Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO STUBBING AUGUST 15)

Pain erupted in Elijah’s back as his attacker brought incredibly sharp claws to bear. Due to his high Constitution, he wasn’t ripped to shreds, but the claws still scraped against his ribs. As the creature – whatever it was – tore his flesh to ribbons, one facet of Elijah’s mind focused on casting Form of the Guardian. The second he finished the spell, his body started to morph.

First, he grew scales. Then, his arms extended, his hands becoming vicious claws. His legs didn’t grow any shorter, but the effect was the same due to the lengthening of his torso and the sheer amount of muscle that came with the form of the lamellar ape. The moment the transformation was complete, Elijah used Iron Scales. It didn’t do anything for the ruin that had already been wrought on his back, but it would hopefully prevent more damage in the immediate future.

But only for a few seconds. Then, he would have to cast it again, which was not a viable strategy. Using the ability in quick succession would drain his stamina very rapidly, and if he employed that approach, he would quickly wear himself out. As a result, he was on the clock.

With that timer occupying one facet of his mind, Elijah used the second of solace granted by his ability to shove himself to his feet. With his long arms, he tried to dislodge the creature on his back, but it was both too small and too awkwardly positioned. So, even with his extended reach, he couldn’t get ahold of the thing. So, after spying the nearest tree, he launched himself backwards. Just before he crashed into the massive trunk, the little monster on his back leaped free.

That was when Elijah got his first look at the thing.

“Is that a housecat?” he murmured, his transformed voice coming out as more of a growl.

Indeed, the supposed monster was clearly a housecat, though Elijah wasn’t certain of the breed. With an extraordinarily fluffy coat of tawny fur, it would’ve looked like a stuffed animal if it wasn’t for the blood splattered across its chest. The animal was also more than twice the size of any housecat Elijah had ever seen, which meant that its stature was similar to a mountain lion.

“Don’t hurt her!” screamed the boy, his voice cracking. Then, he added, “No Artemis! Bad girl! Leave the man…er…monster alone!”

The cat, which Elijah belatedly recognized as a Maine Coon, briefly shifted its focus to the boy. That gave Elijah an opening he wasn’t going to squander. So, he launched himself forward, intending to end the fight with a single blow. With the increased Haste effect from Sash of the Whirlwind, Elijah moved with incredible alacrity, and he managed to take the distracted cat by surprise.

His claws glinted metallically as they swept out, but when he made contact with the little monster’s tawny fur, he got the surprise of a lifetime. The sound of metal scratching against metal filled the air, and though the momentum of the blow sent the cat sailing through the air, the attack did not bear the results Elijah had anticipated.

The little creature twisted, hitting a tree feet-first, then launched itself back at Elijah. He barely had time to once again use Iron Scales before it hit him like a launched missile. Despite its comparatively small size – after all, even a bobcat was tiny compared to his lamellar ape form – the impact of its attack sent him staggering backwards. Then, it savaged his chest with its sharp claws, though most of the damage was mitigated by the still-ongoing Iron Scales.

But it was set to end soon.

To avoid having his chest shredded as thoroughly as his back, Elijah clambered for a grip on the little creature, and to his surprise, he managed to grab ahold of its great, bushy tail. However, when he did, he felt something that, once again, filled him with surprise. Instead of fluffy fur, the cat was covered in something more akin to the bristles of a steel brush. When his claws closed around the tail, he felt those bristles painfully digging into his palm. Yet, he wasn’t going to let such a perfect opportunity go to waste. So, despite the annoying pain, his grip tightened. And when he had a good hold of the tail, he ripped the creature away from his chest and slammed it against the ground.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, channeling his inner Hulk. The little monster yowled in agony, but Elijah wasn’t rewarded with the sound of breaking bones. Instead of being crippled by being slammed into the ground multiple times, the cat had gone wild, clawing anything that came into range. That meant that, as soon as Iron Scales wore off, the creature tore into his wrist and forearm.

Elijah’s Constitution was high, so those claws didn’t sever tendons, but even if it wasn’t permanently damaging, it was more than enough to frustrate him. However, just before he took his anger out on the cat via another slamming attack, something hit Elijah in his already wounded back. The smell of sizzling meat assailed his nose before the blistering agony reached his mind. And when it did, he reacted reflexively, loosening his grip just enough that the cat was able to wriggle free.

“Leave her alone!” screamed the boy.

Elijah stumbled to his knees as the flesh of his back smoldered. Then, another attack landed, and the molten pain shot through the roof. He collapsed onto his chest as another fireball sailed overhead, hitting a nearby tree and setting it alight. Elijah tried to rise, but with the muscles in his back having been destroyed, he couldn’t move more than a few inches.

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His options were limited. Touch of Nature was powerful, but the healing it offered was far from instantaneous. Given that he could scarcely move, and he had two enemies bearing down on him, that just wouldn’t work. So, without any other choices he could see, Elijah used Guardian’s Renewal.