284 I am Blood (1)

"I see that you've finally stopped killing yourself."

A woman with blond hair and a flowing green dress has suddenly appeared in the cave I've been using to rest. I didn't feel her approach.

She looks human but there is something distinctly wrong about her. My slaughter sense tells me that she is strong, a worthy opponent.

"I have never killed myself. You on the other hand, I will kill you!"

I launch myself at her but she seems more focused on the conversation.

"You don't remember smashing your head against every surface you could find? If that doesn't count as you killing yourself then what does."

Since keeping her talking seems to distract her, I decide to answer while pouncing on her. So long as I manage to sink my fangs into her, I'm sure I can take her!

"I have no recollection of doing such a thing."

As the woman looks confused, my fangs are only moments away from sinking into her soft flesh. Then, my body just halts in midair. I am so tantalizingly close to taking a bite out of her yet my body won't advance even a tiny bit. It's as if the air itself has grabbed me. Magic?

The woman steps back and looks at me with worry.

"Jade, just what happened to you? After you evolved and stopped killing yourself we thought you had gotten better but this…"

"My name isn't Jade and who are you anyway? Why do you act all familiar towards me?"

"You're not Jade? Then, who are you?"

"Blood."

"Blood? Blood/alter! Jade must have used shatter on herself to create an alter ego of sorts. No wonder there was no response when I tried to contact her through the contract. Jade must have entered stasis, leaving you to take over."

"I don't understand a thing you say! Now let me kill you!"

I strain against the invisible force keeping me bound. Every fiber of my body is struggling to break free, to advance, to kill. However, whatever binds me, it can easily keep all my efforts contained. Just you wait, you won't be able to keep me for long!

"You are too weak to kill me. Now behave or I'll make you."

"You can't make me do anything. Now die!"

I suddenly activate that skill at full force. I was waiting for this moment, the moment she thought she had me perfectly restrained. This is the moment where she is most vulnerable!

My skill shatters the constricting feeling around me and my body has regained its mobility. Not giving her a chance to react, I shoot forward and bite down hard. Nothing!

No, I am biting down on her neck! But my teeth can't penetrate her skin?

Not her skin, it feels soft but bendy, like a thin sheet of rubber. I bit down harder but it is as if my biting force dissipates into this protective surface. As if I'm biting a tangible cloud!

"This skill of mine isn't bad, huh. It's nearly impossible for damage lower than my transfer level to reach me. I wonder, can you shatter this barrier too?"

I can and I will! Die! Die! Dieeee!

I repeatedly chomp down on her shoulder while using my shatter skill at full force. And yet, nothing, no damage is done to her at all!

"So while it is an insanely overpowered unique skill, it has a limit based on your overall power."

"Why won't you just die!"

"Because you aren't strong enough to kill me! Now, time to teach you some manners, young lady."

Did she just call me a young lady?

The woman in my vision suddenly blurs, then, she disappears and my jaw snaps shut with nothing but air between them.

The very next moment, a monumental impact lands on the side of my head and I get hurled through the air until I hit a wall. I am halfway embedded in this wall and my head is still ringing from whatever just collided with my head. What was that? Did another monster ambush me?

"Did that hurt? I tried to hold back but you kind of deserve this for slacking off at work and making trouble for the dungeon."

I apply some pressure to the wall and push myself out off the dent I left in the wall. What is that obnoxious woman talking about? And was that her who sent me flying like that?

No matter, I must fight and kill!

Before I can get my bearings and launch an attack, an impact similar to the one before lands on the top of my head. My head gets buried in the rocky ground and everything is spinning.

Something grabs my tail and I am yanked out of the ground. I brace myself for impact and prepare to launch an attack the moment I can feel the ground below me again.

However, the expected impact and my return to the ground does not come. Instead, I am flung around like a rag doll. If all this is that woman's doing then she is a monster! How can she even lift me with that tiny body of hers.

No matter, if I can't attack her by biting her, I'll just reduce her into a bloody puddle! I start using my venomous mist breath at full force hoping to do damage over time.

"Looks like swinging you around isn't enough to teach you some manners. Venom of that level is useless against me by the way. Smashing it is."

From being swung around, I am suddenly smashed against the ground. Moments later I am back in the air and after another swing I crash into another rocky surface. By now I have lost all orientation and just alternate between being flung and being smashed into a dizzying mess.

Make it stop!

It doesn't stop. And she just keeps going! Does she not get tired? Enough of this!

"Stop, please, I yield."

"Finally seeing some reason? I was working up a little sweat with all this exercise."