Chapter 37
Acid Rain
Sizzling, popping, bulging.
Seeing melted flesh is never easy to stomach, seeing a once beautiful and majestic creature laid low by an attack isn’t easy either. Even now, I can see the stark contrast between beautiful fur, frantically sizzling fur and skin, and of course the still burning acid.
Fortunately, the acid is the easiest to deal with.
Trash.
A wave of my hand and the pulsing burbling blob that had been slowly eroding its way into the poor phase panther’s beautiful black dots on white background fur is gone.
Exhale.
Immediately, I see a clear change in my patient, the panther as it lets out a sigh of relief that it had been hanging onto while dealing with the burn. I am already up, my hand gently touching a non-wounded area.
Flinch.
The big cat flinches as the unexpected touch, even going so far as to lift up its massive and flexible neck and head to turn to me. I glance the cat out of the corner of my eye, but it just looks at me, starring and purring.
Yes, here it is, a giant cat that was nearly to the point where it would collapse and pass out from its wounds. Only to stop and see me prepared to work. The cat doesn’t even pause, doesn’t flinch, just stares at me with a pure loving gaze that I truly feel I have not earned.
On instinct, I begin channeling my two Class linked Skills that have become synonymous with each other in my mind. Rejuvenation Healing, to begin the healing process. Then the tongue twisters of all tongue twisters Golden Life Ratio Mana Regeneration*, to perform the Mana regeneration process. A process that will clearly be needed in this endeavor.
All ready, I can see the extent of my Mana going out, circulating within the giant cat’s body, and seeming to latch onto and find the pressure points. The most obvious pressure point is the gaping wound that is now exposed to the air. A wound that I effectively have to race against time to heal up, before scar tissue forms and possibly ruins this amazing creature’s fur. Still in these handful of seconds, the panther just glances at me, and then lowers its head back to resting on the ground. It’s body completely calm and serene as it lets me go wild down here.
Oh girl, I hope I some day earn that trust you are placing in me, I think to myself as I am already infusing attuned Healing Mana directly into this creature’s body.
I am so lost in this, that only my Music Resonance Skill even gives me the slightest understanding of what is happening around me. I hear the stomping of boots echoing off of hard flooring, letting me know that Markan and Mr. Yi both are already running to catch up to me. I hear the quick hard dropping as Kiera, this beast’s Tamer, drops to her knees and begins cradling the poor beast in her lap.
Fwoop-woop-fwoop.
Then I hear the unmistakable sound of multiple sets of wings all moving and flapping in a two on one off cadence. The first and the third seem to flap in near unison, while the second one rises while the others fall, and falls while the others rise, allowing the giant beast the odd ability to seemingly hover in the air.
Had it not been for the sound, nor the odd and undulating shadow that seemed to fall directly over the massive creature, as the light technicians scrambled to cover the beast and showcase its trajectory, I might not have even noticed its arrival. I was just too focused on my patient.
“Get down here, now!” Bianca Serpente scolded, her words laced with blue energy. Energy that seemed to get whipped away in the wind.
Threatening Hiss!
Then as if voicing its displeasure at the thought of being told what to do, the giant flying serpent began doing that vomiting routine from earlier. The same one where it looked like it was trying to upchuck bile and acid from its stomach.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Gulg, glup, gulg.
Seeing the pattern, and realizing that my patient was fully exposed. No, worse than exposed, as the same open and raw wound was now directly in the line of the sight of the great serpent, I moved. Every instinct in my body, years of training as a nurse and caregiver all boiled forth and caused me to spring into action.
Light touch.
Gently I pressed down on the non-wounded area of the panther. The same area that I had originally placed my hands to administer double doses of healing Mana to the beast, while trying to be as gentle as possible. Now though, now I used the spots to push down ever so gently as I sprung to life. Going instantly from a close crouch to a springing leap over the giant torso of the beast.
Thump-thump.
My feet land, somehow easily allowing me to clear the massive beast without even coming close to otherwise touching its still puss oozing open side.
Flinch.
As if reacting to my sudden explosive movement, the panther lunges up, its body making a crescent moon pose as it looks first to me, then up to the massive flying monster.
GRROWWLL!
Seeing the flying beast, the still injured phase panther lets out a snarling challenge to the flying winged snake.
Big mistake.
The flying acid-spitting snake that had been solely focused on its master, now turned directly to it, to us. At that moment, timed seemed to slow down to a crawl. As I saw the bulging ball of bile that had been slowly working its way up the snake creature’s long neck reach its mouth, as it opened its maw and began spraying the dark rotting mana infused substance out in a wide arcing spray.
In that instant, I dropped everything. Clearing out my two Class related Skills that had been cycling for about five heartbeats or so now, and felt my mind reach out and focus on slotting the one Skill that was uniquely my own. That one Skill that made me, me, my Trash Skill.
Holding out my arms wide and taking a wide stance, I felt my long flowing healer’s gown spread wide, as I attempted to use my own body as a shield against the incoming projectile spray.
Acid Spray: left, right, left.
That is the long explosive path that the flying serpent, Hydra made with her mouth. Focusing first to the left at the phase panther that even while wounded dare to question her authority. Then to the right, targeting its master that dared make it fly in such a state. Then back to the left, towards me, who was just standing there defiantly challenging its authority.
Trash.
Just like earlier, while I was trying to grab all of my falling Motes of Life Mana that would escape from my body, when I exceeded my capacity, now I tried the same. This time with giant balls of darkly glowing bile. Bile that looked almost like boiling tar, but somehow more lethal. As these were filled with rot and death magic.
Patter, splatter, hiss, sizzle.
In the end the spray was too much for me to catch it all. While I did manage to focus on the larger chunks. Chunks that seemed to be clinging to massive chunks of rotting meat and decaying bones, I couldn’t get it all.
Ripple.
Pelts of what feel almost like clinging hail fly out and hit me, instantly burning away at the thin black cloth that makes up this gown and begins burning through. Fortunately, with it being that close, and there being a physical touch to it, my mind is able to find the spots easily and dissolve them with my Trash Skill.
Then as the beast shifts to the right, towards its master, I quickly turn my head and see the sizzling specks that landed on the mat and on poor Lady, the phase panther.
Trash.
Once again. I focus on getting rid of all of those.
“Watch out!” Markan’s voice cries out, and is my only warning to turn back and face the still active threat.
I turn, just when the beast shakes its head back and forth across its trainer, once, twice, then three times. Each time just a subtle shift downward, as if trying to slowly burn her body from the top down, leaving nothing behind.
Then as Markan noted, the beast still wasn’t done, as it once again turned to spray Lady and me, though Lady was already moving, her barely healed body bleeding and causing white puss to flow from the movement.
Seeing Lady’s condition, I move two steps to my left, trying to provide even more protection for her, for my patient.
Trash.
By now the beast has begun a downward descent, as if somehow focusing on spitting out rancid burning bile, while flying is too much for it. That said, I can see that it is being pulled down by its large stomach, showing that it’s pregnancy is causing it some issues with maintaining its hovering status.
This means, that I have less time to focus on getting the falling debris, but it also means that I can get more of my body in the way.
Pfft, patter, hiss.
Fortunately, the concentration of dark bile is lessened, making it so there isn’t as much to worry about burning into me, even if some of the splatter does make contact with me. But there is so much that I do get hit in the face, mouth and torso area.
For the first time all day, I am exceptionally happy that I had been forced to wear a mask and veil, as that is the only thing that truly saves me from the deluge of misty acid rain that is now pelting me.
Trash.
I use Trash to stop the acid from spreading, but my veil and mask are clearly showing massive holes. But again my training has paid off, as I can all but feel the odd alien Mana trying to burn its way into my body. Which my mind finds and begins targeting with Trash.
“Ahh!” A cry of pain cries out, only for me to realize it is the other tamer. Seeing her covered in the corrosive liquid, my mind wanders back to the wicked witch of the west, who melted under exposure to water. While this wasn’t quite water, it was close enough to that scene, especially with her crumpling in on top of herself as she collapsed to the ground.
Thud.
Instinctively, I take a step towards her, but am instantly stopped by the sudden impact of the large serpent forcefully crashing onto the ground, then seeing my movement, the winged serpent turns her gaze towards me. A challenging threat to her gaze, as if daring me not to come close.
I pause.
Like a frightened field mouse caught in the open, I stand completely still. My body and instincts holding me prisoner, while my mind desperately wants me to move.
That’s when I see it, a slight blue mesmerizing force coming from the snake, all but demanding me to stay still, to accept the inevitable.
Badump, badump.
Seeing the gaze, I realize I have severely underestimated the serpents of this world, if they can even possess Skills that help mesmerize prey.
Angrily, I shake my head, and break free. The light blue threads that had been telling me to stay still, and stay safe were shattered, allowing me to move once more. Forcing my body to move, I take a diagonal. A step simultaneously moves me closer to the patient, the Tamer who is having her outer layer of skin being slowly eroded away by corrosive acid, while also allowing me to keep the same distance from the giant serpent.
Hiss.
Seeing my refusal to stop, the serpent hisses and then angrily surges forward, its massive twenty plus foot long body pushing and twisting forward, allowing it to cover three yards in a matter of seconds.
That’s when things go from bad to worse.
Munch!
As the giant serpent opens its massive maw and begins to devour its burning and quivering tamer in one massive bite.
What the?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Due to want you all to spend quality time with your friends, family, and loved ones today, I am releasing the chapter early. Enjoy the day, and please tell those memorable to you that you appreciate them.
500 Followers, read below for more details).
per day, until our reign on the top 50 stops.
500 Followers! (Almost there!)
