The System

CH- 44: Loss (II).

    Tetsu had to hold himself back. 'Not yet.' He kept track and only moved the mold when he was too far away from the targeted section.

A root snoops around Tetsu as he uses Mimic over RJ.

On and on, Tetsu's eyes flicker in sync with his mind. Right arm and leg, on and on, boulder and tree, on and on. All four off. Back on and boulder on.

Runes activate and deactivate, pulling Tetsu's body all over the battlefield like a rag doll. He swirls around the tendrils or maintains and slams RJ's shell over the tendrils, pinning them down.

"Same trick won't work on me twice, you freak of nature."

He turns and bites another tendril approaching from his blind spot. The tendril flaps like a fish in a dog's mouth as Tetsu glares at the Dandralith.

Dandralith ignores Tetsu and focuses on the shield covering RJ. She knew what would hurt the human more and she would make the lowly human crumble before she finished it. 'How dare a mere human glare at her? It shall pay for its transgressions. This last blow will teach the human its place.'

Tetsu's eyes zoom in over the tiny cracks forming in RJ's shell. Then he shifts his magnified vision onto the Dandralith, sending its main tendril to finish the job.

His eyes capture every detail in close proximity and clip by clip.

"Fury drill." Dandralith activates a spell.

Four tendrils circle toward RJ, overlapping each other, forming a drill the size of Tetsu's torso. A silver sheen covered the tip, refining its edge and giving it a sharper point. The green blaze propelled the drill forward with furious speeds, while the silver sheen collected and concentrated the energy at a single point.

Tetsu took another guess. Yet another step. A calm, calculated move based on instinct and luck.

Tetsu dashes in front of RJ's shield, turns his back at the incoming attack, dodges the tendril, and activates every rune over his body while using...

[Ding! Skill upgrade: 'Mimic on' to Pave Path. Initiate. Omni.]

... an Omni skill.

Tetsu's body and skill pulled the tendril toward him and while the tendril had already crossed the target, his body, the tendril was forced to curve to the side.

The drill graces RJ's shield, shattering the section it graced with ease. The diverted drill still carried a lot of momentum as it borrowed itself deep into the floor beside RJ and Tetsu, creating a huge tunnel.

The upper layers of his skin peeled away, revealing a much softer shade of pink. Losing connection to the sensory nerves that transmitted pain, Tetsu smiled meekly, attempting to comfort RJ.

Her eyes kept moving back and forth between Tetsu's uneven shoulders and his skin, which went from baby pink to crimson-black. Small patches of hair were visible on his head, saved by the shirt that had turned into a cape.

Tetsu collapsed to his knees and RJ checked his pants and was relieved to find that her artifact successfully withstood every attack and also protected the dumb humans' precious jewels. This meant he could still survive, all thanks to her creation.

RJ manipulates her shield, making it invisible to scan the battlefield better. With a swift command, she molds her shield into a hook for the very first time and flips the command again to make it visible.

As they were opposite techniques, the invisible shield drained more resources and split her concentration into two different aspects. It was like writing with both hands. She didn't have the patience or the time, so by focusing solely on power and transformation, RJ molds her shield and slams it over the tendril. With a new skill commending her technique, RJ holds the Dandralith's drill in a deadlock.