And then it dropped.
BOOM!
The impact shook the ground beneath Arthur's feet as the monster slammed into the blue sand with a wet, sickening squelch. He took a step back, his claws instinctively flexing, molten heat surging through them in preparation for the coming fight.
The creature before him was unlike anything he had faced before. A giant sea slug, bloated and glistening with acidic slime. Long, sinewy tendrils unfurled from its body, writhing in the air like whips, each one tipped with a razor-sharp edge that gleamed like steel. Its eyes were little more than sunken pits, but Arthur could feel its gaze on him, cold and malevolent.
It didn't speak in the way a human would, but Arthur could hear it, a deep, gravelly voice that scraped against his mind like nails on stone.
"You... die..." the slug hissed, its voice slow, each word dripping with malice.
Arthur growled, the instinct to fight rising within him as he sized up the creature. He didn't need the system to tell him what it was. Somehow, deep within him, he already knew its name.
Slugterra.
It was a beast on the verge of its own First Stage Evolution, much like Arthur had just undergone. The tension between them was palpable, both predators standing at the precipice of greater power, but only one would walk away from this encounter.
The slug moved first.
Its massive body lunged forward with surprising speed, the razor-tipped tendrils whipping through the air toward Arthur with lethal precision. Arthur dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the slashing attack as the tendrils gouged deep trenches in the blue sand where he had stood. He could feel the heat of the acid dripping from the slug's skin, sizzling wherever it touched.
Arthur retaliated, his claws extending into long, molten blades as he slashed at the creature's flank. His attack struck true, cutting deep into the slug's flesh, but the acid immediately splattered onto him in response. Arthur roared in pain as the burning liquid seared his scales, forcing him to pull back.
This thing's a tank, Arthur thought, circling the slug as it writhed and turned to face him again. Its tendrils lashed out in a flurry, forcing Arthur to dodge and weave, his movements growing more desperate as the fight wore on. The slug was relentless, its attacks faster than he expected for a creature of its size, and its acidic body made every strike against it costly.
The slug's tendrils whipped toward Arthur's face, forcing him to retreat toward one of the crystal spires. His back pressed against the cool surface of the spire as he barely avoided another lashing attack.
Then it hit him. The salt. The slug had been avoiding the spires.
A memory flashed in Arthur's mind, a distant recollection from his previous life as a human. Slugs hated salt. It was a simple fact, one he had learned long ago, but now it felt like the key to surviving this fight.
Arthur grinned, baring his teeth as a plan formed in his mind.
He lashed out with his claws, breaking off a chunk of the nearby spire. The crystalline material crumbled in his grip, and he threw the salt-like shard at Slugterra. The moment it hit, the slug let out a hideous shriek, its slimy skin bubbling and sizzling as the salt burned into it.
It works!
Arthur broke off another chunk of the spire, hurling it at the slug. The creature writhed in agony, its tendrils flailing wildly as it tried to retreat, but Arthur was relentless. He grabbed another shard, then another, pelting the slug with chunks of salt until its once-imposing form began to shrink and weaken.
With one final roar, Arthur broke off a massive spire, holding the jagged crystal high above his head as he stalked toward the retreating beast. Slugterra, realizing its end was near, tried to flee, its sluggish body dragging itself toward the nearest tunnel. But Arthur was faster.
"Annoying little worm," Arthur growled, his voice low and filled with menace.
With a final burst of strength, Arthur drove the massive crystal shard into the slug's body, aiming for the creature's tiny hole near its base. The salt spire pierced through its form, embedding itself deep within the slug's flesh.
Slugterra let out one final, pitiful gurgle before collapsing in on itself, the acidic slime sizzling and melting away under the power of the salt. The cavern grew still, the melodic hum of the crystals returning to fill the silence left in the wake of the battle.
Arthur stood over the dead slug, breathing heavily, the thrill of the fight still coursing through his veins. He flicked the remnants of slime off his claws, then raised his middle finger in a mock salute to the fallen beast.
"Thanks for the workout," he muttered, his grin widening as he turned away from the corpse.
NOTE: Arthur is only speaking through his mind. His words are more like roars if you listen from outside.
*
For the first time in his new life, he felt a pang of disgust as he considered devouring the creature. Its acidic slime still bubbled slightly, the stench of its body lingering in the air like a foul perfume.
He sighed, his claws twitching in frustration. "I guess you don't get to pick your meals in this life," he muttered, his voice thick with sarcasm. Despite his distaste, his hunger—fueled by his ever-growing size—reminded him that he had to consume. The system demanded it, and so did his body.
Arthur leaned down, sinking his teeth into the slug's soft, slick flesh. The taste was worse than he expected—slimy, sour, with a hint of something rancid. He swallowed, grimacing as the thick sludge coated his tongue. It was the first time he had ever felt truly revolted by his food. Usually, the creatures he devoured were either satisfying or filled with enough energy to make the taste irrelevant, but Slugterra? This was different.
"Ugh... never again," Arthur growled, shaking his head in disgust. But as he bit deeper, his senses tingled with anticipation. He could feel the Spirit Core of the monster deep inside its body. That was where the real value lay.
Finally, as he reached the core, the system chimed.