I am Shadow, age 40 days—a golem imbued with a copy of Prince Ren Drakemore's consciousness. Right now, I am facing three bloodthirsty Mithril Fur Bears charging toward me and Miss Maribel.
Their resistance to magic is formidable; out-damaging them with spells alone isn't going to work. That leaves us with only one viable option—physical attacks.
I quickly place a hand on Maribel's shoulder to cast a series of physical enhancement spells. She flinches slightly and glances at my hand with a mix of confusion and apprehension. Perhaps I applied too much pressure in my haste. I ease my grip slightly and begin chanting the spells aloud.
Iron Hide.
Enhanced Speed.
Thought Acceleration.
Strength Magnification.
Lion's Heart.
The effects take hold immediately. Maribel's eyes widen as she gasps sharply, her entire body tensing as though she had just plunged into icy water. Then, just as quickly, her expression transforms. A wide, almost feral grin spreads across her face, the rush of power taking hold. Being under the influence of multiple enchantments can create quite the intoxicating power high.
"Thank you, Shadow!" she exclaims, her previous fear replaced with exhilaration.
"To defeat them, we'll need to bypass their fur's magical resistance and strike physically," I explain, my gaze locked on the bears drawing closer. "I'll aim for their unprotected areas—like their eyes or any gaps in their armor."
Maribel unsheathes her twin daggers, each resembling a slender ice pick, and raises them with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "My Fatal Strike ability allows me to pinpoint their weak spots and guide my blades with precision." Her grin sharpens, the confidence in her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "If you can keep their attention, I'll strike them from behind. Once I pierce their fur, they're done for. My daggers are venomous."
Venom? That's a detail I hadn't known. I take a fraction of a second to activate my analysis skill, scanning her weapons. Sure enough, her daggers are coated with Nightshade Venom—one of the deadliest poisons.
"Yeah, I think that'll work," I reply, my focus snapping back to the advancing beasts. Maribel nods before vanishing through a portal, her confidence and speed fueled by my enhancements.
"Just leave the distraction to me," I add, sprint forward to engage the lead bear. The earth trembles beneath my heavy steel frame as I close the gap, my footsteps pounding the ground below me.
The lead bear rears up, its massive claw raised to strike me down. Behind it, the other two begin circling, preparing to flank me. There's no time to hesitate. I draw my paralyzing blade and dive under the bear's incoming strike, using the momentum to kick off the ground and thrust my blade upward, aiming for the beast's right eye.
But the bear turns its head at the last second, dodging my attack. Instead of connecting with its vulnerable eye, my arm is caught in the bear's massive jaws. Its teeth clamp down on my right arm at the elbow, trapping my sword in its mouth. With a furious growl, the bear slams me into the ground.
The impact reverberates through the earth, a thunderous crash that leaves a crater beneath me. The bear's paw comes down hard on my chest and driving me further into the dirt. I feel the immense pressure as it tries to rip my arm free from my body. But this time, my reinforced metal frame holds firm.
Again, I am thankful I can't feel pain
I channel my energy and release a supercharged Fire Lance spell from the hand still trapped in its mouth. The explosion is instant and catastrophic. Plasma rips through the bear's body, blasting out from its eyes, ears, nose, and even its hindquarters. The shockwave sends the charred remains of the bear flying backward, its blackened carcass landing in a smoking heap twenty feet away.
"Shadow!" Maribel's scream cuts through the chaos. She's been distracting the other two bears, firing poison darts from the miniature crossbow built into her gauntlet. Her concern is evident as she glances between me and the remaining threats.
I pull myself from the dirt, patting out a flame licking at my coat. The glove and sleeve on my right arm are now charred away, leaving my metal arm and sword scorched but functional. "I'm fine," I call back, my voice steady despite the heat of the moment. "Keep your distance!" Without hesitation, I charge at the second bear.
As I close the gap, I notice one of Maribel's poison darts embedded in the bear's left eye. Black blood gushes from the wound. The bear roars in pain but remains focused, swiping a massive paw at me.
I raise a barrier spell just in time. The claws collide with the translucent shield, producing a sharp, grating noise as they scrape across the surface. To my shock, the bear's claws dig into the barrier, tearing through the magical protection like paper.
Not good.
I hastily conjure a second barrier to block the beast's other paw. This one meets the same fate, shredded by the bear's claws. Before it can launch a third attack, Maribel appears. She drops from a portal directly above the bear, one of her spike-like daggers aimed with deadly precision.
The blade pierces through a vulnerable spot at the base of the bear's neck. The impact is brutal, a wet, ripping sound emanating as the weapon burrows deep into its flesh. The bear roars in agony, thrashing wildly. Maribel is thrown off its back with tremendous force, but she twists in midair, landing gracefully behind me.
"Nice timing," I say waiting no time spinning around to face the third and final Monster.
As I turn, I see in between me and the charging bear is Maribel with monster bearing down on her. The bear attempts lunge at Maribel, but she responds by throwing one of her daggers at his open mouth and then she drops back into a portal, disappearing right before the bear would have crashed through her. Instead, she appears above the beast as it cokes and spits out a torrent of blood. Again, Maribel drops out of a portal above the back of the bear's neck.
She reappears above the bear, descending from another portal with her second dagger poised for a lethal strike. Her eyes glow red with the focus of her Fatal Strike spell, her face displaying intense focus and a crazed smile. But as she plunges toward the weak point in the beast's neck, I notice something she doesn't. The bear, despite its injuries, has already begun to rotate, its massive paw rising to intercept her midair. Maribel's gambit may have worked the first time, but this time the bear's claws threaten to rend her body in three.
I create three layers of force fields between Maribel and the bear's swipe. The paw crashes through them, each barrier slowing it down, but not enough to completely deflect the attack. The claws tear into Maribel's midsection, cutting deep into her stomach and spraying blood across the battlefield. She lets out a blood-curdling scream as her body is thrown aside, tumbling to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Fuck, no...
She lies on the ground, unconscious, blood pooling beneath her. Her entrails spill grotesquely from the gaping wound in her abdomen, twitching faintly as though clinging to life.
The bear, weakened but relentless, turns its bloodied maw toward her. Black blood drips from its jaws, rage burning in its eyes. It limps closer, lifting a trembling paw, determined to take Maribel with him into death.
Before it can strike, with all the force I can muster, I drive my metal fist into the bear's skull. The impact lands with a deafening clang, snapping the creature's head to the side and sending its massive form collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Wait, I could have just punched them? no... no, it's probably just the poison.
I turn my attention back to Maribel. Her condition is critical—blood loss, trauma, and the sheer brutality of her injuries threaten to end her life at any moment. I pull out two healing potions, remove their toppers, and pour them directly onto her wounds. The faint green glow of the magic spreads across her body, sealing the torn flesh and muscles. Her entrails slither back into place, coiling like snakes before the skin knits itself back together.
That was gross, if I were able to be nauseous, I would probably vomit.
Her body is healed, but she remains unconscious, her face pale and drawn. The trauma of her injuries may take longer to mend than the flesh. I lift her carefully, cradling her in my arms as I carry her back to the wagon. She needs rest and time to recover, and the inn at Stonebrook will provide both.
Before leaving, I carve out the remaining good eyes from the bears as proof of our victory. As I climb onto the wagon and steer it back toward Stonebrook, I glance over my shoulder at my handywork. I see with a pang of annoyance that the field of Herbs I had intended to harvest to improve Maribel's life had been reduced to ash.
Mission failed successfully again.
The next question is, when she does wake up, what will she say about my exposed metal arm?
I glance down at the scorched remnants of my sleeve, my steel arm gleaming in the sunlight. There's no hiding it now. Maribel's sharp—she'll notice right away. When she does, she'll ask questions I might not be ready to answer.