The Culling of Man: A litrpg adventure (Peril's Prodigy Book 1) by Craig Kobayashi (ereader android TXT) 📕

Sharon was not doing well. The Naturist lay limp, dripping crimson atop the glistening rooftop. Her vision was dimming but she could still make out the numbers on her flashing Health bar that read 77/655. The blinding headache from Mana depletion and constant expenditure made it impossible for her to focus enough to cast a healing spell, even if she had the Mana to do so. With her last ounce of strength, the seventy-whatever-year-young Naturist summoned both of her Endless Potions into existence from her Items panel and raised each of them to her lips in turn, then let her head rest back on the wet, bloody rooftop of the gazebo. Her Health and Mana both jumped by 10% and continued to rise as she lay on the roof. The Epic quality potions saved her life but wouldn't be able to use them again for another ten minutes.

With Sharon no longer restraining S'thys Zor, the oversized cobra-man roared triumphantly and finally joined the fight. He slithered surprisingly quickly, closing the distance to the gazebo in seconds - where Garath was still wrestling with the Naga he had used as a landing pad moments before. Luckily, the second Pikeman that had been on the roof held his pointed weapon at the ready but didn't strike, careful to avoid friendly fire without a clean shot at the struggling Necrologist.

When Garath caught a glimpse of the approaching boss out of the corner of his eye while grappling with a creature that had most assuredly invested much more points into Strength than he had, he made his move.

‘Just the mother fucker I've been waiting for,’ he thought to himself with a wild excitement.

Garath focused inward and activated Black Blood. Black droplets seeped from his pores and coalesced into a thin mist surrounding his body. He was really starting to get the hang of manipulating the malleable liquid. With just a thought, the mist came together and hardened as the molecules condensed and vibrated faster. He willed the hardened blood into a lance that quickly ended his wrestling match when it skewered his opponent. Its Health already low from the Necrologist's damage over time Spells, a punctured heart was more than enough to finish it off. The melee unit's arms released the Necrologist and it fell limp to the ground. Garath got to his feet quickly and readied himself for what was coming.

What was coming was about as intimidating as Liam Neeson after you abducted his daughter. The spiny fins protruding from S’thys Zor’s face rattled and shook as he bellowed a command that rose even above the crashing of the surrounding waterfalls. Every Naga in the cove stopped what they were doing and slithered over platforms and through flowing water to meet him.

In the brief seconds it took for S'thys Zor to gather his forces, Garath urgently weighed his options. Fighting in human form had its advantages, he could summon and command the pets he had bound to that form, but it was by far his least mobile option. Cat form definitely had the best resume in terms of past accomplishments, but crow form was quickly becoming a favorite. In crow form he would be able to avoid taking damage with relative ease while bringing the cumulative life force of the Naga army down bit by bit with Plague and Blight - maybe even aerial Death Bolts. That idea pretty much decided which route to take for him, the image of flying around and blasting little death balls at the helpless Naga below was just irresistible.

Decision made, he faced off with the oncoming S'thys Zor (and friends) then leaped into the air and gracefully shifted in to crow form - at least that's what should have happened. Instead, when he attempted to activate his BeastScape Ability, there was no tingle at the back of his neck. His skin did not sprout black feathers and he did not take flight. He simply fell back to the ground with his arms spread wide, flapping. He received a prompt explaining his mishap and took an instant to read it as he fell through a tear in space-time in the form of Athios' Transport Ally Skill.

You have reached the maximum amount of shape shifts for a 24 hour period (13). You will be unable to use BeastScape for another 6 hours and 36 minutes.

‘That's exactly the kind of information a prompt should provide BEFORE your fucking life depends on it,’ Garath thought with chagrin.

When he emerged from the second half of Athios' Spell, the Necrologist fell to his hands and knees on the far end of the center platform. Warrion and Athios were standing between him and the gazebo as the remaining nine Naga slithered out of the ornate structure in force.

In all, there were six Naga Pikemen, one Hypnotist, one Sentry, and one very angry S'thys Zor. Two of the Pikemen and the Hypnotist were running on empty with under ten percent of their HP remaining. The rest of the enemies, S'thys Zor excluded, weren't doing much better with their Health bars sitting between a quarter and half full. S'thys Zor himself had been taking damage from Plague for over ten minutes straight. Garath thought that between that and the countless Roots spells from Sharon should have at least made a dent, but the dungeon boss’ HP was still sitting pretty at just over ninety percent.

The dungeon divers were less than one hundred percent themselves, but were far from out for the fight. Athios' Mana was nearly empty but her HP bar had made it through her wild dash around the cove unscathed. Warrion had taken some damage and was bleeding profusely from his right leg and shoulder. Sharon had recovered a quarter of her HP and Mana from the potions and was able to cast a Nature's Touch on herself, regenerating even more HP every second from her position atop the gazebo. Garath was a bit put out about the fact that he couldn't enact