Ryan stood frozen in the narrow, gloomy fissure, feeling a bit like a deer caught in the headlights of four very large, very angry, and very supernatural Mack trucks.
The Rage Boar, the Dark Echo Spine Whelp Alpha, the shadowy Grove Stalker, and the extra-distorted Distortion Hound, they all just stared at him with those creepy, glowing red eyes that promised a world of hurt.
His plan to "hunt the Rage Boar" had officially gone from "brave" to "catastrophically, monumentallystupid."
He could feel a surge of adrenaline, that fight-or-flight juice, pumping through his veins. Flight seemed like a really good option right now, but the only way out was back the way he came, and these four angry party-crashers were blocking the exit. So, fight it was. Or, more accurately, "try not to get immediately turned into monster chow."
The Dark Echo Spine Whelp Alpha, clearly the impatient one of the group, made the first move. It didn't even bother with a warning growl.
It just twitched, and a whole volley of shadowy quills, much thicker and meaner-looking than the regular Spine Whelp variety, shot out like a burst from a spiky machine gun.
They weren't just aimed at his chest; they were spread out, a dark fan of pointy death.
"Nope, nope, nope!" Ryan yelped, his brain finally kicking back into gear. He slammed his mental "Short Blink" button on his Phase Gauntlet.
Zip!
He reappeared a meter to his right, just as the shadowy quills peppered the spot where he'd been standing. A few of them even embedded themselves in the rock wall with nasty thunking sounds.
He hadn't dodged them all, though. One of the shadowy quills grazed his shoulder, not deeply, but it didn't just sting like the regular ones. This one sent a numbing, icy chill spreading through his arm, and his vision flickered for a second, like someone was playing with the contrast knob on his eyeballs.
"Okay, shadow quills are extra bad," he noted, his arm already feeling heavy and weird.
He didn't have time to admire his new injury, because the other three decided it was their turn to join the fun. The shadowy Grove Stalker pounced, a blur of shifting darkness and claws.
Ryan, still a bit disoriented from the shadow quill, managed to get his reinforced knife up in a clumsy block. The Stalker's claws screeched against the metal, and the force of the impact sent a jarring shock up his arm, but the knife held.
Just barely.
But while he was busy playing patty-cake with the Stalker, the Rage Boar, with a snort that sounded like a steam train clearing its throat, slammed into his side.
It was like being hit by a furry, angry bulldozer.
Ryan went flying, a startled "oof!" escaping his lips. He crashed into the rocky wall of the fissure, his head connecting with a painful crack.
Stars exploded behind his eyes, and his arm, the one the Boar had hit, screamed in protest. He was pretty sure something in there was now bent in a way it wasn't supposed to be.
Before he could even process how much that hurt, the Distortion Hound phased in, attacking his now exposed flank. Its shadowy claws raked across his ribs.
He instinctively brought up his Phase Gauntlet to try and deflect it. The gauntlet sparked erratically as the chaotic energy of the Hound's attack washed over it, and he felt a sharp, tearing pain.
This was bad. This was really bad. He was surrounded, injured, and his cool new gauntlet was acting funny.
He needed to make some space, fast. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm and ribs, he focused, desperately calling on another charge of his Short Blink.
Zip!
He blinked backwards, putting a precious few feet between himself and the monstrous welcoming committee. He was panting, his vision still a bit blurry from the head knock, but he was alive. For now.
The Dark Echo Spine Whelp Alpha, clearly annoyed that its spiky welcome hadn't finished him off, charged again, its little red eyes burning with fury. It was fast, but Ryan, fueled by a desperate surge saw his chance.
As the Alpha Whelp closed the distance, he ignored the pain, ignored the other three monsters watching hungrily, and lunged forward, putting every ounce of his remaining strength into a single, desperate stab with his reinforced knife.
He wasn't aiming for finesse; he was aiming for "please-just-die."
His knife plunged into the Alpha Whelp's chest, right between its shadowy, bristling quills.
The creature let out a piercing, gurgling shriek, its dark energy flaring wildly for a moment. It staggered, clawed at the air, and then collapsed in a heap, dissolving into a pile of dissipating shadows and acrid smoke.
Ryan almost collapsed with it. His arm was on fire, his head was pounding, and he was pretty sure he was going to have some very impressive, very painful bruises.
But then, his god Interface chimed, and it was the sweetest sound he'd heard all day.
Anomaly Defeated: Dark Echo Spine Whelp Alpha [Level 2]
+160 god Points [Np] Acquired!
Assimilation Level Up! Level 2 -> Level 3!
All Base Stats Increased By +5!
+3 Flex Essence Points Awarded!
All Minor Wounds and Negative Status Effects Healed Via Level-Up Surge!
A wave of warm, soothing energy washed through Ryan's body. It was like a super-charged healing potion mixed with a double espresso.
The throbbing pain in his arm vanished. The ache in his ribs faded. The dizziness from his head knock cleared. Even the numbing chill from the shadow quill was gone.
His vision sharpened, his strength returned, and he felt amazing, better than before, even. Leveling up mid-fight was like hitting the jackpot.
His Vitality, Agility, Strength, Intellect, and Spirit all got a lovely +5 boost. He felt ready to take on the world again. Or at least, the three remaining nightmare creatures in this very dark hole.
The remaining three Frenzied Anomalies, the Rage Boar, the Grove Stalker, and the Distortion Hound had paused their attack when the Alpha Whelp went down.
They seemed confused. Maybe it was the sudden flash of energy from Ryan's level-up, or maybe they just weren't used to their spiky little friend exploding into shadow-dust.
They hesitated, their glowing red eyes flickering between Ryan and the spot where the Alpha Whelp had been.
That hesitation was all Ryan needed.
The dissolving remains of the Spine Whelp Alpha left behind two items: a small, dark wooden chest that pulsed with shadowy energy: a Minor Shadow Cache and a jagged, obsidian-like fragment that hummed with a faint, cold power: a Dark Echo Fragment.
Ryan didn't have time to admire his loot right now. He had three more angry monsters to deal with. But leveling up had just evened the odds. Or at least, made them slightly less catastrophically uneven. He grinned, a wild, slightly manic look in his eyes.
"Alright, you ugly monsters," he said, his voice hoarse but steady. "Round two. Let's dance".