Since Seth was busy sitting on the floor, staring out at the hellscape the world had become through the freshly broken window, his new companion Coal had been left standing still. With no orders from his puppet master, the puppet simply stood and took the bites and the blows from a disgusting creature that used to be a simple fly.
Naturally there was no pain from it, but that didn't mean the buzzing pest wasn't ever so slightly chipping away at his rocky meatshield. So, noticing the black blotch darting in and out of his secondary vision, Seth simply had Coal raise its hand and give the bug a good, hard smack and sent putrid green guts flying across the room.
However, despite dealing with this 'threat' Seth knew that he couldn't stay sitting here forever, or even for another minute. Every second out in the open like this, he felt like a rabbit being stalked by a wolf.. Or whatever it was that stalked rabbits. Perhaps, now everything had changed, it was even rabbits that did the stalking.
He shuddered at the thought of the deadly killer rabbit but, before he could dwell on it any longer, a shrill screech snapped him out of his wayward thoughts. He quickly snatched his weapon from the ground, scampered to his feet and whirled around so that the broken window was to his back. Naturally, it didn't feel the most reassuring in this position, but it was best to take things one threat at a time.
The world, it seemed, disagreed on that sentiment as currently charging towards him was two figures.
One stood tall, having two sets of legs that it unsteadily ran on, and two sets of arms that ended in twisted blood stained hands. Each limb was emaciated and thin, grey skin clinging so tight you could see its bones.
Its head, which thankfully it only had one of, had some resemblance of humanity. Yet the face was twisted in a ghoulish snarl, bearing a forest of elongated black needle-like teeth. So much that they spilled out of its mouth and even went back into its throat.
The torn rags of a business suit still clung to its uncoordinated and gangly form, a bright and cheery sticker still plastered to the breast of the suit, saying "Hi, I'm new. My name is Leo!"
The other beast was, thankfully, less horrifying to look at than the Vitruvian Ghoul Leo, seemingly composed of nothing but black smoke. Yet from this black smoke spawned two arms ending in gut ripping grey claws so big, that they would give certain knife wielding Australians a run for their money.
The only other thing apart from velociraptor-like claws that Seth could make out in its smokey form, was a pair of angular white eyes and a single line that curved upwards, making the shape of a face. A face plastered with a maniacal and sadistic smile as it prepared to carve up its next victim.
Yet what it lacked in ghoulish appearance, compared to its counterpart, it made up for in speed. While the ghoul was tripping over its two left feet, the wraith was easily darting through the air. Grabbing onto the walls of cubicles and launching itself forward. Flitting from wall to ceiling to floor, its claws digging in at every stop.
'Great… I might not be the best at Maths but even I know two vs one hardly even ends well. I barely made it out the last time.'
Seth thought as he tightened his grip around the silver spear as he watched the two monstrosities approach. At least this time he wasn't trapped in a room with no escape, he could manoeuvre better or even run if he needed to.
He'd be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind a few dozen times in the last second, but he knew it wasn't an option.
For one, the entire building was full of things like this, he couldn't run forever. Secondly, he was a nerd. Which meant he knew how this sort of thing should work. Fight monsters, get stronger. Just the fact he was holding a weapon from one proved that. In fact he was already confused on why he hadn't been getting any form of exp or something else, but that was a matter for another time.
No, he had to fight. Luckily he didn't have to do it alone. Although it wouldn't be optimal, he could still have Coal act his part as a meat shield and get in the way of attacks if he could do nothing else.
So while he was watching these beasts draw closer, he mentally commanded Coal to turn around and run back to him. He wasn't far, but neither were they. 30 seconds for the monsters, a few more for Coal. It would be tight.
What was worse, he couldn't just give the order and forget about it. A small part of his focus had to devote itself to doing the actual running. While the process was subconscious at this point in his life, he also had to make Coal weave around obstacles or not trip over any corpses or otherwise.
Seth let out a sigh at his predicament before following it up with a war cry as the monsters finally reached him. The Wraith was lunging through the air, claws primed and ready to tear off his face, while the Vitruvian Ghoul followed behind. Yet just before it could make a move of its own, it suddenly slipped on a puddle of water that seemed to come out of nowhere and fell face first.
Thankfully that let Seth focus his attention solely on the lunging Wraith for a few vital seconds. So, whilst it was still mid lunge, he shifted his stance to the left slightly and held the spear up in front of him. Hoping to let it skewer itself, but making sure not to get toppled by its body falling onto his.
Unfortunately for him this plan was doomed from the start. The spear harmlessly passed through the wraith's smokey body as if it was merely an illusion, not even its arms which he thought to be solid were hampered by the shaft of the spear. Its claws glistened menacingly as they approached Seth's face.
He widened his eyes in surprise and grit his teeth, leaning his head back as far as he could in that single second. Thankfully that was enough to spare his face from deformity, but the sharp and sudden sting of pain exploding in his shoulder told him he wasn't unscathed.
He hurried to reposition himself, the wraiths attack had sent it behind him while the ghoul was still in front. He spun and took a few steps back, so that they were now to his left and right. The wraith digging its claws into the ground, forming long groves, as it halted its momentum. Its permeable body passing through the broken glass, yet halting as soon as the glass touched the base of its claws.
He could even hear the ever so slight sound of it cracking.
'Claws solid, body not. Noted.' Seth thought, glancing at the ghoul as it stood itself up and let out another shrill screech of anger.
It shook itself off, hunching over slightly as it glanced between Seth and the smirking wraith. It seemed wary of it, annoyed almost, but not willing to fight it instead of him. It seemed he wasn't going to be lucky about that twice. Perhaps it knew about the wraith's annoying body situation.
Seth grimaced slightly as another jolt of pain emanated from his shoulder, he could feel the warmth running down his arm, but didn't dare take his attention away from the two monsters.
All were focused on each other, which is why none realised that the puddle the ghoul had slipped on had mysteriously vanished.
The Wraith dug in its claws and lunged again, whilst the gangly ghoul let out a blood curdling screech as it charged forward. But this time it was Seth's turn to smirk as Coal had finally arrived.
Still in full sprint, the volcanic golem hunched down, put his shoulder forward and tackled the ghoul, wrapping his arms around it and attempting to bring it to the ground.
But before he could see the result or before the wraith could even come close to him, he saw a small pale blue blob launch itself from the ground, hit his face and send him falling backwards as its slimy form smothered him.