'This isn't working.'
Gwin ran his fingers down the rawhide with a frustrated sigh. It looked like this attempt was a fail as well. Gwin slung it away with an annoyed sigh. It hit the wall with a wet slap before falling to the ground in a wet heap. The sound echoed throughout the cavern for a few seconds before being consumed by impenetrable silence followed by several rumbling growls as three hulking abominations emerged from openings in the wall. They spotted him before charging at him with demented fury.
'Three monsters…'
The fight lasted about six seconds. Gwin methodically maimed and crippled each of them before using the opportunity that being injured gave him to finish them off with his claws, tail, or talons. He sat atop their monstrous corpses with a bored expression. Not that his life was boring in any way since constant life or death battles tend to make one's life quite exhilarating, it was just that he had been through this same routine so many times already. He'd wander through the subterranean tunnels while avoiding anything that made his instincts and intuition flare up, fight against groups of abominations, eat said abominations, train his combat technique, try to get some sleep, and repeat. It was honestly becoming a little predictable. Maybe that was a good thing though. His first few days…or maybe weeks, had been full of unknown danger around every corner where he had barely managed to scrape by.
Just then another abomination creeped out of the darkness towards him. It was a huge rotting wolf with mottled green fur that clung to its bony frame desperately. Its snout was exposed bone and its eyes were deep pools of darkness in its empty sockets. Countless festering lesions covered its body with green coral like growths growing from the wounds. It stared deep into his eyes as it slowly approached.
'Oh? Toothpaste is back.'
This was his beloved echo he had fondly named toothpaste after its bony snout. This was the same wolf that had followed him down the chasm in a fit of demented frenzy. Their battle had been feral and brutal. After crashing into the walls of the chasm several times and hitting the ground Gwin was the one who had come out victorious. His adorable new echo was an awakened monster much to his jubilation. Toothpaste had made it possible for him to get his bearings in this strange place and was in charge of throwing his pursuers off of his scent and watching over him while he slept. He was truly an invaluable and incredibly lucky stroke of luck!
Since he had a moment he decided to delve into his soul sea and check on his runes. They read:
*****
Name: Gwin
True name:—
Rank: dreamer
Soul core: dormant
Soul fragments:0136/1000
Spirit fragments:0094/1000
Memories:[Kiss of Kesh] [Mantle of the Drowned] [Jagged Fang] [Dark Wing] [Millitia's steel] [Shrill Screacher] [Lord's Fondness] [Spring Breeze] [Scorched Aegis]
Echoes: [Pyrrhic Hound]
*****
He had been unfortunate with his luck recently. [Spring Breeze] was a light source memory that took the shape of a small purple paper lantern that shown with mauve light. [Scorched Aegis] was much more useful for Gwin since it was an awakened armor of the second tier. It was also what he was currently wearing. It took the shape of a full suit of black scale mail with a burgundy tasset made of thick cloth around his waist. He had gotten this armor from slaying a monster that had the ability to belch flaming globs of fire. Feeling content after having dug out the six soul shards from his most recent battle he left the corpses there and began making his way through the dark subterranean cave with the help of his aspect. He had been growing exponentially quicker than when he was with Lena for two simple reasons. For one there were a large number of awakened abominations here and the other was that he didn't have to share the shards with anyone at all.
'Maybe this is where the weaker guys hide out from the truly horrific horrors..'
Two large bat ears sprouted from his head letting him hear far around him. After failing to hear the unsettling and gross sounds that usually came with nightmare creatures he ventured on followed by toothpaste. Gwin's eyes became slitted and blue, an aspect of one of his kills, letting him see in the dark with great visual clarity.
That's why he was able to make out the silhouette of glowing ribs not far in front of him. He immediately ducked to the side, changing his body and using his heavy reptilian tail and claws to keep his balance as a huge ball of flames flew by him. Gwin wasted no time in commanding toothpaste to attack the new challenger. Normally he would be much more careful when fighting an abomination down here however he was familiar with these types. With both his feet and hands turned into strong and scaly orange claws Gwin bound across the ground on all fours towards the source of the ball of flames. As he did he felt something swell inside his neck which was now also covered in pale orange scales.
Just as he heard the sounds of toothpaste and the creature clash his throat began to glow with sweltering heat. He opened his mouth and a viscous glob of burning mucus much like the one he had just dodged but smaller flew from his mouth and connected squarely with the side of his reptilian foe. It filled the tunnel with orange light casting deep shadows in the ruined sewer as it fully illuminated his target.
A reptilian covered in orange scales that possessed strong limbs, mighty claws, and a ridge of spikes trailing down its back to its tail stood there in dire conflict with toothpaste as its side burned, covered in clinging orange flames. Its triangular head possessed strong jaws and rows of dagger-like teeth as well as three sets of eyes that burned with frenzied malice. Despite having fought these creatures on several occasions already he could not get over how cool they looked. Almost like a baby drake or something.
Soon after his flaming attack had connected, Gwin had shifted forms and taken on the claws and fangs of the pyrrhic hound. He pounced towards its still flaming side with his bony snout open and plunged his teeth into its neck. He tore a chunk out as flames licked his armor harmlessly, a perk of the [Scorched Aegis] which he had gained from slaying the same type of creature as this.
[You have slain an awakened monster: Sun Seeker]
[You have taken your claim of blood]
'Ah…that's that. I should get to work while I can..'
With that he began the process of cutting out the soul shards with his claws. He cut expertly avoiding major arteries and getting them out cleanly and with not much trouble. After crushing them in his hands and feeling the familiar trickle of power enter his soul he started the real work.
'I've dissected most of its head already, I just need to figure out all the muscles that connect it to the neck…'
With his nimble claws he cut into its tough skin before peeling it back exposing the raw muscle underneath. With numb curiosity in his eyes he began meticulously picking apart its tendons and muscles.
'So that's what that was..'
He had gazed often at the sculpture of the sun seeker in his soul; however the internal anatomy was difficult to locate in the sculpture with most of its internal parts appearing as red blobs. A flesh and bone creature was much easier to pick apart and memorize. He lost himself in the dirty and grimy study of the sun seeker. He wasn't completely lost however as a part of him was constantly scanning his surroundings for any danger.
'I'm getting hungry..'
Gwin's mouth began to change shape, becoming feline and glossy. He opened his mouth revealing long fangs and bit into the raw flesh he had already dissected. He chewed for a moment before swallowing and getting another bite.
'Not bad.'
Just then he made a mistake and cut a major artery causing red blood to flow heavily. He was just beginning to feel thirsty… He pressed his muzzle to the wound and began drinking. The viscous fluid flowed down his throat making him shiver.
'Guah that's pungent!'
He sighed satisfied before continuing his work. He had learned long ago that changing his stomach and mouth made eating raw meat possible which was a great boon for him since there weren't many things down here to burn and frankly it was just convenient. The taste wasn't that bad either! Maybe just a little slimy and gamy but besides that it wasn't bad.
An acquired taste one might say.