The Beast let go of the Water Artifact, bounding forward on all fours. Its movement wasn't graceful – it almost seemed off-balance – but the sheer strength in its legs rocketed the creature towards Simon like a heat-seeking missile. Within mere seconds, it had already crossed half the length of the cavern.

  Simon reached into Inventory and swept his arm out. Ten Warding Orbs fell out in a line, covering less space than he'd hoped for.

  With an ear-splitting howl, the Ravenous Wanderer skidded to a halt about twenty feet away. It collapsed to its knees, clutching its malformed head with both hands, writhing in what appeared to be a state of tortured anguish.

  "No no no NO NO no no no no NO–"

  On and on its ravings went, muttering with a foul, nauseating voice that crawled into Simon's ears like squirming centipedes. The Beast slammed its head against the floor, leaving a thick dent in the rock – but no blood or visible sign of injury.

  Okay. Simon released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. I'm alive. Decent start.

  If the creature was smart, he wouldn't be. His line of Warding Orbs was a flimsy, paper-thin defense. It could have thrown debris to scatter the Wards, or jumped high into the air and leapt over, or simply gone around.

  Mentally unstable. Only intelligent enough for broken speech. Disadvantages to exploit.

  For all they were worth.

  Leaving his Wards on the ground, Simon hurried over to Katarina. The woman had picked herself up, pale and wide-eyed as she stared at the Ravenous Wanderer. "Ancient One take us," she breathed. "That Beast could give Helmund's ghastly son trouble."

  Simon didn't waste time with small talk. Blue light flashed as he deposited a crossbow, a quiver full of bolts, and his stockpile of poisons in front of her. "Are you a good shot?" he asked, his tone clipped and hurried.

  Katarina blinked. "Yes. Why–"

  "Need you on fire support. Fell Beast wants me. I'll distract. You shoot. Coat the arrows with poison. Can't hurt."

  "That's – no, wait! Slaying the Beast is your purpose for coming here. Why must I endanger myself?"

  He put on a hollow grin. "Because we'll die if you don't. I can't beat it on my own."

  "...WHAT?"

  As Katarina came to terms with her newest revelation, Simon glanced over at the Ravenous Wanderer. The creature was still writhing, but less so, gradually piecing together its self-composure. Clock's ticking.

  "I don't understand," the woman finally said. "You're a Demon. You're powerful! You, you withstood a blast of sacred mana without even flinching."

  "I'm uniquely resistant to sacred mana. That's all. Doesn't mean I'm strong."

  She shook her head, trapped in the 'denial' phase of the five stages. "No. That can't be. You looked so confident! I wouldn't have followed you here if I thought the Beast would pose a threat to you! This–"

  "Katarina."

  Simon placed his hands on her shoulders. "Afterwards, everything will be explained. But right now? I need you."

  He locked eyes with his companion, impressing the severity of their situation onto her with a gaze of iron. "Are you up to this?"

  For several horrible seconds, he didn't think she was.

  Then a fire lit inside her. Whether it was one of heroism, self-preservation, or spite, Simon couldn't say. Whatever the reason, Katarina promptly reached down, grabbing the crossbow and opening up a vial of poison.

  "Don't let it get near me," she stated, all business. "One blow from that horrid creature, and you lose your archer."

  The woman's voice lowered, muttering to herself as she began applying toxins to each crossbow bolt. "That explanation had better be extensive."

  Simon allowed himself a smile.

  He turned back to face the Beast. It had mostly stopped trembling – their reprieve was almost over.

  Slowly, cautiously, the transmigrator approached. Part of him was inclined to rush forward and immediately try a Fell Harvest while the Beast was still preoccupied.

  The half-eaten corpses in Simon's peripheral vision warned him otherwise. If his Skill didn't completely immobilize the creature like it had for Lucette, then he would only be adding himself to the rotting mass of Springwater's best and brightest.

  Instead, he raised his demonic arm and pointed it at the Ravenous Wanderer. The command to Kill whispered at the edges of his thoughts, an urge to slaughter the monstrosity before him, practically begging to be unleashed. It wouldn't actually kill the Beast – not with just 90 MP – but sapping its stamina would go a long way.

  However, the Wanderer was fast. Inordinately fast. It's also clearly attracted to mana. By gathering the energy for Kill, I'll likely draw its attention. If it snaps out of its stupor, then dodges, that's one of my major resources down.

  His spell could hit. Could. Simon didn't like the odds.

  Yet considering how slim his chances were of surviving the next five minutes...betting on uncertainty might be his only real option.

  As a last-ditch effort before rolling the dice, he swept his eyes across the cavern. He looked up and down, searching for any possible advantage, for something he could use to–

  ...Hmm.

  Identify.

  Simon lowered his arm.

  In the brief time remaining to him, a plan was formed.

  He didn't wait until the Beast had collected itself. Running up to the line of Warding Orbs, Simon leaned down and strafed sideways. Ten blue shimmers illuminated the cavern as he placed them into Inventory one-by-one.

  When the Warding auras had all vanished, the Ravenous Wanderer twitched, snapping out of a trance. Its bulbous head jerked towards him.

  "MaNa..."

  Joints creaked and cracked as it stood up, turning to face him. "Mana...hAte...nEEd...GIVE."

  Simon circled around as the Beast lunged. He extended his left arm, producing a single Ward from Inventory in his hand. The creature shrieked, hesitating, as if the radiant light had seared it like hot pokers–

  And then it lunged again, pushing past the pain. Its moment of hesitation had been just that; a moment.

  Throwing himself backwards, Simon scattered five Wards onto the ground once more. That was enough to deter the Ravenous Wanderer entirely. It shrunk into itself, cowering, hands clenching as its claws pierced through its own palms.

  But it wasn't shaking nearly as much as before.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Testing complete, Simon noted. Results: One Warding Orb is insufficient. About five Wards needed to delay the Beast's advance. Unfortunately, it is also growing accustomed to the exposure, rapidly building a tolerance to warding auras.

  Conclusion: The more he relied on his Warding Orbs for protection, the less effective they would be. If the Ravenous Wanderer ever reached a point where it could fully resist them, even for a second...

  He and Katarina were dead.

  On cue, a crossbow bolt sank into the Fell Beast's back. The creature hissed, its focus shifting to the source of whatever annoyance had given it the equivalent of a paper cut.

  It's distracted. Breathing in, Simon extended his demonic arm. Testing: Reflexes.

  Forming the intent to Kill wasn't difficult. He didn't have the deep-seated, personal resentment for the Wanderer that he'd felt for Lucette, but the two weren't that different. One was a monster that had doomed thousands of people to a slow, miserable death – while the other was merely on the verge of doing so. It was easy for Simon to desire this Beast's death with every fiber of his being.

  And with how it kept ranting and weeping...putting it down might very well be an act of mercy, regardless.

  Moderating Kill's output was a much harder task. Simon suppressed the temptation to imbue his spell with the sum totality of his mana, nudging just a trickle inwards. Empowered by a scant 10 MP, the blackened orb that formed was far less impressive than before.

  Perfect. He let loose, firing his demonic mana at the Ravenous Wanderer.

  Several things happened in quick succession. The Beast's attention snapped back to Simon. It raised its clawed arm, as if to deflect the attack. Then it thought better of that idea, leaping sideways and dodging the projectile with room to spare.

  Simon pursed his lips. Testing complete. Results...not great.

  Despite being caught off-guard and weakened by Warding Orbs, the creature had been able to react, make a decision, then change its mind and make a separate decision, all in the span of the time it took for Kill to travel a short distance. While the Fell Beast's intelligence and temperament were questionable, it obviously knew how to fight – or at least how to respond to threats.

  Conclusion: Kill wouldn't hit unless the Beast was completely restrained.

  Simon glanced behind himself. Not even close to my destination, and the Wanderer won't be stopped for long by five Wards. Could put all ten down, make a run for it...but if it wises up and knocks them aside from afar, I'll be left with no protection. What should–

  Another crossbow bolt thunked into the Ravenous Wanderer's shoulder. The previous bolt had already been expelled, pushed out of its body by the Beast's absurd regeneration. It still took offense to the interruption, whipping around to face Katarina.

  Desperate times, desperate measures. Simon scooped up his Wards again. Time for the first gamble of many.

  He produced a longsword from Inventory and threw it, smirking as the bladed edge sank into the beast's lower back. As long as he didn't summon Fell mana, the Beast wouldn't be instantly alerted to his actions.

  "...DeMOn..."

  This time, the Ravenous Wanderer didn't react immediately. Meaty, pulsating legs sluggishly turned around, shuffling like a decaying zombie. Ignoring a third bolt that came to pierce through its leg, the monster panted heavily, its eyeless gaze drawn straight to Simon's right arm.

  "Why?" Its mouth split open, revealing a cavernous maw with more teeth than any living creature should ever need. "Why...yoU? WHY! YOU!"

  Bellowing a hideous scream that shook the ground, the Fell Beast charged. Simon had been retreating while it was wasting time, attempting to put space between them – only for that distance to be closed in the blink of an eye.

  Claws the size of shortswords raced towards his heart.

  Shouldn't use the Wards. Can't let it build a resistance. Need it to stay susceptible for longer.

  With a flash of blue, a pristine blade appeared in Simon's left hand. Excitement pumped through his veins as the choice was made.

  After all...wasn't HP just another type of resource to be used?

  Glove of Minor Power. "Open wide," Simon said, a feral grin adorning his features.

  Beast collided with transmigrator. In the same moment, a longsword thrust into the monster's mouth, piercing up through its skull–

  As the transmigrator's torso was shredded like confetti.

  After Kirkelas and Lucette, Simon thought he would be accustomed to enduring mid-battle injuries. And to an extent, he was...

  But pain was still pain.

  No amount of mental preparation could dull the explosion of agony that erupted within his body. There was no true way to prepare for the sensation of Fell claws rending him asunder. Of its corrosive touch eating away at skin and muscle. Of multiple vital organs shutting down at once.

  HP: 28 / 120

  Three-fourths of his HP. Gone. With one attack.

  His only saving grace was that the monster didn't go for a follow-up attack. It just tilted its head, as if bemused by the longsword lodged inside it.

  Simon chuckled, blood dripping from his mouth. Compared to what the Ravenous Wanderer could have done to him, this was basically a love tap. If it hadn't been distracted by the blade suddenly introduced to its cranium, or if the transmigrator hadn't increased his Vitality earlier that day, then he would be in pieces right about now.

  Testing. Complete. Results. Predictable.

  Conclusion: Don't...don't get hit again.

  He shouldn't even be standing. Simon was fairly certain that the Beast's strike had severed his spine. It was only thanks to the Transmigrator's Body Trait that his torso hadn't fallen apart like an imbalanced Jenga tower.

  'Your body has become like that of a fictional game character. Grievous wounds will not affect your combat efficacy. You barely bleed from injuries. Lastly, you will only die when your HP reaches zero.'

  To him, wounds were more cosmetic than hindering. As long as he possessed the will to fight – and his limbs were still attached to his body – he could keep on trudging along.

  Didn't do anything for the pain, though. Shame.