethan glanced at the surrounding brush. He couldn't see movement yet, but it was only a matter of time. He had one last shot at ending things quickly and if that failed, then he'd need to make himself scarce and get the heck out of here.

Two of these things was already pushing it. Three or more and he was dead.

Ethan stepped from behind the dead lizard and opened his offense with another distracting fireball that created a screen of dirt and dust for him to close the distance. He ran toward the lizard at an angle, wary and watchful for the jet of pressurized water that might come out at any second. He tried slowing for a second, hoping it would take the bait and shoot, but it didn't. It only turned its body to face him, jaws open, ready to blast him.

Ethan grit his teeth, realizing how hard getting through this one's defenses was going to be. The other one had been hard enough, and this one had five levels on it.

Then his eyes landed on its open, hissing jaw, and a terribly, stupid idea popped into his head. But if it worked, he'd be able to kill this thing really fast.

This is really dumb. Even for me. But I gotta retreat anyway… and I could get Amelie to heal me faster.

Either way, he had no time. He could already hear some hiss-like calls slowly growing closer, so Ethan ran straight at the lizard. A jet of pressurized water came at him, but he was ready for it. Ethan angled himself forward in a tackling stance, and took the reptile's attack over his crossed arms.

The water hit him with the force of a falling wave, threatening to bowl him over, but his Toughness, Might and flames allowed him to resist the impact.

Steam filled the air as the intense flames coming off his claws vaporized the water crashing into them. His feet dug into the soft soil, and mud slipped into his boots. As much as he hated the sensation, he couldn't afford the distraction.

The attack pushed him back a handful of feet, but after a couple of seconds, it was over. Ethan jumped forward once more, arms slightly numb from the damn pressurized water. The lizardling hissed and lunged, enraged at the human that dared walk all the way up to him, only for Ethan to go nowhere and instead of dodging, he shoved his right hand down its throat.

There was a half second where Ethan thought he saw surprise in the reptile's predatory gaze, right before he felt the sharp teeth clamp down on his biceps at the same time as he turned every ounce of mana he had at his disposal into scorching flames that surged out of his hand to create a point-blank inferno right into the creature's throat.