Elizabeth and I stare down at the large mass beneath us. Of all the things to find down here, a greater monster is not what I expected. Its massive eye is open wide, but all of its limbs appear to be resting. It's hard to tell, but...
"Is it sleeping?" Elizabeth asks in a hushed tone.
"I... think so."
"What do we do?"
What *do* we do? Just leave it here? I suppose we could. It didn't hear us coming in, so as long as we don't make too much noise, getting out without it waking up should be doable. On the other hand, though...
Isn't this an opportunity? What are the chances we'll ever find a sleeping greater monster again? We've never gotten a head-start like this. A complete surprise attack on a greater monster?
It's almost too good to pass up.
"Should we go back?" Elizabeth asks me, as though hurrying me to make a decision.
"No."
It *is* too good to pass up. For once, I'd like to strike first.
I start to feel like myself again. Hunting greater monsters is what I'm good at. Actually hunting them. Not sitting back and waiting for them to attack me. And now that I have the manacaster, I'm more like myself than I ever have been in this life.
"I'm going to attack it," I tell Elizabeth.
"It that a good idea?"
"I've thought this through," I say, and then add, "You trust me, right?"
"Right."
"Then stand back and get ready to run."
In under a minute, I've thought up a strategy. It's like my brain has been lying dormant for too long, but I'm back in my element now. It's time to strike.
"Suleiynert!"
With a series of loud crunches, rocky spikes begin to penetrate the monster's legs. Unlike the other monsters, the creature doesn't scream or roar. Instead, the scraping and tapping of a hundred long legs can be heard from below, as the greater monster awakes from its slumber.
The large eye spins around frantically in its center. It struggles to move, but the spikes hold it in place. For now, at least. I take a breath and prepare to cast the next spell.
"Rogsfulnert!"
As a large ball of fire begins to shape in the air, I see the beast below pull hard on its legs. The spikes are firmly embedded in its flesh and muscle, which begins to tear as it moves. With so many legs, I guess it doesn't need all of them to live.
The fireball, fully formed, descends upon the creature at a high speed. As it passes down the ravine, the narrowing passage seems to melt around the high heat of the fireball.
"Solaeyvun!"
I had previously decided against using both the fireball spell and the lightning spell. However, as the situation changes, one must adapt ones ideas, and so I have. Just because the lightning can't reach us down here, that doesn't mean it can't cause any damage.
There's a loud crackling from far above us, and the already unstable ceiling begins to crumble, falling in upon itself.
I don't stop to see the effects of the fire and crumbling ceiling on the eyeball monster below us. The cave system around us has begun to shake, and there's a loud rumbling, like that of an earthquake.
"Run! Now!"
Elizabeth sets off, back through the tunnel, as fast as she can. Before following her, I shout one last spell, just in case.
"Equeralliex!"
A transparent barrier appears before the exit, blocking off the path to the ravine. As I run after Elizabeth, I look back to see a mountain of rocks plummet downwards, melting partially from the heat of the fireball. The frantic scraping and tearing of the greater monster worsens.
We sprint back up through the cave system, passing through the small passages and wider hallways.
I cast "Ailomolliex!" to increase our speed as the branching paths of the cave fall in behind us. Behind the sound of the rumbling and crashing of rocks, there's another sound. A loud scraping and tapping sound. And it's getting closer.
Without warning, the feeling of the greater monster's mana signature comes flooding over me, as if right beside me.
* C R A S H *
The ground directly behind me comes crashing down, like it had been only a thin surface. I leap to avoid falling into the newly formed hole, tripping as I reach the other side safely. Barely a second later, the round shape of a massive eye pulls itself from the hole with immense force.
We've stopped in one of the larger caverns. No wonder the oresnatchers kept away from here. This entire room is a death trap. Quite literally.
Over a hundred spindly legs step around on the surfaces of the cave, finding footing. I notice that many of the ones on top are burnt and broken, and are hanging down limply. Here and there, exposed bone is visible, where the monster has torn itself out of the spikes.
The eye fills nearly the entire room, its piercing gaze rolling to stare at me. Elizabeth, having moved up beside me, pulls out her sword.
"So, what's the plan?" she asks.
I can't tell if she's trying to be funny. Do I really need to say it?
"Aim for the eye."
I cast myself to the side. With a slam, a giant leg embeds itself in the very place where I stood just a moment ago.
"Elizabeth, now!"
Elizabeth's shadow crosses over me as she jumps past me, her sword aimed at the leg. With one fluid motion, she slashes directly through one of its many knuckles.
The greater monster's eye is lifted high into the air. It may be the most obvious weak point I've ever seen, but reaching it is no easy feat. Now that we've been pushed back into close-quarters combat, most of my spells are pointless. Their sheer power would end up injuring Elizabeth, and possibly even myself.
"Ailomolliex!"
Casting the spell, I feel my entire body become light and agile, though there's a slight strain on something deeper. Jumping back as Elizabeth keeps it in check, I scan the monster, getting an overview of its current state.
We've managed to remove quite a few of its legs now, but it's still managing to keep its eye out of our reach. I glance out at the ends of its long limbs.
Hm, there. There. And... there. That one, too.
I point out four legs, which seem to be providing the creature with the most structural integrity.
"Got it," Elizabeth responds, aiming her blade towards the three on the right.
Slicing off one of its knuckles causes the creature to stagger slightly. The massive eye swivels around to face Elizabeth, who's already on her way to the next leg. She raises her blade, but with a sudden movement of its body, one of its legs comes cracking down on her.
Without a moments hesitation, I cast "Equeralliex," and a thick, see-through barrier appears above Elizabeth's head. With a loud snapping sound, the leg slams into the barrier at full speed, causing several of its knuckles to shatter from the impact.
While the many knuckles provide a lot of freedom of movement to the monster, it leaves its individual legs relatively weak. I suppose that's why it has evolved to have so many.
The monster is thrown off balance as Elizabeth dices another leg.
Only two structurally critical legs remaining. One for each of us.
Reaching for my only close-range attack spell, I cast "Suleiynert." I heave a small breath after casting the spell.
Unlike the placement of the barrier spell, the exact placement of the spikes is hard to control. Two legs apart from the one I was aiming for are penetrated. Finally, a particularly long spike goes straight up through its foot, splitting the leg in two.
The remaining legs under the creature start to crumble under its weight. With one swift movement, Elizabeth cuts the last stable leg in half. The greater monster trembles, its massive eye quivering rapidly as it gets closer to the cave floor.
Finally stopping to get a good look at it, I notice that the eye is bloodshot. Red veins stretch across it from the back. It's a weirdly comforting sight.
I realize that my breath is unsteady. And not just because of the high adrenaline. This is something else.
How... many spells did I cast, again? Quite a lot... wasn't it?
Shit, this isn't ideal.
Using this much mana in such a short time is tiring me out. I got so caught up in all this, I forgot that my body is barely 16 now. It might be a hell of a lot better than 14, but having this much mana passing through my body is too demanding.
I brought us into this fight. I can't just pass out now.
Better make my spells count.
"I'll distract it! Once it's focused on me, slice out the iris," I exclaim.
"Got it," Elizabeth shouts back.
I take a breath and cast "Rogsfulnert." Above me, a fireball of immense heat and power begins to form. I've created it above me as I could, but I still feel the area heating up.
As expected, the eye rolls around to face the extreme heat. It was able to block before, but it has lost a lot of legs now, not to mention its stability. The fireball is the most immediate threat to its life. It also happens to be the most immediate threat to my life, as it quickly starts turning the cave into an oven.
If we don't get this done quickly, both Elizabeth and I will be dog food. Or eye food, I guess. Does the eye eat food? How does that work?
Wait, what?? Focus! Shit, the high heat is already getting to me.
I try to remember at what temperature brain function begins to degrade, but I can't. How ironic. Is that what irony is? Stop. It doesn't matter.
"Hurry up, Elizabeth!"
One of my knees buckles and fails. The scorching heat from above seems to carve itself into my scalp. The fireball is supposed to be fired once it reaches full size. It isn't supposed to be kept in place like this.
I seem to be melting, sweat dripping off of me, exhaustion setting in.
I reach for the manacaster to switch spells. Maybe a barrier spell will at least help deflect the direct heat away from me.
"Argh!"
With a jolt of pain, I whip my hand away from it. The metal is white hot. It must be burning me where it's attached to my arm, but I can barely feel it.
I can barely feel anything anymore.
I can barely feel anything.
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