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[SKILL ACTIVATED – Instinct Surge Lv. 1]
+30% Strength | +30% Agility | +30% Perception (Duration: 10 seconds)
Neural delay reduced. Reflex channeling engaged.
Target tracking: ACTIVE.
Combat Focus State: ON.
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The metal buckled inward with a groan, gouged with deep claw scars that briefly sparked with static as the Crawler struck the reinforced wall, sending out a shockwave that vibrated their bones. As though roused by the violence, the fungal veins on the walls pulsed more rapidly.
'Enemy momentum: Overextended. Rear flank exposed. Counterattack window detected,' Asha's voice guided him.
Jin didn't pause. He twisted mid-fall, planting his foot and using the increased momentum coursing through his veins. He surged forward in a blur, his bloodied pipe raised high.
"You… don't touch her," Jin said, his voice a low growl.
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[Combat Art – Desperate Strike – ACTIVATED]
Critical Window: 72%
Impact Vector: Vertical Crush – Target Weak Point (Jointed Spine)
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The pipe struck the base of the Crawler's twisted spine with a sickening CRUNCH. The monster emitted a metallic, keening screech that made Jin's teeth ache, and a burst of black ichor sprayed from the impact.
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[Critical Hit!]
Target mobility reduced: -55%
Stagger inflicted – 3.0s vulnerability
Weapon Durability: 28%
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Jin landed hard, sliding past Clara's prone form. He immediately spun around, pipe ready despite the sharp pain flaring in his shoulder. He hugged Clara tightly, feeling her ragged breath against his ear, a high-pitched whimper of pure terror. Her hands gripped his chest, digging into his jumpsuit.
"You okay?! Clara, talk to me!" Jin said, his voice exhausted.
"I-I-I… Jin—I—" Clara stammered, her words tumbling over one another, her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.
The Crawler jerked wildly against the wall. Jin's pipe had made a sharp dent in its spine, and thick strands of black ichor oozed from the spot. Its lower back was partially paralyzed and hung at an odd angle. It peeled itself from the wall and began to move slowly, its inverted limbs clicking as it repositioned. Its split mouth opened, drooling dark saliva that hissed like acid against the floor plating.
"What the hell—what is that thing?!" Jin's jaw tightened.
'Designation: Crawler. Apex Mutation Variant. Origin: Human—identity unrecoverable,' Asha spoke in his neural link. 'Functions on semi-autonomous pack behavior. Specialized in stealth ambush, rapid strikes. Reactivation triggers: Movement, sound and blood.'
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[SKILL PASSIVE: Mutated Fauna Combat Basics – ACTIVATED]
Analyzing behavior patterns…
Weakness detected: rear flank — spinal joint exposed post-lunge.
Aggression level: High.
Mobility forecast: irregular movement due to spinal fracture.
Evasion bonus: +5%.
Target prediction: Assisted by ASHA.
---
Sera, her eyes burning with determination, adjusted her grip on the Pulse-Lance. "That thing is far from being a human anymore." She glanced at the ceiling vents, where faint skitters echoed. "And it's not alone, is it…?"
"Negative. Thermal imaging confirms many heat signatures. Eleven separate vectors. Closing in. Proximity breach: 40 meters and falling," Asha confirmed.
Clara, barely able to speak, reached for Jin's arm, her fingers clutching tightly. "J-Jin… they're everywhere… what do we do…?"
Jin gritted his teeth, shoving Clara behind him. "I won't let anyone die."
The Crawler lifted its head, a wet gurgling screech rising from its chest-mouth. "Chemical pheromone release detected. Alert: This unit may be signaling others. Countdown to coordinated swarm: 170 seconds."
"I need to end this before its friends get here," Jin said, his voice low and firm.
---
[COMBAT ANALYSIS: MUTATED FAUNA]
Behavior loop detected. Predictable lunge pattern identified.
Recommended Counter-Strategy:
Maneuver: Strafe left.
Attack Vector: Weapon arc — high angle to base of spine.
Timing Window: Initiate 1.4 seconds post-crouch pivot.
Projected Outcome: Chance of dismemberment: 64%.
---
The Crawler's jaws opened wider with a sickening click, revealing fangs dripping with acid. It screamed—SKKKKKRREEEEEEEEEEEEE-AHK-CHHHHKKKKK!!—a sound that rattled the ceiling panels.
It lunged, claws slashing and its horrifying chest-mouth snapping toward Jin.
But Jin was already moving. With a remarkable display of agility, he dropped into a low crouch and pivoted sharply, rolling to the side. The Crawler's claws scraped through the air in the exact spot he had just occupied.
"Sera! Can you draw its attention? I'll get around it—try for the back!" Jin shouted.
"Y-you think I need you to tell me that?!" Sera yelled back, but her hands shook as she raised the VX-07. The moment the Crawler turned its twisted head toward her, she roared, "HEY! UGLY! COME GET SOME!"
She fired. KA-BRAAM!
The plasma bolt roared from the barrel, lighting up the corridor. The recoil kicked back harder than she expected, throwing her off her feet and onto the metal floor. "O-ow... t-that hurts..."
The blast slammed into the Crawler's torso, vaporizing part of its chest plating. Its scream split the air, but it wasn't dead.
Jin skidded across the deck, crouching and moving behind the monster while its focus remained locked on Sera.
"Strike at the lower spinal socket. Estimated integrity compromised by 41%. One clean hit will sever its movement relay. Pipe integrity: one use remaining. Make it count, Jin," Asha warned.
Jin's eyes narrowed, focusing on the targeting overlay that pulsed at the base of the creature's spine. He moved, his pipe rising behind his shoulder. The world seemed to slow.
The Crawler hissed, its torso twitching as if sensing danger, but it was too late.
"STAY—AWAY—FROM—THEM!!" Jin roared, putting every ounce of his strength into the swing.
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[Combat Art – Desperate Strike – ACTIVATED]
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He brought the pipe down with all his might, the steel connecting with a sickening CRUNCH. The strike slammed directly into the exposed spinal node. The bone snapped, and black liquid exploded.
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[Critical Hit!]
[Crawler Paralysis: 100% Confirmed.]
[Mobility: Offline. Combat Function: Terminated.]
[Weapon Durability: 0% – PIPE DESTROYED.]
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