Chapter 94: Crimson Chimera
The new sphinx gave Tulland just enough time to get away from his broken partner before diving. He didn’t try to dodge the attack. His tolerance for the stupid combination beasts was as low as he could imagine it being for any animal. Instead, he waited until it was close, propped the pitchfork into the dirt, braced it with his arms, and adjusted the angle just so.
The impact was still stronger than his weak, mostly-mental-stats frame could stand up to. He was blown back from the shockwaves, but not before he saw the tines of the pitchfork bury themselves as far in as they could go, past the sphinx’s rib cage and straight into what he imagined were dozens of things it didn’t want to get stabbed.
Tulland was hurt from both the impact with the sphinx and the impact with the ground. One of his legs was very badly broken, while the other was scraped and cut deeply. He still didn’t have it as bad as the sphinx, which had taken the same impact internally. Hobbling over on his pitchfork, Tulland balanced on one leg as he stabbed the sphinx one last time through the head, then fell over to rest.
“That was stupid.” Necia was standing over him, smiling down. “You could have stalled. You look like hell.”
“I didn’t want it using you as a distraction if it figured out it could do that. And I’m not as bad as I look.” It was true. His new farm-aligned regeneration was pulling him together with surprising quickness. “I’ll be fine in just a minute.”
“I’m almost there myself.” Necia stretched. “Let’s take this next one together. I think it should be easier that way. Did I tell you I picked up another level in one of my armor skills?”
“No.”
“Well, I did, in that last big scuffle. I think I might just be able to take a hit without shattering my arm, now.”
“That’s big, if it’s true.”