"ALAN, MOVE BACK HERE" Mark cried out as soon as he heard the message. It was a reflex at this point, to try and warn the other.
But Mark knew that this would not be possible if the teen tired alone. Mark would need to distract the monster in order to let Alan make it back safely. But if he did so then he would be the only one who would not be able to make it back.
It was a decision he had to make now - him or Alan, who would be the lucky one here?
The shockwave was still building up and it was obvious that the teen or any other member of their party would not survive its after-effects at all. The only thing protecting them would be the shed skin of the divine beast they had acquired.
He was still not sure what that shockwave was, his system not able to identify it at all which was a first.
Mark fired out a few more shots to distract the monster as Alan slowly positioned himself to reach their side. The more Mark went outside their area of influence, the more Alan was able to come in.
Even Rika and Kuro had taken the hint and to maintain the status quo began moving slowly toward his side. The monster was too focused on him to pay attention to anyone else and Mark was thankful that he had pulled its agro toward himself.
But the danger was not gone at all - the shockwave was still a very persistent problem.
Mark hurried his steps, his body instinctively dodging the monster's attack coming his way. It did result in the huge body acting as a divide between him and the rest of the party but it was alright.
The force the monster had used made sure that it would get stuck inside the wall for some time. It gave Alan just enough time to reach the group. Mark himself was not sure if he would be able to reach the group himself in time though.
The body between them served as a hindrance for the human to just jump over.
'Take out the skin and get ready. I'll try getting to you in time' Mark messaged both not realising that it would be enough to startle the pair. Of course, it was understandable that no one expected a message in such a delicate situation.
It was startling enough for Rika to actually drop the kitten. Thankfully, Alan was there and knew what to do.
But that did not solve the problem Mar had about the whole situation at all. The shockwave was still building up and he had no protection. He checked his system for one last time before his body saged.
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Warning: DANGER DETECTED - USER IS ADVISED TO ESCAPE BEFORE THE SHOCKWAVE ( Time left: 1 minute)
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The monster had not been able to get itself out from the stuck position in time and it was obvious that it would be caught up in the aftermath of the shockwave.
Mark would be too.
It would not be a bad end, his mission would be over and the other three would survive. Now that the shockwave was almost upon them, he could feel it's energy colliding with his own, his system shutting down at the first strong connection.
This was likely something that interfered with the system or data code. If so, he might have a chance but he was not too optimistic. He was still not sure where he existed in this twisted world and now he would never get the chance to know it too.
Mark closed his eyes as the shockwave approached, his body ready. He was not sure what he was expecting it to be - maybe a painless death or a big explosion that ripped him apart but the sudden weight on his body made him groan.
It hurt but not a lot and it was warm all over. He tried opening his eyes but it was all dark and shaking a lot.
And then there was a big contraction all over the ground before it was silent.
Mark was sure that this was the end, but then where was he now? The data inside the game files went to the backup system - Liam's own words and the system guide told him so. But where would his data go?
As far as everyone knew, his data did not exist at all - the main part was already filled up in space.
He moved his hand around the place, his surprise visible when he was actually able to move and touch the soft and warm fur because that's what it was - fur.
And it was warm to touch which meant he still had his motor functions intact. The small rumble around him also informed of the fact that the thing covering him was likely alive too and his instincts once again kicked in.
There was a small shove, the man trying to push the huge and heavy thing, (likely a body) from on top of him and the rumbling got worse.
But then amusement and relief assaulted his senses, the aura so familiar that he knew it could be no one else other than Kuro. Yet the sheer mass and weight of the body contradicted his discovery.
"Mark? MARK? LET HIM OUT" that muffled voice calling out to him was familiar too. Alan sounded worried since he could hear him, he could conclude that he was likely not dead yet.
The weight vanished and so did the warmth purring of the familiar voice. But the feeling of relief and concern was still there.
The first thing Mark saw once he could focus again was the huge black jaguar right in front of him, her body sleek and majestic and not fully recognisable.
And yet one look could tell that it was Kuro, grown-up but still Kuro who purred as soon as Mark extended his hand to rub behind her ear. Once again, he found the huge body laid across his lap, Kuro's content noises inside his ears.
"I survived" Mark's own voice shocked him - the naked relief more than he could have imagined feeling.
"Please don't do that again. Rika here" the teen pointed to the dumbfounded woman behind him, "dropped Kuro and then she grew to a huge size all of a sudden and her jump was the last we saw. We don't know what happened next"
Mark could guess what happened next - she had saved him from the shockwave.
"I guess divine beasts really are immune to this feature" Mark breathed out, his hands rubbing a little harder at his saviour's pleasure points.
That fact that the shed skin of the divine snake beast could protect them was the first clue to the divine beast's immunity to this shockwave. It was hard to come to the conclusion that Kuro was immune too.
The system's ding meant that he had a message he should likely check now.
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Hidden boss: Cleared
Reward: 6 hours of relaxation time
Bonus unlocked: Evolved pet (pet space expanded)
Mission synopsis: Find user Rika Jones and escort her back to safety. Mission area map can be opened by accessing the first checkpoint.
Mission Status: Ongoing
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Now they had 6 hours to get out. It seemed plenty of time but that was a bait. They needed to figure out a way to get to their earlier position and most importantly - out of this pit.
"Should we backtrack our way? Or try our luck here?" Rika asked, finally coming to terms with everything that was happening.
"It's best we get out of here. I'm still not sure that any other pit is safer than this one" Mark was sure that the one who had made those hoove marks was still out there.
"I see. Would we need to climb up from here? I don't see anything which could hold onto a hook and still support our weight" the female was right, there really was nothing for them to use here.
Mark was surprised at the observation, but thinking again, he should not be. The female was not dumb, just overwhelmed. Rika Jones was smart, maybe even more so than him but her expertise was book smart, not street smart.
However, she was learning. Just the fact that she had shaken off her shock so fast and was coherent to make good observations made her a much more valuable asset in Mark's eyes.
"True, we will need support up there. Think Kuro can jump that high up? It's almost 20 feet but I'm not sure that even a jaguar can jump that high" Mark was not sure too.
While Kuro had likely jumped over the monster's body, it had been close to 10 feet (3m), which was in an acceptable range for a Jaguar but 20 feet sounded too huge.
"Kuro, can you try?" Mark asked and it turned out that she actually could jump 20 feet high, her divine beast identity boosting her natural abilities to a whole new level.
And soon the group was out of the hole and ready to continue forward.