บท 8: I'll kill them all

We shuffle to the side of the cavern and see as the armored lizard bursts out of the tunnel. It shoots past us and skids to a halt further in. Then it turns and charges at us while building up its momentum again.

I rush to the side trying to flank it and do some damage. Louis jumps to the other side and releases some arrows that harmlessly bounce off the lizard's stone armor. Alain chooses to follow me while Thomas in all seriousness tries to tank a hit.

Thomas jams his tower shield into the floor and digs in his armored heels. One of his hands holds the shield while the other braces against it preparing for the coming impact.

"Full-defense, Tower stance, energy shield!"

Thomas yells out the skills he is about to use. A white shimmer passes over his body as full-defense activates.

The skill, full defense, adds its level in percentage to the user's constitution stat for ten seconds. Thomas has reached level two in full-defense and his constitution stat should be around 70 so the increase would only be one or two stat points.

His posture becomes more stable as he uses the defensive skill tower stance on level four. Tower stance is the most used skill for defenders. It allows the user to form a connection with the ground he stands on and become immovable. This is especially useful against larger monsters with greater momentum.

Lastly, a bluish half-transparent shield locks in place before him. This is a skill he's only learned recently, energy shield. For every level one has in the skill, another energy shield can be summoned. Too bad that his skill is only level one and he can't make more shields.

The armored lizard cares little for all those fancy skills and smashes straight through the energy shield. Then the lizard's massive frame makes contact with Thomas' tower shield and blows him away. The ground connected to his feet is blown away with him until he releases his tower stance.

His condition isn't critical but if he takes another hit like that it may be. Fortunately, since the lizard had all its attention on Thomas I am now in position. Alain is here too but I'm not counting on his assistance.

"Energy sword, first sanguine slash, sanguine infection!"

I use the skill energy sword on level 5 as I slash down and five energy blades manifest before my sword all aiming for the same spot. Blade after blade shatters against the stone armor until finally my real sword hits and breaks through the armor. The blade sinks into the creature's flesh, blood is drawn and the sanguine combo skill fully activates.

A glowing red 1 appears in my mind and my power increases. With every sanguine slash that draws blood my power will increase further until either my body collapses from the burden or I release the skill.

Simultaneously, the lizard's blood touched by my sword is changed by sanguine infection. As the fight goes on the lizard will be continuously harmed by his blood. Sadly, my sanguine infection is only on level 2 so the damage won't amount to more than an inconvenience for a monster of this level.

Alain is next to me and tries to do the same but he can only produce two energy swords. Also, his attacks aren't aimed at one spot and harmlessly bounce off the lizard's stone armor.

The lizard turns enraged by the injury I dealt him. I push off of the stone armor while pulling my sword with me and create some distance between myself and the monster. Alain ignores the lizard thinking it will go after me and attacks again. This catches the lizard's attention so the monster's head snaps around and chomps down on Alain's shoulder making him scream in pain.

Thomas is out of the fight, Louis is just futilely shooting arrows, and Alain is getting eaten. What have I done to deserve this?

I didn't want to use this with such an untrustworthy team but there seems to be no way around it. I activate sanguine boost, the most dreaded skill a sanguine swordsman could learn. It feels like my blood is boiling and a sense of power washes over me.

Sanguine boost temporarily increases all stats by ten percent per level. The twenty percent increase brings my strength, Constitution, and speed stats over the 200 point mark. The only downside is that I'll be weakened after the skill loses effect.

The armored lizard feels that something about me has changed and drops Alain to be able to face me. We both stare at each other for a few seconds standing perfectly still then we rapidly advance like arrows loosened from a bow.

"Energy sword, second sanguine slash, sanguine infection!"

I am much faster now so I easily evade the lizard's charge and slash out using the same skills as before. This time I don't concentrate on one spot because each of the energy swords should be able to break the armor by themselves. And indeed I brush past the lizard leaving five cuts that barely reach the flesh and one deep, gruesome-looking gash in its stone armor.

The armored lizard grows more enraged. It turns around and charges again opening its mouth in preparation to bite me. I dodge under its bite and slash out again.

"Energy sword, third sanguine slash, sanguine infection!"

The lizard's left flank is now marred in cuts of varying depth and I can tell that this battle is as good as over. Just then something hits me in the stomach and sends me flying until I crash into the hard stone of the cavern.

Damn, it hurts so bad! That stupid lizard managed to hit me with its armored tail when I was least expecting it.

I stand back up and grab my sword. I probably have a few broken ribs and maybe even something worse. I need to end this fight quickly or the end of my sanguine boost will shut me down. Just when I want to rush at the lizard again, an arrow hits the back of my calf and penetrates deep into my flesh.

I stumble from the unexpected loss of strength in my leg and fall to the ground again. The arrow came from the entrance of the cavern where I can see those three idiots standing with shit-eating grins on their faces.

"Make sure to struggle for a while to buy us the time we need to get out of here. Such a shame that we couldn't get any more good stuff out of you. Farewell, Jade."

They run off into the tunnel. How could they?

A sickening crunch and unbearable pain force my thoughts to return to my immediate predicament. The armored lizard's teeth have been sunk into my sword arm. Then the monster places its heavy foot on my chest, braces, and yanks its head back.

Flesh is being torn, Joints are ripped apart and bones burst under the pressure as my arm is torn from my shoulder.

I'll kill those three! Even if I die here, I'll find a way!