Chapter 289 (1/2)
This fall was much shorter, but paradoxically much more painful, as it didn’t seem like the fall was enough to knock him unconscious for the worst of it. Instead, he was forced to deal with every jolt of vicious pain from the knife stuck in his calf.
More concerning, the slimes appeared slightly stunned, and otherwise unaffected, and began climbing over each other to cover his face.
The next few minutes were a series of desperate struggles, grasping at the cores and squishing them, which became increasingly easier. It was around the time that most of the slimes were gone, that Simon was finally able to give attention to the series of small blue screens that had popped up.
Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Bash Resistance Lvl 1!
Congratulations! Bash Resistance has increased to Lvl 2! You have gained 1 PP. A PP is gained every time you gain a level in a skill. Look in your path screen to use PP.
Bash Resistance has increased to Lvl 3.
Bash Resistance has increased to Lvl 4
Congratulations, You have learned the skill Stab Resistance Lvl 1!
Congratulations, you have learned the skill Blood Clotting Lvl 1!
Based on your skills, you have gained access to the “Hearty Constitution” Path!
Blood Clotting has increased to Lvl 2.
Congratulations, you have learned the skill Crushing Grip Lvl 1.
Crushing Grip has increased to Lvl 2.
Bash Resistance has increased to Lvl 5.
Crushing Grip has increased to Lvl 3.
Crushing Grip has increased to Lvl 4.
Crushing Grip has increased to Lvl 5.
With a thought, Simon dismissed his notifications, finding himself in a pool of dissipating slime and sweat with-
A woman’s dead body. Still and dead, killed by the slimes or by him pushing-
Simon stumbled to his feet, his heart pounding, his lungs opening and closing at a rapid pace. So fast that he started to feel faint. He struggled to his feet, then stumbled forward. Where the building ended, a street began, and Simon walked out onto the street and vomited.
Then Simon was forced to spin around, as there was suddenly a strange grumbling noise. What he found was a miniature version of a hippo, perhaps the size of a large dog, with strange, red skin. It eyed him for a second, then opened its mouth, revealing a circular maw, lined with jagged and broken teeth, more like a shark than anything else, rumbling again.
Simon once more vomited, this time hitting the strange creature. It’s eyes flared wide and it bellowed, rushing forward, mouth open. Now there were screams everywhere, and those instincts of Simon’s that had somehow urged him to move slowly died.
All of the apartments were dim, cut off power. He imagined being alone in the dark when those slimes swarmed, unable to see the cores, unable to think from panic…
Simon felt something click, and his hands fell to his sides as the creature made to devour him. He pissed himself, for all the good it did him. But he just couldn’t…. If the world was like this… it would probably just be easier to-
And who was he kidding, a guy like him would never survive-
Simon was shoved out of the way, as the woman he had pushed off the building scrambled forward, interposing herself between Simon and the monster. Their eyes met, once more, hers hard and determined, his scared.
The monster bit down, ripping almost her entire forearm off, before throwing its head back and forth, tugging her around like a ragdoll. Screaming, she collapsed.
“Why…” Simon began to ask, but the words wouldn’t come beyond the first, just the swell of nausea in his chest as he watched the creature maul her. His calf twinged painfully, and belated, Simon reached down to remove the knife.
He immediately felt numb as blood began to spurt out, quickly pumping onto the nearby street. As he straightened, he froze, because he saw a child, no older than 8, backing away from three of the strange red hippos, as they advanced towards him. Forebodingly, the woman’s scream fell to a whimper, and then she went silent.
The child spotted Simon, and flailed towards him, tripping over his own feet and falling. “Help! Help!” The child screamed.
Simon, limping as best he could, his pants damp with his piss, turned and fled, heading away from the apartment building, towards a field that had apparently been transplanted nearby. Luckily for Simon’s guilt, as he hurried away, the child’s screams were very quickly eclipsed by the revving sound of an engine, and Simon saw, out of the corner of his eyes, a hummer hurtle down the road.