Antvance into the Unknown

65. The Stench of Decay

The monster in question cannot detect my pheromones, at least I hope they can’t, so I’m not entirely sure why I bothered to taunt it. Probably to hype myself up for the fight, because just looking at this thing is intimidating. All of my senses scream that something is wrong, and the closer I get to it, the more my body protests. My antennae ripple with a sensation of pain, as though the air itself has become toxic. To my Mana Sense, it appears as if the energy surrounding the creature is being… infected, for want of a better word. Changing from the familiar Shadow and Death Mana to become something completely different.

As the flow of energy eddies and swirls, that pulsing green and yellow disperses the farther from the source it gets, but even small amounts seem to be having an effect. Everywhere it’s touched, the corals and other small living things in the shadows have started to die, wilting as if they’d been sprayed with weedkiller. It’s a shocking sight. A type of Mana that kills with merely its sheer presence? From what I can detect, the monster hasn’t cast an actual spell of any kind, it’s simply exuding this virulent Mana in a steady flow, and the Mana does the rest…

Just what sort of Mana is it? Surely nothing as simple as poison?

The creature prowls in the darkness just beyond the range my eyes can see well. The face is frog-like, but the mouth is too wide, and the eyes far too large. Beyond that, I can’t make much out other than its limbs are thin and wiry, almost weirdly so when compared to the size of its face. It’s big, though, possibly close to my own length, if not close to my mass.

My first encounter with a monster from the legendary stratum of infection. I sure as heck hope I don’t catch anything gross from it.

[Invidia, I want you on healing and backup. Keep a close eye on the Mana around the monster. I have a real bad feeling about it.]

[I sssshallll.]

[Tiny and Crinis, I want you two to pull back a bit. This is a tougher fight than you’re ready for, and until I know more about these monsters, I don’t want to risk you.]

[But, Master⁠—!]

[GRRRR.]

[Absolutely not! I’m far stronger than you are, so I’m the one who will bear the risk. And if you think I’m going to let you run in and get yourself killed after I’ve put in so much effort keeping you alive, Tiny, then you are completely mad! Now move back, both of you!]

Unable to refuse my order, the two retreat a few metres. I put them out of my mind, focusing all my attention on the beast in front of me. I take a few measured steps as my considerable brainpower starts to tick into overdrive. What magic should I use to counter it? How will it attack? Being able to fight against so many new foes recently has been a real treat after the endless varieties of shadow beast I’ve dealt with over the previous weeks, and this one promises to be special. A creature from a whole new stratum!

Come on… what are you going to show me?

The monster’s lips draw back to reveal a horrifying smile that pierces through the shadows, given that its teeth literally shine in the dark, coated as they are with a thick, green slime. As I draw ever so slightly closer, the monster slows its own movement, watching my every move with those bulbous eyes. I hesitate. Should I try and communicate with it? Go all out on offence? Judging by the power of its core, this beastie is tier six for sure, there’s no doubt that it would be intelligent enough to approach sentience.

Only, between the monster itself and the toxic atmosphere surrounding it, I dismiss the idea of engaging in conversation. There’s something about the way it’s eyeing me that makes me think trying to talk to it wouldn’t be wise…

If that’s the case and we’re going to go for it, then I’m better served by going large early. The Omni-Elemental Construct is prepared, and I start pumping burning hot Blue Fire Mana through it, weaving the resulting energy into a jet of flame that I hold at the ready. My feet continue to creep forward, and gradually the monster draws nearer, the aura and stench of infection growing stronger all the while.

I draw my mandibles wide in a threatening fashion as we start to circle around each other. The other monster is lithe and wiry; if it weren’t for that head, I’d think it was well built for speed, but⁠—

WHOOSH!

After leaning to one side and pausing, the creature vanishes from sight. My senses scream in warning, my antennae burning with predictions of a dire future. My nerves fire and my large body darts to one side with deceptive speed, flashing out of the way of slime-coated jaws that snap shut in the space I had occupied only a moment before.

That was close! This guy isn’t just fast, he’s super fast!

Reacting on instinct, I lunge, trying to catch the beast before it can recover. The muscles in my face release their tension and my mandibles slam forward as I activate my most potent bite attack.

DOOM CHOMP!

The jaws of black light manifest and chomp together before I even register the pain, but the moment I do, it’s agonizing. I feel like my whole face is on fire! What the heck is going on? My mandibles crash together, and I find that the creature has almost managed to escape without harm, a jagged tear down the side of its body the only mark I put on it, but just being this close to it is causing me damage.

Burn it with fire!

A wave of blue erupts from between my mandibles as I unleash a raging gout of flame that wouldn’t shame a dragon with its heat and size. Instantly, the frozen air of the shadow sea is filled with flames and everything before me begins to burn. Gwehehehe. Crispy enough for you?