Upping The Ante

105. Skirmish Conclusion

More fireballs fly out of the distance and impact against my Water Domain, sending massive gouts of steam hissing into the air and further reducing visibility. In front of me, soaked by the frothing mass of water, the double-croc lunges with its massive jaws.

SNAP!

Yikes!

Leaping to the left, I manage to avoid the snapping jaws at the last second. With the foe off-balance, I Dash forward to bite once more.

CRUNCH!

[Shattering Bite (III) has reached Level 8.]

Muahahaha!

The croc growls furiously, a rumble that comes from deep within its chest and shakes the air with its intensity. The double-crocs are almost the same size as Tiny when standing on their hind legs, close to ten feet.

Being a little over a metre tall at this point, the damn thing towers over me. My eyes are about level with its knees! Thankfully, my Shattering Bite manifests more than a metre away from my actual mandibles, considerably increasing the range of my bite attacks.

Enough to take a decent chunk out of the monster’s side at any rate.

WHAM!

Ouch!

A little cocky after my successful bite, I don’t even notice the twin tails sweeping at me until they smash into my side with tremendous force, sending me flying several metres away.

[Master! Are you all right!] Crinis cries shrilly.

[I’m fine! Focus on the fight!]

[Damn beast! I will REND YOU!]

I’ve lost a bit of HP. The kinetic force of the impact was enough to crack my carapace in several places, but the enhanced diamond is perfect for resisting this sort of damage. Not to mention, a new feeling arises in the damaged sections that brings a smile to my heart. The inner bone plating, a supportive structure that webs the inside of my exo-skeleton, begins to excrete a gel-like substance at the site of the damaged portions. The tingling feeling of regeneration begins immediately and intensifies as the cracks start to knit together.

Oh, how I love it when a plan comes together!

How’s that, you stupid croc! A few minutes and I’ll be back to full HP again. The magical tank that is Anthony the ant shall never be stopped!

Being able to repair the damage to my main defence, the carapace, without having to use my healing gland is so tasty!

Whilst I’m admiring my own incredible wisdom, Crinis has gone berserk. She’s begun thrashing her limbs around one of the crocs’ legs. The beast being too large for her to effectively wrap the entire thing at once, she has chosen to concentrate her fire on one particular limb, causing it to fall to one side.

Ahhh! So, this is why she took Dismember!

Yuck…

Other shadows grow closer, their flickering forms growing nearer through the steam. My Water Domain continues to swirl around me, and I position myself so the frothing liquid slashes and slams into the croc’s face as Crinis flicks her limbs to the beast’s torso.

It seems like the crocs, as expected, are quite resistant to water spells. Their scaly hides are perfect for sliding through water and provide a decent measure of protection against the kinetic impact of my water spells.

Perhaps Garralosh wasn’t completely stupid when they designed their children with fire Mana glands after all. At least my water magic is working to counter their stupid fireballs, even if the field has been covered in a blanket of steam.

I rush forward and begin to chomp away at the hapless double-croc. With Crinis working her dark magic on its limbs, and my own mandibles crunching at it, even a tier three croc monster cannot resist for long.

[You have defeated Level 12 Garralosh Bellator.]

[You have gained XP.]

Before Gandalf has even finished his words, I leap and take a bite from the fallen enemy.

[You have consumed a new source of Biomass: Garralosh Bellator. You are awarded one Biomass.]

[Basic profile of the Garralosh Bellator unlocked.]

[Garralosh Bellator: Garralosh Soldier. Following in the evolutionary footsteps of their progenitor, the Garralosh Soldier is equipped with a more powerful muscular system, increased stamina, intensified flame and double tails.]

Huh. Apparently these Garralosh offspring are basically evolving the same way the original croc monster did? Following in their mother’s footsteps?

That’s interesting. It gives some insight into what Garralosh itself might look like.

But I don’t have time to worry about that, we have more offspring to kill! I have to move quickly before my gravity spell wears off completely.

I mentally nudge Crinis and we rush in the direction I recall seeing the other double-croc. Thankfully my memory doesn’t fail me and we manage to approach the creature who, despite being buffeted by my Water Domain, accurately swipes at me with one claw.

SCREETCH!

The solid bone claw scrapes along my pristine Diamond Carapace and sparks fly, but the claw fails to penetrate through to my soft, fleshy insides. The carapace is triumphant!

[DEATH!] Crinis screams, and a boiling mass of tentacles lash out and wrap both legs of the double-croc.

[Nice, Crinis!] I shout and move to follow up on her attack.

POW!

Right from the famed shopping plaza, a blast of acid smacks into the beast’s upper chest, sizzling and burning away the scales that cover the croc’s torso. Flames begin to flicker around the mouth of the creature, but thanks to my improved rear vision, I’m way ahead of it and position myself so that my Water Domain starts slamming into the croc’s face.

Haha! You wanna flame thrower me now?

HSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Apparently, yes!

Unwilling to hold back the flame, the monster opens wide and blasts the spherical wall of water. Even though some of the fire does penetrate my defence, the majority is swallowed by the water and a huge gout of steam blasts the croc right in the face!

Yeoouch.

I wonder who has the higher Cunning, Tiny or the double-croc?

I shake my head. I shouldn’t think so poorly of my own pet.

Scalded by this unexpected event, the croc rears back in pain and anger.

[Get him, Crinis! Finish it!]

[Understood!]

As the uncomfortable sounds of ripping and tearing fill the air, I lunge to apply mandibles, pumping some raw Mana into them to activate their Infused property and greatly increase their cutting power.

CHOMP! CHOMP!

No matter how the monster tries to fight back, it’s useless. With Crinis tying up and savaging its legs, and me tearing into it, the superficial slashes and bites it manages to land on us are not able to inflict serious damage.

[You have defeated a Level 6 Garralosh Soldier.]

[You have gained XP.]

I feel the Forceful Gravity Bola dissipate, releasing the rest of the crocs to continue their advance, but the spell has done its work admirably. Without being able to group together, the larger double-crocs have been defeated.

In fact, I can also sense…

[You have defeated a Level 7 Garralosh Soldier.]

[You have gained XP.]

[You reached Level 14. One Skill Point awarded.]

There you go.

Not sure I want to go inspect those remains though…