Chapter Thirty-Three: Joel’s Desperation

Perched high on a crumbling structure, the rabbits leaned forward with gleaming eyes, their whispers slicing through the humid air like the flick of a blade.

"Fifty scrap says the gator tears him apart any minute now. He is cornered up there in those ruins," one of them snickered, adjusting the goggles strapped to their oversized ears.

"You're generous. I say thirty seconds," another chimed in, their grin exposing sharp teeth. "Look at him—no proper weapons, no backup. He’s toast."

The leader, a tall, wiry figure with dark fur streaked with silver, stood silent, arms crossed. His eyes narrowed as he studied Joel’s stance, the way his battered armour adjusted and shifted as the human moved.

“Something’s off about him,” the leader muttered, more to himself than the others.

“What, like he’s got a death wish?” a younger rabbit quipped, chewing on a frayed piece of wire.

“No,” the leader said, his voice low and deliberate. “Like he’s got fight left in him. More than he should.”

Below, Jeremy’s massive form sliced through the water, leaving ripples that shimmered in the fractured light. Joel stood atop his makeshift island of concrete and broken steel, chest heaving as his helmet darted, tracking every swell and shift in the water.

With a sudden lurch, Jeremy launched forward, his armoured head breaking the surface as his jaws snapped at Joel’s perch. The impact shattered the edge of the concrete, sending chunks of debris flying into the air. Joel stumbled back, barely avoiding the attack, his boots scraping against the jagged surface.

“He’s gonna drown for sure,” one rabbit muttered, leaning back with a shrug.

“Don’t count him out yet,” the leader said, his ears twitching as he watched Joel regain his balance, his fists clenching with determination.

Jeremy sank back into the water, circling like a living shadow beneath the waves. Another rush followed, the gator erupting from the depths in a violent spray, his tail whipping against a nearby steel beam. The sound of the impact rang out like thunder, sending smaller pieces of rubble clattering into the water below.

Joel dove out of the way, landing hard on a slanted slab of concrete, but his eyes never left the roiling water.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” one rabbit said with a toothy grin. “If he lasts five minutes, I’ll double down. But I still say he’s gator chow by the end of this.”

The leader said nothing, his focus fixed on the human, who stood again, battered but unbroken. The rabbit leader leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he watched Joel dodge another of Jeremy’s devastating attacks. The human was battered, bleeding, and cornered on the crumbling slab, but still, he stood. Still, he fought.

The leader muttered under his breath, barely audible above the splashes of water and the distant creak of the clock tower. “Maybe we can use this one... to get rid of the lizardmen in the tower. Finally, take back our home.”

His fingers tapped a steady rhythm against the hilt of the blade strapped to his waist, his mind already racing with possibilities. “If he’s tough enough to survive Jeremy—and dumb enough to keep going—we might just have our tool.”

Behind him, one of the younger rabbits tilted their head, catching the words. “What’s that, boss?”

“Nothing,” the leader snapped, straightening up and folding his arms. He didn’t need their opinions, not yet. Not until he knew whether Joel would survive the next five minutes—or become just another corpse in the gator’s collection.

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Joel’s chest heaved as he stumbled backward, his armour sparking and groaning under Jeremy’s relentless onslaught. The gator’s massive frame surged forward, claws ripping through shattered concrete and debris with terrifying ease. Each step sent tremors through the ground, threatening to topple Joel as he struggled to keep his footing. His HUD flickered erratically, damage alerts flashing in angry red text: "Integrity at 19%... Energy Reserves Critical."

Jeremy loomed over him, steam hissing ominously from the vents embedded in his reinforced hide. Joel's eyes narrowed, desperation flooding his thoughts. His wrench was gone, crushed in the beast’s maw, and his armour was running on fumes. But then, through the haze of panic, he noticed the rhythmic plumes of vapour escaping from Jeremy's sides, each burst glowing faintly with an unnatural energy.

“The vents,” Joel muttered, clenching his fists as a wild idea began to form. He didn’t have time to second-guess it. Gritting his teeth, he extended his arms, his armour trembling as he activated the heart card’s core ability. A deep hum resonated through his body as the system came alive.

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Personal System Notification:

[Heart Card Function Engaged: Absorptive Core Armor]

Target Identified: Ambient Energy Source - Steam

Commencing Extraction... Efficiency: 87%

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The plates on Joel’s armour shifted and expanded, revealing glowing conduits that pulsed with a hungry light. As Jeremy lunged, Joel thrust his arms forward, channelling the card’s absorptive power directly toward the steaming vents. The air crackled as streams of vapour were pulled toward him, siphoned into his armour in shimmering tendrils.

Joel felt the surge immediately, his limbs igniting with renewed strength as his armour drank deeply of the raw energy. His HUD flashed green, power levels rising rapidly. The pain in his body dulled, replaced by an overwhelming heat that burned away his hesitation.

Jeremy roared, his massive jaws snapping shut inches from Joel’s face, but this time, Joel didn’t flinch. “You’re not the only one who can use what’s around you,” he growled, clenching his fists as the energy coursed through him, his armour glowing brighter than ever.

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Personal System Notification:

[Absorptive Core Armor: Energy Siphon Activated]

Source: Steam Core Detected

Siphoned Energy: 38%

Boost Applied:

- Speed: +15%

- Strength: +20%

Duration: 2 minutes

Status: Stable

Warning: Prolonged siphoning may destabilize integrity.

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Joel’s armour shifted with a mechanical groan, the once-dull plates now glowing faintly with stolen energy. Pulses of light coursed through the conduits, syncing with his heartbeat as the boost took hold. His movements sharpened, faster and more precise, and his arms hummed with power as strength flooded back into his limbs. The oppressive weight of exhaustion lifted, replaced by a burning determination.

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Jeremy’s guttural roar shattered the air like a thunderclap, a primal, furious sound that echoed through the ruins. His bloodied form surged forward, the rippling muscles beneath his armoured hide twisting with raw power. Wounds leaked dark streams into the water, trailing behind him like a banner of his fury. He wasn’t retreating. He wasn’t giving up. This human—this fragile creature—had dared to hurt him, and he was going to make him pay with every bone in his body.

Jeremy’s guttural voice rumbled through the air, each word a rasping growl that scraped like claws on metal. His massive jaws parted slightly, revealing rows of jagged teeth as his glowing eyes locked onto Joel.

“Little man... you fight... but break soon,” he snarled, the effort of forming human words making his speech slow and eerie. “I crush you... like twig.”

He advanced a step, tail dragging through the debris-strewn water, sending ripples of destruction outward. Blood dripped from his wounds, but it only seemed to fuel his rage.

“You think... brave? No armour save you. No tricks stop Jeremy.” His voice rose into a monstrous growl. “I eat you, bones and all. You scream... I enjoy.”

Joel clenched his fists, his armour humming weakly in response. “We’ll see about that,” he shot back, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest.

Joel tightened his grip on the warped, bloodied piece of rebar in his hand, his mind racing as Jeremy's guttural threats echoed around him. They can talk, he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. Why can they all talk? First the otter, now this monster?

Of all the insanity he’d faced since the system dropped—the void monsters, the cards, his armour coming to life—this still felt out of place. Creatures like Jeremy shouldn’t be able to string together words, let alone mock him with threats. But here he was, standing toe-to-toe with a massive, rage-fueled gator that somehow spoke broken English.

“Not even the top three weirdest things, though,” Joel muttered under his breath, the corners of his mouth twitching in grim humour despite the danger. The past few days had been a gauntlet of madness, each event stranger than the last. A talking gator? Sure, why not? It was just one more thing in this chaotic world that no longer cared for logic or reason.

Still, he couldn’t shake the surreal edge it gave to the fight. The guttural rasp of Jeremy’s voice, layered with malice and bloodlust, wormed its way under his skin in a way raw violence never had. It felt personal, deliberate—like Jeremy wasn’t just trying to kill him but trying to break him in the process. That made it all the more unsettling.

“Well, you’re not winning the weirdness trophy, buddy,” Joel muttered, eyes narrowing as he shifted his stance, ready for the next attack. “But you’re definitely in the running.”

Jeremy’s massive head tilted, a mocking imitation of curiosity. “Fight all you want... no one comes. No one hear. You die... alone.”

With that, the gator lunged forward, teeth bared and laughter—a cruel, guttural rasp—echoing behind him. Jeremy’s tail lashed out with devastating force, sweeping across the fractured remains of the battlefield. Broken slabs of concrete exploded into fragments, a jagged storm of stone and steel.

Joel dove to the side, the shockwave of the impact sending him skidding across a crumbling ledge. His chest heaved with laboured breaths, his body bruised and battered, yet his grip on the shattered wrench remained firm. The glowing remnants of his armour hummed faintly, flickering like a dying ember.

From his perch, Joel scanned the water. It was deceptively calm, ripples spreading in lazy arcs. But he knew better. Jeremy was circling, a predator preparing to strike. The faint glow of Joel’s armour painted him as a beacon, a challenge that demanded an answer.

The HUD flickered warnings across his visor.

ENERGY LEVELS CRITICAL. CORE INTEGRITY COMPROMISED.

Joel gritted his teeth, blocking out the noise. This wasn’t about survival anymore. It was about defiance. About showing this monstrous bastard that he wouldn’t bow, no matter how many bones Jeremy broke. “You want me?” Joel growled, his voice cracking with adrenaline. “Come and get me.”

The water erupted in a geyser of fury as Jeremy lunged from the depths, his jaws snapping shut inches from Joel. The sheer force of the attack blew Joel off his feet, his back slamming against a rusted beam. Jeremy’s claws gouged deep into the concrete as he landed, dragging himself fully onto the ruined platform. His nostrils flared, steam rising as he locked eyes with Joel. A low, guttural rumble grew in his throat, a promise of the carnage he intended to unleash.

Joel scrambled to his feet, adrenaline numbing the pain radiating through his ribs. Jeremy struck with his tail, the heavy appendage smashing the beam Joel had used to steady himself. The metal groaned and twisted, collapsing into the water with a deafening splash. Joel dodged to the side, rolling through the debris and coming up in a crouch.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Jeremy diving back into the water, his form disappearing beneath the murk. A long shadow rippled through the surface, circling closer and closer to Joel’s makeshift island of rubble. The gator wasn’t just attacking—he was toying with him, enjoying the game.

“Not today,” Joel muttered, his voice raw. Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he leaped onto a higher perch, balancing precariously on a crumbled section of rebar and concrete. The water erupted again, Jeremy breaching like a nightmare-made flesh. His massive jaws snapped shut just shy of Joel’s legs, the force of the near miss sending shockwaves through the platform.

Joel didn’t hesitate. He jumped, dove and rolled while gravity carried him onto Jeremy’s softer underbelly. Jeremy thrashed violently, his roar shaking Joel to his core. The gator twisted, his massive body churning the water into a frothing chaos. Joel clung desperately, his hands scrambling for purchase on the slick, mud and blood-slicked metal plates. He raised his fist high, still holding a small piece of rebar, siphoned energy sparking along its length, and brought it down in a brutal hammering arc onto Jeremy’s exposed flank.

The impact was devastating. The jagged metal connected with a sickening pierce, cracking one of Jeremy’s reinforced plates. Blood and steam sprayed out in a hot, metallic mist, the scent of iron and oil filling Joel’s nostrils. Jeremy roared in pain, his entire body convulsing as he bucked Joel off, sending him tumbling into the churning water.

He sank beneath the surface. The world was chaos—a swirl of blood, debris, and shadows. Joel kicked furiously, fighting his way back up, gasping for air as he broke the surface. But Jeremy wasn’t finished.

The gator’s tail swung from below, striking Joel square in the side and sending him flying through the air. He hit a half-submerged wall, the impact rattling his bones. His vision blurred, but his will burned hotter than ever.

Jeremy barreled forward again, blood dripping from his cracked scales, his eyes burning with primal rage. Joel forced himself to his feet, staggering, his armour flickering weakly. With every breath, he felt the weight of the fight pressing down on him, but he refused to fall.

"This isn’t over," Joel roared..

Joel steadied himself on the crumbling half-wall, his breath ragged as he scanned the chaotic waters below. That was when he saw something, a hammer, half buried in the muddy water. Joel’s hands scrambled through the muck and shattered debris as Jeremy’s monstrous form surged through the water, circling like a shark.

His wrench was gone, lost in the chaos, and Jeremy’s guttural growls were getting closer. The gator wasn’t just circling anymore; he was stalking. He turned his head, tracking Jeremy’s movements beneath the surface.

Then his fingers brushed something solid, a familiar weight. Joel pulled it free, revealing a club hammer crusted with dirt and rust but intact. A club hammer is essentially a smaller version of a sledgehammer, Joel had used them before, for heavy-duty work. It looked like it had come from a smashed toolbox, maybe tossed here from one of the wrecked work trucks or even someone’s garage before the floods. Joel didn’t waste time pondering its origin.

A weapon was a weapon.

“Better than nothing,” he muttered, rising to his feet as Jeremy’s glowing eyes breached the surface again, locking onto him.

The gator lunged, jaws snapping with brutal force, but Joel’s armour flared with energy, and he sidestepped with a newfound agility that felt almost unnatural. The hammer’s weight in his hand gave him a grim sense of purpose. He ducked low as Jeremy surged past, the beast’s tail whipping through the air and smashing into a nearby wall, sending a cascade of rubble into the water.

“Let’s see how you like this!” Joel roared, leaping onto a chunk of concrete.

Jeremy twisted, his massive bulk creating waves that unbalanced Joel’s footing, but the armour compensated, stabilizing him just enough. Seizing the moment, Joel raised the hammer high and slammed it into one of the gator’s glowing vented plates with all his strength.

Across the bottom of his HUD, he saw the words again: [Absorptive Core Armor: Energy Siphon Activated]

The impact resonated with a metallic clang, and the hammerhead buried itself into the damaged plate. Steam and heat exploded outward, and Joel felt the temperature spike against his face. His armour drank in the energy, glowing faintly as it redirected the pressure into a concussive blast that erupted beneath him.

Jeremy let out a guttural bellow as the shockwave forced him underwater, his massive tail thrashing violently. The waves knocked Joel off his footing, and he tumbled into the water, swallowing a mouthful of brackish liquid as he scrambled to the surface.

The stunned gator surfaced a moment later, disoriented but still dangerous. Joel gritted his teeth, gripping the hammer tightly. “You’re not done, are you? Neither am I.”