Broken

Chapter 39

As we all stood at the ready- some of us more eager than others- as the monster on the wall dropped it's camouflage completely. I've seen many-a-monster larger than this one- given it was only the size of a cargo van- but size didn't always equate power; especially in three-star or above instances.

Just looking at the monster, I could tell that it was poisonous, (or venomous) in some shape or form. It was a deep, dark black, with highly vibrant blue stripes all over its body, from its large rounded snout to its oddly bulbous tail. If the coloring wasn't enough of a give away, then the fact that it was drooling a slimy, dark purple substance should of told anyone with half a brain this thing wasn't safe to touch.

I stiffened when it's amethyst like eyes rotated, taking us in, and it opened it's impossibly large maw to hiss at us. Within was a long, sharp purple tongue, and even more sludgy drool. I nearly flinched when a row of finger length, razor sharp, fangs seemed to pop up out of its gums. 

In a flash, Kuro shot out from our pack, seeming to vanish in shadow, only to reappear right above the monster, katana held high. Faster than I could track, he brough the blade down in an arc, leaving a dark after image and striking the beast at its vulnerable spine.

Just when I thought the monster was going to loose it's head, making this the fastest boss raid I had ever experienced- if you could even call it that- Kuro's sword struck, not the beast, but a shimmering magical barrier set upon its skin. The blade bounced of the flesh of the monster, and Kuro used the momentum to backflip away from the Gilla-gantum, hitting the white sands and skidding back towards the group.

"It has high magic resistance..." Kuro stated, regaining his feet and sheathing his sword with a flourish, glaring at the monster that had thwarted him for the moment.

"Well, it is a boss mob..." Sighed Carson. "We should have predicted some kind of mutation that would put it in that position. Gilla-gantum aren't usually-"

"HA! Enough of this chatter." Grinned Argus, shoving to the head of the group, his own vibrant hair so red that one might mistake him as venomous too. "If your fancy sword can't get though, then I'll just strangle it to death!"

"Argus, wait-!" Carson shouted, but the massive berserker had already stopped listening. "That idiot. Aiden?"

The healer shrugged and laughed, stepping forward and readying a spell.

As for the Gilla-gantum, it had fallen to the sand after Kuro's attack, and was thrashing it's head back and forth. Kuro's sword might not have cut the monster, but it had clearly caused it some amount of pain.

With a gleeful battle cry, Argus launched himself at the Gilla-gantum. Due to the monster being distracted, Argus actually managed to get his arms around its neck. Just barely. Even Argus' large arm span had a hard time getting around something so large. He immediately started to squeeze tightly, grinning madly as she tried to crush the monster, rather than strangle it.

Yet, he had barely secured his death grip when he released the beast, roaring in pain and back peddling from the now furious lizard. Bryce and the twins rushed in. Both twins were coated in their mana cowlings, while Bryce stood between them, his shield raised high. The shield took the blow of a sharply clawed foot, while each twin took the place Argus had been in, either side of its neck. Their attacks might not be able to break through its mana resistant flesh, but they did have the combined strength to hold it in place.

Meanwhile, Kuro rushed forwards once again, this time accompanied by Nick, and both men grabbed Argus under his arms, dragging him back towards Aiden. I saw that the large man was covered in a clear slime, and severe burns all over his body. Even his gear- much better than my borrowed set- had been melted and scorched.