We Hunt Monsters, page 9
“Keep its attention,” he said as he turned to run. “I’ll call for you when I’m ready.”
He didn’t give Cayla the time to ask questions, just turning and running back toward the stone that the basher had been taking shelter under. Freezing rain streamed down his face, trickling down the back of his shirt and sending chills spreading all over his body.
Thankfully, the cloak seemed to have some sort of waterproof component, as it didn’t become heavy and waterlogged, instead shedding rain and keeping him mostly dry.
He could hear the sounds of the monster’s roars, the thumping of its heavy footfalls, and the splashing of water as it sprayed into the air. He skidded to a halt beneath the overhang, the rain immediately stopping as he did.
“Looks like you finally came to your senses,” Bob said, appearing from seemingly nowhere. “Hiding while others are fighting for their lives is a completely underrated art form.”
“You mind telling me what a monster being enraged means?” Keith asked as his eyes roamed over the stone.
“The monster’s damage output doubles,” Bob replied. “But it will focus completely on attacking and not bother with defense, so the damage it takes will double as well.”
“Good to know,” Keith replied, finally finding a spot that looked promising, then focusing on the stone as hard as he could.
For a moment, he was afraid that it wouldn’t work, but after a few seconds, purple light flared across the face of the boulder, several darker spots standing out.
With a grin, Keith activated Stonestance and struck the nearest spot. The blow sent a shockwave up his arm to his shoulder, but he barely noticed it as stone dust flew in the air. He planted his feet, then pivoted on his back leg, twisted his hips, and leaned into the blow.
The second punch slammed into the stone with a loud crack. When he removed his fist, a thin line spread across the face of the stone. Keith grinned once more, then moved to the next spot.
He was forced to use Stonestance several more times, even having to remove his stamina potion when he nearly ran out. He didn’t have the luxury of just waiting to recover it naturally, as his companions were fighting for their lives.
He looked back every few seconds to check on how they were doing. Cayla was currently keeping the monster’s attention, just as they’d planned. She did this by staying in front of it, her scythe constantly moving in glittering arcs, reflecting the light of the illuminator hanging in the sky above.
She was barely doing any damage at all, but each time the tip of the scythe would slam into the monster’s nose, it assured that the basher’s attention remained on her and not on the man underneath, who was actually doing damage.
By the time Keith reached the final spot, the basher’s HP was down to about half, which was impressive, considering its massive health pool. Still, with three people fighting it, the amount of health became slightly less daunting.
“While I think it’s quite obvious what you’re planning, I do have to know how you’re going to get the monster to come this way,” Bob said as Keith’s fist slammed into the last dark purple spot on the stone.
An ominous rumbling went through the rock as a line appeared, spreading across its entire length. Keith dodged out from beneath it, watching the stone carefully and hoping that he hadn’t accidentally gone too far.
Thankfully, the rumbling stopped after a few seconds, and the cracks stopped forming.
“I don’t think it’ll be too difficult to get that monster’s attention,” Keith said. “After all, I am the one who got it enraged.”
Taking a deep breath of the freezing air, Keith shouted with all his might.
“Cayla! Bring the monster this way!”
The woman started, obviously having heard him, and began to try running around the monster to do as he said. The plan was underway. He just hoped that his preparations had been enough and that things would work out as he planned.
13
As soon as the basher caught sight of him, Cayla disappeared from its thoughts. With a roar that shook the ground, the monster charged, picking up speed to the point where Jared was forced to dive out from beneath it or be trampled.
Keith stood absolutely still, waving his arms and trying to be as noticeable as possible. Rain sheeted off the basher’s stone scales, flowing to the ground in dozens of rivulets as the monster charged. Each time it landed, the ground shook slightly, the heavy monster leaving deep footprints in the rain-softened ground.
“Almost there,” Keith muttered, slowly beginning to back up.
The others must have seen what he was planning by now, but by this point, the basher had built up enough speed that they wouldn’t be able to catch up.
“Be careful!” Cayla yelled. “If it hits you, you’re as good as dead!”
There was no need for her to tell him that. At this point, the basher was moving with the equivalent force of an eighteen-wheeler driving thirty miles per hour. If that thing hit him, it would bowl him right over, then turn his body to paste as it continued its charge.
Stone teeth gleamed in the illuminator’s light as the basher opened its mouth wide and roared once more. Keith took another step back, his body tensing. The basher lowered its head and sped up even more, charging over the last few yards with all the force it could muster.
The instant it took its eyes off him, Keith ran for all he was worth. His stamina was already low from all of the uses of Stonestance, and it plummeted further as he ran. His eyes remained glued to the bar as it dropped past ten, then down to five. With all his remaining strength, Keith threw himself forward as his stamina hit zero, his body suddenly losing all strength.
He hit the ground, unable to move. It was the most frightening thing that had ever happened to him. He was conscious and well able to understand what was happening, and yet, his limbs refused to obey him, his body remaining frozen, paralyzed on the freezing, wet ground, as his stamina slowly began to refill.
There was a roar, followed by a shuddering crash that he could feel reverberate through the earth, as the basher presumably made contact with the weakened stone wall. Although he couldn’t see, Keith could picture the monster running past him and slamming into the wall.
An ominous groaning sound echoed through the air, followed by several loud cracks. There was a snuffling roar, and the ground shook as the stone shelf collapsed on top of the monster. Several loud thuds followed, along with a roar that turned into a high-pitched whine.
Hands seized Keith beneath his arms, hauling him to his feet.
“Took you long enough to get here,” Keith panted, still finding his body uncooperative.
“Someone should have warned you about running out of stamina,” Cayla said, pulling his arm over her shoulder.
“Why can’t I move?” Keith said, staring at the pile of rubble and the monster, who was still alive.
“If you run out of stamina, you’re basically paralyzed until you recover it completely,” Jared said. “For the record, by the way, that was epic! You should have seen how that monster went down.”
He looked to Cayla, who smiled wryly.
“Yeah, I can agree with that. It looks like your plan worked pretty well.”
“Not well enough apparently,” he said, as the monster began to stir, a single, beady eye opening to glare at the three of them.
Dark blood streamed over its face, its head having miraculously avoided being crushed by the falling boulders. A quick examination showed that its HP was in the yellow, about three-quarters of the way gone.
As it shifted, slowly pulling free from the slabs of rock, its health dropped a bit more, and the bar turned red.
“How much time do we have?” Cayla asked, still backing up.
Keith watched the monster for a few seconds, calculating how long it would take for it to escape.
“Ten seconds at the most.”
His eyes flicked to his own stamina bar, which was only around half full.
“It’s going to take me about sixty to be able to move again.”
“We won’t be able to avoid that monster if we have to drag you along,” Jared said, his voice sounding suddenly somber. “Someone will need to buy some time.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Cayla said, but it was too late.
Keith’s left side slumped, forcing Cayla to take his entire weight as Jared ducked out from under him.
“Keep moving back,” Jared called as he ran at the monster, drawing his daggers.
“Come back here!” Cayla screamed, sounding panicked.
“Listen to her,” Keith yelled. “Don’t try to play hero!”
Jared reached the monster and attacked, his daggers tracing a series of lines across the monster’s craggy face.
The basher roared, then lunged, causing the rocks to shift once more. A large slab fell, landing on its tail. A loud series of crunches and cracks followed as the stone scales broke and dark blood welled up, only to be immediately washed away by the falling rain.
Cayla paused as she watched, holding her breath, and Keith had to prompt her to keep moving back. Jared was doing alright for now, but there was no way he’d be able to hold out for the full time needed.
“I’m going to help,” Cayla finally said when the monster tried biting Jared’s face and missed by about an inch. “Sorry about this.”
Keith didn’t have time to protest as he dropped him back to the ground. Thankfully, he landed on his stomach, facing toward the monster. It was why he got a great view when the basher finally broke free of the trap, its anvil-like head catching Jared in the gut and tossing him into the air.
Blood flew from the man’s lips, the daggers falling from limp fingers. Cayla let out a scream as he hit the ground, his eyes having rolled up in his head. His armor around the area of impact had been very obviously damaged, and judging by the way his chest rose and fell, he had broken several ribs.
Keith silently cursed, his eyes flicking back to his stamina bar as it hit 115/130. Another fifteen seconds, and he’d be able to move again. Cayla just needed to hold out until then.
With a scream of rage, the woman leaped to her feet, drawing her scythe and charging directly at the monster. The only reason she wasn’t immediately killed was due to the fact that the monster was injured. Massive chunks were missing from its hide, its scales having been shattered completely in some places, revealing a pale skin beneath, glistening with blood and rain. Its tail hung limp, dragging on the ground behind it, while it was noticeably favoring its right side.
The edge of Cayla’s scythe glowed red as she swung at the monster’s face. It reared back, causing her to simply clip its chin, missing any weak points and causing her to overbalance. The basher came down, trying to hit her with its chin, but she managed to turn her stumble into a clumsy roll.
However, in the process, she lost her scythe, and when the monster shifted, it stepped on the weapon. With a loud crunch, the haft shattered, leaving the woman all but defenseless.
“And that’s why I don’t want to use a weapon,” Keith muttered as his stamina topped out.
Strength flooded back into his limbs as he sprang to his feet, the use of his body returning to full functionality. Even as he ran at the monster, shouting and waving his arms, he silently swore to never allow his stamina to run out again. He ran past the unconscious Jared, glad to see the man still breathing, and focused on the monster before him.
Thankfully, it still seemed to remember who had been responsible for neutering it and turned its attention away from Cayla as she tried to scramble out from beneath it. The basher began to move forward at a lumbering walk, roaring all the while.
Dark blood leaked from between its jaws, flowing down its legs and coating its hide. This monster was on the brink of death. All he had to do was hit it hard enough to kill it.
Keith charged the basher, angling to its right, which was already weakened. The basher tried to turn, placing too much weight on its injured leg, and with a half-roar half-squeal, it toppled onto its side.
Keith reached the monster just as it fell, his Advanced Tactician skill having told him exactly where its head would end up.
He used his Brutal Rain, and blue light crackled across his skin as overwhelming energy coursed through his body. He lunged, throwing a hard punch at its eye, his fist slapping wetly into the closed lid.
-22
The second and third punch landed in quick succession, the monster having to keep its eye closed to avoid taking a critical hit.
-22
-26
On the third blow, a loud crack echoed in the air as the eyelid finally split. Reflexively, the monster’s eye flashed open as it let out a roar of pain. Keith didn’t hesitate, putting all of his strength into the final blow.
His fist struck the glassy eyeball, then sunk into the monster’s skull.
-130, Massive Critical
Stone-Quake Basher is blinded in one eye.
Keith waited to see the message that would tell him the monster was dead, but when it didn’t come, he grew worried. He tried to pull back but found his arm stuck fast in the monster’s skull. He didn’t allow himself to panic, quickly lifting a leg and placing it on the monster’s chin for better leverage.
The monster kicked, throwing him off balance. He fell, his arm twisting at an awkward angle as pain flared through the limb.
-44 damage
Your arm is broken: HP capped at 90% until healed.
Keith gritted his teeth against the pain, struggling to get his legs back under him. The basher moved, yanking him to the side, sending pain flaring through his broken arm as it dragged him across the ground.
-16 damage
Keith’s HP dropped dangerously low, and he knew that if something wasn’t done soon, he would end up dead – again. Without conscious thought, he pulled the healing potion from his inventory, ripped the cork out with his teeth, and downed it, restoring almost all of his lost health.
The basher moved again, but this time, help finally arrived.
“Sorry it took me so long,” Cayla said, seizing his broken arm and yanking as hard as she could.
-6 damage
Keith’s arm popped free, but Cayla’s act of kindness cost her, as the basher – apparently too weak to stand – bucked its head back. One of the protruding points of its massive head caught her in the chest, knocking her off her feet and dropping her health by half.
Keith let out a breath, the air before him steaming as freezing rain began to numb his throbbing arm. A quick check of the monster’s health told him that a single good attack would finish it for good.
“Stay down!” he shouted as Cayla tried to get to her feet. “It’s blinded on that side. It won’t be able to see you.”
The monster’s head twitched – apparently, its hearing was still fine – and threw itself toward him. It did this by kicking its legs, which shoved its prone body across the ground. Keith only just managed to get out of the way, cursing the monster’s persistence.
In his experience, a wounded beast would often flee if the avenue permitted. Very rarely would an animal fight to the death when it didn’t have to. This monster could have fled on multiple occasions, but every time, it had chosen to remain and fight. He just didn’t get it. What would drive a monster like this to just keep fighting? Was that just how monsters in this world operated?
Keith dashed around the side of the monster’s head, scooping up one of Jared’s fallen daggers and once again cursing his need to use a weapon. With his right arm broken, he didn’t like his chances of fighting this monster with just his hand.
It shifted once more as he skidded to a halt, his arm cocked back and waiting. He could hear the beating of his heart, rain sheeting down from above, pouring down his face and dripping from its chin.
The instant he saw the monster’s beady, black eye, his arm whipped forward in a smooth motion, the dagger flashing through the air and burying itself deep in the basher’s remaining eye.
-158, Massive Critical
Stone-Quake Basher dies.
+100 XP
14
Level Up!
Congratulations! You have reached level 4. You have 5 Stat Points to allocate.
Skill: Tactician has reached Advanced level V
Skill: Bladed Mastery has reached Advanced level X
Skill: Stonestance has reached Novice level VII
Skill: Brutal Rain has reached Novice level III
Keith dismissed the notifications, still staring at the dead monster, hardly believing it was dead. It lay there, rain pouring off its body, Jared’s dagger still poking from its eye.
“I can’t believe you did it,” Cayla said, moving around the monster’s body.
She was clearly in shock, but there was no time for that right now.
“Do you have any healing potions?” he asked, his eyes flicking to her own health, which was slowly recovering.
“I have a couple,” she said.
“Good,” Keith replied, steeling himself against the pain in his arm – it would have to wait until they got back to the guild. “Give it to Jared. I don’t know how broken bones heal in this world, but I’m guessing they don’t just fix themselves. In the meantime, I’ll fetch the monster’s head and loot the body, and then we’ll head back.”
Cayla nodded, then ran over to help Jared as Keith moved to loot the monster.
“How exactly are broken bones healed?” he asked as Bob hopped onto his good shoulder.
“You’ll need to see a healer. Either that or buy a healing potion that also mends bones. Additionally, there are specific bone repair potions, but those are a lot rarer.”
