Chapter 50: Adrift In Fog (3)
Rowans new senses aided him here and with the warning from the snakes inside his body, he leaped to the left, the massive claws barely missing him.
A massive avian creature had broken through the fog, and it began to circle the manor. It had wings that were leathery and green coloration like old mold.
There were sharp spikes sticking out from its spine. It had three heads with long serpentine necks that were covered with pustules and opened wounds. In fact, all of its body was filled with deep scars that bled as it flew around. Pouring foul smelling fluids everywhere.
Most surprising was that, this Abomination had hair like humans, they were of all shades and in varying lengths. Rowan had an inkling of the reason for that. His speculation filled him with rage and disgust.
Rowan previously heard of a flying Abomination from the accounts of the people, but he did not catch sight of it during the rescue, and it must have retreated before he arrived.
Even as this Avian Abomination flew around, the three heads were locked onto him, and giving a loud shriek, the Abomination plunged down at him. "Motherfu..." Before Rowan could mutter any choice expletives, a massive claw raked towards him, he took the most likely option and jumped off the roof.
He would rather not damage the manor by their confrontation, and he was in an unfavorable position, with unsteady footing up there.
The charge from the Abomination had been too fast for Rowan heard the slam on the Roof, before it exploded in a wave of terracotta tiles and wood trimmings, as he fell from the four-story roof.
With his Agility, he was able to turn in the air as he fell, for the claws were a few feet away from him. It turns out the Abomination could dive much faster than Rowan could fall. The only option he had was to raise his hands and protect his head.
There was a meaty thump as Rowan hit the floor, he hardly felt the impact. His body rebounded slightly from the ground before the claws shortly followed behind, he had no ways of avoiding it and with a massive bang, the Abomination smashed Rowan into the ground.
It dragged him over and ruthlessly pecked him, the force from the attack driving him into the ground, as sand and rocks flew from the impacts.
Rowan was disoriented as the motion from the avian Abomination was too hard to follow. The attack from the beak was very fast, almost like an industrial jackhammer.
Thankfully the damages it inflicted were not that monumental for his present body, what forces that could penetrate his shell just left minor bruises and those healed instantly.
"Get off me!" Rowan yelled as he tried ineffectually to push the claws away for a little gap where he could shimmer out from under it.
The Abomination, noticing it assault was ineffective, switched tactics. Holding tight to Rowan, it flew a few meters into the air and, with a quick flap of its meaty wings, dived and slammed Rowan into the floor.
It did this twice, utterly wreaking the gardens outside and creating ditches tens of feet deep, but this action slightly loosened its grip on Rowan, who took the opportunity and rolled out from its grasp.
Rowan crouched and breathed deeply, he hurriedly cast his gaze around fruitlessly seeking for a weapon to even the playing field.
Rowan's inexperience as a seasoned warrior showed its ugly head now, for he had left his weapons inside the manor.
The Primordial Record could give him all the techniques and abilities to be a great warrior, but it could not impact the experience of getting to that level.
Any other warrior who had the same depth of combat abilities like Rowan would never leave without their weapon by their side in an active combat region.
The Abomination shrieked as it circled Rowan. Such tough prey was not to its liking. Rowan was like a tortoise inside an Adamantine shell.
"Who needs weapons anyway." Rowan lightly punched both side of his head and faced the circling Abomination. He lifted both hands like a boxer and faced the circling Abomination, his footwork was steady.
He had many skills from the Berserker Aspects, and now he had a target practice right in front of him, which he could use to validate those skills. It occurred to him that if he was going to that dangerous world, he would need to fully understand his capabilities and not go into danger hoping on luck and his stats.
"Come on!" Rowan yelled. The Abomination shrieked and attacked him with all three heads. Its eyes were red and Rowan noticed the beak of the Abomination was slowly changing shape, becoming more pointy, almost like a blade.
Rowan dodged the attacks narrowly, his body contorting in various positions to avoid the beak of the Abomination.
The new awareness he had gained from the fusion of his Spatial sight and his body's natural senses played a powerful role in his movements. The bird was fast, but this skill made him almost anticipate all its actions when the heads were close to him, giving him a split second to adjust and avoid it.
Rowan quickly got used to the speed of the Abomination, and when it next attack missed, he fired back with a heavy Haymaker putting all his weight behind the blow, directly into its eyes, infusing that blow with the skill—Bash.
Bash: Smash all nearby enemies with a mighty overhand blow, disorienting and stunning them.
Rowan had felt the skill drawing on his vitality and a bit of his Spirit, he air circled his fist, creating a vortex, and when his strength was fully employed in addition to his metallic Constitution, it turned his fist into a devastating weapon.
Its shriek was deafening as its eyeball exploded, and a part of the skull was cracked, it retreated and the eyes from it two heads turned red, as It entered into a berserk state and furiously doubled it speed.
Rowan had become more comfortable with the pace of the fight and after the mild disorientation from its sudden attack, he realized that even without any weapon, he was not disadvantaged against this creature.
His heavy golden blood began to rush through his body faster, and he calmed himself, placing his mental state in a sort of Zen-like meditation, he intended to destroy this creature.
"That's it.... Little bird, come to papa." Rowan had been angling himself towards the pillars at the gate of the manor. Their battle had driven them towards the edge of the fog.
The Abomination may or may not have understood Rowan, nevertheless it shrieked again and attacked. Rowan calmly sidestepped the lunge and the attack missed, the beak of the Abomination pierced into the pillar behind Rowan.
Not letting the Abomination pull out, Rowan hammered the side of the beak, using another of his Berserker skills with a fast fist Combo Attack that left it cracked and bleeding. It struggles finished the job, however, because as the Abomination pulled it head back, the beak was left behind.
Combo Attack: Strikes a nearby target and restores a set amount of Spirit.
Rowan grinned for he had noticed a slight tingling in his fist, he had ignored it because he powered most of the Berserker skills using his inexhaustible vitality, but he could understand the utility of this skill.
With this skill, he would be able to rapidly gain back the Spirit he uses during battle and since his Stamina was very high due to his Constitution, he could now fight for an extended amount of time without worrying about his Spirit.
His first battle as a Berserker was displaying the shocking values of the skills he had gained from that Aspect.
Rowan turned and set one foot on the pillar as a counterbalance, and pulled at the embedded beak. With a grating sound, he withdrew it from the stone.
He turned it over, running his hands through the beak, it was black with a dull yellow spots staining the beak. It was pointed like a spear, and pieces of torn flesh were attached to the impromptu weapon.
"Not as good as the Axe." Rowan gestured at the Abomination, motioning it to attack, "But it would have to do."His single golden gaze locked on the creature. His eyes were that of a predator. Soul Seizer - Jaws of Dagon, rose behind him, it rotated slowly. Stirring the fog. He brandishes the beak. "Come!"