Antvance into the Unknown

142. Confronting our Demons, Part 7

In desperation, I turn the final stages of forming the Gravity Bomb over to my main mind, the only brain I have that specialises in handling Gravity Mana. I can immediately feel the difference, but I still need the support of the sub-minds to keep things flowing as I piece together the biggest bomb I’ve ever made. When I let this go, it’s going to get messy around here…

“Back off a little more!” I warn the Colony. “Make sure you get a solid grip on something!” After a moment I add, “That goes double for you, Protectant! Create some space and hold on tight!”

I’ve no doubt my defenders have been hovering closer than they should be against a foe like Grokus, and the odds are they’ve taken a good chunk of damage from his aura effect just trying to stay near to me. Claws crossed they take my warning seriously. It’d be a massive waste of the Colony’s resources otherwise.

[Unleash your spell!] the city lord taunts as he rumbles forward, the very rock beneath our feet now crumbling under the constant battering. [I almost hunger for it! I hunger for your despair!]

Enough of this guy’s freaking mouth already! Sharp pains stab through my insides as I skitter out of the way of his grasping hands, prompting me to activate my healing gland once again. The soothing liquid regenerates my missing health in short order, but the rate of decrease is continuing to ramp up. Eventually, I’ll run out of juice and be eaten up from the inside out. This is one heck of a nasty power!

But I won’t have to worry about that… I hope. My Gravity Bomb is ready.

A nervousness wells up within me as I behold the condensed ball of Mana that I’ve created. It practically pulses with dark light, the only thing in the stratum with a larger appetite than this tier seven demon. Let’s hope he enjoys it!

My brains strain to contain the unstable construction as I suddenly Dash backward, triggering three separate Dashes with each pair of feet to create maximum distance.

[If you’re that hungry, chew on this!] I yell as the spell is unleashed.

The moment I release it, the world fades to black and I hunch my body low to the ground, clinging to the rock with my claws as hard as I can. Even so, my weight lifts for a horrifying second as the spell travels away from me, trying to draw me after it. A second later, the terrifying noise of it reaches my ears.

HOOOOWLLLL!

The air rushes toward the ball as it flies for Grokus’ waiting maw, creating a gale that shrieks from every direction. The light itself dims to almost nothing as the Gravity Bomb passes near, sucking away everything it can.

Bounding forward to close the gap when I launched the spell, the city lord grins wide as he sees my spell unleashed. Sensing the sheer volume of Mana packed into it, he folds himself up in a defensive curl, wrapping his arms around his head to put as much meat between the sphere and his body as he can.

I had a feeling he might do this. He wants to take the spell head on and come out standing on the other side, relying on whatever strange resistance and regeneration he has to pull through anything I can throw at him. Somehow, I get the feeling he isn’t quite expecting this…

The moment the bomb hits, time slows. The ball shrinks into a pinpoint of darkness before it expands into a raging sphere of destruction almost twenty metres in diameter. The pull is horrendous, dragging stone, ash, fire, and anything not nailed down to the centre of the bomb where it will be crushed. I can’t even see how Grokus is handling it since the sphere itself is blocking out all light at the point of impact.

HOOOOOOWWWWLLLLLL!

Far worse than before, reality itself screams as the ground shakes, the air shrieks, and light fades away. All I can do is bury my head and grip with my claws for dear life as I resist being dragged into the mass and destroyed by my own creation.

Come on. Give me the notification. Give me the experience notification! There’s no way he survives this! I don’t care how much of a chonk lord he is with a resistance to magical effects, there’s no way you can eat a Gravity Bomb this size and be standing on the other side of it. I can’t even imagine what it would be like in there for him, and frankly, I don’t want to know.

Time drags on as the spell rages. What seems like long minutes is most likely just several drawn out seconds. When the spell finally fades and the world returns to normal, I spring back to my legs, ready to continue the fight.

I don’t know how or why, but I know my opponent isn’t dead. Without the notification from Gandalf, he must have survived, and I need to be ready for anything.

What greets my eyes is not a particularly pretty picture. Grokus is alive, but he probably would rather not be. What remains of the city lord is a twitching mess with a rather large hole chewed out of the middle. I find it shocking that he’s still living in that condition. A few chomps ought to put an end to him. I approach cautiously, though without much concern. He doesn’t even have a mouth anymore, what sort of harm can he really do?

That’s when I see something truly bizarre. It happens so fast I almost can’t believe my eyes. Starting at the base, but shifting rapidly up the body, the entire form of the city lord begins to regrow, flesh and bone and sinew appearing out of thin air and stitching together faster than I can see.

[Pour it on!] I yell at my two pets. [Hit him with everything! He’ll be back to normal in a few seconds!]

Taking my own advice, I lock my mandibles into position and unleash my most powerful bite.

OMEN CHOMP COMBO!

Locking and unleashing in rapid succession, my entire face aches as my stamina rapidly depletes toward nothing. From my left comes Tiny, the big ape leaping and smashing his fists with blinding speed, the powerful concussive blasts rippling through the demon’s body every time he connects. Crinis goes all out, unleashing every limbs at once and wrapping them around the entirety of the city lord’s body, sawing and rending as fast as she can, trying to overcome this truly monstrous level of regeneration.

[That was more than I expected from you… I see that I did underestimate you in the end,] the taunting voice of Grokus rings out in my mind.

Looking up, the demon is almost whole once more. His arms are still regenerating, but his mouth has returned, along with the human torso that sits atop his bulk. A sharp pang in my gut brings with it the truth that the aura effect hasn’t gone away. The ravenous hunger that has been chewing me out from the inside is still there, worse than ever! I trigger another wave of regeneration fluid, but the relief is temporary. The moment my HP tops off, it once again starts to fall.

[Back away from him!] I order my pets, and they’re forced to obey, unable to go against my direct command.

[You are weak!] the now whole demon laughs at me, his entire body shaking with the force of his mirth. [I must admit that you gave it your best, but the time has come for you and your kind to submit to the superior monster.]

His mouth opens wide and his tongue lolls out, as if inviting me to obediently walk into his belly.

As if that’s going to happen! There’s no way he can infinitely revive himself. There’s always a cost to any ability in the Dungeon, I know that much. The trick is, what is the secret to his? Then I notice his arm… One of his claws… is it… still damaged?