Monster Jousting Book 3 - Chapter 8 (Patreon)

Blood splashed under the primal onslaught brought forward by the towering wolf. Noah watched with a grin. Then came the sound of an egg cracking under pressure. Only it wasn’t an egg, but the mighty plates of chitinous armour belonging to the devilish crab.

Noah spotted his target. A hole gouged into the crab’s armour, right above its right eye.

The monster thrashed in rage, spitting out fire like a high-powered water hose.

The wolf’s fur ignited into an uncontrollable blaze. The smell of burnt hair wafted throughout the streets. Mixed with blood, it was a putrid scent that would cause anyone to pause. But not Noah. His moment had come.

Bounding backward, the wolf crashed into a nearby building. Debris and dust fell on top of its mighty body. The wolf tried to extinguish the fires. It didn’t work. Flickering flames emerged through the debris and dust and the darkness of the inner building.

Thraz, Krall, and Pillow stayed out of sight within the dark alley.

Gluttony bounded through the shadows with Noah on his back. His lance was pointed ahead; directed at his target. Gluttony pounced as they neared. Noah used [Shadow Blink], appearing right in front of the crab.

Noah activated all his Skills, skewering his shadow covered lance into the crabs fleshy brain.

You defeated a - Level 141 Infernal Crab.

…
| Extra experience is rewarded for defeating an enemy beyond your Level.

You have Levelled up!
| Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 100 -> Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 102

Krall, the Scourge of the Jungle has levelled up.
| Krall level 100 -> Krall level 102

| Krall is ready to evolve!

Gluttony has Levelled up.
| Gluttony level 94 -> Gluttony level 98

Noah immediately turned his vision away from the System notifications. Glittering lights spawned from above the infernal crab. Green, blue, purple and…

Legendary! Noah’s eyes widened. But now wasn’t the time to be amazed as he felt heat burn into his fleshy nape.

He used [Shadow Blink] and re-appeared a few metres down the street. The wolf had broken free of the devouring flames, and dashed back onto the street. It sniffed the crab. Its eyes narrowed as it realised its prey had been taken.

The wolf let out an earth shaking howl as it turned its ferocious gaze onto Noah.

Noah flashed a nervous smile. The monster was injured, but it was hardly enough to best the towering wolf in direct combat. Just having the ire of the wolf almost made him take a step back in trepidation. And he did. The aura the wolf exuded was one of a superior being.

I can’t beat it. Of course, Noah knew that before he even had the thought of fighting the infernal crab. And the wolf was even stronger.

Run. Noah gave the command to Gluttony as they dashed through the streets.

However, the wolf wasn’t willing to let him go. It gave chase. The fine hairs on Noah’s nape tingled. He glanced over his shoulders. He looked into the wolf’s eyes. They were so concentrated on his body, so invested in the hunt, that Noah couldn’t help but shiver.

Noah realised in that moment that the wolf wasn’t going to give up like the infernal crab had done before.

Shit, I can’t run from it.

“Change of plan!” Noah shouted as he and the others ducked into another narrow alleyway. The wolf crashed into the building, thankfully the walls didn’t crumble. Instead, it leapt over the buildings, landing on the wider street ahead of Noah.

Instead of continuing down the alley, Noah dashed back the way he came, and into another alleyway. But no matter which direction, and no matter how dark the alley was, the wolf always had his scent.

“We fight,” Noah said.

“Fight, are you insane?” Pillow shouted as he ran by Krall’s side. “I want that damned golden stone as much as the next Kilen, but that’s suicide, I tell you!”

Kilen. So that’s Pillow’s race.

“It obviously has some dog-like sense of smell,” Noah said, stirring from his meandering thoughts. “No matter where we go, it will chase.”

“Noah, I like a good fight, but how do we beat that thing?” Thraz asked.

“Leave it to me,” Noah replied. “Keep running down with the safety of the alleys. Don’t enter the wider streets. That’s all you have to do. I’ll do the rest.”

“You’re using us as fucking bait?” Pillow glared at him.

Noah laughed. “That’s right. What, don’t trust me?”

“I trust you,” Thraz said. “Noah?”

“Yeah?”

“Kill it.”

Noah smiled. “That’s the plan.”

He purchased two, Rare tiered scent blockers from the Grace Shop, costing him a total of 4000 points. It was a steep price to pay, but it would be worth it in the end. A large pay-day was waiting for him. Hopefully.

The scent blocker came in a spray bottle. Noah applied it to both him and Gluttony. Then he used [Shadowed Presence], and dashed into a nearby alley. He watched as the wolf leapt over him, and chased Krall, and the others with beast-like ferocity.

Noah sighed in relief. The scent blockers had worked.

Noah picked up the pace and sprinted alongside the wolf. He looked to the right. The wrathful wolf flashed in between the alleyways. Thankfully, Noah seemed to be faster than the wolf. Well, technically Gluttony was. But with using [Charge], his speed increased considerably.

Shaking his limbs, Noah had also fully accustomed to his Stat altered body. Now it’s my turn to hunt.

Noah bolted from the dark streets, to the shaded alleyways. Every time he pounced from the shadows, Noah took a pound of flesh off of the wolf.

He made sure that he attacked fast enough so the wolf wouldn’t catch up to his team. If it did, then they wouldn’t survive long under its onslaught.

The fight, if it could be called that, lasted for an entire twenty minutes. For a battle with life and death on the line, it felt like an age had passed. Each time Noah struck the wolf, his heart pounded against his chest. Thoughts rushed into his adrenaline fueled brain. Would the wolf figure out where he would pounce next and skewer him with those devastating claws?

But in the end, he didn’t have to worry.

Noah stopped counting how many times he had struck the beast, but he estimated it was almost reaching the hundreds.

Finally, the monster slumped to the cold, hard ground. Noah glanced behind him in the streets. Blood lined the walls and splattered the bricked flooring. It was all fresh. However, the crazed wolf wasn’t dead yet. He hadn’t received a notification.

Shaking his head, he used his [Thrust] shard, and attacked the wolf from a distance. Two, four, and then six times. Only then did the beast finally breathe its last breath.

You defeated a - Level 153 Hulking Direwolf.

…
| Extra experience is rewarded for defeating an enemy beyond your Level.

You have Levelled up!
| Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 102 -> Noah ( Phantom Lancer ) level 106

Krall, the Scourge of the Jungle has levelled up.
| Krall level 102 -> Krall level 106

Gluttony has Levelled up.
| Gluttony level 98 -> Gluttony level 104

Milestone Reached!

| Gluttony is ready for evolution.

Great! I’ll have him eat the heart of the infernal crab, or maybe even the hulking direwolf. Although I prefer the supernatural skills of the crab…

Noah paused his thinking. Gluttony didn’t even give the wolf a spare look. However, it was Krall who approached the wolf, nudging it with his powerful snout. He looked back at Noah.

Is it because Gluttony’s bloodline is so special that it doesn’t bother with wanting to taint it? Or is Krall the only one with the ability to alter his species?

As the question stumped Noah, light spawned above the wolf. Only lights until purple appeared. No Legendary. Noah snatched them all up just as the others arrived.

“I’ll dish them out later,” he said.

Pillow rubbed his paws together. “The Legendary.”

Krall seemed very interested in tearing apart the wolf and eating its heart to begin the evolution process, but Noah didn’t let him. There was another reason why Noah was apprehensive about fighting the wolf. And that was the chance of it having unique powers; like the crab had. But it didn’t appear to be the case.

The reason for the wolf's powerful might was perhaps just down to its longer life. Maybe it had more years to mature, and grow, than the crab did? Whatever the reason was, he would much rather have Krall take the powers of fire. After all, his body right now was already strong enough. He didn’t need any more raw strength.

Noah had to bring out the most of his companions. And if he had access to fire… Noah spun on his heels and dashed through the streets back to where the crab had died.

He was worried that something would have stolen the Legendary stone, but as he turned the corner and witnessed the sparkling orange glow, his nerves calmed.

Noah walked up to it. His lips twitched.

It’s christmas…