Chapter 02: The Swarm of Skitherclaws
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Morning broke with the faint light of an alien orange sun spilling through the horizon, painting the sky in hues of violet and gold.
Lucian stirred from his uneasy slumber, his body aching from the grueling run the previous day.
The ground beneath him was hard and cold, a far cry from the comforts of his spaceship. As he rubbed his eyes, a faint scratching noise reached his ears.
Skrich! Skrich! Skrich!
His eyes shot open. The sound was close, too close. Blinking rapidly, he saw tiny, agile creatures scuttling around him. One was perched near his leg, while another was precariously close to his face.
"What the hell?!" he yelped, scrambling to his feet.
The creatures small but menacing had sharp, glistening claws and scales that reflected the morning light. Their tails ended in cruel, jagged points, twitching as if eager to strike.
"Get away from me!" Lucian shouted, backing up in panic.
The creatures hissed in response, their small, beady eyes locked onto him. Their mouths opened to reveal rows of needle-like teeth, glinting ominously.
Suddenly, a familiar chime echoed in his ears.
Ding!
A holographic interface appeared before him, glowing faintly in the air.
Mission: Defeat the Skitherclaws.
Progress: 0/10
Reward: 50 EXP
Lucian groaned. "System, are you serious right now?! How am I supposed to defeat these things?!"
The creatures moved closer, their claws scraping against the ground.
Skrich... Skrich... Skrich!
Before he could think, one of the creatures leapt at him. Its speed was blinding.
"Ahhh!" Lucian shouted, stumbling backward. He tried to dodge, but the creature latched onto his arm, its needle-sharp teeth sinking into his skin.
"Agh, get off me!" he screamed, shaking his arm violently. The Skitherclaw flew off, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud!
Lucian clutched his arm, staring at the bite mark. Blood trickled down, but the wound wasn't as bad as he expected.
The teeth hadn't caused much damage, but the creature's claws, those razor-sharp claws, looked far deadlier.
"If one of those claws slices me, I'm done for," he muttered, his breath ragged. He glanced around nervously.
There were more Skitherclaws now, emerging from the ground, their tails twitching menacingly.
Panic surged through him, but he forced himself to focus. "I can't die here. I haven't even... I haven't even held a girl hand yet!"
He clenched his fists, his fear giving way to a surge of determination. "No way am I dying a virgin! I'll get through this. I'll survive, find a sexy, beautiful girlfriend, and live my damn life!"
His gaze fell on the Skitherclaw he had thrown earlier. It was twitching weakly on the ground, clearly injured.
"Wait a minute," he thought, narrowing his eyes. "That thing got messed up from just one hit? Did I... Did I get stronger?"
He turned to the system, hoping for an answer, but it remained silent as always.
"Fine, don't answer me. I'll figure it out myself."
His eyes darted back to the injured creature. "If I can hurt them, I can kill them."
He assumed a fighting stance, his hands trembling slightly. "Alright, let's do this." I have to do this. 'Focus Lucian…. Focus.'
The Skitherclaws hissed in unison, their tails whipping through the air like whips. One lunged at him, claws gleaming.
"Not this time!" Lucian shouted, sidestepping the attack. He kicked out instinctively, his foot connecting with the creature's body.
Thump!
The Skitherclaw flew through the air, tumbling several meters before landing in a heap.
"I... I did it!" he exclaimed, adrenaline coursing through him.
But there was no time to celebrate. The remaining creatures hissed loudly, their cries a mixture of rage and hunger. One by one, they rushed at him, their claws glinting in the sunlight.
"Dammit! There's more than ten of these things!" he growled, his heart pounding. "System, can't you count properly?!"
He had no time to ponder the system's inaccuracies. Another Skitherclaw lunged at him, its tail aimed for his chest.
Whoosh!
Lucian ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike. He countered with a punch, his fist slamming into the creature's scaly body.
"Take that!" he shouted, though his knuckles throbbed from the impact.
Another came from the side, its claws slashing through the air.
Swish!
The sound of claws slicing through the wind sent a chill down his spine. He dodged to the left, grabbing a nearby rock from ground and hurling it with all his might.
Thunk!
The rock hit its target, and the Skitherclaw collapsed.
"Two down," he muttered, panting. "Eight more to go." I can do it. Hang in there Lucian. 'Talking to himself.'
But the creatures weren't going to make it easy. They surrounded him, their movements coordinated and relentless.
He backed up, his mind racing. "I can't let them corner me. Think, Lucian, think!"
He glanced at the rocky terrain around him.
His crash landing had left a sizable crater, with jagged edges and loose stones scattered everywhere. An idea struck him.
"If I can keep them in front of me, I might stand a chance," he thought, retreating to the edge of the crater.
The Skitherclaws charged again, their claws clicking against the ground. Lucian grabbed another rock, hurling it at the closest one.
Thud!
The creature went down, but the others were closing in.
Sweat dripped from his face as he faced the swarm. His muscles ached, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
"I've got to end this," he thought, clenching his fists. "If I don't, I'm dead."
One of the creatures lunged at him. He sidestepped and stomped down with all his strength.
Crunch!
The Skitherclaw stopped moving.
Another attacked from behind. He spun around, delivering a kick that sent it flying.
The swarm pressed closer, their numbers overwhelming.
"Come on!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the crater. "Is that all you've got?!"
The fight wasn't over. It had only just begun.
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