"Drako...Drako! Can you hear me, my son?"
I rolled my eyes as I reached with my hand the comm inside my ear, reconnecting the line between me and my mom.
" Yes, I'm listening. You don't have to worry about me."
My mother can be so annoying at times. Don't get me wrong, I love her very much and I'll do everything in me to protect her if she ever needs me. Yet, she can really be overprotective of me when I'm out hunting in the wild for a long period.
"Well...excuse me mister. It's perfectly normal for a mother to worry about her child. Especially if the teen in question has been gone for two days without hearing anything about him."
Now she was pissed at me. I should have probably left her a message before going out to this expedition but I knew that she wouldn't let me out.
"I'm sorry mom, but I need to do this. I've been hunting him down for too long to give up. Plus, he needs to pay the consequence for breaking down our simulation pod. I won't let him get away with it." A groaning sound came inside my ear.
"I swear to god, sometime your pride is bigger than a Romogmagog stupidity. Can't you let it go. It's not like you haven't broken the machine yourself. I'm used of fixing the contraction by now. In fact, the repairs are already finished and ready to go."
"Thanks mom. I love you so much"
I use my best baby voice, expressing my gratitude for her. To which she responded with an electric shock from my comm. I would laugh at her attempt to punish me if I didn't know how short-tempered she can be. Better not mess with her. My body shiver as memories of all my punishment in the past came crashing down on me.
"Alright honey... be careful at there I don't want you to ruin the suit that I gave you, or else I'll send you to the gulag"
"Shit" I look up at the sky. The cloud is closer to the ground than usual, which means rain will fall shortly. Furthermore, the fog is darker, tainted with red in the middle of them. This time it isn't a normal storm that's coming. These clouds are filled with acid inside of them. If I don't find shelter soon enough, it will probably burn my suit and my mom will send me to the Gulag. Sweats are already falling down my face. It's getting hotter in my mask all a sudden.
" You can't be serious mother. You know I'm hunting down a Romogmagog. Plus, this one is a king. A lot tougher than the normal ones. You can't expect..."
My mouth slowly closes itself. I can feel a sudden bloodthirsty aura targeting me from the comm. She's 300 km away from me but I can still grasp her aura shooting daggers at me. For a moment, I'm stuck against a corner like a small defenseless prey caught between the teeth of a lion. I look up to see a demonic creature looking down at me with its dark eyes. I can't even see the white in its eyes, only the void is filled in them.
"Did you hear me, honey. No matter what I don't want the suit to be damage. I spend too many hours for you to damage it. Am I understood?"
" Y... Yes...mom... I understand" And with that said, I was pulled out of the darkness and reappear inside the rock-filled environment from before.
"Alright honey, enjoy yourself" She said with a voice full of motherly love before hanging up.
I swear to God, I don't know how she can be an overprotecting mother in one minute and become a demonic evil witch in the next minute. I almost passed down from fear just feeling her presence. Never pissed off your mother, that is the only thing I'm sure in this world.
Since she spent so much time building this suit with little materials that she finds on this planet compressed of rocks, sands, acid rivers and volcanoes which are located more to the south. Most of the material that she found like titanium is located inside the circle of fire. The circle contains 80% of all volcanoes on this planet. To reach the circle you will need to cross over the desert of Death Valley. Its length is approximately 500 km. Furthermore, the dessert is not called the Death Valley for nothing. The place is occupied by the most dangerous monster in this planet like the Drekayes, a humanoid mutant with horns on its cheeks and sharp nails like a witch, the Surke which are in summary a huge boulder with arms and legs, weak in attack but strong in defense, and far too many others creatures for me recite without boring myself to sleep.
Sometimes I go to the dessert to find stronger opponents when I defeated all the bosses in the simulation pod or when I want some good quality food. They may look awful on the outside but on the inside, they are the most delicious piece of meat. Just thinking about meals makes my stomach growled for foods.
"Don't worry tummy. Once I will hunt down the Romogmagog king, we will eat it like a true emperor. We won't let any flesh of him untouched"
Enough playing around. I really need to find shelter before acid starts falling down my suit. I still don't want a death wish. With the lens from my mask, I scan my surrounding. Usually, when it's an acid storm, animals hide in caves or inside an underground system. To located them, I will need to find footprints of an animal big enough for me to shelter in its home. If the animal becomes aggressive, I can just kill him and take his kript.
After scanning every direction from north to south, I couldn't find any animal footprints in my surrounding. However, I think I discovered a cave around 500 m west from my direction. With the scan, I noted that the ground was thinner than usual. A pretty good chance that a colony of Tar built a home underneath. These creatures are underground rotten, about the size of a human arm, and they especially liked to build their home underneath the earth. The Tar might be ugly by the fact that they have no fur and look like the underbelly of a Gogmashall, but at least they aren't hostile. Their primary sources of food are iron and bronze. Basically, I can sleep near their nest as long as I don't try to kill their eggs. They're overprotective for their eggs, especially the male. Compared to other species, it is the males who are guarding the eggs while the females take the role to stock up food.
"My suit should protect me from catching any parasite from their skin." I said out loud, not caring about being noticed by a predator since they are probably hiding somewhere from the weather.
Tapping against the ground with my feet, I confirm there is definitely an underground cave underneath me. Yet, I sensed something is not right. Since my senses are sharper than the majority of creatures on this planet, I should be able to overhear them or at least sense their life source. I can't sense anything underneath me. Maybe I was wrong,or a predator managed to chase them out. If the latter is truer than the hunter probably left or it can hide its life force and blend with in its surrounding.
" Well... the only way to figure this mystery is to go down there, I guess." With a knee down on the surface of the cave, I used my raw strength to pulverize the ground. With one good punch, the top collapse and I fall down inside the shelter. Unfortunately for me, I land on a pond of water with my boot.
"FUCK... Now my feet are wet." I groaned.
It is so rare to found a source of water on this planet. You have a better chance to get strike by lightning twice than to wet your feet. Considering this fact, my mom probably saw no point of making my suit waterproof. Now my socks are all soaked. Removing my boots and helmet, I can't help myself but notice how messed up I look. I directly stare at the reflection of my brown eyes, my gaze wonders at my beard. It has been two weeks since I shave it. Thankfully it doesn't grow that much. I don't want a bush near my mouth. All the sand would have been caught by it if I let it grow too much. My hair is not much better. It looks like a bird's nest up close. That's what happens when I don't take care of my curly black hair.
Underneath my right eye, I can see the burning scar left by the Rogmogmagog King. The acid scar left my skin darker. If wanted to, I can ask my mom to remove the dark spot, restoring my light shade of brown just like the rest of my body. The reason I kept it, is that I want the bastard who gave me this scar to recognized me before I cut off his head. It will teach him a lesson. If you tried to kill me and don't finish me off then be prepared for me to hunt you down and kill you without mercy. I will add him in my collection of monsters. I hunted countless monster since I was a toddler.
For 17 years I have been training, killing, eating and learning. My mom gave me all the knowledge that I muster during my years of existence. She is the perfect mother and monster hunter that I know. With her teaching, I'll never lose against any beast.
Suddenly, I felt a power spike behind me, pulling me out of my thought immediately. The bastard managed to hide his energy up close to me. It must be a evolve monster. Without any thought, I did a side step before I got git by whatever monster was behind me. A spiky rock almost pierced my head if I didn't react quickly. I took out a flash grenade from my waist and threw it at the direction where I perceived the energy surge at the corner of the cave. As the frag exploded, I rush out toward the corner in a second and punch a black figure that I sensed. However, the figured managed to dodge my attack before it could reach it.
"Aaaawww"
I immediately recognized that growl. It's definitely a Rogmogmagog. A king for a matter of fact. However, it isn't just any typical Rogmogmagog king. By the way, it's energy flow around its body. It's the one who I fought 2 days ago and who destroyed my simulation pod. How lucking am I. I sheltered myself right next to this bastard, saving me the time and resource to hunt him down. He must chase away the Tar colony so that he could evolve himself without any risk. A creature is at its most venerable state when it's evolving. Even a Tar could kill it with no difficulty.
"Alright, bastard. Congratulation on your transformation. You should be more interesting to fight this time around. Don't think that you are the only one who got stronger since our last fight."
This transformation looks more terrifying than its normal state. His height is around 6 m, and he weights almost 5 tonnes by how the pond is vibrating with each step is conducting towards me. Its veins have a green glow into them, running accord its body. The dark red skin is now covered by a thick layer of armor which grew during its evolution stage. The fact that it's still moving toward me, which means that it isn't covered by the protective plate.
"Come at me Bastard" I said as I signaled him to come, to which he perfectly understood and went into full speed ahead. Fortunately for me, my speed is greater than his. I slide down between its legs before it could catch me its huge hands. Behind my waist, I took out two knives and planted directly at the back at its knees, earning me painful growl from the beast. Not leaving it any chance to stand up, I climbed into its back and planted to others knives in the back of its neck which is also lacking from any form of protection.
As the knives went straight to major arteries on its neck, I jump off and while in mid-air, I active the detonator in the knives. The explosion propelled me at the opposite end of the cave. Crashing against a thick wall wasn't too bad, thanks to my mom and all the years launching me across our home.
The cave shook by the explosion but not enough to make it collapse on itself. While examining the corpse at a save distance, my smile vanished the moment I realized that its veins were still glowing. The moment the glowing veins of a Rogmogmagog died out, it signifies that its passage to hell.
"Strange, how is he still alive, the knifes literally blew his neck from inside."
My eyes widened from realization. The pattern of the veins are different from the ones I saw from before. The arteries in the back of its neck have stopped glowing but now, I can see two others at the front instead.
"Shit... he is rerouting the flow of his blood to keep him alive" This news just made smile even more than before. I guess I will go all out.
As the monster slowly rise from the ground, I took a few breaths, concentrating on my body. I sense every cell of body circulating through my system. Glucose used as my fuel, protein to strengthen my muscle tissue, Calcium to reinforce my bone... All these nutrients are part of me. I need them, my cells need them. In this ecosystem, I'm the one who controls all of them. I have conscious on every part of my body and won't let the fabric of time and space control my body and mine.
"If you let your body and mind controlled by the fabric of reality then, you will always be the underdog, the prey for others to be use for fun."
A quote that my mom forced me to remember since I was a toddler. Never understood freeing your body from reality. I don't know who said it and why it was so important for my mom to remind me of it. No matter, I will live by her words for the rest of my life. My bones are stronger than the hardest diamond, my muscles are denser than giant standing on a coin and my will knows no limit. I will crush you with my fist, obliterating every molecule above your neck. Stomping on the ground, I propelled myself toward the beast.
The shortwave from my step, collapse the inner structure of the cave. Not caring about the fact that I'll be crush, I connect my fist on the Rogmogmagog's face, sending another sock wave throughout the cave. Animals from 200 km from the battle, could listen the exchange of blows. The packs running away, praying for their luck that they were far away from the fight of the predators.
"...Argh!"
No matter how many punches I give, the bastard won't move. He just stood there taking my wrath like sponge bob. Not even a single crack appears on its armor.
"I bet he's laughing inside his mask"
Before my fist could connect with his face, he managed to grow,from his skin, a full mask. My attack didn't scratch the surface of his skin. The only results from my consecutive attacks are the sleeves of my suit destroyed and the veins in my arms pierced by the backlash of the shock wave.
I faced far worse injuring during a fight, I can endure the pain.
To finish me before the cave crushed both of us, the creature grabbed me by the chest with one hand and placed my back against the wall to end me. I crossed my arms over my face as I brace myself from the attack. He repeatedly tried to connect his fist on my face. The roles were now reverse. I was now on the defense, trying my best to block his punches, while his aura was consumed with rage, and he was the one trying to exterminate me.
I need to bring the fight on the surface. The ceiling was breaking down, Exposing us to the acid rain. The storm has already begun. My suit can't last more than 30 minutes in these conditions. The Acid must be a level of 1 pH.
"Your body can withstand my attacks, huh?" I though with a bright smile on my face as I thought if a brilliant plan in my head.
Right before the next punch came toward me, I removed the pin of my stun grenade on my waist and thew it at its face. The explosion forced the beast to release me, giving me the opportunity to go under its chin.
"My will as no limit" My mom's words ran across my mind.
With one quick move, I uppercut the five tonnes beast out of the cave, sending it 2 km into the air. With a flat chance of offering it an opportunity to fall down properly, I concentrated my energy on my legs and propelled myself at its height in less than haft a second. I enjoyed the pure shock reaction of my opponent. With no knowledge of how managed to reach him in mid-air this fast, never mind the fact that I managed to launched it into the air.
The king seems like it was just a ball, ready to be thrown into the air for children amusement. In the air, I grabbed the Rogmogmagog's chest and head. I overturn our position, making its back face toward the ground. As we both look at each other I can't help myself but laugh out of excitement, the thrill of combat is constantly accelerating my heart and I love this feeling. I dwell on it. With two thermal grenades positioned on its chest, hopped far away from it before triggering the charge. The rog King flew straight down like a speeding bullet.
"I don't care that your body has acid resistance, I will melt you away"
With every drop of acid pouring down my arms and faces, my skin absorbs the fluid inside my blood system. All the acids are coursing through my veins toward my stomach, where it's mixing with my gut's acid. The acid from the rain alone wouldn't be enough to penetrate the creature's armor. I will need to use my digestive system to level up the acidity degree of the rain. In the act of burning my body from inside, I concentrate all my power and energy in my abdomen, protecting myself from melting while preparing for my finishing blow. From the outside, you could see my veins and eyes glowing yellow, as more and more acids are being consumed by my skins.
On the ground, the Rogmogmagog is still a bit disoriented by the thermal grenade and by the shock of its rough landing. Even though the armor protected its life, the beast could still get hurt by shock wave coursing through its body. Lifting up its head to look at the assailant, it perceives all the danger signals from its mind. The man above, as he continues to fall down, was now a giant star. Every part of his body was sparkling yellow substance out of his body. It knew that if it didn't get up quickly, there will be nothing left in his miserable existence.
Fear!
The emotion rarely felt by predators like him. He was the one who observed the terror of his prey before devouring them without mercy. The trauma he made all of his victims feel, he felt the same touch of despair. He was currently the underdog. Before he could escape the situation, the demon threw up a beam of acid at him. The poor prey didn't have time to yell. It took him a couple of seconds to comprehend he couldn't sense anything around him.
A large hole appeared right in the middle of his chest where his heart used to reside. You could see the dirt through the gap. Everything was vaporized. The acid consummated every molecule on its path. No pain and no blood were pouring down his wounds. The last image integrated on his mind before crossing the bridge is the devilish smile from the demon above him, staring unto the depth of his soul.