Chapter 97: Bossrush pt. 4

Four arcane needles slammed into the Champion. All but one hit Kaius’s intended target. Kaius grinned from where he lay slumped onto the inscribed glass that made up one wall of the enclosure. Two of its shoulders, and one in a knee, though he had missed the final arm, the remaining needle flying past the giant to slam into the stone brick behind it.

Not bad for a guy with a broken arm.

Concussive booms rang out, the Champion roaring in agony as its limbs were blown clear of its body. Just like the last time, the giant collapsed, it’s only remaining limbs a single arm and leg on its left side. Kaius watched red blood pour from the wounds, running into the channels between the stone brick floor. This time no regenerative force coagulated on the wounds, the Champions lifeblood pumping out like a pressurised hose.

**Ding! Lesser Regeneration has reached level 13!**

Porkchop wasted no time and raced in, snarling in non stop fury as he started to tear into the giants defenceless right side. It swung at him, trying in futility to force him back with wild blows with its remaining arm.

Kaius felt his ribs and shoulder snap back into place, with a quick look at his resources he knew he could risk it. Another good hit would fuck him up bad, but it would be survivable. A worthwhile risk if it let them take out the Champion before its Health regeneration started to seal its wounds.

Resources:

Health – 89/380 (2.8/min)

Stamina – 168/280 (2.8/min)

Mana – 39/430 (4.3/min)

Free Mana – 39/430

Reserved Mana – 0

He jumped to his feet, wincing as his body protested. While his bones were no longer broken, he was definitely not fully healed. It didn’t stop him as he raced in and started to hack at the giant’s neck.

If previously it had been hard to cut into, now it felt like trying to chop wood. Whatever buffing skill it had used had made it tough, the inflated and steaming muscles separating strand by strand as he chopped.

As he cut into the beast, the giant’s screams of fury turned into a soft gurgle as he reached its throat. It clawed at the ground, leaving a trail of red in its wake as it slowly crawled to try and get him in reach. Porkchop raced behind it, snatching its ankle in his jaws and yanking it back.

It was cathartic, to just cut and cut and cut as his blood ran hot with fury. Every blow sprayed him with pressurised blood, the vile liquid staining his lips with alchemical taint. He smiled, and cut.

Eventually the Champion could hold its skill no longer, shrivelling as it deflated when the light of Mana in its body gutted out. He cut again. This time his sword bit deep.

Two more strokes took off its head.

**Ding! You have slain a Champion: Subject #38949 ‘Lover Boy’ – level 26 Flesh Hulk!**

Kaius stumbled back from the corpse as soon as he got the notification signifying their victory. He sat down heavily, flopping on to his back to stare blankly at the ceiling as his heart rate started to slow. Then he laughed. A loud laugh, the kind that came from deep in the belly and couldn’t be contained, no matter how much it stung his still tender ribs.

Gods that had been a good fight. He’d missed that, hadn’t had one like that in weeks. Even the goblin shaman hadn’t been an all out brawl like this had been. Not that that had been a bad fight, but there was something special about getting fucked up by something bigger and stronger than you and still cinching the win.

Porkchop limped over, his lip torn and leaking blood, with one eye nearly swollen shut. His friend all but collapsed on the floor as he settled down next to him, groaning with discomfort.

“Got you good, eh?” Kaius asked, taking in the state of Porkchop’s injuries. As much of a tank that he might have been, Lover Boy had been a big fucking bastard and had left Porkchop looking like he was ninety percent bruise.

“Says you. Pretty sure I saw your brains come out of your ears when you hit the glass.” Porkchop snorted, though he quickly winced.

“Well, that would explain why I couldn’t think for shit for a moment there,” Kaius chuckled. “Gods, that was fun.”

“I think there’s something wrong with you.” Porkchop said, only half joking.

Kaius rolled his head, taking in his battered friend for a moment. “What, and you don’t like a good fight?” He asked. “But probably. I don’t really care though. Not anymore.”

“Course I do.” Porkchop snorted. “But that’s pretty normal for a greater beast. You’re just some guy.” He teased.

Kaius rolled his eyes. “‘Just some guy’, he says.”

Before he could offer up a witty retort, there was a clatter as an iron hatch in the corner of the ceiling swung open. Several somethings clanged their way down the metal chute, only to hit the stone below with the distinctive ting of unbroken glass. Kaius craned his head up, trying to catch sight of what they had received for their victory.

Unfortunately, the limp body of the skinless giant was in the way, obscuring his view.

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“Wanna go look?” Kaius asked, looking back to Porkchop.

“Maybe in a bit,” Porkchop groaned. “I’m feeling a little sore for some reason.”

“In a bit does sound good.” Kaius agreed, returning to look at the ceiling. Even if his Lesser Regeneration meant that he was already almost completely healed, Kaius felt as though he had been wrung out. Exhausted in a way that simple Stamina wouldn’t fix.