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The Nonpareil of Resh (Act 1)

After a portal transports him to a planet on the edge of the cosmos, Gwyn Black finds himself in an alien world unlike his own. Strange denizens inhabit the world: a people that resemble a treasury of gemstones, a group who all have bony crowns adorning their heads, a tribe ruled by beastly giantesses, and an advanced nation of reptilian folk. The strange world, known as Resh, is one full of advanced science and groundbreaking technology. Magic of the past has become rare and the practitioner’s taboo. Towering cities fill the skies, and impressive machines help terraform barren land. Armed with a mechanical creature that can graft to his arm to grant powers, Gwyn must navigate the world as conspiracies and long-awaited plots begin to unfold and reveal themselves. Whether he will be consumed by a dark curse or embrace the path of a hero is something only time will tell.

Ochroleucous · Fantasía
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212 Chs

The "Unkillable" Beast 3

Gwyn looked at his arm for a moment longer before he broke out into another sprint. The beast had only just noticed him, and he wanted to make sure to keep as much distance as possible.

"So how do I use my powers!" he shouted as the beast began to walk in his direction.

Do you want the good news or the bad? Mem's voice rang in Gwyn's head.

Gwyn looked back at the beast as it was crouching down like it was going to pounce. He changed directions and began to run to the wall of the arena.

"Just tell me!"

Well, your compatibility is at 1% currently....

"In a way that I can understand!" Gwyn shouted. The beast shot forward in its strike and landed just behind where he had sprinted from. The shock almost knocked Gwyn off balance, but he managed to catch himself and keep running.

In short, you can only use the power at a small point right now, like the tip of your finger, and it has to make physical contact.

Gwyn spun around and pressed his back against the wall. The beast was slowly turning its head to him. Gwyn looked around the empty arena. His eyes laid on the rack of weapons that had been there when he entered. All the shaking had knocked the rack over, and the weapons were lying on the ground. They were clear across the arena after all the running he had been doing to escape the beast.

"Fine, can I liquify the things legs or something?" Gwyn spat while trying to catch his breath.

The ability doesn't work on living things... that would be gross.

Gwyn took a deep breath and began a sprint across the field to the weapons. The beast watched him the whole time. It had gotten tired of the chase and was studying Gwyn to determine the opportune time to strike.

Gwyn reached the weapons in no time; he instinctively picked up the gun and pointed it at the beast. A beam of light shot out when he pulled the trigger. It was not what he expected, but he didn't mind the results. Gwyn pulled the trigger again, but nothing came out.

It needs time to cool, and you're not going to defeat this beast like that. Mem chimed in.

Gwyn picked up a sword in a sheath and slung it on his back; then, he grabbed a one-handed ax. He had expected the weight to be an issue, but he found the objects surprisingly light, even with the arm not fused to Mem. He shrugged off his curiosity and faced the beast. It looked at him with a plain expression. Had Gwyn not been in the arena, the unkillable would have been taking a nap at this time.

Gwyn charged across the field to the unkillable. The beast slowly moved its head to keep him in view but did not do anything else otherwise. He was able to charge halfway across the field and chuck the ax with all his might. The weapon flew across the air and smashed into the side of the beast. It harmlessly bounced off and hit the ground. The blade was bent and cracked to pieces from the impact.

"Is this thing made of rocks?" Gwyn gritted his teeth and pulled the sword off his back. He held the blade in both of his hands, then shook his head and slid it on the sheath. He realized that hitting the beast with the sword would be a waste of his energy. Gwyn slowly began to back up so that he could keep the beast in view. He pinched his shirt with the arm that Mem covered.

The ability was easy enough for him to use; it seemed to come naturally without putting much thought into it. The parts of the shirt he held suddenly turned liquid and began to soak into the rest of the shirt. Gwyn found the process rather strange, but he decided not to dwell too much at the moment; he had more important things to worry over. He rubbed his fingers over the wet portion of the shirt, and it turned back to a solid. A hole was left where the shirt had been tested.

Gwyn nodded and looked around the arena. He understood the ability, but he wasn't sure what use he could make of it in the current situation. There were the arena walls, the floor, the weapons laying around, and the rack the weapons sat on.

"Mem, how deep does this ability reach right now?"

About a quarter of a hand! Mem cheerfully replied.

"That is not helpful...."

If you're thinking of making a hole in the wall to escape, that won't work. The wall is at least half a fathom thick at best.

Gwyn shook his head.

"How much is that if I have a centimeter?" Gwyn held two fingers as close to a centimeter apart as he could.

The thickness of the wall or how much your ability reaches?

"Never mind!" Gwyn said with a shake of his head. He looked around the arena again. He had not been planning to escape through the wall but now had some understanding that he couldn't even if he wanted to. The unkillable, having gotten bored of waiting, was slowly walking close to the pair. Gwyn smiled and shrugged. "Guess I'm dying," he said apathetically.

Don't just give up that easily! You may not care about your life, but I'd like to see a sho– support you to the very end!"

Gwyn chuckled for a moment and shook his head.

"I have an idea, but I don't know if we can pull it off... It would require some planning that I couldn't begin to layout even outside of this situation." Gwyn scratched his chin as he stared at the slowly approaching beast.

Please leave it to me, partner! Any odd layout, plans, or calculations are a Needaimus specialty! Just tell me what you're after, and I'll help you get it done!

"You sound like a sketchy door-to-door salesperson, but I don't have much of a choice but to trust you," Gwyn said with a laugh. He began to relay his plan to Mem.