Kael's grip tightened on the cold metal pipe. It was surprisingly well balanced, an extension of his arm that felt almost natural despite its crude nature thanks to his passive skill. His internal HUD, a subtle overlay, tinged with a faint red border around his vision as Asha's voice cut through the tension.
Asha said, "Multiple Unknown Organism signatures merging on your position. Estimated eight to ten hostiles. Quadrupedal,approximately thirty kilograms each. Heightened heart rates and aggressive biomarkers detected. I hypothesize these are the mutated vermin we formerly theorized. Prepare for engagement."
Before Kael could fully process the situation. "30 kilograms each," which sounded alarmingly big for "vermin," the first one burst out of the shadow.
It was a rat the size of a small dog, its fur mangy and patchy, exposing some slightly tumorous, pulsating growths on its grey skin, its eyes white and devoid of pupils, looking intensely at Kael. Its mouth twitched, revealing a long yellow fang. Horrifyingly fast on all fours, powerful thighs as it lunged forward.
He gave instinctive shout as he swung with the pipe.
[Improvised Melee Weapon Skill: Crude Swing - 1.2% Proficiency]
The metal pipe had struck flesh and bone with a twack. The impact traveled through Kael's arms. The rat let out a nerve-grating high-pitched shriek, its skull almost visibly dented, dark viscous blood and brain matter splattering against the corridor wall. It crumpled to the floor twitching; by the time it fell, three more leapt from the darkness, their claws screeching against the metal flooring.
Asha: "Hostile 1 neutralized. Three more immediate threats, flanking. Two additional signatures approaching from the rear access conduit 7B." Red triangles highlighted each creature on Kael's HUD, lines tracing their probable attack paths.
One lunged for his throat. But Kael, acting on pure reflex, slammed the end of the pipe upward in an extremely violent manner, catching the creature under its jaw with a brutal crack. As its momentum carried it away, its claws raked at his chest, tearing through the thin cryo-suit.
[Damage Taken: Minor Lacerations - Chest. Suit Health: 12%]
[Pain Level: Moderate. Adrenaline Surging.]
Screaming in pain, Kael shoved the creature off and began to swing the pipe wildly, striking another rat that was flanking him and sending it tumbling with a yelp, but a third held on for it's dear life and sank its teeth into his leg all the way through.
[Critical Alert: Deep Puncture Wound - Left Calf. Severe Bleeding Detected!]
[Phoenix Protocol: Attempting localized pain suppression. Minor success.]
Asha: "Kael, your left leg is crippled!! Prioritize disengagement from Hostile 3!! Rear threats are close!!"
He could barely hear Asha's voice over the ringing in his ears and that of the beasts growling. Pain in his leg was burning. Blood was everywhere; the coppery scent of it choked him. These things wanted to tore him apart.
Somewhere inside Kael, something , snapped. His breathing thickened, and his pulse raced.
"Aaaaarghh...!!" A guttural sound or rage. He dash channeling every trace of his fear and desperation into raw strength. He brought the pipe down onto the head of the rat that clamped onto his leg. Once. Twice. Three times. The skull shattered like rotten fruit with guts and blood splattering all over him.
[Hostile 3 Neutralized. Improvised Melee Weapon Skill +1.5% Proficiency. Strength Attribute +0.01 (Combat Exertion).]
Two more rats from behind him, even bigger than the others and with eyes faintly lit with luminescence, approaching him down the corridor from where he had just come.
Kael (gasping, blood streaming down his leg): "Asha... Help me locate their attack paths.." His eyes turn serious, and his attention shifts to the red glowing arrow on his HUD.
Asha: "Two Alpha-class signatures detected. This one has higher resilience and increased aggression. Kael, your current strategy of direct confrontation against superior numbers is leading to a rapid decrease in combat practicability. Tactical retreat to a defensible position is advised. The Med Bay door is 15 meters ahead, to your current position."
His instincts screamed at him to stand and fight, but the burning pain in his leg made it hard for him to concentrate, and his vision started to blur.
Kael: "Asha was right." He staggered back, swinging the pipe to keep the remaining rats at bay. One of the Alphas lunged faster than he'd expected; he tried to dodge, but his injured leg collapsed. The claws razed across his arm.
[Severe Laceration - Right Forearm. Minor Arterial Bleed Detected!]
[Vital Signs Critical! Phoenix Protocol initiating Emergency Trauma Response... Stamina Drain Impending!]
A strange warmth, and a surge of energy momentarily dulled the pain flooding Kael's system.
He charged. With a desperate, animalistic roar, he met the Alpha head-on, the pipe swing in motion. He smashed the pipe into the Rat Alpha's mouth, and again into its exposed neck as it recoiled and went down gurgling. The other Alpha rat hesitated for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by the sudden ferocity of Kael.
That moment of hesitation was all Kael needed; he lunged, momentarily ignoring the burning pain, and swung down with everything he had left onto the last Alpha's skull. The sound was a sickening crunch against the ringing silence.
[All Hostiles Neutralized.]
[Combat engagement: 57 seconds.]
[Phoenix Protocol: Emergency Trauma Response active. Warning: Sustained activation would lead to systemic collapse. Medical attention is immediate.]
[Skills Gained:
Combat Art Unlocked - 'Desperate Strike' (Level 1 - low chance to inflict critical damage when Health is low).
Survival Skill - 'Mutated Fauna Combat Basics' (Level 1 - Basic understanding of aggressive mutant attack patterns).]
Kael stood swaying, drenched in his own blood and foul liquids from the mutated rats. He was tired now and seeing double, and the pipe was slippery in his shaking hands. The adrenaline was beginning to fade.
Kael (weak): "Asha... Med Bay... now..."
Asha: "Understood. Ahead are controls for Med Bay Gamma-7. Unfortunately, my scans tell me that it is - shall we say - a mess. However, it is your only immediate option for now."
He shuffled forward, leaving bloody footprints on a grated metal floor. Each step sent sharp stabbing pains through his body. Finally, he reached the Med Bay door. Fortunately for him, the access panel still responded to the bloody mess of his handprint on the scanner with a hiss as it slid to one side.
The Med Bay was... a disaster. Wheelchairs and stretchers lay overturned; medical equipment shattered and smashed on the floors, and dried bloodstains decorated the floor. In one corner, a single diagnostic bed and a supply cabinet were still untouched.
Kael barely made it to the bed before his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto it, the world spinning into adarkness.
[Status: Unconscious. Phoenix Protocol diverting all available energy to Life stabilization.]