Chapter 240: Fracture XLV
Disorientation. Disgust. Rage.
A swathe of emotions swept over me, so abrupt and destructive the lithid must have been suppressing it before I broke free.
What a loathsome thing it was. Dredging up fears from the darkest recesses of a person's mind, weaponizing their greatest nightmares. I held no animus against the monsters in the sanctum that acted as beasts, simply hunting for sustenance and killing prey. They were still a danger, and when necessary, I slayed them as humanely as possible.
But this thing?
It deserved far worse.
I tore my sword free, dark oily mass spattering into the sewage below, and drove it home again, aiming more towards the center. It squealed and writhed beneath me, screeching like something unworldly. All at once, it bucked upward, trying to throw me off.
Somehow, I held my balance, tugged at the sword. And balked.
No matter how I pulled it didn't budge.
The creature timed its next attempt perfectly with my movements, waiting until I'd expended strength on another attempt to pull the sword free before it suddenly twisted, sending me splashing into the sewage. I closed my eyes too late, and caustic burn penetrated my skull.