Sezel offered a terrified gaze onto the Night Crawler advancing like a harbinger of death, its maw wide open, revealing jagged fangs capable of chewing even steel. The creature initially walked on two legs like a human, but later it dropped to all four legs like a predator.
Damn it, i need to do something. his gaze darting frantically around looking for something, anything will do at this point.
The stone incident flickered in his mind. If he would throw a stone near the beast would it get distracted?
But the question was why? it had such terrifying red eyes yet they all moved towards the sound. It was a weakness, a potential exploit. Are they blind?
The theory was fragile, the kind of gamble that could get you killed in an instant. But then, not gambling was a surefire way to die, too.
I have two option. First, bet on a half-baked theory and maybe live Or do nothing and definitely die. There is no choice here.
A quick scan of the battlefield painted a grim picture. Arty was in a slow, backward retreat, his sword a flimsy barrier against a creature that was clearly just playing with him. It was hungry and the punk had hit him in the neck.
Rilli stood petrified against a gnarled tree, her tear-streaked face a mess, hands muffling her stifled sobs.
The leader, meanwhile, had found a temporary solution. He'd scrambled up a tree, a fleeting refuge from the beasts below. They clawed at the bark, gouging deep wounds in the wood. The tree wouldn't last long.
A few more minutes of life is still a few more minutes. Right?
The creature stalking Sezel drew closer, its hot, rusty breath washing over him. The stench made him want to puke.
Doesn't this thing ever brush? The thought was absurd spark of humor in the face of oblivion as if he ever had the privilege to.
The beast loomed over him. A drop of its black, viscous saliva landed on his tattered shirt. A burning sensation followed, sharp and immediate, as if kissed by acid. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the fabric smolder and dissolve.
What in the hell is in its mouth? He gritted his teeth, the new information filing itself away for a future he likely wouldn't have.
The beast reared its head back, its maw widening for the kill.
With a desperate, twisting motion, Sezel rolled sideways. The creature's jaws snapped shut on empty air, smashing into the tree behind him with enough force to splinter the wood.
His heart hammered against his ribs, but he wasn't done yet.
He immediately kicked the creature in the stomach, he was not hoping for the creature to go skidding backwards, that was impossible—but to use its massive body as a springboard. The impact sent his own frail form skidding backward across the dirt. He scrambled to his feet and ran.
Clutching his mangled left arm, he darted toward the dropped pack. He ripped it open, his good hand grabbing the first solid thing it found.
A pickaxe.
Oh, fantastic. A heavy, two-handed tool for a one-armed boy. My luck is truly legendary.
Still, it was better than a sharp stick. He glanced back. The beast he'd dodged had shifted its focus, its predatory gaze now locked onto the easiest prey: Rilli.
No.
Without hesitation, Sezel charged with the pickaxe in his hand, other mangled arm flailing like a broken branch, he gulped hard suppressing his pain.
In a fleeting glance, he saw a cluster of five Night Crawlers hunched over something on the ground. Blood pooled beneath them. At first he didn't pay it any heed.
But soon he realized that they were feasting on one of his group members. He registered the location—where Beardy had fallen.
A shameful flicker of relief passed through him. One less person to worry about. He loathed himself for the thought, but the cold calculus of survival was a brutal thing.
The creature behind Rilli pressed its rear two legs in the motion to jump.
There was still significant distance between him and and the beast, the pickaxe was too heavy. Sezel closed his eyes tight, accelerating as fast as he could to a level where he would fall with just one wrong step.
The beast lunged, opening its maw at Rilli.
There was no chance he would reach in time, so instead Sezel Channeled his sprint's momentum, he hurled the pickaxe with all his might, aiming for the creature's flank.
THUD!!
It struck the beast mid-leap, the heavy iron head hitting it square in the flank. The force of the blow, combined with the creature's own momentum, sent it tumbling to the ground with a shriek of pain. The sharp point had miraculously pierced its tough hide.
Rilli, staggering back, collapsed as the beast's attack faltered.
Sezel went scrambling on the ground after the throw. He didn't hit the ground. He crashed into something solid, something that smelled of rot and death.
Another Night Crawler.
His lungs burned, nausea overwhelming him as a pair of blood-red eyes turned to stare down at him, its food delivered right to its feet.