Name: [???]
Role: [N/A]
Core Stats:
>[Strength: C-]
>[Dexterity: D]
>[Intelligence: D+]
>[Endurance: C-]
>[Charisma: E]
Talents:
>[Toxic Sludge: C-]
[Abilities: Toxic Touch]
[Cover your scales and claws in Toxic Sludge, use it to slash and impale opponents, amping up their neuronal system sensitivity and overwhelming them with pain]
[Abilities: Toxic Shot]
[Extend your Toxic Sludge into a projectile that sticks and latches onto enemies, forcing them to endure a burning pain until their deaths]
>[Empty]
>[Empty]
—
The descriptions were vaguer than Zarek had grown used to in recent days, but he understood it instantly. This was a nervous-system-attacking type of toxin, one that damaged one's sense of feeling. It would overwhelm you with pain and make it impossible to think clearly or even control one's body.
From the latter ability, it sounded like it was an acid that could burn through you, but this wasn't the case. Instead, that burning pain would be all in your head.
Zarek tilted his head to the side, a projectile of pale green barely whizzing by him. He had already been dodging the moment the lizardman pursed its lips, his reaction time seemingly irrelevant when it came down to his experience.
The tilt of the lizardman's head, the tell of its pursed lips, the degree to which it pressed its lips together—even. They were all tidbits of information, information that he could see through with a glance.
Zarek took a breath, exhaling.
He had gone all out to defeat the mink as quickly as possible. But…
He looked down at his wrist, feeling some issues in his ability to absorb their initial blow. C Classes were strong. Very strong.
Without his original path, the hit to his Growth Potential, and now this makeshift solution to what was ultimately a much deeper problem, crossing an entire Class to do battle required him to heavily rely on his battle instinct.
That was much easier to take advantage of when the target was a small mink. When it was a lizardman that towered two heads over him and seemed to also have ranged abilities…?
Zarek took a quick glance at the portal and shook his head. To make it to it, they would need to scale the statue and leap in.
Also, he didn't believe Crux and Belladoll didn't have the ability to kill these two C Classes. They left them here on purpose, so there was no telling what other traps they might have left around here. Trying to rush to get to the Godsfall Tear before the C Class could stop them would make them suffer.
There was only one way to get through here safely:
Kill.
Zarek's grip around the mink's paws tightened, more Lurker's Godsfall layering on top until his fists vanished into a veneer of dense black.
He took a step forward and suddenly rushed the lizardman.
The Turned's tongue lengthened, a bumpy mass of red and violet almost reaching down to its chest as it bent forward. Its slit nostrils twitched, transparent, hidden eyelids blinking over its fluorescent green eyes.
For some reason, it found that it couldn't pay attention to anyone but Zarek. It felt that if it turned its attention away for even a moment…
It could lose its life.
Deng.
The two clashed, one set of claws meeting another. Zarek's follow-up attack came in a swinging whip, reaching overhead and pulling on his Lurker's Godsfall to make his body even more elastic.
The battle experience of the lizardman was limited, but it had an overwhelming advantage in stats and Growth Potential. It moved out of the way, its lips pursing again.
Zarek's eyes flashed. This time it was aiming for his chest, having learned from the last experience. Intelligent Turned learned too quickly, and they could make up for lack of experience with their talent and actual raw strength.
But Zarek didn't dodge.
There would only be one chance.
Pa.
The spittle of toxins slammed against Zarek's chest, the blow dispersing and hardly slowing his forward momentum.
A sizzling latched onto his Godsfall covering, and Zarek could feel that it was eating through it. It seemed that while these toxins couldn't burn skin, actual Godsfall was a different matter entirely.
But Zarek already knew this. His leg swept out, meeting the side of the lizardman's knee.
It buckled, and the Turned fell to the side.
Zarek took advantage of the lizardman's assumption of victory, swinging down an arm from above while his other struck out to the side. A line of Lurker's Godsfall came from the latter, latching against the ground. With just the slightest tug, Zarek accelerated to the side.
Chi.
Sparks flew as the lizardman's scales protected it from Zarek's blow, but even so, already off balance, the momentum of the strike sent the back of its head slamming into the ground.
Dazed and confused for a moment, what remnants remained of its mind rattling around in its skull, the Turned lost track of Zarek's form. While it was still looking ahead, Zarek had already used his Lurker's Godsfall to wrap to its side.
By the time it saw the flash of crimson, it was too late.
It pierced into the right of its shoulder, severing its Godsfall Droplet.
Zarek exhaled a breath, his breathing heavy and his skin quickly becoming red. He looked down at his chest, his expression a hint solemn.
The black that had coated him was gone. Instead, there was a moistened piece of his shirt, the toxins having already seeped through it and onto his skin.
A fiery pain rippled through his body.
He clenched his teeth, unraveling the black Godsfall around his hands, ripping the piece of his shirt off. Then, he pooled Godsfall around the infected area, scooping the rest of the toxin off of his skin.
However, what was already in his bloodstream was there to stay for the time being.
Zarek took a breath, closing his eyes as the chaos of the rest of the battle raged around him. Lava pooled through his veins, his body twitching from time to time.
'I've been through worse.'