I pushed open the ornate door and imdiately threw myself sideways as a missile scread past my head, close enough that I felt the heat of its exhaust.
What the actual hell?!
I rolled behind a stone pillar just as the projectile exploded against the far wall, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. My ears were ringing, and dust filled the air. Pieces of debris bounced off my jumpsuit, and I could taste blood where I'd bitten my tongue.
I am definitely not paid enough for this shit.
Peering around the pillar, I got my first look at the boss. And imdiately wished I hadn't.
Nesis T-Type. I recognized it instantly from those Resident Evil gas I'd played during late-night procrastination sessions. Seven feet of pure bioweapon nightmare—pale gray skin stretched over impossibly dense muscle, a black leather coat that sohow made it look even more terrifying, and most importantly, a goddamn rocket launcher clutched in its massive hands.
Of course it's Nesis. Of course the dungeon boss is a walking weapons platform with anger managent issues.
My Perception kicked in automatically, analyzing the monster's stats, and my blood went cold. Strength: 64. Agility: 44. Health: 100. And that wasn't even the worst part—it had a skill called Dash that boosted its speed by fifteen percent. Thank God it hadn't been used that yet.
Those stats are completely insane compared to the zombies. This thing could probably punch through a concrete wall without breaking stride.
Another missile ca my way, and I dove behind a different pillar. The explosion was deafening, and stone fragnts pelted my back through the jumpsuit. The heat from the blast made sweat break out across my forehead.
"STARS..." the creature growled in that distinctive, bone-chilling voice that had haunted my nightmares as a teenager.
Great. It talks. Because that's exactly what this situation needed. Next it'll probably start making witty one-liners.
I couldn't stay behind cover forever. The room wasn't that big—maybe thirty ters across—and there were only so many pillars to hide behind. Plus, this thing had a rocket launcher with what looked like unlimited ammunition. I was going to run out of cover long before it ran out of missiles.
Think, Lucien. What are its weaknesses?
The rocket launcher was powerful, but it had to be slow to reload. And those missiles were designed for long-range targets, not close-quarters combat. If I could get close enough, maybe I could exploit that.
Another explosion, this one taking out the pillar I'd been hiding behind previously. Chunks of stone rained down like deadly confetti. I rolled to my left, staying low, and started a wide circle around the room. The creature tracked with the launcher, but I was moving fast enough that it couldn't get a clean shot.
Co on, just a little closer...
WHOOSH! Another missile, this one close enough that the shockwave knocked off balance. I stumbled but kept moving, using the smoke and dust as cover. My legs were starting to burn from the constant sprinting and diving.
The Nesis rotated to follow my movent, that massive head turning with chanical precision. Its dead eyes locked onto with the kind of focus that made my skin crawl. There was intelligence there—cold, calculating, and absolutely murderous.
Okay, this is working. Sort of. I'm not dead yet, which is sothing.
I kept circling, gradually tightening the spiral. The creature was powerful, but it was also predictable. It aid where I was, not where I was going. My speed advantage was the only thing keeping alive, and I intended to milk it for everything it was worth.
BOOM! Another explosion, this one behind . I was close enough now to see the details—the way its finger flexed on the trigger, the chanical whirring sound the launcher made as it tracked targets, the faint wisps of smoke rising from the barrel.
There. The opening of the launcher. If I could get sothing inside it...
I reached for one of my daggers, weighing it in my hand. It was a long shot—literally—but it might be my only chance. The blade felt solid and reassuring in my grip.
The Nesis raised the launcher again, aiming directly at . I waited until the last possible second, watching its finger start to squeeze the trigger, then threw myself into a slide across the stone floor.
The missile passed over my head, and in that brief mont when the launcher was pointed away from , I hurled the dagger with everything I had.
The blade tumbled end over end through the air and—miracle of miracles—disappeared into the launcher's barrel opening just as the creature tried to fire again.
The result was imdiate and spectacular.
The launcher exploded in the Nesis's hands, engulfing the creature in smoke and fla. The shockwave knocked backward, and I hit the ground hard, my ears ringing from the blast. The sll of cordite and burned flesh filled the air.
Did that actually work? Please tell that worked.
Smoke billowed across the room, thick and acrid. I couldn't see anything through the haze, but I could hear sothing moving—heavy footsteps on stone, accompanied by a low growling sound that made my blood freeze.
It's still alive. Of course it's still alive. Nothing's ever that easy.
I started moving toward the smoke, staying low and trying to make as little noise as possible. Maybe the explosion had damaged it enough that I could finish it off. Maybe—
My senses suddenly scread danger.
I spun around just in ti to see the Nesis burst through the smoke at impossible speed, its Dash skill activated. The creature was a blur of gray skin and black leather, moving faster than anything that size had any right to move.
I tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go.
The impact felt like being hit by a freight train. The Nesis's massive fist caught in the chest, lifting off my feet and sending flying across the room. I hit the stone wall with enough force to crack the rock, and white-hot pain exploded through my entire body.
I slumped to the ground, gasping for air that wouldn't co, and watched as the smoke cleared to reveal the boss monster stalking toward . Half its face was burned from the explosion, and its coat was smoldering, but it was very much still alive.
And very much still pissed off.
Well, I thought groggily as darkness crept in around the edges of my vision, this could be going better.
...
A.N: Saw so comnts that said the length of the chapters is too short. I understand, I will increase the overall length of the chapters, let this batch pass by, and enjoy~
Want to read ahead of the public release? Support on Patreon at "spatreon/FreakyHaru" and get access to:
5 and 10 chapters of all my fanfictions.
Ongoing Projects:
Marvel: Shadow Monarch
Upcoming Projects:
DC/MARVEL: The Kryptonian Emperor(Delayed, Under editing)
Your support helps keep writing and brings you more content faster!
Thank You
Reviews
All reviews (0)