Chapter 39: 39. The Warren Part 4

39. The Warren Part 4

Peter the Bunny Patron advances toward me and Cottontail as his line of future fuck-toys scatters to hide behind pillars and in the room’s corners.

“What’s the matter, girlie? Sure you’re up for this?”

A little of my uncertainty must be showing. Hey, this is my first time facing a third-tier monster in battle, and I don’t have my companions, of course I’m nervous!

“One sec.”

*Canine Marks – Two*

Wolf Nose

Dire Wolf Nose

Wolf Lord’s Nose

Wolf Claws

Dire Wolf Claws

Wolf Lord’s Claws

Cinderwolf Claws

Wolf Tail

Dire Wolf Tail

Wolf Lord’s Tail

Cinderwolf Tail

Wolf Legs

Wolf Rush

Dire Wolf Legs

Wolf Lord’s Legs

Cinderwolf Legs

Wolf Jaws

Dire Wolf Jaws

Wolf Lord’s Jaws

Cinderwolf Ember Magic

Wolf Cock

Dire Wolf Cock

Wolf Lord’s Cock

Cinderwolf Cock

I really wanted to experiment with the Canine options before being put in a situation like this. I know there must be other hidden abilities like Wolf Rush, but I can’t deduce which path will unlock something useful.

I’d go for Cinderwolf Rush, but I don’t have enough remaining marks to select Wolf Legs-->Cinderwolf Legs-->Cinderwolf Rush. Having Wolf Rush equipped isn’t doing me any favors in this department.

Ember Magic seems the obvious choice, but I should pick it second. I’ve got one chance to unlock something great and select it with my last mark.

Claws? I already have a spear. Jaws? Spear again. I’m risking a redundancy, or maybe what I’m looking for is hiding underneath…? Also, why no Wolf Ears???

*Selected Wolf Tail!*

A furry rear-appendage sprouts from the base of my spine. I desperately check the Canine tree for an update.

Nothing.

Shit. Aaahhhrg!!! Stupid bad luck, why is there no damn guidebook for this? What was I thinking? The best I could’ve expected was another movement skill, right? Why not go for broke with the claws or jaws, then?

Because I’d look weird? That’s no excuse! Moron!

Alright. I’m done berating myself. My next choice had better carry me to victory, though.

*Selected Cinderwolf Ember Magic!*

“Quit playing with yourself and focus up.” Peter gets my attention and slaps his belly. “I’ll give you a single free shot. Hit me anywhere, full force. Or I can let you off the hook if you get down on your knees and suck me in front of my failure of a son. Either works for me, heh, heh, heh.”

I ball my fists, crack my neck, and approach the Bunny Patron. Looking up, this is the worst weight differential I’ve had to deal with. Worse than when an Ogre came hunting me on my first day as a Tamer. I’m the size of a Goblin, and he’s eight feet tall, almost three times my height. Unfortunately, I spent most of my available marks getting here, and can’t refund my choices until sunrise.

He glowers down at me as we square off, both naked, him at least covered in fur. I rear back, summon my spear, draw upon my Orc Strength, and jab him in the gut with the butt.

Peter doubles over, coughing. I must’ve hit his diaphragm.

“What the fuck was that? I might actually bruise… You’re no ordinary human, are you girlie?”

“The tail didn’t give it away?”

In my wildest fantasies, I ended it with that blow. But what was I supposed to do, stab him with the pointy end? Slit his throat? Yes, Peter is a douche, and yes, he’s made unreasonable demands from me and my woman, but this isn’t a situation where I straight-up kill him.

I believe him when he says he protects the Warren from Mole-men. If I remove Peter, the Fuzzy population gets decimated, and the monster populations that prey on the Fuzzies start Incursions on nearby territories (like my hometown) to keep from starving. Removing him could start an ecological disaster.

Killing Peter with a cheap shot would probably get me a nastily worded mark, anyway. I’d feel dirty, and it’d put a serious strain on my relationship with Cottontail. She may not like her dad, but he’s still her dad. Emotions can be weird like that.

Better to make it clear to Peter I’m not someone to play around with and have a real fight. Humiliate him in defeat.

“Alright, consider me interested,” Peter says as he cracks his knuckles and winds up a haymaker. “Let’s see what you’re made of.”

As he throws the punch aimed far above my head, I’m baffled. There’s no way that’s going to hit me down here, right?

I’m the one who looks like an idiot as I sense Earth Magic activating behind me. I’m a moment too late to counterspell as a pillar of stone erupts from the ground to hit me from behind, launching me into the air at an angle, directly into Peter’s trajectory.

Cancer Summon Armor!

The crab shell plate mail appears on me in the nick of time, absorbing a good portion of the blow. I’m still sent rocketing away with cracks spiderwebbing across the armor’s chest plate. Landing on my feet, I skid backward several yards before stopping.

“You’re soft, girlie. You didn’t go for the kill when you had the chance. Why? Because you give a shit about these rodents? Big mistake.”

I cough and hack; his punch knocked the wind out of me. Shit, he only hits a little harder than an Orc, but he’s more dangerous than an Ogre. Peter is an intelligent fighter. Combine that with his strength and magic, and there’s no denying he deserves to be called ‘third-tier.’

I’m already having to resummon my damaged armor.

“This won't be a challenge,” Peter says after taking my measure, and the Bunny Patron advances on me.

Okay, he caught me off-guard the first time. I wasn’t expecting Earth Magic at all, let alone the power of a third-tier spell. Now I can show him Fast Learner.

Peter winds up a haymaker, and I dodge aside. I counterspell his Earth Magic, but his higher tier spell-work is so much faster. A second spell surprises me, and I’m punted into the air again. This time, I interpose the shaft of my summoned spear to block part of his blow.

The fist coming at me breaks through the spear shaft to hit my chest. I land on my feet skidding backward, but my chest plate is intact. The damage I took is reduced. I smirk.

“Think you got me figured out, girlie? Care to try that again?”

I reply by summoning another spear and chucking it at him.

Peter catches the projectile in one hand and snaps the shaft with his thumb. I seriously need a better weapon.

The Bunny Patron approaches me a third time, and I backpedal. His strides eat the distance between us. I use Wolf Rush to compensate and hop an extra spear length away as Peter winds up his haymaker yet again.

My senses search the nearby ground for his Earth Magic in preparation to counterspell, but when I detect his magic, it’s nowhere near me. I look up to find he’s coated his fist in stone. When he punches, Peter launches the rock glove at me.

I’m hit in the chest plate, knocking me for a loop, and I land prone. My armor is severely fractured around the point of impact, forcing me to resummon my armor. I’m getting woozy from the repeated beatings.

I regain my wits in the nick of time to counterspell a stone pillar that would’ve launched me into another Peter haymaker. This isn’t good. I have to concede I can’t handle him with my base speed.

Wolf Rush!

The speed boost allows me to stay a step ahead of Peter’s Earth Magic, but the stamina cost of constantly maintaining it will be a huge factor in deciding the victor. I need to do some damage! Switching to the bladed side of the spear, I test Peter with a slash to his side. The stone blade of the spear has trouble cutting through his fur, and then there’s all his fat to get through.

“What is this, a papercut?” the Bunny Patron mocks my efforts.

If I can’t evade without Wolf Rush, and I can’t wound him, I’m fucked. Wait, how did I beat the Mole-men?

I shoot a jet of Water Magic at Peter. It doesn’t hurt him or anything, but it does pool at his feet. The Bunny Patron starts churning the dirt to mud as he turns to follow my strafing.

Except, Peter is smarter than a Mole-man.

“Nice try, but you’ll have to do better than that.” The Bunny Patron simply elevates the ground beneath him a few inches. Now, my water flows away from him without lingering long enough to become mud.

If Ariella’s Water doesn’t work, and my Earth Magic is focused on counterspelling, then maybe…

I activate Ember Magic with a flex of will.

A current of hot air blows from my left hand as heat radiates from my palms. My right is gripping the spear shaft, which crackles and glows with embers along the length. But it doesn’t burn. Instead, the spear tip glows a dull cherry red. Sweet! It’s like Suka is here by my side.

I chuck the ember spear at Peter. He catches the shaft like before, but it crumbles in his grip, and the spearhead continues its flight to cut a shallow wound in his side. Fur around the cut smokes and smolders until he pats out the small fire.

“Aaahhh! Shit! This fucking whore keeps pulling out more tricks,” Peter yells in pain as he hurriedly drops the embers burning his hand.

Now this is a fight!

I summon a spear in each hand while channeling Ember Magic and throw them as I strafe around Peter. The Bunny Patron chases me and throws rocks or uses them to block, having learned it’s no use catching my projectiles now. I counterspell about one in three of his Earth Magic spells, the tier gap between us being what it is.

My Wolf Rush speed keeps me a hairsbreadth out of range and ahead of his rocks while I pummel him with burning spears. The heated spearheads cut into his flesh again and again. Ember spear shafts crumble across his chest and arms, spraying hot coals across his fur which need to be smothered, further stalling the Bunny Patron. It’s close, but I see myself edging out a win before exhausting my stamina.

“Hold still you little bitch!”

He’s losing his cool while Fast Learner is finally paying out. Peter rears back for a haymaker, but I anticipate and dodge his first and second rock pillars, then counterspell the third. I’m narrowly out of this attack’s range and decide to use the opportunity to summon another ember spear.

Then Peter’s hand switches from fist to open palm. It’s not something I’ve seen him do before, so Fast Learner fails to predict what happens next.

“Summon Carrot.”

A world-record-sized root vegetable appears in Peter’s hand like a club. ‘It must weigh fifty pounds,’ my brain has time to register as he swings at me in slow motion. The weapon's added reach turns my previously 'safe' positioning into Peter's perfect strike-zone.

“What the f—”

The world spins around me as I fly through the air. Then everything comes to a sudden stop as I hit one of the stone pillars. My entire suit of crab armor shatters. I don’t even feel the pain until I peel off the rock and fall to the floor.

Then, everything hurts. I try to rise, but I can’t feel my legs. I try to prop myself up, but my arm is bent the wrong way. I must’ve broken every bone in my body. I can’t breathe, and there’s a metallic taste in my mouth. Then I vomit, and I can smell the blood.

Peter… he fucking tricked me into thinking I had the upper hand so he could get a cheap shot, the bastard!

“Cot—ugh,” I try to say Cottontail’s name to tell him I’m alright, but I can’t finish without coughing. My lungs are filling with blood. I think I’m dying.

“Oops. Sorry, Cottontail. Looks like I hit your girlie a little too hard. No worries, though. I’ll be sure to give you the dick you so clearly crave in her place. Every. Single. Day.”

There’s no way I’m letting that happen!

I somehow manage to roll myself onto my back. I’ve got to have something left in my marks!

*Goblinoid Marks – One*

Goblin Ears

Goblinoid Ears (Apprentice, Hob, Orc)

Goblin Gut

Goblinoid Gut (Apprentice, Hob, Orc)

Goblin Nails

Hobgoblin Nails

Goblin Stature

Hobgoblin Stature

Orc Stature

Orc Strength

Goblinoid Cock (Goblin, Hob, Orc)

Goblin Apprentice Fast Learner

Goblin Apprentice Quick Study

Goblin Apprentice Summon Spectacles

Summon Club (Hobgoblin, Orc)

Nothing…

Orc Stature won’t save me now, and I’ll be stuck underground if I select it. I made a choice at the start of this fight to focus on evasion rather than pit an Orc body against his. Maybe I should've committed to staying here overnight, but it's too late to second guess myself.

*Forest Marks – Two*

Mandragora Photosynthesis

Pitcher Treefolk Photosynthesis

Twisted Treefolk Twisted Apple

Twisted Treefolk Roots

Pitcher Treefolk Vines

Mandragora Plant Growth Magic

Pitcher Treefolk Plant Growth Magic

Twisted Treefolk Bark Skin

Twisted Treefolk Earth Magic

Twisted Treefolk Cock

Pitcher Treefolk Stomach Acid

Nothing…

*Fuzzy Marks – One*

Rodent Nose (Bunny, Mouse, Mole-man)

Rodent Ears (Bunny, Mouse)

Rodent Stature (Bunny, Mouse, Mole-man)

Rodent Tail (Bunny, Mouse)

Rodent Legs (Bunny, Mouse)

Rodent Cock (Bunny, Mouse, Mole-man)

Bunny Stamina

Mole-man Earth Magic

Mole-man Claws

Mole-man Summon Shovel

Nothing!

*Slime Marks – One*

Slime Constitution

Slime Constitution (Jellyfish, Fuzzy)

Slime Malleability

Slime Malleability (Jellyfish, Fuzzy)

Slime Mutability

Slime Mutability (Jellyfish, Fuzzy)

Slime Hair / Legs / Arms

Jellyfish Slime Tentacles

Furry Slime Flesh Shaping

Fuzzy Slime Fur

There! I reach with my arm that isn’t broken to make a choice.

*Selected Slime Constitution!*

I’m not sure what that does, because nothing miraculous happens. I don’t suddenly turn into a Slime and regenerate all my wounds. I don’t have time to figure this one out…

Everything is getting cold…

Then there’s a burning hot sensation on my tummy tattoos, and a pink glow engulfs me.

I feel bones snap into position in an ancient human fireworks show of pain. I can feel my legs again! I cough and vomit, expelling blood from my lungs and stomach as my wounds close and my blood pressure supernaturally stabilizes. I check my status again.

*Pets*

*Exhausted Pink Slime Core*

Olindia! She saved my life and gave me another shot at this fight.