Against The Odds

The wall belonging to the broken building, right beside Asper broke as something crashed into it from the other side, lunging straight at Asper.

It was in this moment, where the monster's figure could be seen mid-air inches away from Asper, that Asper realized, he had miscalculated.

'SHI-'

*CRASH!*

In that instant, Asper failed to connect his leap in time was hit by an enormous amount of pressure. It was so strong that it had caused him to go flying across the road.

As Asper came into contact with the floor he rolled before eventually slamming his back on the wall of the broken building behind him.

His eyes had rolled back from the sheer pressure and pain which he had experienced. The impact was so rough that it forced his saliva out of his mouth as he could feel his consciousness fading.

"A-Ah-"

Words failed to leave his mouth as he struggled to keep his consciousness.

It was truly unexpected. He had completely miscalculated.

<Heavy damage sustained>

<Health below 50%>

<Adapting to pain>

<Emergency Adaptation. Forced Pain nullification>

He had definitely broken a bone or two. Even with most of the pain having been nullified he could still feel an intolerable amount.

But none of that mattered, what mattered was that he was still conscious.

Asper struggled to get up, his bones and body shaking as he did so. When all of the sudden. He felt it.

Killing Intent.

He used all his remaining strength to leap to the side, and just as he did-

Something went right by him, crashing into and slamming itself through the wall which he had landed on with his back.

As he fell and roll, he quickly looked towards where the monster had crashed into. His vision was hazy and the pain was unbelievable but his thoughts was surprisingly clear. Thanks to that, he was able to tell.

Had he not leapt, he would have died.

In that moment, only one thought could come to his mind.

'Survive'

Survive, he needed to survive.

<New quest received>

<Accept the quest?>

Asper had no time to think, he didn't even reply and simply grinned as he pulled out the knife and pistol and used them to push himself up.

*Crash!* *CRASH!*

The monster was circling around him at fast speeds and using the buildings as cover. It was intelligent. Not your regular monster, or at least that's what Asper hoped.

"Looks like I'm fucked."

Asper quickly began to look left and right, as he moved away from the building. He quickly began to form an analysis of what he understood about the monster.

'It's fast, strong and intelligent… It hit like a god damn truck. How the fuck am I supposed to-'

Asper's thought was cut off as the monster suddenly, went crashing through the building and charging at him again.

As it made it's way towards him, he was able to get a clear look at it's shape. A ball. A rolling ball. It was rolling, that was how it was moving so fast.

Asper didn't have any time to think of anything else as he leapt to the sides to avoid it.

*CRASH!*

As he rolled over again, he noticed that it had crashed into the building which had been behind him again.

'Close… Too close… It was by a hair's breath… I don't think I'll be able to avoid it the same way again… I'm too slow… Shit, do I need to use that now?' Asper thought to himself.

Asper lowered his hand down to his left leg before grabbing onto another holster. There rested a taser.

'No… It's too risky… There's no guarantee I'll adapt and gain a speed boost fast enough…'

Asper's arms were mostly done out and he could feel an ache on the right side of his ribs. He was in no condition to aim or fire his gun clearly. Shooting randomly would also probably fail.

'There's only one shot… I found it's weakness…' Asper thought to himself as his grin grew wider

When it went past Asper, Asper saw it, although it was only for a moment, he saw it's body.

'The appearance of a ball was only due to it's shell. While the front looks like a ball… The sides are exposed… As long as I shoot and aim for the side… But for that I'll have to wait and avoid another attack…'

<Adapted to firearm>

<Adapted to anxiety>

<Adapted to fear>

<Clear mind acquired>

Asper simply stood there, listening to the sound of the monster, rampaging throughout the buildings.

'Another weakness is that it can't properly turn itself…'

Before Asper had realized it, he couldn't hold his smile back.

"COME AT ME!" He shouted.

*CRASH!*

The monster went rolling straight at him just as he had expected. Asper had leapt that exact same way as last time to avoid it.

He knew that he would only have one shot at this. He could see it's exposed shell-less sides, a hideous monster which Had been curled up.

Mid-air, with his sights and aimed locked on to the sides of the monster . He pulled back on the trigger over and over.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

But on the third shot. Just as he was about to land onto the floor.

*RAM!*

He was suddenly his again, right on his back by a massive force, causing him to drop his gun and go rolling forward, right down the road.

He rolled and rolled and rolled down the road just from the momentum alone. His consciousness had began fading with each passing second.

Once he had come to a stop, he remained motionless. His body no longer wanted to respond.

<EMERGENCY! Health below 10%>

<Reaching Critical Health State>

<You have slain 'Roller'>

<Quest Complete>

Rather than feeling the usual happiness which he would feel after receiving such a notification. Asper found himself being in no state of mind to be feeling such a way.

There was another one. It wasn't just one roller. It was two.

He had reached his limits. He couldn't move. And in that time, the second roller which had attacked him was rolling at him in full throttle.

Was it approaching? Asper didn't know. All he could do was hear and feel the ground vibrate.

He had killed the first one but now he laid on a perfect path for the second one to finish him off.

There was nothing he could do. But…

Despite the odds being nowhere near his favor and his death coming closer and closer, the grin hadn't left Asper's face as he muttered.

"Check…Mate-"

*BOOM!*