The burly human, recovering from the earlier kick to the chin, bellowed in frustration. He charged at Elliot with brute force, aiming to overpower him with sheer strength. Elliot, however, relied on his swiftness to evade the incoming human missile. He weaved through the man's grasping arms, narrowly avoiding capture.
As the fight raged on, the leader of the gang, the hyena-like beastman, finally decided to join the fray. With a low growl, he leaped into action, displaying an unexpected agility for his size. His claws extended as he lunged at Elliot, aiming for a powerful slash.
Elliot, now facing multiple adversaries, needed to maintain his impeccable timing and speed to keep them at bay. The fight had escalated into a chaotic whirlwind of strikes and evasions, and each moment demanded his complete focus and skill.
The voice's words echoed in Elliot's mind as he continued to engage in the chaotic melee. His movements began to change, a subtle but distinct shift in his approach to the battle.
"You are fighting like a human," the voice spoke to him in the middle of battle.
"I am a human!" Elliot shouted in his head as he dodged the powerful slash of the lizardman.
"You are not, use your skills, your powers," the voice urged.
"I don't have Blood Energy!" Elliot replied, frustrated.
"Yes, you do. There are four recharge packs right in front of you," the voice revealed.
Elliot's eyes darted to the gang scattered on the battlefield. His determination overcame his hesitation as he realized there was no other choice. "Them? You want me to suck their blood?"
"Well, yes. Except at your level, the beastman and lizardman will poison you instead. The human and elf are fair game," the voice explained.
"Okay," Elliot replied, his resolve firm as he prepared to unleash his vampiric abilities.
Elliot's demeanor change as he underwent a drastic transformation. In the midst of battle, he felt the surge of power from within, and it was as if a switch had been flipped. His features contorted as he tapped into his half Demon-vampire form, a manifestation of his newfound abilities. He felt stronger and faster.
His mask was pulled down, revealing his fearsome fangs. His once-human eyes now burned with a fiery scarlet hue. A bony protrusion grew on his forehead, a menacing sign of his transformation.
With newfound strength and determination, Elliot charged at the gang's leader, his movements fueled by his vampiric instincts. The leader, filled with rage, met Elliot's charge with one of his own, preparing for a direct clash.
At the last moment, Elliot made a quick, strategic move. He swiftly made a small cut on his palm, allowing blood to well up. However, instead of throwing it like he had done in his previous encounter with Kael, he utilized his Minute Blood Control ability.
With precise control over his own blood, he molded it into a razor-sharp tendril, keeping it concealed as he launched a ferocious punch. The leader, momentarily caught off guard, attempted to dodge the incoming blow.
As the punch sailed past the leader's face, Elliot seized the opportunity. He extended his palm, and the concealed blood tendril shot out like a viper, piercing through the leader's eye with brutal precision. Pain and shock overwhelmed the gang's leader as he let out a guttural scream, collapsing to the ground in agony.
As the battle raged on, Elliot's transformation granted him heightened speed and agility. He continued to move with lightning-fast reflexes, effortlessly dodging the burly man's attempts to grapple him.
Elliot, now fueled by his vampiric abilities, decided to seize the moment. He swiftly conjured a larger tendril of his own blood, sapping his Blood Energy points at an alarming rate. With the tendril in hand, he launched a deadly attack.
Closing the gap between himself and the lizardman in an instant, Elliot struck with deadly precision. The tendril pierced through the lizardman's head, ending his threat instantly. The elf, witnessing the gruesome sight, froze in shock.
Taking advantage of the elf's hesitation, Elliot executed a stunning roundhouse kick, disorienting her further. He wasted no time and latched onto her exposed neck, ready to extract the blood he needed to replenish his waning energy.
As the rush of strength surged through Elliot's veins, he could feel the injuries he had sustained during the battle slowly healing. His Blood Energy points began to charge up steadily, bringing him back into fighting shape. However, the leader of the Hyena Pack gang was not about to stand by idly. Fueled by bloodthirsty fury, he charged at Elliot with a menacing intent, shouting, "Get off of her, you monster!" Elliot let go of the unconscious elf she fell on the ground, drained of her strength and temporarily incapacitated.
"150 BE points, I can work with this," A sinister smile crossed Elliot's face as he realized it was time to put an end to this confrontation.
Without hesitation, he called upon his newfound ability, "Crimson Acceleration!" A surge of scarlet energy coursed through him, and his speed reached an entirely new level. The transformation came at the cost of 100 Blood Energy points, but it made him faster than ever before. With this newfound speed, Elliot was ready to deal with the enraged gang leader once and for all.
With Crimson Acceleration coursing through his veins, Elliot moved at a pace that seemed almost otherworldly. The world around him blurred into a chaotic mix of colors and shapes as he locked onto the gang leader, who was still reeling from the excruciating pain of the tendril that had pierced his eye.
In an instant, Elliot was upon him, a crimson streak in the dimly lit hub. He launched a barrage of blows with lightning-fast kicks, each one precise and devastating. The leader's attempts to defend himself were futile; he could barely react in time to block or dodge.
Elliot's agility allowed him to dance around the leader effortlessly. He struck with surgical precision, targeting weak points and exposed areas. His strikes were a symphony of speed and power, landing with enough force to incapacitate but not to kill.
The leader's vision was impaired, and the onslaught was relentless. Elliot's movements were a blur as he continued his assault. He struck with a fury that came from the depths of his newfound abilities, delivering kicks that seemed to be everywhere at once.
The leader attempted to retaliate, but his efforts were feeble compared to the supernatural speed of Elliot. Blow after blow rained down on him, sending shockwaves of pain through his battered body.
As the minutes ticked by, the leader's resistance waned. He could barely keep up with the relentless barrage of attacks. His strength dwindled, and his consciousness started to fade.
Finally, in a climactic moment, Elliot delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that sent the gang leader sprawling. He crashed into a nearby wall, and the impact reverberated through the hub. With a groan, the leader's body slumped to the ground, unconscious and defeated.
The fight had been a display of speed and power, and Elliot's newfound abilities had proven to be overwhelming. The gang leader was out for the count, and the rest of the gang had been incapacitated earlier in the battle. Victory was his, and with it came the realization of the immense potential his half-Demon-vampire abilities offered.
As the gang leader lay unconscious on the ground, the big burly human, now battered and beaten, fell to his knees in defeat. He looked up at Elliot with pleading eyes, his pride shattered.
"Please, spare me," he begged, his voice trembling with fear. "I'll do anything you want. Just don't kill me."
Elliot, his crimson eyes still glowing with power, regarded the defeated man for a moment. He could sense the fear and desperation in the man's words.
"Anything, you say?" Elliot replied, his tone cold but contemplative.
"Yes, anything! Just name it," the brute pleaded, sweat streaming down his bruised and bloodied face.
Elliot extended his hand, palm up, and stared at the man. "All your credits. Transfer them to me. Now."
The burly man hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his options. But the fear in his eyes overpowered any sense of defiance he might have had left. He fumbled for his wristband, the device that stored his credits, and initiated the transfer.
A series of beeps signalled the completion of the transaction, and the burly man's wristband displayed a balance of zero credits. In total, 556 credits had been transferred to Elliot's account.
"Your life is spared," Elliot said coldly, retracting his hand. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."
The brute shambled to his feet, moving towards his comrades, not wanting to leave them behind. He spared a final glance at the motionless lizardman, who was no longer breathing, before turning and limping away, dragging his friends with him.
Elliot watched them go, his crimson eyes still ablaze with power. He had emerged victorious in this battle, and his growing abilities were becoming more apparent with each passing moment. The credits he had acquired were a bonus, but the taste of newfound strength was what lingered in his mind.
As the crimson transformation pulsed through his veins, Elliot felt a cold, calculated, ruthlessness settle within him. His thoughts were focused, his emotions suppressed, and his mentality had shifted into a battle-ready state. He stood at the deserted hub, surrounded by the remnants of the battle with the Hyena Pack gang. His newfound powers were both a gift and a curse, and he needed to understand them better.
"System," he began, addressing the artificial intelligence within him, "what is the effect of the transformation on my psyche?"
The system's response came without delay, its artificial voice explaining, "Under transformation, the host's mind goes into a battle-ready state, with a firm and unshakable mentality. Streamlined thoughts and distracting emotions and thoughts are suppressed, making the host an efficient machine. This allows for faster calculation, dynamic thinking, and decision-making."
Elliot absorbed the information, realizing that this transformation was a double-edged sword. It granted him incredible power but came at the cost of his humanity, pushing him towards a more ruthless and efficient mindset. As he contemplated the implications, he knew that mastering this transformation would be crucial for his survival and his pursuit of greater power.
As Elliot approached the unconscious lizardman, his crimson-tinged eyes scanned the area. With a swift and practiced motion, he removed the gang member's bracelet, a small glimmer of stolen opportunity amidst the chaos of the encounter.
Determined to move forward, he continued his brisk pace, making his way to the specific station where his hovertrain would soon arrive. The platform was dimly lit, with an eerie silence hanging in the air. Elliot patiently awaited the arrival of his transportation, unaware of the snake that had slipped onto the platform after him.
Finally, his hovertrain glided into view, its doors sliding open with a soft hiss. Elliot boarded, ready to leave the unsettling atmosphere of the hub behind
In the dimly lit and deserted hovertrain platform, a serpentine creature emerged from a hidden crevice within the rough, uneven wall. Its sinuous body glistened with dark, mottled scales that blended seamlessly with the shadows, affording it a sinister air of stealth.
The snake moved with a silent grace, its forked tongue flickering in and out as it tasted the lingering scent of conflict and violence that hung in the air. It approached the lifeless form of the lizardman, eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intelligence.
With a soft, hissing voice that sent shivers down the spine of anyone who might have heard, the snake muttered, "Sssssssomebody killed Narth, bosssssssss will not be happy."
Without hesitation, it coiled back into motion, sinuous muscles propelling it forward with uncanny speed. Slithering away into the deeper recesses of the underground passages, it was on a mission to deliver its cryptic report to a mysterious and ominous master, its presence an enigmatic shadow in the dark.