Chapter Forty-One
As the walls of the Spire of Creation crumbled, pale dust raining down on them, Alex continued her mad dance with the six warped animals pursuing her.
In normal pixel-based games, multiple mobs proved more dangerous because they could usually move through each other, but this world was as real as the one she was born in, so the creatures kept getting in each other's way as they tried to attack her. Even when they managed to organize themselves, Alex would misdirect an attack, or confuse them with a well-timed Wind Gust.
You have been hit by a piece of rock for 8 damage!
The hunk of pale stone careened off her shoulder, bringing a cry to her lips and allowing the Horny Pigaline to close the distance, bringing its powerful jaws down on her hip. The pigaline's teeth tore through her Cloth Breeches, opening up a gaping wound.
Critical hit! You have been hit by a Horny Pigaline for 37 damage!
The injury made moving agonizing, as the stretching of her hip muscles tore the wound as they worked. The pigaline opened its toothy mouth to take another bite from her, so Alex cast Dewdrop Orb directly into its throat.
The watery orb lodged itself deep inside. The pigaline shook its head to remove it, but the spell stuck fast, giving Alex an opportunity to escape the slower warped animals.
Alex checked on the Warped Mother only to find her motionless again, the two trunks empty. She guessed the boss was going to make a pseudopod attack again, but that didn't help her avoid it as the black glistening fist shot unerringly through the air, catching Alex right in the hip.
The Warped Mother hit you for 85 damage!
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Alex grimaced as she hobbled away, misdirecting an attack from a Vile Gorihippo into a Gritty Foxilate, which turned into a side battle as the two warped animals clawed and bit at each other.
But as promising as it was, the overall fight wasn't getting any better. Hunks of stone kept missing her. A piece the size of a Buick had landed right behind her, letting in a ray of sunlight that illuminated the dusty air. The Warped Mother kept birthing new creatures, and she'd barely dealt any damage to the zone boss.
A quick check of her stats wasn't any better. Her health was down to the bottom third, her fatigue was near max, and she was about out of faez.
When a third birthing trunk extended from the Warped Mother, Alex knew she needed to come up with something drastic or the fight was going to be over quick.
Alex managed to kill two more warped animals, and a third died from falling debris, but when she saw what had emerged from the Warped Mother, her gut twisted.
The Warped Triplets, Warped Animal, Level 15
A trio of creatures with four legs and three separate heads emerged. They approached from three different angles, giving Alex no opportunity to escape, or to use their abilities against each other.
The Warped Triplet coming from the center had the heads of a lion, goat, and dragon. In the mouth of the dragon, a faint reddish glow emanated along with a wavering air of heat, suggesting that it would breath fire.
Alex shifted left towards the triplet with heads of a snake, wolf, and horse, and she was hit by a ranged attack.
You have been hit by a Warped Triplet for 29 damage!
She sensed she was about to die, but cracked her whip at the leftmost triplet as she ran past, ignoring that her fatigue bar was nearly maxed. Unexpectedly, the triplet leapt right at her, giving Alex no opportunity to dodge.
Alex raised her whip above her head to block the blow, but there was no way it wasn't going to be fatal.
Before the wolf head could bite her, a furry brown shape came flying through a hole in the spire.
Critical hit! The Warped Triplet has hit Inky for 98 damage!
Inky has been slain!
"No!"
Her little brown minion crashed to the ground, sliding across the stone, her body covered in white dust. The interruption gave Alex a chance to escape the triplets to the far side of the spire, hoping to regain a little fatigue and faez.
When the dragon-headed triplet loped towards her, it reared back its head to breathe fire. Alex spied the Gritty Foxilate, which had won its side battle, approaching from the side, and misdirected the flame attack into it.
The Gritty Foxilate had been hit by fire breath for 110 damage!
The Gritty Foxilate was slain!
You have gained experience: 1,500 XP
You have reached level 17!
Luck of the Bold triggers! All health, faez, and abilities for you and your minions reset!
The last part about her minions hurt, but Alex had no time for pain as the triplets made their rapid approach. Despite the odds, Alex felt a kernel of hope that she'd lasted this long.
She squared off against the warped triplets, giving them her best come-at-me wave.
