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Hiroshi's hair waved in the beast’s breath quickly as it stared down him. Its thick scarred paws planted into the ground. Thick fur, mangled in some places, covered the great the great beast.
You’ve got to be kidding me. It found me again?! It’s even more powerful than before!
The beast had two heads. One of a bear and the other of a snake. The snake’s neck looked unnatural, the scales and fur mixed and blended. Hiroshi recognized the snake from the cave. The beast had mutated.
Hiroshi’s eyes drifted to its shoulder, which had the strange symbol, just like the ones from the goblin village and the soldiers’ chest pieces. It looked like the mark was burned into it, like a torturer marking slaves with cast iron.
Hiroshi’s claws shot out at the thought of the ability’s name, the beast postured itself upright, also readying. It stood easily four times Hiroshi’s height.
Gobu, don’t move! Please.
It looked down at him, almost as if waiting for Hiroshi to make the first move.
Status Inspect!
Lesser Venomfang Chimera
LV: 44
HP: 5500/5500
MP: 700/700
Skills: Demoralizing Roar, Fatal Swipe, Death Poison, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???
Oi oi, Level 44? 5,500 health!? There’s no way I’m beating this thing. But what’s surprising is that this thing has been busy too, huh?
I didn’t have the Status Inspect ability the first time we met but it wasn’t this big and didn’t have the snake’s head either.
His eyes moved to its stomach. A long scar starting at its chest going all the way down to its stomach. Some of the fur looked like it had burned off.
Was it in a fight before? I don’t remember seeing that when we first met.
The snake’s head next to the bear’s wriggled and turned to look behind it, then flung back to face Hiroshi.
That’s going to be a big problem. It has 360-degree defense with the snake head, if I get behind it the snake will be there.
I’ll have to kill the snake’s head first.
Hiroshi’s eyes scanned the surroundings.
Nothing but thick trees and foliage surrounded them.
This isn’t the best place to fight, considering what it does to trees as it walks.
Maybe I have the mobility advantage with the trees.
The bear suddenly dropped onto all fours. Everything shook from its ‘soft’ landing.
It’s attacking?! No… it’s…
It took a step forward.
What is it doing…?
The snake hissed as it turned its head towards Gobu and lunged at it.
Gobu let out a shout. His life flashed before his eyes as the snake lunged at him.
Shit, Gobu! It’s acting independently to the body… I’ve got to save him. He won’t survive even a scratch from it.
Hiroshi turned his body towards the snake.
ZERO DISTANCE!
Hiroshi appeared to the side of the snake’s head mid-lunge.
With a quick slash aimed at the snake’s neck, his claws scratched through. The cut wasn’t deep enough.
The snake let out a screech as the nails grazed by its neck.
Damn it, it wasn’t deep enough. The fur’s reinforcing its neck…
The bear began turning its body to face Hiroshi while the snake took another lunge, aimed at him.
His instincts kicked in, his entire body twisting to the side as the snake’s head flew into the ground.
Damn that was close.
With its head lodged in the ground, Hiroshi pulled back his arm, readying to sink his claws into its neck.
Hiroshi’s eyes widened as he caught something at the corner of his eye. The bear’s mouth was open wide right beside him.
Shit—
He abandoned his strike and hopped back, the bear’s teeth coming together where his head was a moment ago, letting out a “clack” sound.
That was cl—
Before he could react, the bear swung wide at Hiroshi with its hulking arm.
It connected with Hiroshi’s body, blasting him away. He flew through six trees in a row, finally coming to a stop at the seventh.
Hiroshi’s vision blurred, ears ringing as they drowned out everything else. Blood oozed from his nose.
His HP dropped significantly.
What… was that…
He coughed and wheezed for air, trying to focus on what was ahead of him. There were holes in the thick tree trunks before him.
Everything was shaking.
His eyes squinted, he saw some colors in the distance slowly getting closer.
After a short while his vision returned. He could see the bear’s head as it got closer and closer, running through the trees Hiroshi had just crashed through like they were nothing.
Damn… It’s coming…
The tree Hiroshi was plastered against creaked loudly. It was falling over.
Finally, Hiroshi heard a loud crack, the tree had given in and began to fall forward.
I could use this…
He focused on the bear before him.
Let’s hope this works. If not, it’s over.
After letting out a sigh, he croaked out.
“Shadow…step…”
His body turned to a faint dark fog as he appeared behind the bear on the floor, the tree halfway down now.
He quickly kicked and rolled out of the tree’s projected fall path. The bear continued to charge forward through the trees until it stopped, noticing Hiroshi wasn’t there anymore.
A loud crash shook everything again as it came down on top of the bear.
Now’s my chance…
Hiroshi stumbled to his feet and hopped towards the stunned bear. It was struggling to get up.
He leapt into the air.
Take this!
He landed atop the bear’s head, sinking his claws into the bear’s thick neck.
Poison Claws! Paralysis Claws!
The system announced.
“Poison Claws, failed.”
“Paralysis Claws, failed.”
Shit… It’s not working.
The snake’s head coiled up and gazed at Hiroshi; its eyes began to glow brightly.
It’s doing something!
Without thinking, he moved his elbow up to cover his eyes. A bright flash shot out from the snake’s eyes.
Hiroshi peeked out his elbow then lowered it.
It’s clear…
The snake then chomped forward, missing him by an inch.
It missed… is it still concussed?
Hiroshi sank his two fangs down into the snake’s flesh, it screeched and writhed uncontrollably, trying to get Hiroshi off. His health restored through Vampire Drain.
While Hiroshi still held onto the snake, he dug his claws into its neck, blood spurting out as it writhed even harder.
The bear’s HP dropped ever so slightly.
Unable to hold on much longer, Hiroshi was flung away from the snake’s head, landing on the ground, tumbling.
Status Inspect!
Lesser Venomfang Chimera
Hp: 5000/5500
Seriously? That barely tickled it…
I could keep this up, but this is a war of attrition.
The hulking beast began to rise, the giant tree sliding off its back, crashing to the ground.
I can’t win this… I can’t take one of those hits again.
Turning its massive body around, it faced Hiroshi once more. It snarled at him with its bear head and hissed with its snake head.
Great… I think I just pissed it off even more. Time for plan B…
RUN!
Hiroshi turned and sprung into a run.
The beast gave chase behind him, the earth shaking from its sheer weight.
“GOBU! GOBU!” Hiroshi shouted out as he ran.
Damn it… I only just got him back…
He looked around frantically while running, jumping over fallen trees and dodging branches.
“…ss…” he heard faintly.
He turned his head to where it was coming from and slightly changed direction.
The monster behind him roared as it cracked trees behind Hiroshi, smashing through fallen trees like they were brittle branches.
Is that Gobu!?
“Boss!” It sounded clear.
“Gobu! Come out!”
He saw Gobu peeking from a tree, staring with utter shock. Hiroshi was dashing towards him with the huge, hulking monster right behind him.
“Give me your hand, now!!” He shouted out, now close to Gobu.
The little goblin stuck out his short hand.
Hiroshi grabbed Gobu as he sprinted past, flinging him to his back.
Gobu pointed ahead.
“There! Dire. Wolves!”
“Huh?”
Hiroshi jumped out from a thick bush into a small opening.
Before him was a large pack of dire wolves, feasting on dead animals.
Damn… could this get any worse?
At the center laid a much bigger dire wolf. It had long, soft white fur. Its snout was dotted with blue circles. Noticing Hiroshi and Gobu emerge from the foliage, it stood up.
Towering the other wolves, it faced Hiroshi. Lightning began to crackle around its snout.
Shit… It just got worse.
With a loud bang, lightning shot out, heading straight towards Hiroshi. In Hiroshi’s eyes, the iris lit up a bright blue color.
I’m dead.
Everything froze around him.
Is this it?
The lightning froze a few paces ahead of him. The bear behind him also stopped mid run.
After everything I’ve been through…
After the friend I made…
His eyes fixated on the large white, elegant dire wolf which lightning crackled around.
I…
I don’t want to die!
Everything slowly began returning to normal.
Then, as if someone heard his wish, answered him.
Hiroshi’s body reacted before his brain could even send the signals. He ducked down, lightning whizzing past the top of his head, hitting the bear.
The monster behind him stopped, its fur rising from the shock. It roared out in pain but continued to move, slowly.
After a short moment the lightning disappeared and the bear continued to move, though it was slowed.
“GOBU, WE’RE DOING IT!”
Gobu grunted, knowing what was about to happen.
The white dire wolf’s snout crackled again with lightning.
Hiroshi snatched Gobu by his arm and pulled back and launched him forward into the air, just above the white dire wolf.
The lesser dire wolves began to run toward Hiroshi, while their leader calmly stepped forward.
The bear continued to run, almost reaching the edge of the treeline.
I think it’s time you fought something your own size, chimera!
Gobu landed behind the white dire wolf, letting out grunts as he rolled across the ground, his HP dropped quite a bit from the impact.
Shit, I can’t see Gobu anymore! I’ve got to get him in my sight!
Hiroshi dashed to the side, looking for him. Two lesser dire wolves spotted Gobu on the ground and ran towards him.
There he is!
Gobu came into view, behind the white dire wolf.
Lightning crackled as it shot out another bolt of magic.
Shadowstep!
The two lesser dire wolves leapt into the air; their eyes locked onto Gobu. A moment later, their vision of him spun in circles.
Their heads hit the floor near Gobu and Hiroshi, rolling a few times.
The lightning bolt flew through Hiroshi’s dark fog and hit a tree near the bear, who blasted through the foliage into the clearing as well; its eyes now locked onto the white dire wolf.
“Lesser Dire Wolf, defeated.” The system came to life, repeating twice.
Hiroshi turned, his eyes wide open.
Two large beasts going head-to-head. Multiple lesser dire wolves bit into the hulking monster’s legs and body, the snake chomping down on one of them and swallowing it whole.
The bear, furious, clawing the elegant white fur, blood running down its leg.
They’re going at it… Lesser Sneak.
His body pulsed with color as he crouched down.
“Gobu, let’s move.” He ordered.
The goblin grunted, staring back at the two huge monsters thrashing around as lesser dire wolves whimpered.
“Strong monster. Scary.” Gobu said quietly.
“I know, Gobu. They scare me too.”
They both snuck away into the bushes ahead. The ground trembled occasionally from the impacts.
After sneaking in the forest for a short while, Blood began to drip from Hiroshi’s nose.
Gobu spoke up.
“Boss. Nose. Bleeding.”
“Huh?” He noticed.
What’s this? Status, open.
The information appeared before him. He glanced down at the conditions section. His hand froze.
“Conditions: Cursed.”