Unsafe Working Conditions : A He Who Fights With Monsters 6+ Companion Story

Chapter 3 - Soap Bubble

 Liam finished the meat, it had an oddly metallic aftertaste but otherwise tasted like he thought it should. Whatever the case, he could feel his energy returning though he was pretty sure that it was psychosomatic. Finishing up with his dinner he started organizing the loot, dividing it up into what he would be taking with him and what would be left behind.

Using some of the wire he bound what he could to his pack without it becoming too heavy. The Essence joined the awakening stone. The meat was wrapped back up and tied tight. He decided to wrap the wire around the creature's hide and fasten it to the pack like a bedroll. The ingots and other odds and ends piled along the edge of the wall to be retrieved if needed but not be in the way in case he needed to flee.

Hefting the pack onto his back he continued in the direction he had been traveling. His stride was purposeful, each footfall firm. Despite the weight of emptiness and hollowness within him he knew that if he continued to make forward progress he would continue living.

As he traveled the feeling of energy continued to radiate from his stomach, like the pleasantly warm sensation that happens after drinking strong liquor. While pondering if he should worry if there were any unknown effects that the food could be having on him, a smell interrupted his train of thought. The distinct odor of savaged electronics hung in the air, along with it the coppery taste of blood.

Liam slowed, his steps becoming soft and silent. While he had been following the path of the zebra monster it had only been scrapings on the floor and occasional blood smears. For something to overpower the lingering stench of rancid blood required a potent source.

The signs of the monster increased in frequency, intermingling with what looked like scales and bits of machinery. A large mechanical cylinder with fleshy attachments along it required him to hug close to the wall, so as not to tread too close.

Shortly after passing the parts on the floor the light in the corridor started to shift. The hue began to take on yellow more like natural light than the harsh blue tinged white that the current illumination provided.

Soon the curve of the hallway revealed an opening. It was jagged, a pocket door on one side was bent inward towards the corridor he was standing in while the other along with a portion of the wall was completely missing.

It was getting increasingly difficult to move through the monster leavings. More memories arose unbidden of jumping from furniture to furniture, happiness at the shout of "The floor is lava!". Shaking his head to clear the distraction he looked through the opening.

The room stretched out of sight from his vantage well within the corridor, it was probably 100 feet across and from what he could see at least a portion of the ceiling consisted of skylights.

The ground was covered with corpses, each a sickening blend of meat and machine. There were a few of the zebra monsters that he had defeated mixed in, their striping only slightly helping them stand out.

Moving to the edge of the opening revealed a room several times longer than it was wide. The majority of the room extended in the opposite direction of the arc the corridor had been making. The corpses of monsters were centered around a mound which was directly below one of the skylights that was shattered. On top of the mound was a creature that looked like a junk artwork version of a lion come to life.

From cover of the corridor Liam watched the monster, while initially intimidating it looked to be worse off then the zebra. It maintained its spot on the top of the hill of monsters but it did nothing. From areas of damage all across its body smoke rose and what could be counted as its blood flowed.

For several minutes he watched but the creature didn't move. Feeling that it would be a risk to try moving without testing, Liam looked around his feet before picking up one of the various discarded pieces of machinery. Taking a quiet step out of the corridor he threw it with all of his strength toward the longer end of the room. Before it hit the ground he stepped back into the cover of the corridor taking care not to slip or snag himself on the jagged edges.