Chapter 243: A Rough Battle (1/2)

”Urgh,” Jyorta grunted, noticing a thin stream of blood seep out from his left hand. A tooth of the Spiked Lizard finally broke past all defences, piercing his skin. Even though he had recreated a barrier over his arm, it wasn't as strong as before. After all, it had to layer the tongue of the Spiked Lizard wound over his arm.

If it tried to go under the tongue, it shattered every time the tongue tightened its hold. Even though it was recreated, the teeth of the Spiked Lizard continued to press on it, quickly shattering it, finally breaking through his armour's defences.

Jyorta rolled on the ground, with the Spiked Lizard in tow. Finally, its body trembled erratically before turning limp. His spindle had finally drilled its way into the Spiked Lizard's brain and had damaged enough.

But, despite its body turning limp, its hold on his arm remained. Its body was really heavy, almost half his body weight. Carrying it with him as he moved around, Jyorta was taking a lot of damage. The strain in his muscles increased, the pain he felt amplified as he rolled on the uneven ground, with the sharp rocks piercing him.

Jyorta retracted the barrier covering his body, using the weaker psychic arm to grab a spindle. His stronger psychic arm placed the spindle next to him, following him as he tried to stand up. The spikes on the Spiked Lizard's back prevented him from rolling. It took him everything he had to roll twice.

As he tried to get up, Jyorta noticed the Ring Worms become ready to attack him. A single second of pause was all they needed to spring into action. His right hand grabbed hold of a stronger looking spike, exerting all the strength available into his legs. Thanks to his domain's input, he timed his jump.

His legs barely moved up. The only reason they moved above the ground was that Jyorta had bent his legs during the jump. The elevation of his line of sight hardly changed. That was all he could do while carrying a Frenzy Beast that weighed half as much as him.

Just as he expected, the Ring Worms drilled out from the spot his feet had been on the ground. But, what greeted them weren't his meaty legs but two alloys of dismemberment. The spindle entered the Ring Worm's body through its open mouth, turning a little before aiming at its heart.

The chakram too slid into the other Ring Worm's mouth, due to its radius only being five centimetres. The mouth of the Ring Worm was slightly larger. As for a couple of muscle strands that were in the way, the spindle cut through them as it began to spin.

The pain caused them to involuntarily bend their heads forward, in a struggle. No sooner had they done so did his legs land upon them, the momentum slamming them to the ground. Their bodies were compressed, the muscles in them unable to overcome the weight he carried.

He had landed around 10 centimetres below their head, not allowing them enough room to bend their mouths to bite him. But, they still struggled to wriggle free out of his hold. They controlled their body muscles, varying the toughness in them, seeking to imbalance him.

Jyorta almost lost his balance as they wriggled the muscles in their bodies. The floor was uneven as is, not to mention the weight he was carrying while stepping on the bodies of the two Ring Worms. Any more disturbances and he would fall.

Before it could come to pass, his Refined Objects damaged them from within. His aura also served to numb their muscles, leaving them weak. It took almost 20 seconds before Jyorta judged the two Ring Worms as dead.

Still being cautious, he made a light jump and took a couple of steps forward, tumbling along the way and sliding on the ground. He noticed through his domain that their severed bodies still twitched. Using his chakram, he finished them off.

The chakram then arrived before him, beginning to cut the tongue wrapped around his left hand. He had to be careful, unwilling to cut his hand in his hurry. While he was occupied with the task, Jyorta heard the cries of the other Spiked Lizards. The moment they smelled the blood of their brethren, they entered a state of frenzy.

The sounds of stones hitting the ground, rolling on the rocky surface, and mud falling on the boulders echoed. The Spiked Lizards were resisting with greater intensity. Jyorta also noticed his aura beginning to faintly grow weaker.

It was a sign of fatigue being built up in him. His aura wasn't an inexhaustible resource. It was just the cells in his body exerting their presence. As his body grew tired, so too did his aura. Therefore, the Spiked Lizards were showing signs of movement.