Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 53: Brutal Melee

This marked the beginning of a brutal melee.

The demon let loose with a furious barrage of blows, attacking with all four limbs along with its tail, horns, and teeth in a seamless combination. Every strike was powerful enough to dish out some serious damage. If someone took more than a glancing blow, they wouldn’t be walking away.

By the skin of their teeth, Jumo and Edge kept the monster at bay, dodging most of its attacks and blocking the rest. Each impact reverberated throughout their bodies, threatening to sweep them off their feet.

So far, the creature had only revealed three skills. It had a power that let it Extend its claws, and one that Sharpened its natural weapons. Tessa said it’s using a passive skill to buff its Durability, which leaves two skills unaccounted for. I’ll have to watch out for surprises until we learn what they are.

By this point, Snake’s poison had taken effect, impairing the monster’s Reflex and Control. Without it, the duo couldn’t have endured the pummeling that followed. Edge didn’t have time to analyze or plan—every scrap of his attention was riveted on evading one lethal blow after the next, then drawing the monster’s attention whenever it looked away.

Since Vortex Shot wasn’t working, Lilly switched to a different skill. It was called Transparency, and it made her bolts turn clear as glass. The demon could still sense them to some extent, but it was having trouble moving out of the way. Every bolt that landed struck a joint, impeding the monster’s mobility.

Unfortunately, it deflected the missiles coming for its throat and eyes by tilting its head and catching them on its horns. Edge had the impression that Lilly was waiting for the right moment to combo Transparency with Vortex Shot, since it would require a ton of mana, and she couldn’t afford to miss.

Mel circled around whenever there was an opening, coming at the monster from its blind side. It had reevaluated the threat she posed after being wounded earlier in the fight, and used its tail to force the guardswoman back. Mel couldn’t get close enough to land another hit with Force Cleave, but her efforts divided the demon’s attention and took some pressure off Jumo and Edge.

Tessa was still hanging back, watching for anything else approaching. Although the woman wasn’t directly engaging the monster, she was an invaluable asset to the team. She had activated her defensive aura to keep everyone on their feet, and called out whenever the demon used a skill, helping them avoid attacks that would have caused critical damage.

Although Edge’s crew was even better than he’d thought, he grew increasingly worried as the minutes ticked past. The monster was going to land a heavy hit sooner or later, and the consequences would be catastrophic. But the shadowkillers didn’t seem too worried, so he decided to trust their instincts and focus on playing his role.

That being said, it was time to reveal one of the powers he’d been hiding and add another skill into the mix. He let the others know what he was planning, then cast Entangle at full strength.

His core ignited in a flash—warmth blossoming behind his ribs. Refined mana flowed out of his reactor, through his skill socket, and into the ground below his feet. A cluster of writhing vines burst free from the soil a few seconds later, wrapping around one of the monster’s legs.

The demon tried to pull free, but his skill was tough enough to resist the pressure. The hulking brute was forced to Sharpen its claws and swipe several times to cut through the tendrils, creating the opening his team had been waiting for. They surrounded the monster in a ring of blades, then made their move as one.

Edge unleashed a Double Slash, Mel Force Cleaved, and Jumo Lunged. Meanwhile, Lilly fired off a Vortex Shot, while Snake let loose with a rapid-fire barrage of poisoned crossbow bolts. The monster severed the last pair of vines, then whipped its head up to deflect the Vortex Shot with its horns. Even though it only been kissed by the rapidly-rotating missile, the force whipped its head to one side in a violent arc.

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“It’s flaring its defensive skill to mitigate the damage,” Tessa yelled. Even still, Team Arrow had finally managed to bring the pain. Snake landed three bolts in the demon’s muscular shoulder, and Mel’s Cleave cut into its tail, although the blade stopped at the bone instead of severing the appendage. Meanwhile, Edge and Jumo scored gaping gashes along both sides of the monster’s torso.

“Get back,” Tessa cried, and everyone scrambled out of the way.

Her warning made all the difference. Half a heartbeat later, the demon activated a skill they hadn’t seen yet. It spun several times in less than a second, lashing out with its natural weapons to form a blender of crimson blades. The attack forced the hunters back and carved some gouges into their armor, but they moved fast enough to avoid taking anything worse than a collection of cuts and bruises.

The monster screamed as it came to a stop, enraged by the pain of its wounds. It rose onto two feet and went charging for Jumo, intending to grab him by the shoulders and bite his head off. The move was blindingly fast, but it staggered along the way, letting him Dash to safety before it arrived.

The demon lurched from one side to the other as it fought to regain its balance, and one arm dangled at its side. The skinless horror looked down at its uncooperative limb, baffled as to why it was having a hard time controlling its body.

“The paralytic agent is finally kicking in,” Snake muttered.

“Resilient bastard. I’ll wait for an opening, then try to draw Death Mark. I have one other skill that might work too, now that the monster is distracted. When I’m finished, Fox should be able to land some Vortex Shots. Press it hard in the meantime and don’t let it recover. It’s fine to blow through some consumables and your energetic reserves but save a little in the tank for an emergency. Whatever you do, don’t lower your guard. I have a feeling that we haven’t seen its trump card yet.”

By now, Edge was running short on stamina and his reservoir was about half full. Dealing with the demon’s attacks was incredibly draining, even with his improved attributes.

Although his crew had gained the upper hand, they weren’t out of the woods yet. While the monster’s strength was flagging, exhaustion was taking a toll on the hunters too. This is going to end badly if the melee drags on much longer.

Thinking back to what Gram had said about consumables being worthless if you died before you used them, Edge decided that it was a perfect opportunity to try out two types that he had never used before, starting by quaffing his very first potion.

He had three magical brews to choose from, which he had purchased from the alchemists a short while back. He decided to go with the purple connection, which would boost his Power and Durability for a few minutes. With any luck, it would let him penetrate the demon’s rock-solid defense, while helping him withstand its attacks.

“I’m going to use some consumables,” Edge warned Jumo and Mel that he was pulling away from the fight. “I’ll be back in 30 seconds.”

The warriors nodded and moved to contain the demon. Mel still had some energy, since she hadn’t been facing the monster head-on until now. Jumo was using Second Wind—a skill that reduced fatigue. It let him fight at full strength until his mana ran dry. Every time the creature tried to switch targets, he Dashed, blurring as he repositioned before letting loose with a Rapid Barrage to keep it from getting away.

By this point, Edge had darted back to stand beside Tessa. He reached into his belt pouch and withdrew a crystal vial containing a violet brew. He popped the cap, brought it to his lips, and downed the contents in a single gulp.

The potion’s flavor was bizarre—unlike anything he’d sampled before. It reminded him of a mana seed as far as the intensity was concerned, but instead of tasting divine, the potion was some seriously nasty shit. He fought the urge to gag as it slid down his throat and was absorbed by his body.

Five seconds later, energy began pumping into his limbs. His muscles bulged and his tissue grew tougher as his Power and Durability jumped by several points each. The sensation wasn’t as overpowering as spending his free points, which was good, because the potion had a relatively short duration, and he didn’t have time for a lengthy adjustment.

While he was waiting for the potion to kick in, Edge had reached into his belt pouch and withdrawn two more items. One was a rag that he had received from Melchior the senior alchemist, after asking the man to teach him how to use weapon oils during their march south. The second object was another vial.

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This one held the elemental oil that Edge had obtained during the fight with Warren the manslayer. The potent mixture would add electric damage to his polearm’s strikes for the next few hits he landed, and the rag was designed to keep the toxic substance from absorbing into his skin.

He opened the vial and poured a third of the contents onto the specialized cloth, then ran the viscous substance over the blade of his naginata. It left a thin coating of fluid behind, with traces of mana and aether blended into the mix. The blade buzzed and crackled as he finished applying the coat. Then he sealed the vial, raised his weapon, and rushed to rejoin the fight.

His body felt strong and resilient—boosted beyond its natural limits—and bright sparks were raining from the business end of his polearm. Now it was time to find out just what the high-end consumables could do.