Catch the Escapee (43)

[... 3, 2, 1.]

"What's going on?" I exclaimed, my voice drowned out by the rumbling of the shaking floor. Golden dust cascaded down from the ceiling, creating an ethereal atmosphere.

"BE CAREFUL!!!" someone shouted. The glass door split apart with a piercing screech, and cries of surprise filled the air. In a matter of moments, the enormous muzzle of the beast pressed through the broken entrance, its purple-blooded mouth hinting at a grievous wound. Its massive head was too large to fully fit inside the building, creating a grotesque and intimidating sight.

Dumbfounded eyes met with pleading expressions deep within their pupils. The long coat of the beast was drenched in blood from the lacerations caused by the shattered glass. One ear protruded, its edges torn and ragged. And on the creature's pallid skin, a license plate was visible: "10154."

[You have 2 minutes and 17 seconds to immobilize the target.

The mission to Catch the Escaped is launched.

Successful completion of capturing a second-level Beast is rewarded, while failure results in punishment.

Timer:

2 minutes 16 seconds.]

Startled, I muttered, "Hey, I haven't agreed to this yet..."

Crunching bones and clicking sounds echoed behind me. I turned to witness all the creatures around me preparing for the impending battle.

"He dared to obstruct me. I've been waiting in line for 5 minutes," the creature with tentacles snarled, its limbs contorting and elegant, venomous needles sprouting with a flourish. Dozens of wriggling limbs sought to tear the trapped beast apart. Dozens of wriggling limbs sought to tear the trapped beast apart.

[Notifications:

The escapee must not be killed, but rather captured intact without fatal wounds.]

[Is it even fair if he's already injured?!]

Expanding my wings, I readied myself to at least contribute something to the fight. The newcomer I had recently spoken to also assumed a fighting stance, drawing a bow made from the spine of some creature. Luminous threads connected the sharp ends, and under the cloak, I caught glimpses of other formidable-looking weapons.

"Hey, let's not kill him. We just had a lecture, remember?" I casually mentioned, directing the reminder that killing was harmful towards the newcomer. Pushing off from the ground, I intercepted the unfinished octopus's attack with Dark Threads.

The trapped beast screeched unintelligible syllables, expressing its anguish as I infused a touch of Ignition.

As the battle intensified, I could feel the heat building up in my fingers. Sensing the impending danger, the beast abruptly opened its mouth, revealing its maroon tongue drenched in purple streaks.

In response, the creature with short legs swiftly retrieved two blades from a spatial bag and aimed to strike at the exposed tongue. But instead of biting down, the beast let out a howl, whether from terror or the pain it anticipated.

Reacting quickly, I unleashed a stream of fire towards the creature, scorching its bald crown. It growled a curse and redirected its attention towards me.

"Oh no, the skill is weak without full activation," I muttered to myself, realizing the limitations of my powers.

Flames flickered to life once again, this time engulfing both of my hands as I attempted to grab and squeeze the blades with bare hands. To my surprise, the blades proved to be stronger than I had anticipated.

Taking a step back, I could feel the blades digging into my palms, piercing the skin and causing purple drops to fall onto the floor scattered with golden pollen. The diminutive creature skillfully maneuvered the blades, pulling itself towards me with a slurping sound and dislodging the points from my hands.

Shaking my fingers, I quickly traced two arcs in the air, momentarily halting the creature's blade from reaching my neck.

Summoning the power of Dark Threads, I managed to stop the creature temporarily. With a hiss of pain, I dislodged the poisoned needles from the side.

A notification appeared before me:

[The enemy attacked you outside the Battleground zone.

The poison has been identified.

All negative properties are nullified.

Bonus:

The mission grants you the ability to use Acceleration.

Action Time:

One minute and 2 seconds.

Mission Duration:

One minute and 3 seconds.]

I felt a surge of lightness coursing through my body. Jumping on the spot, I heard a low whine coming from behind me. The beast was struggling to extract its muzzle from the hole it had created, just as three other creatures prepared to launch their own attacks against it.

A vine suddenly sprouted from the ground, extending towards the beast with rough, rumbling sounds. With a swift motion, I spat and cast a full spell of the Ignition Skill, drawing a half circle in front of the beast. The vine writhed in its death throes and disintegrated into black dots, which returned to the open bag carried by one of the creatures.

With a tsk sound, the creature swiftly retreated into the crowd that had gathered not far from the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, I surveyed the scene through the timer window and took decisive action.

I struck three creatures on the back of their heads, incapacitating them momentarily. Then, I swiftly tied up the bald creature with Dark Threads, suspending it from the ceiling, and slammed the octopus-like beast into the nearest wall.

Touching down, I attempted to cut through the side walls of the restrained beast using the Crescent Tail, but to my frustration, the walls proved to be made of an incredibly sturdy material, resisting my efforts.

Amidst the chaos, I heard a distinct crunch. Turning around, I spotted a fallen creature with a bone arrow lodged in its shoulder. The novice, determined, pulled out another arrow from beneath their cloak and advanced towards me, emitting a low growl.

The surrounding creatures began to rise from the ground, their eyes turning a bright shade of red. The small creature armed with blades skillfully severed the Dark Threads that I had conjured, intensifying the hostile atmosphere.

[There are 34 seconds remaining until the end of the Mission.]

Swallowing hard, I spread my wings and shielded the beast's muzzle from the wrathful faces of the creatures surrounding us.

[If we assume that the Escapee can't escape, then it means he's caught, right?]

[Hmm, perhaps...]

[So, I just need to hold out until the end of the Mission without delivering any fatal attacks to the Beast?]

The creatures emanated an intense, deadly aura. The octopus creature launched a barrage of five needles, and in response, I unleashed dozens of my own. They collided with a resounding noise, and droplets of poison rained down onto the heated bodies, causing agonizing screeches and convulsions on the floor.

[Timer: 14 seconds.]

Shifting the Sickle-shaped Tail to my left hand, I stroked the wet nose of the Beast. Drops of blood still dripped from the corners of its mouth, but it gazed at the ongoing battle with a mix of admiration and curiosity.

Attempting to nudge the Beast towards the exit, I realized that it had become fused with the wall. Letting out a heavy exhale, I eased the tension in my body.

[9 seconds.]

The short creature, cracking its joints, pointed the tip of its blade at me and opened its mouth. Utilizing the innovation of the system, I instantly appeared beside it, delivering a swift kick to its audacious face.

Meanwhile, the octopus extended its tentacles, encircling me from all sides with gleaming needles. In a seemingly slowed-down motion, I smoothly evaded the sharp protrusions, stomping the wriggling appendages into the floor. Soon enough, I stood before the astonished, narrowed pupils of my adversaries.

[Acceleration mode is disabled.]

"I was taught that you can't fight outside the field," I remarked with a mischievous grin, raising my leg with its elongated needle-like bones, poised to strike into the creature's open mouth. However, an invisible barrier prevented me from executing the move.

[The mission is over.

The data will be processed for 16 hours.

You will be notified upon completion. Have a good day!]

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, I suddenly heard an enraged exclamation from above. Descending from the heights, a massive figure covered in beige skin approached, its fat rolling like clouds.

I nicknamed this newcomer "the walking meatball" in my mind. With a tone of anger, the walking meatball bellowed, "WHO ALLOWED YOU TO FIGHT IN MY HALL?!" The creatures around me rose to their feet, supporting themselves on sturdy limbs, and pointed accusingly in my direction.

"He started it," the octopus creature beneath me nodded in agreement.

With a hiss, I disentangled myself from the tentacle, which had now returned to its normal size.

"We were merely attempting to remove the interference that caused damage to such an excellent door," the short creature explained to the Meatball, wiping sweat from his forehead.

I couldn't help but wonder if this blob of fat was the manager of this place.

"And he interrupted us. Look, Your Excellency, the fire is still burning right in front of you!" the creature pointed out with a cunning squint, indicating the smoldering floor.

Snapping my fingers, I extinguished the fading flames.

"YOU! YOU!" the walking meatball fumed with anger, unable to continue his sentence.

Meatball descended the stairs with the help of living plants that adorned the entire flight. He barely touch of the green petals with his short fingers, finally reaching the ground and gasping for breath.

Time seemed to stretch, and after waiting for what felt like an eternity, I grew weary and took a seat on a piece of the wall, resting my chin on my palm.

The folds of fat on Meatball's body twitched with a feeble impulse. The manager of the skyscraper moved once again and pulled out a bunch of talismans, tearing the yellow papers in two.

Spatial doors swung open, and skeletons emerged. An unsettling feeling tingled in my rear, suggesting that the situation was about to take a turn for the worse...

---

Now confined within a cell surrounded by bars that emitted an eerie glow, I leaned against a massive beast. It was too large to fit comfortably within the confines of the cave where everyone involved in the battle had been driven. The mutated hyena stared into the darkening corner, lying on the damp ground. Resting its head on two paws, I settled down on one of them, seeking a moment of respite.

The newcomer sat with his back turned to me, diligently cleaning his bow, while I observed the aftermath of my battles.

The beast, despite its initially intimidating appearance, turned out to be no more dangerous than a playful child—a mere paper tiger.

"IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!" Shorty's anger showed no signs of subsiding. He gritted his teeth, still reeling from the tragic conclusion.

"Ralph, please," interjected the creature with multicolored eyes, driving his spear into the rocky floor with a hiss. "If you don't want a more severe punishment, just sit down and calm yourself, alright?"

"NO, DID YOU SEE IT?!" Shorty continued to protest.

Their quarrel held no interest for me. Knowing that I was no longer in any imminent danger, I decided to take stock of my earnings.

That day, the system had rewarded me with over a two hundred Spiritual Stones for participating as a spectator.

The victory against the katana-wielding creature yielded 187 stones, albeit with a smaller coefficient.

The loss to the red beast cost me 205 stones.

However, I managed to emerge victorious against the boxers and the Boss, keeping my overall balance in the positive.

[System points: 30,520.]

Inside the spatial bag obtained from the Crossroads, more than four hundred Spiritual Stones chimed softly.

[Spiritual Stones (+415).]

Grinning, I strolled through the beast's fur with my clawed fingertips and posed a question to the system:

[Why did the Mission come about so unexpectedly?]

[Sometimes, there are issues in special zones, and Participants are required to fill the gaps in certain cases. This time, it turned out to be an Escaped Beast.]

[Will there be others?]

[Unlikely, such occurrences are rare.]

The beast purred contentedly and nuzzled its wet nose against my wing.

I smiled and continued to stroke its fur.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the camera. The room fell silent, and everyone turned their attention towards the entrance, anticipation filling the air.