The Apprentice of Ouroboros [Monster Evo LitRPG Adventure]

Stone shards bounced off the thin layer of protective coating Juni had lent to the team, and even Neska’s magical barrier only dulled the impact a little. She peered through the dust and fired off a [Mana Bolt], illuminating the room with a blue-white light as she struck her target.

Her spell was rendered useless as it bounced off a metal surface, chipping the material. Neska glanced at the creature, only to realize it wasn’t a creature.

What was in front of her looked like a rotund humanoid with a large potbelly, two arms, and two legs. Except, it didn’t have a head. The upper torso protruded outward, and a sort of face was etched into metal, with little crystalline eyes peering back and forth. Small sets of flaps opened on the sides of the torso on occasion, venting steam to the outside; each movement of its stone and metal-lined limbs was preceded by the crunch of stone or the sound of pneumatic action in a sharp, high-pitched blast of air.

In the center of the mouth on the torso was an opening brimming with what looked like liquid fire, churning in fury, and Durim wore an expression of calm, even mild amusement.

“Ohh, I love automatons! Except for right now. Uh, yeah, we should, um, ah, hit it from a distance. It’s a portable welder unit.”

“What’s it welding?” Trevor asked, looking anxious.

“Currently? Us.” Everyone darted to the side as the creature opened the flaps on its mouth and a beam of liquid fire spewed out, too hot for Neska’s liking.

She fired off her [Mana Bolts], knowing that she needed to try a spread of venom additives to find out what would affect this thing. The regular bolt impacted the metal plating, leaving dents and glowing mana residue; bits of the metal plating had been chipped away. If her Soul wasn't so high, that spell might not have done anything.

Next test: acid.

She switched to her still-active venom using the acidic compound she'd gained from her [Blinding Venom] upgrade, hitting the construct with a broadside of [Venom Bolts] that ate away at the stone.

Much to her frustration, that acidic consumption wasn’t nearly as effective as it had been against the worm’s carapace. This was hardened granite and mage steel, materials specifically built to withstand such attacks. She coiled and leaped over a spraying beam of metal, and the fires went out of its mouth. It let out a sound like whistling steam, its eyes going toward the metal scraps in the room.

“Is it out of ammo?” Juni asked, trying to punch it with her [Terra Spikes] and alternating shots of her [Stone Shot] ability. The spikes did nothing to deter this heavy mechanical monstrosity, and Durim’s axe did nothing. “Damn it, I can’t damage this thing!”

"Try absorbing different alloys; we're in a forge! Bite the metals and find which one dents the least; it'll be the hardest substance and might pierce through the plate!" Juni followed Neska's instructions while the others drew its attention.

Neska fired off a full volley of bolts, depleting her Venom charges of her [Alchemical Imbuement]. All she’d managed to do was roughen the outer layer, leaving it pockmarked from the acid attack. But the [Twin Bolt] had slowly amped the damage, as the material now showed visible cracks.

Still not enough. “Okay, change of plans, get clear!”

She spat out an alchemical munition, one of several left in her [Dimensional Stomach]. She lit the fuse, tossing it at the creature’s feet. “Enjoy becoming scrap!”

The creature peered down slowly at the device, showing no reaction. Instead, it reared back one leg, and kicked the lit explosive back toward them. Neska felt an existential horror emerge in that small realization that not only did this automaton recognize the danger, it also knew where to shoot it back at.

Juni’s [Terra Spike] was a touch faster than Neska’s [Mana Bolt], deflecting the dangerous explosive to the far side of the room and erecting a stone barrier to cover her and Neska, while Durim and Trevor dove to the side, behind heavy machinery. The explosive detonated with a dull roar, shrapnel ripping past Neska, and she felt one breeze past by her hat.

“Neska! You’ve finally done it! You’ve finally tempted fate, and I knew I was going to be around to regret it when you did!” Juni screamed in frustration. “No more bombs unless you jam it down its throat!”

“It doesn’t have a head!”

“It has a mouth! Which is currently not filled with fire!”

She had to admit, the mouse had a point. “I’m going to need a clean shot; slow it down!”

Neska reached out with her [Rooting Hex], searching for more fungi to take advantage of. But the mycelium strands were too weak to hold it fast, and the fungi ripped apart as the creature rolled forward, trying to crush Brent and the dwarf, each fighting defensively..

Figures. Her normal method of crippling her foes was useless against this automaton as it diverted toward the forge floor and grabbed a giant fistful of metal. “Uh, what’s it doing?”

She didn't expect it to jam the scraps of metal into its mouth, chewing with screeching metal and crunching material. Within seconds, its mouth was filled with a dull orange glow, and Neska had a feeling it had just found more ammo. “Oh. That’s a fascinating scavenging capability. Trevor, any ideas on how to beat this thing? How’s it powered?!”

“It has an internal power supply, probably a mana crystal array! It can also ingest mana-laden ore to extract energy to recharge it, most likely. Huh. Can we try to keep this one intact enough to study?”

The automaton had a differing opinion on being dismantled for arcanist science, spitting out a molten beam, keeping Trevor pinned as it advanced, metal feet clanking and now pushing at great speed. It seemed to wobble as it fired, the beam shearing left and right erratically.

With its back turned, Neska saw large flaps open while it fired its primary ability. An idea came to mind. “Damage the vents on the back!”

Trevor snapped his fingers. “Oh, that would do it! It's likely got a mana-infused boiler powering it, which means if the system overpressures…kaboom? Or it’ll just rupture a channel and depower it!” She wished he wasn't so fascinated by things going 'kaboom,' and the creature ran out of molten metal to spit out.

The automaton clenched its fists, and perforated metal tubing began exuding a glowing blue mist, coating its fists, trying to turn Trevor and Durim into a crater. Both dodged out of the way as the energized fist impacted with enough force to dent the metal cabinet both had been using as cover, and they had to hop delicately past the molten metal pooled on the floor. It swung downward, nearly crushing Trevor, who rolled frantically out of the way.

The impact blew apart cement in a flash of blue light and sent a spray of rocks upwards, bouncing off the ceiling. This thing was powerful! It was using raw mana energy to create an amped force impact! She wondered if she could do that, but with her mana bolts. They didn't have much impact force...yet.

What she wouldn’t do to have Syra counter this creature right now; she could drown the thing's primary attack with her [Hydro Blast] and render it useless.

“Durim, are they vulnerable to magical effects like hexes?” she shouted.

“Not really, no!” He leaped into the air, bringing down his axe to bear on the exposed back, but the entire torso of the automaton spun a hundred and eighty degrees, a range of motion far more than any human being. It swatted him away with a backhand that left him spinning into the ground, cursing loudly.

“Everyone, take a blessing!” Neska focused all her power on her [Good Luck Blessing] that lit a soft golden halo over everyone’s heads. Juni stomped on the ground, sending out a rolling wave of stone that nearly tumbled the automaton, while Trevor fired off his [Arcane Bolts].

Brent also let out a howl that left a shiver running down his spine. An alert let her know her Agility had received a temporary increase, too. That must be Brent's new ability!

Wait. Her venom potency was tied to her Agility. Maybe it was powerful enough to melt through the armor!

“Juni, is that a new ability?” A plan formed as she focused on Juni's new power.

“I locked in on this one recently; I haven’t had a chance to test it! It’s like making a wave, but through the earth, and it’s good for short distance only!”

“Hit it again when I tell you! Trevor, we need to throw it off-balance to get closer! Brent, keep us buffed with your [Pack Call]!” Neska shot a piece of scrap away from the automaton’s grasping hands as it tried to feed its smelter source again, and it stared at her, crystalline eyes unblinking. "Hey, hit me, I'm big, scaly, and the most dangerous one here!"

Apparently, both [Bad Luck Hex] and her [Baleful Eye] didn't work against constructs, as it turned to smash at the dwarf again. Juni rolled her eyes. "He did say some hexes won't work."

"Nonsense! I just need more skill ranks! There is no such thing as an impossibility, only an exploit I haven't found yet!" Juni tried again, just as Neska and Trevor fired off a salvo of arcane and mana bolts, striking the construct as the wave rolled underneath its feet, shaking the tiling and pushing it past its balancing point. The automaton tipped and fell onto its side, leaving its vents on its exposed back.

Her theory was right: her [Venom Bolts] were hitting harder now, boiling away the plating rather than just pockmarking it. Her Blinding Venom variant greatly benefited from the boost to Agility.

Durim leaped in again, his face bloodied by the previous strike, and smashed one vent closed. Neska followed up by hitting it with an [Ember Hex] in a localized area, heating the thin material in a few seconds, while Juni further hammered at the vents, sealing them off.

The automaton didn’t spend long on the ground, and spun its body and threw itself upright, now back on its feet. It promptly followed by trying to bash Durim into meaty paste, and he took a clip to his helmet. A screeching metallic sound rang through the air, so loud it made Neska cringe.

“Okay, vents fused! Now what?”

“Raise the temperature, keep it busy! If the system overheats, it’ll burst the steam conduits, and once the system loses pressure, it’ll be inert and harmless! Or, it might explode.”

“It might explode?!” Juni screamed, ducking under the legs and tumbling, slamming it with her [Terra Spike] powers, which carried the most force. Each blow knocked it off balance, even given its considerable weight. “Why are your plans as crazy as Neska’s?”

“Mine aren’t nearly as bad!” Neska took an incendiary potion, feeling that intense, agonizing flash of fire in her fang as the alchemical mixture was replicated and integrated into her current active venom.

She fired off a powered-up [Venom Bolt], targeting the metal joints and all the exposed plating. While this thing might have been a partial stone animation, it was primarily driven by magitech, and not a living organism. After a few hits, the metal turned a cherry red, and she heard the whine of steam as it tried to surge forward.

Or tried to. Something let loose in the pneumatic system, and steam blew out a joint with a spray of metal bits, boiling fluids, and supercritical gas. Neska leaped back, avoiding the superheated cloud. The automaton was propped on one knee, feebly trying to turn but unable to do so now that the system had blown out, and its mechanizing force was rendered useless.

Juni held it in place with criss-crossing [Terra Spikes], not taking any chances. Neska took her explosive, with only three left, and tossed it into the opening. "Take cover from the boom!"

Seconds later, gears, metal fragments, and stone shards blew apart in every direction. A massive hole had been ripped into the steel-clad vessel, with bubbling fluids and sparking arcane circuits visible inside the automaton's chest cavity.

It stood perfectly still, then with a metal creak, collapsed to the ground with a crash, a cloud of steam bursting outward as another internal pocket ruptured. The machine let out one last shrilling whistle that slowly died out.

Neska heard a ping on her Interface and saw several ability increases. She frowned and glanced around. “Hey. Did anyone else get experience or skill proficiencies from that?"

“We all did,” Durim growled, reaching into the construct and tearing out more exposed wiring with a gauntleted hand, just to make sure the thing stayed down. “Didn’t they teach you the basics? You don’t need to kill a soul to achieve great power! Though my [Archaeologist] rewards me for making discoveries of both the arcane and mundane, regarding old secrets of the world, I still get some experience from smashing murderous machines apart! It’s all about soul exertion, lass!”

“Uh…” Neska glanced at Juni, tail on end. “Did you level?”

“No. But I certainly know I’m close because I feel all tingly and--oh shit, Syra!” Juni exclaimed. Her eyes widened as she tapped her relay rapid-fire. “Syra, Jurik! Stay out of combat with the constructs! Something turned them active, and we have no idea why!”

The relay let out a soft crackle of static. “Yeah, we took care of the problem on our end. I heard the detonations; was that Neska?”

“Why do you all assume when things explode, it’s me behind it?” Neska said, her voice grating into a growl and a hiss.

Juni rolled her eyes. “I look forward to our future pyro snake empress. I’ll be stocking up on fire resistance potions. Purely to capitalize on a marketing opportunity for survival.”

"Fantasic. Look, get back up here right away. We've got a problem. A big one."

She clicked the relay. “How big a problem do we have?”

“Syra’s evolving. Soon.”