Symbiotic: Chapter 7

The cave entrance erupted into chaos as the next wave surged forward. Expecting to see three, or maybe even Four creatures next she groans as the wave comes into view at the cave entrance. One Jungle Cat, two Rock Constrictors, and three Monkey Maulers. Six predators, all snarling, hissing, and clawing to get inside. Sara’s heart sank. The escalation was brutal. "Three creatures to six? That’s not a wave, that’s a flood!"

But then she saw it. The silver lining.

The creatures didn’t coordinate. They jostled, shoved, tangled in their own aggression. The cave mouth became a knot of flesh and fury, each predator trying to push past the others. All wanting to feast on Sara’s flesh. None willing to wait.

Sara didn’t hesitate. She rushed forward, spear gripped tight, shield raised.

If they want to fight all at once, they’ll bleed all at once.

She lunged into the fray, stabbing rapidly, her movements sharp and desperate. Knowing this moment was limited, she didn’t focus on where she was hitting, she just focused everything on how fast she could poke holes into anything in range. And, suddenly, that speed was Very fast!

[Skill Acquired: Rapid Jab] [Effect: Strike 3 times in one attack. Cost: Temporary loss of 1 Body Speed for 5 minutes]

[Rapid Jab Activated -1 Body Speed]

Her spear became a blur, jabbing into scales, fur, and muscle. The Rock Constrictors hissed, the Jungle Cat shrieked, and Sara felt her body slow slightly. That was the dangerous cost. Immediate speed in return for overall slowdown. It was a cost she had to make worth it.

But it wasn’t enough. She needed more. She couldn’t just poke them. There were too many, and they took too long to kill. She’d never finish before six more arrived to truly overwhelm her! She needed to damage, to disable. To restrain.

[Mycorrhizal Network Ability Unlocked: Infested Strike] [Effect: Inject fungi into stabbed creature, causing internal damage over time and inhibiting movement and attacks.] Cost: 100 Microbes

She activated it mid-strike, spores surging through her spear. Each jab became a seed of destruction, fungal threads burrowing into flesh.

[Rapid Jab Activated -1 Body Speed]

[Infested Strike x3] Cost 300 Microbes. Remaining Network 16 of 666]

The Rock Constrictors writhed in pain, their bodies convulsing as the fungi tore through them from within. The Jungle Cat staggered, foam at its mouth, vines twitching unnaturally as her spores, so helpful inside her proved they were equally harmful inside others!

Sara turned to the Monkey Maulers. Once, they had terrified her. Fast, erratic, vicious. Shed even lost her life to them before. But that was, quite Literally, lifetimes ago. Now they were just obstacles.

She blocked their wild swings with her shield, countered with precise jabs, and watched them fall one by one. And, by the time she finished the Maulers, the other creatures tortured bodies were also falling still, small fungal growths climbing out of exposed areas of shale, wood, and fur.

The cave floor was a mess of twitching bodies and glowing spores. Sara stood in the center, panting, bloodied, her robe pulsing with silver light.

She had faced six enemies in a space barely large enough for two. She had used the chaos against them, turned desperation into evolution.

[Quest Timer: 27:08 Remaining]

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Her Network running direly low on Microbes, she quickly went on a fungal feeding Frenzy, tapping body after body inside the cave to clear room for herself, even as she left the Cat and Constrictor corpses in the cave entrance to hamper the next wave. 3 Maulers, 2 Cats, 2 Constrictors. Small brown and green crystals littered the ground, but Sara ignored them for now. Man, cleanup in here is going to be a pain in the ass!

*Ping* [225 Microbes gained. Current Network: 516 of 666]

*Ping* [Compatible Biological Sample Detected: Monkey Mauler x3, Jungle Cat x2, Rock Constrictor x2]

Rock Constrictor Sample 5 of 5 absorbed.

Effect: Stat growth stored to be triggered during Regrowth.

NO MORE STAT GROWTH MAY BE GAINED FROM ROCK CONSTRICTOR SAMPLES

ERROR: NO MORE STAT GROWTH MAY BE GAINED FROM MONKEY MAULER SAMPLES

ERROR: NO MORE STAT GROWTH MAY BE GAINED FROM JUNGLE CAT SAMPLES

Note: Stat increases limited to 5 samples per biological source.

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The next wave surged forward. Three Monkey Maulers, two Jungle Cats, and a single Rock Constrictor grinding its shale-scaled body over the corpses of its fallen kin. But this time, Sara didn’t flinch.

The cave entrance was already clogged with corpses, a tangled barricade of fallen predators. The new wave stumbled over the bodies, snarling and clawing, but unable to push through cleanly.

Sara waited for her moment, then lunged forward, spear flashing.

[Rapid Jab Activated -1 Body Speed]

Her spear flashed, stabbing into the Rock Constrictor’s neck, then into the shoulder of a Jungle Cat, and finally into the second Cat’s flank. And, of course, she didn’t change what wasn’t broken.

[Infested Strike x3] Cost 300 Microbes. Remaining Network 216 of 666]

Spores surged through the wounds, burrowing deep. The Cats shrieked, convulsing as silver threads erupted from their chest and flank. The Constrictor writhed, its coils spasming as the fungi tore through its internal structure.

Sara stepped back, letting the infected predators thrash and block the entrance.

She turned, shield raised, and baited the Maulers into the cave. They followed, screeching, unaware they’d just entered her kill zone. They lunged, and she countered, shield bashes to stagger, spear thrusts hidden behind the fungal shield’s curve to kill. One by one, they fell.

The cave fell silent again.

Sara knelt, pressing her hand to the fallen Mauler corpses.

[Microbes Absorbed: +150] [Network Capacity: 366 / 666]

ERROR: NO MORE STAT GROWTH MAY BE GAINED FROM MONKEY MAULER SAMPLES

Safely above the threshold. If she needed to trigger [Regrowth], she could.

She exhaled slowly, sweat dripping from her brow, and checked her System display.

[Quest Timer: 23:44 Remaining]

Four more waves. Two more new increases. She’d held up so far but, with the last increase going from 3 to 6 monsters, she couldn’t help but be a bit terrified of what would come next.

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With about a three minutes wait, she leaned against the cave wall, releasing her death grip on her spear and shield to relax her hands and wrists. If only she didn’t have to die to use Regrowth. She must have a good amount of Stat Growth stored up by now!

But wait. Did she have to die? Or was she just assuming that because it was the only way she’d used it yet?

Eyes on the timer as it ticked down towards a minute remaining, she closed her eyes and focused on her Regrowth ability.

[Racial Title Bonus: [Symbiotic]

Effect: Regrowth. Host entity cannot truly die. As long as one fungal spore survives, Regrowth will occur.]

It said she would not truly die. It didn’t say that she needed to die. Two minutes to go, she decided to risk it. What’s the worst that could happen?

She focused inwards, willing the Regrowth to happen on her still living body, and here in her cave, not back in the first cave that she’d made her ‘save point’. At first there was no response. But, as she continued to focus on her goal, it happened. She felt the Fungi within her bloom and grow.

The silver web of fungal threads raced through her, climbing from her hands to her elbows and up to nearly her shoulders, like hot blood pulsing in her veins. She gasped as her heart felt like it was going to explode, and her limbs began to spasm and jerk uncontrollably.

The seconds ticking down to the next wave, she lay on the floor in a full body seizure and realized pushing her luck might have been a terrible mistake!

But, even as the clock hit 20:00, and she heard movement outside the log jab of corpses at the cave entrance, her back lurched with one final spasm, and then her body was again her own. She scrambled to scoop up her shield and spear, nearly tossing them across the room as her newly Regrown body reacted stronger and faster than she expected.

“Stats!”, she blurted out as she raced to plug the gap at the entrance, stumbling at first, but quickly her movements became fluid, almost powerful. She had to know what she was cooking with now!

Character Sheet: Sara Bloom

Name: Sara Bloom

Body: Force 16 | Speed 13

Mind: Thought 11 | Knowledge 11

Soul: Self 15 | Sum 10

Max Network Size: 1000

Current Network Size: 366

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Even as she stabbed into whatever creature was trying to shove its way through the Cave entrance blockade, Sara couldn’t help but exclaim in joy. “Yes! Above Average! Take that, stupid Shark-Monkeys!”, she hollered, obviously still smarting at having been considered lower Intellect than a Monkey, as she rained down thrusts. Thrusts that stuck with force nearly incomparable to what she had been doing merely moments ago.

Even though all she saw were brief glimpses of movement through the pile, her stabs seemed nearly unable to miss, and she reveled in the cries of the creatures she struck.

“HA!”, she screamed in joy. “I feel unstoppable now. Finishing this is going to be a piece of…”, she didn’t finish the statement as something outside the cave THREW a Jungle Cat through the pile of bodies and into her, sending corpse and Sara both slamming into the back of the cavern.

[YOU HAVE BEEN STUNNED. STUN DURATION: 3 SECONDS]

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She watched in literal Stunned Silence, as something… Something Massive… began tearing its way inside, easily ripping up bodies, bodies she hadn’t yet absorbed into her suddenly far to low filled network, and tossing them outside as it shoved its way forward.

The cave trembled as a walking rockslide pressed forward, its massive bulk blotting out the entrance like a living wall of stone. Ten feet tall when upright, its rocky shoulders scraped against the cave ceiling, showering dust and pebbles down onto Sara’s robe. Each step was a grinding avalanche, claws gouging furrows into the stone floor.

Its body was a fortress of jagged rock, every limb encased in stone hide that shimmered faintly in the dim fungal glow. Only the vulnerable seams in the joints, the belly, the glistening eyes, broke the illusion of invulnerability.

The creature roared as it continued to dig its way into the cavern to get to her, a sound that shook the walls and rattled the corpses piled at the entrance behind it. The Jungle Cats and Constrictors that had once seemed overwhelming were nothing compared to this titan.

[YOU HAVE BEEN STUNNED. STUN DURATION: 3 SECONDS]

Then it shoved forward, shoulders grinding against stone, forcing its way inside. The cave mouth cracked wider under its weight, rock splintering as if the mountain itself bent to its will. Dust filled the air, spores swirled, and the creature’s glowing eyes locked onto Sara.

Sara tried to move, tried even to breathe, as the thing pulled its way inside to loom over her, but was only able to roll aside at the very last second as the stun wore off just before a giant paw slammed down where she had lay with a thunderous smash.

Sara scrambled to get to her feet and behind her shield as Identify finally overcame whatever was stopping her from getting a read on this latest foe.

[Identify Activated]

[Mountain Bear]

Body: Force 30 | Speed 22

Mind: Thought 18 | Knowledge 16

Soul: Self 15 | Sum 13

Skills:

Stonehide. Blocks 75% of damage for 3 seconds. Usable every 30 seconds

Avalanche: Emits a roar that stuns nearby creatures for 3 seconds. Usable every 10 minutes.

“Good news, Sara.”, she thought to herself. “At least this isn’t part of the next wave… It IS the next wave! Ok. Let’s demonstrate the bigger harder fall stuff!”, she thought with confidence returning now that she’d weathered the Mountain Bear’s Stun and survived.

She spun around a swipe of a paw almost as large as she was, bouncing off the wall to get around to its side. She stabbed out with her newfound force, and her trust spear… And leaped back in dismay as the bear grunted and her stab scraped across its Stone hide, failing to leave more than a scratch, and not even giving her the chance to Infect it.

“Shit!”, she groaned, ducking away from another swing as she danced around to try to land a hit. “Time for Plan B… Did anyone bring a Plan B?” She took a glancing blow with her shield that still almost managed to lift her off her feet in exchange for landing another series of stabs that completely failed to penetrate.

Minutes passed as the cave shook with every swing of the Mountain Bear’s massive arms. Its claws, jagged like shards of granite, carved gouges into the stone walls as it lashed out. Each strike carried the weight of an avalanche seemingly slow, but heavy enough that even a glancing blow would crush bone.

Sara darted in and out, shield raised, her robe’s silver veins glowing faintly in the dim light. The Bear’s paw slammed down where she had stood a heartbeat before, the impact sending cracks spiderwebbing across the cave floor. She rolled aside, spear flashing, and thrust at its flank only to feel the tip scrape uselessly against the impenetrable Stonehide.

The Bear’s head swung low, jaws opening wide. Its teeth gleamed like jagged rock as it snapped at her, hot breath gusting across her face. She ducked under the bite, stabbing upward at its throat, but though the blow landed and the beast growled in pain, the spear skidded off the armored hide with a hollow clang.

Her movements became a desperate dance. Darting forward to strike, retreating before the Bear’s crushing counterattacks. Each stab was precise, aimed at joints and seams, but the bear knew her goal and its Stonehide turned her strikes aside. Sparks flew where spear met rock, and frustration gnawed at her as the Bear’s roars filled the cave.

The Mountain Bear pressed closer, forcing its bulk deeper into the narrow space, each swing narrowing her options as it cut off avenues of escape with its sheer size. Sara’s shield absorbed a glancing blow, the impact rattling her bones and slamming her against the wall, but she held firm. She had to keep moving, keep searching for an opening.

[Ability Activated: Repair Self] Wounds Restored.]

[Cost: 50 Microbes. Remaining Network 316 of 1000]

The Bear’s eyes glowed, tracking her every feint. Its belly and joints were vulnerable, but only for an instant at a time, and it seemed always ready to cover any weakness with a well timed use of its seemingly inexhaustible uses of its Stonehide skill.

As her angles, and options, dwindled, Sara gulped in a handful of deep breaths, ready to put into action the best plan she’d come up with. She would have to risk the bears bite, but it was the only path she could see to victory.

She hopped off the wall to leap over a low swiping paw slam, landing right in the creature’s face. The Mountain Bear’s challenging roar shook the cave, its jagged teeth snapping inches from Sara’s face as she risked everything to dart in close. Her spear thrust toward its eye, forcing the beast to flare its Stonehide, the shimmering rock armor sealing over its vulnerable gaze.

She counted the seconds, every heartbeat a drumbeat of survival. One… two… three. With a sudden motion, she hurled her shield at its head. The Bear reeled, distracted, and Sara slid low beneath its massive bulk just as the Stonehide expired, the belly above her exposed for a fleeting instant.

[Rapid Jab Activated -1 Body Speed]

Her spear became a blur. The first jab cracked the softer stone of its belly, fissures spreading like lightning. The second pierced through, sinking into the flesh beneath.

[Infested Strike] Cost 100 Microbes. Remaining Network 216 of 1000]

The third drove deep, fungal spores surging into the wound, spreading like wildfire inside the beast.

The Bear roared in agony, thrashing violently, its colossal weight collapsing downward as its spasming legs could no longer hold its massive weight. Sara scrambled to crawl free, but the titan’s bulk pinned her beneath its chest, crushing her ribs and grinding her into the stone floor even as its convulsions shredded its own insides on her spear.

[Ability Activated: Repair Self] Cost 50 Microbes. Remaining Network 166 of 1000]

Her body knit together under the strain, but the Bear’s convulsions crushed her again.

[Ability Activated: Repair Self] Cost 50 Microbes. Remaining Network 116 of 1000]

Another surge of spores healed torn muscles and shattered bone, only for the beast’s thrashing to break them anew.

[Ability Activated: Repair Self] Cost 50 Microbes. Remaining Network 66 of 1000]

Finally, the Mountain Bear shuddered, its roar fading into silence. The fungal network inside it consumed the last of its strength, and the titan collapsed, lifeless.

[Ability Activated: Repair Self] Cost 50 Microbes. Remaining Network 16 of 1000]

Sara lay trapped beneath its corpse, her Microbial Network flickering weakly.

[Network Capacity: 16 / 1000]

On the edge of death, she pressed her hand against the Bear’s body. Spores surged outward, consuming its massive form, pulling its biomass into her network.

[Microbes Absorbed: +200. Remaining Network: 216 of 666]

*Ping* [Compatible Biological Sample Detected: Mountain Bear]

Mountain Bear Sample 1 of 5 absorbed.

Note: Mountain Bear is a Tier 2 Biological Sample

Effect: Stat growth stored to be triggered during Regrowth.

Note: Stat increases limited to 5 samples per biological source.

Condition: Growth only occurs if source stat exceeds host stat.]

The System, seemingly Unable to resist adding insult to injury as she lay there, a larger brown crystal than she had ever seen dropped directly onto her forehead and, with a groan, she simply lay there, unwilling to move and see just how much was broken.

[Crystal Acquired: Medium Brown Crystal]

[Quest Timer: 13:22 Remaining]

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