CHAPTER 166: Special Forces vs Scyrric

  Gregor was panting heavily. Even though his build focused on strength, using skills to either boost his agility or to move him to targets quickly, it was obvious how much slower he had become. Blood streamed down from dozens of cuts around his body. Some were deep, while others were superficial. His high vitality made his skin tougher while his high strength seemed to increase the density of his muscles, making them harder to cut through.

  Prior to this fight, armor wasn’t a problem to Gregor. There hadn’t been a fight where he really needed it. Normally he could pound away on the opponent since his skin and muscles more durable than any material they had encountered. If he got injured, then he would eat some bloody meat and heal quicker and more completely than was passible before the [System]. That was why he was a blood berserker, his class derived power and healing from blood. Unfortunately, in this fight there wasn’t anything for him to use.

  It was also a measure of his fading strength that his mind was clearing up. When Gregor entered the berserker state, his mind would cloud while his emotions, namely anger, would drive him. It was like being on the edge of blackout drunk. He was vaguely aware of what was happening and his own actions, but they weren’t driving by decisions he should make. It was a feral, mindless assault. Even if he instinctively used his skills, there wasn’t a plan or strategy with them.

  The berserker state minimized a lot of Gregor’s natural capabilities too. While he was taller than most and wider than nearly everyone else, Gregor had never been just a meathead. He could be clever, pre-[System] he had a tactical mind, and there was a charisma to him that allowed him to blend well with most groups. He had been able to easily work with others, and every group he had joined improved.

  Now though, when he fought, he was a solo wrecking ball as willing to attack allies who might be in his way as enemies. There wasn’t the ability to think or reason when he really went deep into the berserker state. It was him against the world. That wasn’t how he liked to be, or what he wanted to be known for. As powerful as this class was, he questioned whether he would have taken it as an evolution if he had known what it would do to him.

  Gregor’s current opponent was showing similar signs of the berserker state. The lizard man’s eyes had green veins showing in them as they clouded over, reducing his intelligence. The snarls and growls coming from him seemed more animal than sentient. However, it showed just how strong he was that only a portion of his intellect had faded as he fought Gregor who had been completely taken over from it.

  The Scyrric also had other advantages in this fight over Gregor. First was the armor. No matter how hard Gregor punched, the armor barely dented. One of Gregor’s skills would cause an explosion upon attacking, and even that wasn’t enough to harm the armor. A few panels of the armor had been torn off by Gregor, but his enemy would retrieve it and use [Armor Shaping] to meld it back into place.

  Another issue was that the invader treated metal like Gregor treated blood. When Gregor removed the armor, he was able to hurt the creature inside of it, but the Scyrric would then take a bit of his armor or weapons and then would heal, able to reshape the damage he did to his own equipment with his skills.

  If the berserker state was like being drunk, Gregor was now sobering. His skin was returning to its normal color, except where his own blood stained him, and the heat he radiated was reducing. Gregor’s mind was clearing and his strength dropping. The feeling was nearly as unpleasant as a hangover, as his body was weakening and cramping, his stomach was queasy as it demanded raw meat to satisfy the hunger.

  As Gregor’s intelligence returned to normal, the impossibility of winning this fight became a certainty. The monster in front of him had so many levels on him, so much more strength and stats. When added with the infinitely superior equipment, Gregor didn’t stand a chance. It was fortunately that he could stand at all, lasting as long as he did.

  A smile formed on the Scyrric’s face, all teeth and mouth stretched wide.

  “As alien as your expressions are, native, it is always satisfying when an opponent realizes they are nothing compared to us,” hissed Sgolkr. “It is impressive that you unlocked a powerful class without the aid of those with knowledge, but it is still an inferior version to mine.”

  Gregor just stared at him from about fifteen feet away. Keeping his muscular legs supporting him as they demanded nutrients was a struggle.

  The Scyrric saw no response coming, so he straightened himself. He ran a talon along his large blade, still sharp and ready to clash. Casually, Sgolkr glanced at his weapon, pretending to inspect it in the moment of silence before he spoke again.

  “It is always satisfying testing myself against another berserker. The rush is like no other. Releasing my body to the rage, only to come up when my opponent has been torn to shreds…it really makes me thankful to the [System]. I was overly disappointed that the other berserker had given no fight. The Red Clan speaker neutered him before I had the chance to test his mettle. Surely, she did it to make sure he didn’t die at my hands.”

  “Other berserker?” questioned Gregor between gasps of breath. He hadn’t heard of another with his class among the humans.

  That question surprised Sgolkr. He looked up from his sword and into Gregor’s eyes. The reptilian slits narrowed.

  “The aberration. The one who has been brazen enough to kill off the mighty Scyrric.”

  “Wasn’t he working with you,” asked Gregor in confusion.

  The hissing laughter came from Sgolkr at the suggestion. “Ones as glorious as the Scyrric would never debase themselves by working with a native. None of the races found worthy under the [System] would. No, that native who caused problems was put down. He will never again be here to protect you. All will die at our claws!”

  Gregor winced. It was obvious who the Scyrric was talking about, but Gregor had been certain that the kid called The General had been collaborating with the invaders. Not that it mattered. This fight was over, and Gregor didn’t even have the energy to run away.

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  “Who needs protection from a kid?” asked the belligerent voice of Jack Fleming. Both Gregor and Sgolkr turned to the side to see the group that was almost to them.

  “[Life’s Embrace]!” said Tyler Zito, who’s Tier 3 class evolution gave him the tag of “Domain Master [27]”.

  Warmth spread through Gregor. A vigorous energy rushed into his wounds, causing the shallow ones to seal and the deeper ones to stop bleeding. Not everything was healed, and the need for meat wasn’t quelled, though the muscle cramps stopped. Once more his body felt usable, though not at the level he would need to keep fighting.

  “Guys,” said Gregor, “glad you could make it.”

  “No worries,” responded Kevin Spence. “We couldn’t let you have all the fun.”

  “Besides, the commander made a deal,” said Dalton Coleman. “We kill this guy and the base is ours.”

  “You? Kill me?!” chuckled Sgolkr. “Your species' ignorant bravado shows over and over. I guess it is a trait of your race, for no one else in the universe would dare say that to the Scyrric.”

  “It is what it is,” said Jamari Gillum with a shrug. “The strong will win, regardless of the race.”

  “That much is true, native.”

  “Enough talking,” snapped Rexus, voice full of command. “Greg, go back and guard the general. The rest of you, it’s business time. Get in position.”

  Sgolkr frowned as he watched his prey casually jog away. His eyes surveyed the enemies lining up before him before meeting with Rexus’s.

  “Never take a predator’s prey. Now you shall sate me in his place,” threatened Sgolkr.

  In answer, a fireball the size of his torso enveloped him. The humans watched as the fire blew outwards, Sgolkr staying where he had been, barely moved. His armor and weapons were still clean and looked untouched. The few scales that could be seen around Sgolkr’s helmet looked unaffected by the fire.

  The one change was the Scyrric’s eyes. The green veins around them had increased in size and color, the reptilian slits narrowed.

  Sgolkr took a heavy step towards Fleming, who was also preparing another fire spell. Steam hissed from the Scyrric’s mouth, though not from the fire spell he had been hit with.

  “Your flames are weak!” snarled the invader.

  “[Eyes Forward]!” ordered Commander Rexus, using his taunt skill.

  Not only did Sgolkr’s eyes turn to Rexus, but his whole body did too. Before he could break the taunt’s effect, two knives tried to stab into the area between his neck and helmet. One knife caught on the helmet and broke while the other managed to snag under a scale. The unbroken knife failed to penetrate Sgolkr’s sturdy hide.

  “Truly you worms know nothing about berserkers, considering that scaleless imitation of one that scurried off.”

  “Oh? You think you are tougher than Gregor?” teased Willis Abrego.

  Sgolkr bared his teeth. “[Height of Fury]!” he called as there was a flash of skill use. The Scyrric’s whole form seemed to increase in size, but more than that, his muscles enlarged. The greenish yellow scales on his face darkened, adding a reddish-brown hue to them.

  “[Power Rules All], [Faint Awareness], [Body of Metal].” With each skill use, there was a flash, and Sgolkr changed. First, he began radiating energy. Then the awareness in his eyes faded as his posture and the sounds he made became more bestial. Finally, the areas of his body seemed to turn metallic, as the talons and parts of his face that protruded from his armor gleamed silver.

  “[Deadly Charge]!” The lizard man’s words were garbled, barely understandable. He spoke as if an animal was trying to use human words. Then he rushed forward at a speed that couldn’t be followed. With each stride his legs warped as he was propelled towards Rexus.

  Just before the claws struck Rexus, a skill was used by the commander. When the sharp talons landed, the man was thrown backwards. Slashes showed on his thick leather vest, but no blood was drawn.

  Not only was Rexus pushed back, but so was Sgolkr, as if he had taken the hit. A growl released from him as he winced, his own armor showing scratch marks in the same place as Rexus.

  Willis Abrego, “Pocket Dueler [32],” didn’t miss the chance and stepped past Rexus to engage the surprised invader. He led with two bone weapons shaped like swords. “[Duel with Me]!” he called, creating a shimmering area around both of them. The skill would contain both combatants until one of them won the forced duel.

  The bone swords stabbed at Sgolkr’s joints. One went after his right armpit, and the other went after his groin. Both struck metal and bounced off, the bone weapons chipping despite coming from a Tier 3 monster.

  Sgolkr’s sword swung at Abrego, barely missing him as he dropped to the ground. The dodge was so fast that Abrego barely kept his balance, preventing him from dodging the tail that slammed into his abdomen. The tail impacted with the force of a truck, then curled around the man to prevent him from escaping again. Spikes on the tail’s armor sank through Abrego’s armor, skin, and into his muscles.

  Abrego cried out, but only for a moment, as a circle overlapped with the dueling pocket and the humans. Vibrant green energy from the ground entered them, giving them buffed stats and healing Abrego around the embedded spikes.

  The feral Scyrric reached for the energy with his unarmed hand, but the green wisps avoided him, refusing to make contact. Then he roared. Power flooded the sound, and pressure was released from him. The green energy, the healing domain creating it, as well as the dueling pocket were blown out and dissipated. The pressure also knocked back the nearby humans, trying to do the same to Abrego, though he was stunned because Sgolkr’s tail held him tightly.

  An arrow, gout of flame, and blade of wind all flew at Sgolkr as soon as Arbrego’s pocket was destroyed. The dueling pocket was intended to hold combatants within, but to prevent interference in the duels, it also held attacks and other people outside. Now that it was down, those with ranged attacks launched them.

  Two of the three attacks landed, with the arrow bouncing harmlessly off the armor, made from inferior materials. The wind blade left a shallow cut in Sgolkr’s forearm protector while the flames forced him to cover his face with his other arm.

  Once more Sgolkr bellowed, the sound carrying a skill. The flames were blown away and the unconscious Abrego took more damage. Without looking at the man trapped by his tail, the Scyrric swung his claws at the human’s neck. Before they finished their motion, Rexus shouted, “[Halt]!”

  Sgolkr’s arm froze along with the rest of him. A new healing domain appeared beneath them.

  “[Ally Change],” called out Tyler Zito. Sgolkr felt his tail move. When he looked down it was no longer Abrego trapped, but Commander Rexus. The tail spikes were not penetrating him, and his arms grabbed the tail and opened it, allowing him to drop to the ground.

  A third time Sgolkr roared, but this time had no effect on Rexus.

  “[Focused Attention],” called the human “Siege Wall [38]”.

  Sgolkr growled and let loose an onslaught. His sword swung at the human. His claws tried to tear him up. Even his tail slapped at him. Yet each contact sent both of the fighters reeling, with Rexus grimacing before receiving heals almost instantly.

  Sgolkr was breathing heavily with rage. His body was slanting forward, and the constant snarl vibrated the air. He stepped towards Rexus, focusing completely on him, when a punch hit him on the side.

  The large lizard man hadn’t noticed Kevin Spence, “Breakdown Pugilist [31]”, approach. The punch carried the skill [Inner Damage]. While Spence’s fist and the Scyrric knuckle weapon that Adam had given him stopped against the larger creature’s armor, the skill forced the energy through.

  A choke came from Sgolkr as he stumbled sideways. He snorted in and then spat out some blood, his eyes finally leaving Rexus.

  “[Eyes Forward],” ordered Rexus once more, but this time Sgolkr’s head moved very slowly. Instead of being controlled by Rexus’s skill, he intentioned looked the man in the eyes.

  “You still fail to comprehend. Berserkers can’t be stopped or controlled. I have gone soft on you so far, but now you will understand,” said Sgolkr, his words still crude from the lost intelligence of his berserker state. “[Mindless Assault]!”