*It's still alive but definitely hurts. Interesting how its body reacts to getting pain.*
Both heads turned toward Zero, their eyes glowing with intelligence. Lightning arced between the crystal teeth as the creature got ready to unleash its stored electricity. Zero could feel the hair on his arms standing up as the air crackled with power.
*It's going to zap me. Based on how much energy's building up, the attack will cover about a sixty-degree area and reach about four meters. Running away would make sense.*
Zero grinned, a weird thrill running through him. *But where's the fun in that?*
Instead of backing up, Zero rushed forward. He lunged just as the electricity shot past his shoulder, close enough that he could feel the heat and smell the ozone. His hands grabbed the creature's left head, gripping the skull right behind the crystal teeth.
The bone cracked under his grip, a sound that sent shivers down Zero's spine. Brain stuff oozed between his fingers as he crushed the skull like an eggshell, a sensation that was both disgusting and weirdly exciting.
The right head kept working, snapping at Zero's neck with electrified fangs. Zero caught the snapping jaw in his other hand, the crystal teeth sparking against his palm. Pain flared where the electricity hit his skin, a burning sensation that made him gasp.
But under the pain, something else stirred. A dark, thrilling pleasure that rushed through his veins, setting his nerves on fire with ecstasy. Zero's eyes widened at the sensation, a soft moan escaping his lips as he tightened his grip on the creature's jaw.
*What is this feeling? It hurts... but it also feels... amazing.*
He pulled, his muscles straining. The jaw ripped away from the skull with a wet tearing sound that echoed through the hallway. Goo sprayed across the biomechanical walls as the creature's remaining head flopped uselessly on its broken neck. The body convulsed violently before finally going still.
Zero stood there panting, his hands covered in black goo and brain matter. Small electrical burns marked his palms, already healing before his eyes. The creature's attack patterns had been predictable—fast but no real strategy.
*Not enough of a challenge. But that pain... that I want moreee~.*
As if answering his thoughts, new sounds echoed through the hallway. Multiple sources this time. Zero's super hearing picked up at least six different biological signatures coming from different directions.
*Pack hunters. This should be a way better test.*
---
They came from everywhere at once, a coordinated attack that would've freaked out any normal person. But Zero wasn't normal anymore.
The first dropped from the ceiling—a cat-like thing with eight legs and skin that looked like liquid metal. Its claws shot out like switchblades, each one dripping with venom that sizzled when it hit the floor membrane.
*Cat-thing, venomous, super mobile. Take this one out first—it's got too many ways to attack.*
The second and third crawled out of holes in the walls—humanoid shapes that used to be kids, now walking on backward-bending knees with arms that stretched like rubber bands. Their faces had split open to show rows of needle teeth that clicked together.
*Kid-things, long reach, work together. Second priority but dangerous if they team up on me.*
The fourth and fifth burst up through the floor membrane—bug-like monsters with way too many eyes and mandibles that clicked like factory machines. Spark energy ran through their shells in visible patterns, casting the hallway in a sick green light.
*Bug-fusions, electric, territorial. Medium threat but those electric shocks could mess me up.*
The sixth circled around behind him—a blob of flesh that seemed to be made of multiple animals mashed together. Wings, claws, tentacles, and what might have been human arms all writhed in a disgusting harmony. It moved with a weird, fluid grace that didn't match how horrible it looked.
*Monster-mash, unpredictable attacks, super mutated. Biggest threat. Save this one for last so I can see how it fights.*
Zero processed all six threats in what felt like a split second. His brain calculated the best order to take them down based on how they moved, how far they could reach, and how dangerous they were.
*Alright, it's showtime.*
---
The metal-skinned cat-thing dropped first, claws out for a killing strike. Zero didn't dodge or block—he met the attack head-on, his reflexes letting him catch the creature mid-leap.
His hands wrapped around its throat right below its jaw, fingers sinking into the weird, liquid-like flesh. The creature thrashed like crazy, claws raking at Zero's arms and drawing blood. Where the claws cut him, venom started burning through his skin, sending waves of agony through his body.
But under the pain, that same dark pleasure stirred, stronger this time. Zero gasped, his grip tightening as the venom worked through his system. His vision swam with ecstasy, the world narrowing to the feeling of pain and pleasure mixed together.
*What's happening to me? This shouldn't feel good... but it does. It really, really does.*
He squeezed with all his strength, feeling the creature's windpipe collapse under his fingers with a sound like crushing a soda can. The venom kept burning through him, sending waves of agony and ecstasy through his body. Zero held on until the creature stopped moving, then dropped the body with a shuddering breath.
*One down. But the venom... I need to be more careful. That pleasure... it's distracting.*
The kid-things attacked together, their rubber-band arms stretching toward Zero from opposite sides. Each arm ended in a hand with razor-sharp fingernails that gleamed in the weird light.
Zero ducked under the first swing, feeling the air move as the claws passed over his head. He grabbed the stretched-out arm, his fingers sinking into the strange, stretchy flesh. With a burst of strength, he swung the creature in a wide arc, using it as a weapon against its partner.
The impact shattered both creatures' stretched-out arms with sickening cracks. They shrieked together—a sound like breaking glass mixed with kids screaming that echoed down the hallway.
Zero didn't give them a chance to recover. He punched through the first one's chest, feeling ribs crack and organs burst under his fist. The sensation was gross and visceral, but also weirdly thrilling. The second tried to run, but Zero grabbed its leg and pulled until the joint popped out with a wet tearing sound.
*Two down. The venom's wearing off, but that weird feeling isn't going away completely. I need to focus.*