Solo Apocalypse

Chapter 36

[Solos Instinct] warned me just a moment before the ground exploded and the world was thrown to dust. My head snapped back and something ripped at my flesh, tearing a scream from my throat.

I heard shouting faintly, as my head lolled. It took me two seconds to realize my hearing was shot. Two more to realize I was on the ground. I forced my eyes open, seeing double vision. Parker was dragging me away, blood dripping down his forehead. His mouth was open, veins bulging, yelling and I barely heard it.

I followed his gaze and found Rickson racing, scrambling, amidst showering soil and debris. Rose stumbled backward, [Coolshade Bracelet] flashing, a veil of shadow around her. Stone fell from the sky. Small bursts of fire erupted behind them and I stared at Roses target. A large shining figure behind, struggling at the border of the ruins. Rose was unleashing everything she had. I saw Rickson throw away his spear.

I kicked out, trying to master my limbs. Parkers gaze shot to me, seeing my lucidness. My eyes were locked on the enemy. A being of pure moonlight. Only this creature was no ghost, it looked solid. Like dawn and dusk made flesh, an organic being of twilight.

Area Boss: [Twilight Elemental]

A being of twilight. A creature that exists between dusk and dawn, equilibrium in the moonlight. Caught between the everbright and evershade, its form is constantly shifting, like the phases of the moon.

Another boss.

It shone in mute reflective radiance, a swarm of sunlight ghosts surrounding it. Its form was fluid, flickering between impressions of large beings. Monsters, creatures, beasts, and figures I couldnt name. The only thing static was its size, and it was regrettably the size of a large van.

It paused, organic twilight shifting into the form of some gigantic lizard. A pale blue pallor, the grey of the moon. An intense shining

I heard the vibration from Parkers yell as he hurled me toward the treeline. I rebounded off the ground, rolling to a stop. And then the ground exploded again and the force pressed me to the floor, scraping me across it like the crash of a wave.

I was dazed, breathing hard. My back was against a tree trunk, a handful of thinner trees near the treeline completely splintered. Parker lay nearby, unconscious, bleeding. I stared down at my body as Rickson and Rose slid to a stop nearby, getting a shoulder under each of us.

I was a mess. It was the most bloody Id been. The pain engulfed me. Lances of fire rushed down the flesh of my torso. It didnt burn like fire, it was sharper, colder. Somehow softer than frostbite. No less intense.

My ears popped and I realized Rose was talking to me. My hearing was back. okay? Evahn, can you hear me? There was a roar in the distance, an answering surge of ghostly wails. Rickson, I dont think he can walk!

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I tried to speak but a headache assaulted me. A wave of vertigo. A concussion, I thought, idly.

Rickson had Parkers arm over his shoulder. Theres no time, Rose! Just pull him the best you can. Its a damn Area Boss! That things guarding whatever the hell is in those ruins. We need to leave the Dungeon!

Oh my god, oh my god. Rose was panicking, head snapping back to the ruins.

He was in the middle of the blast. That thing shot a laser beam at him. Im surprised hes even alive. Rickson was staring backward too, shaking, adjusting Parker on his back. Parker was on the edge and look at him. Fuck.

I felt my world turn upside down and I almost threw up. Okay, I got him. Hes lighter than I thought hed be. Came Roses voice, practically in my ear.

I heard Rickons shaky breath. Alright, here goes. [Safest Route]. Follow me, stay close!

I blacked out for a few minutes because the next thing I knew we were moving. I hadnt been this close to death since the very first day of the apocalypse. I closed my eyes and wrapped myself in my mind, isolating myself from the physical unpleasantness, and regarded it with clinical eyes.

I had taken a hit that shouldve killed me. That was immediately obvious. Then, I wouldve died if Parker hadnt thrown me from the second blast. My bones werent broken, but my flesh suffered from those odd burns. I let the pain pass through my mental filter, a sharp pain more than a stinging heat, yet with the characteristic breadth of some kind of nerve damage.

I floated away from that. Towards something else. Something new.

Something helping me recover. To say it was a foreign entity was intuitively wrong. It was a part of me, like an addition to the whole, no less valid than any of my limbs. Only my symbiote was specialized in one thing only, recovery.

It had been working on the injuries I sustained from previously absorbing the clones. Minor damages, all things considered. And under the bandages and first aid efforts, those wounds were already healing.

But now I could feel its deliberate motions, the movement of my bodys resources. A vague weakness came over me, fueled by energy sourced from healthier parts of my body. I wondered how much of this was the symbiote and how much were the raw effects of CON.

I had 27 points in the attribute. A measure of hardiness, endurance, and health. A rough understanding of the attribute. Every point helped me now. The worst part was I couldnt rely on my clones, anything I made right now would be just as useless as I was. And they had all instantly died back at the ruins.

I could only focus on recovering. And so I watched the symbiote, lost to consciousness.

It felt like tendrils of warmth suffusing my body. I couldnt tell what form my symbiote took within me, whether it spread across my body like some overlaid network, if it moved within me, or if it was simply diffused into my flesh and bloodstream. Or if it did something else entirely.

I could experience its effects. The jolt of fear and pain Id felt had triggered it, I think. It was working overdrive, taking my body into its own hands and molding my recovery. The pain noticeably lessened after the first couple of hours.

Eventually, I found the strength to open my eyes. It was dim, which was expected. I found Rose nearby, there was a first aid kit between me and Parker. My first aid kit. I vaguely recall her apologizing in advance.

She was tending to Parker so I rested back, staring at the stars. I laughed a little, then winced, immediately drawing Roses attention.

Evahn! Dont move, youve got burns all over. She said concerned. Why are you laughing?

No reason, I said lightly. Its just a good reminder, I guess. That death is just around the corner. For anyone.

I used your first aid kit, sorry about that, Rose said, checking my bandages. I felt like a mummy.

I know, I replied. Hows Parker? Is he?

Hes fine. Less damage than you, fortunately. I think he has some kind of Skill to mitigate damage. His bodys tougher than it should be. She glanced at me, predicting my next question. Ricksons making sure its not following us.

What the hell was it? I groaned, trying to move.

A [Twilight Elemental], whatever that means. AndI said dont move. Rose chided me. Youre gonna make it worse. Just lie down, Evahn. She eyed me. It was the right move leaving. Were not equipped to face an Area Boss, not if its anything remotely as dangerous as the rootmother. Stay still!

Im sorry. I just I feel blind. I finished lamely, stilling.

A single perspective in an unknown place. This wasnt how I operated. This feeling of exposure, of not knowing my surroundings. Was this how everyone had been navigating the Dungeon? It was sobering.

If I stay in place too long I trailed off, mind flashing back to the science building. To the spider. To Horace in the hallway

Relax Evahn. A hand pressed against my chest, forcing my breath to slow. Calm your breathing. Its just another day in hell. I found Rose giving me a small grin. Well all get through it.

I took a deep inhale and heard the rustling before I saw it. I tensed, then immediately relaxed.

Rickson broke into the camp silently, his words came softly and direct. Its sticking to the ruins. We definitely woke something up. He said without preamble. He saw me awake and nodded to me.

Any idea what happened? I asked him, giving up on propping myself up.

We have to have woken it up somehow. He said. It couldve just been our presence that triggered it. Maybe the ghosts we killed.

It's dangerous, Rose said.

Some kind of shapeshifting moon beast more than Id consider an elemental, Rickson nodded. Is what I would say if that didnt imply a werewolf. He sighed. Its not a normal monster thats for sure, if anything weve fought so far even constitutes normal. Im convinced it's guarding whatever valuables are in that ruin.

Rickson gave Rose a pained look and I extended that sense of my mind, curious. [Telepathy]. I think it was easier now that Id gotten accustomed to the faint frequency of other minds. Before it had been overwhelming but here with so few people Id had enough time to practice some measure of precision when perceiving the minds of others.

I heard his internal monologue. How are we supposed to leave like this? I might be able to make it out myself, but Rose and the rest not injured like that. If I went for help, could Rose manage? No, I cant leave them, not like this.

The thought of actually abandoning the group never crossed his mind, only leaving for help. Not that it had never crossed his mind, I couldnt always be listening. But I didnt peg anyone in this group as the type to do that.

Can they move? He asked Rose.

I can I gasped, reclining back.

She frowned at me. Not Evahn, at least. She grimaced and I focused on her. Not any time soon. If we run into anything like this itll be bad. I could handle maybe one or two enemies, depending. Rickson doesnt have combat capabilities other than the spear and he doesnt even have that anymore.

The [Sleepywood] was only sleepy if one convinced themself it was. There were creatures roaming the twilight everywhere, not enough for constant harassment, but enough that any lull in alertness would lead to a potentially fatal encounter.

It was only a matter of time before something stumbled upon us. That quiet, unspoken understanding slowly sunk in and a mood to match the twilight gloom fell over the camp.