[07: 06: 41: 11]
...
ROOOOARRRRR
Chunks of concrete and twisted metal exploded outward as the behemoth erupted from the debris, roaring so fiercely that the walls trembled. Shards of rebar jutted from its ravaged body, blood sluicing down its torn flesh.
This thing won't fucking stay down… damn it, as if the swarms of kalrachs weren't enough.
His battered body was nearing its limits; at least the behemoth was also heavily injured, as Cassian saw with raised eyebrows that all the kalrachs had stopped throwing themselves at him; instead, they froze in eerie unison, their soulless milky eyes snapping to him.
So a higher variant can indeed somewhat control these basic kalrachs… that's scary. Thank God the behemoth is slightly dumb.
The behemoth's head whipped toward Cassian. With a guttural roar, it charged straight at Cassian.
Time stretched.
Cassian's grip tightened on his weapons.
Fuuuu~ Hope this works,…
He drew a ragged breath, gripped his weapons tightly, and fumbled for a flashbang from his bag. Clenching it firmly between his teeth, he bit down hard—every second counted.
As the behemoth closed in, Cassian sidestepped at the last possible moment. Fueled by adrenaline and the lingering [Expedite] boost, he dashed onto the monster's back. His knife arced upward, plunging deep into its flesh. The creature bucked, but Cassian clung on, boots scrabbling against slick flesh. Both his weapons sank deep into the monster's back. While the behemoth barreled down the corridor, its mad charge crushed any nearby Kalrachs that weren't able to dodge out of the way—the crunch of bone resounded. Cassian fought to stay aboard. Summoning every ounce of strength, he drove his machete into the creature's side. Steel bit into raw tissue with a jarring impact.
Hold on!… Oh shit, a dead end is approaching… gotta time it right.
Now.
In that split second, Cassian knew what had to be done. Freeing one hand, he pulled the pin and hurled the flashbang at the monster's face as he released his hold and tumbled to the floor. Light detonated moments before impact. The flashbang exploded just before impact—a blinding burst of light and sound. The behemoth howled in pain as its massive form crashed into the wall.
Stars burst behind his eyes as Cassian slammed against the cold, unforgiving concrete, knocking the breath out of him. Concrete bit into his palms. The world pulsed in fragments: the behemoth thrashing, its massive limbs flailing wildly as it roared in agony. Gasping and disoriented, Cassian struggled to regain his bearings. Exhaustion and pain burned in every breath. Then, from the silence after the blast, a distant chorus of shrill, piercing screeches rose through the corridor.
Ahhhh! Fuck not them again! Why can't they let me rest? AAAHHH GET UP, NOW!
Glancing at his essence well, Cassian saw only [1/6] remaining. Blood sheeted down its torso, pooling around shrapnel-studded wounds. Cassian's essence gauge flickered: [1/6].
Fuck I'm already at down to my last essence… Shit, Expedite also ran out… Ahhh, fuck, I'll bear through what a little more pain's gonna do.
"[Expedite]"
Taking a deep breath, Cassian recast [Expedite] buff, feeling the surge of haste and energy through his body as he picked a hallway and started limping towards it, slowly picking up the pace. Ignoring the immediate pain that assaulted his chest and the system notifications telling about his debuffs.
[DING! WARNING: YOU HAVE OVEREXERTED YOUR ESSENCE RESERVES; EMPTYING YOUR WELL WITHOUT ANY PROPER MEASURES CAN LEAD TO SEVERE CONSEQUENCES]
[DING! YOU ARE IN A STATE OF 'ESSENCE SOURCE DEPRIVATION' AND 'ESSENCE POISONING']
[DING! IT IS ADVISED NOT TO USE ANY CARDS TILL THE STATUS EFFECT (NEGATIVE) CLEARS OFF]
Okay! Gotta find any secure rooms fast… wait is that... corridors 1–3…
As Cassian observed the corridor marking on the wall, he remembered the security rooms were closer, remembering they were just around the corner as he moved with renewed vigor. Cassian heaved as he forced his battered body to keep moving, clutching his stomach.
Damn, I lost my knife… Thankfully, I still have my machete.
Barely a minute into the peaceful walk, fate intervened in the form of two Kalrachs, blocking his path. The moment they spotted him, instead of lunging and attacking, they straightened from their hunched forms. Their low, guttural hisses filled the air, ignoring him completely.
They are likely calling for backup… fuck the behemoth.
Cassian cursed under his breath. With legs trembling yet driven by adrenaline and the residual [Expedite] boost, he darted forward, his awkward gait slowly evening out with more steps and adrenaline pumping through him.
The first Kalrach barely registered his presence before Cassian's machete sliced through the air; the blade bit deep into its neck. Flesh tore, and blood spurted as the creature hissed in agony. But the second Kalrach broke its eerie rhythm. There was no time to dodge—its claws came in a blur, and Cassian instinctively raised his left arm as a shield. The impact tore through his flesh, and bone-deep wounds split his skin as his left arm screamed in pain.
Cassian gritted his teeth. The searing agony fueled his fury. With every bit of strength, he hacked at the monster's neck with his machete. Blow after brutal blow rained down until, with a sickening crunch, the creature's head separated from its body. He staggered back, panting heavily, and his eyes fixed on his left hand—now hanging limp. Then faint tremors began to rattle the ground. The tremors confirmed what he dreaded—the behemoth was on its way. The tremors grew, and the pounding charge echoed through the corridor.
Spitting out blood, Cassian pushed himself up, his body protesting with every movement. He forced his battered legs forward. Fortunately, the security rooms had blast doors, and they were right up ahead.
Move!
With renewed urgency, Cassian increased his pace. Every step burned. Suddenly, a deafening boom resounded nearby. Cassian knew: the behemoth was almost here. Reaching the door, his trembling hand fumbled through his bag and retrieved his access card. His pulse pounded as he clutched the card, slick with sweat. Glancing back for a split second, he caught a glimpse of the behemoth's hulking form, its head low and readying for another charge; what's even worse, the corridor was quickly being overrun by multiple kalrachs.
Gotta stall them somehow!
Cassian pulled out his only remaining flashbang. His hands shook as he removed the pin and flung it toward the advancing creatures. Frantically, he tapped his access card against the scanner on the heavy blast door. Behind him, the behemoth's roar and the Kalrachs' snarls spurred him on.
With a sudden swish, the blast door began to open and Cassian didn't wait. He shoved himself through, his heart pounding so hard it seemed it might burst as he started tapping the card at the scanner to close the gate. The doors groaned as they slid shut, Cassian's eyes flickered wildly, panic etched across his face.
Fuck! Hurry up and close!
...