So soon after battling his second opponent, he was forced to fight his third foe since stepping into this cave.
He grimaced as he narrowly dodged another strike from the stinger.
He could only get lucky so many times. Eventually, he was sure to be struck by that thing. And when it happened, he knew he would be as good as dead.
It was much more difficult to battle against such a creature compared to a human. In fact, defeating Peter seemed less daunting than killing this Abomination.
Its defenses were simply too much. It seemed as this no matter where he struck, even his very sharp Silver Blade was unable to penetrate through.
His eyes widened as the thick tail of the beast suddenly smashed into his shoulder, driving him into the wall with so much force, the as time cracked.
Coughing out a mouthful of blood, he rolled out of place, dodging another poisonous strike.
Breathing heavily, Nero grilled at his chest as he tried to make a momentary escape deeper into the cave.
But the Abomination didn't seem to be a fan of that.
It relentlessly chased him until his back was firmly pinned against a way.
Stretching its maw open, it shrieked loudly and prepared to bite down.
CLANG!
Its teeth struck metal.
Feeling its foul breath filling his lungs, Nero could feel his muscles bulging as he pushed with all his might.
But how could the strength of a single human be enough to overpower that of a horrendous beasts much as this one.
In less than a few seconds, Nero felt his strength giving out.
Without giving him another chance, the jaws of the Abomination enveloped him with a large chomp.
Nero had been eaten.
With nothing but a single bite.
But he was not quite dead yet.
The inside of the creature's throat was slick and hot, filled with digestive juices that burned at his exposed skin.
But the Silver Blade was still held firmly in his grip.
In the suffocating darkness, he could feel the creature's throat muscles contracting, trying to force him deeper into its gullet.
'Bloody bastard! Not like this.'
Nero gritted his teeth and drove the Silver Blade upward with desperate force. The enchanted edge punched through the roof of the creature's mouth from the inside.
If he couldn't cut the damned thing open from the outside, then he would do for from the inside.
With the help of his blade, even though its inner muscles were tough— built for swallowing large prey, it still couldn't endure the enchanted blade's edge.
The Abomination's shriek was muffled by its own flesh, but Nero could feel the vibration through his entire body. The throat muscles spasmed wildly as black blood poured down around him.
He twisted the blade viciously and carved sideways, opening a wider wound. More blood flowed, mixed with something that might have been stomach acid.
With every stab and slice, the creature thrashed even more, bathing him with the corrosion acids and blood that made his scream out in pain.
The creature rocked its head back and forth, trying to dislodge him, but Nero held on grimly. He sawed at the soft tissue with methodical strikes, each one weakening the beast further.
Seemingly on one last attempt, Nero felt something rising up from the depths of the Abomination's throat.
It was trying to throw him up.
A look of pure madness manifested in Nero's gaze as he roared and punched his hand into one of the deep gashed he had made.
The pushing force from the surrounding muscle was more than enough to dislocate and fracture his arm immediately.
Still, he held on for dead life and continued stabbing away.
Finally, the throat muscles went slack. Nero felt himself sliding forward as the creature's jaws opened involuntarily. He tumbled out onto the cave floor, covered in blood and digestive fluids that burned like acid.
The massive lizard collapsed beside him, black ichor pouring from its mouth. Its yellow eyes dimmed as it released a final, rattling breath.
***
{Congratulations, Heretic. You have slain a Blackspine Lizard}.
{Seals of Sin: 5/1000}.
***
Nero lay on the cave floor, gasping for air. Tears poured from his face and his skin felt like it was on fire where the creature's digestive juices had touched him. His clothes were in tatters, dissolved by the acid.
But he was alive.
He rolled onto his side and retched, expelling the foul fluids he had swallowed. The taste was beyond description.
If not for a stroke of luck once again, he would have breathed his last.
He grit his teeth.
'Five down.'
He had gathered just five Seals of Sin. Those numbers still seemed a bit pathetic compared to his goal of a thousand, but each one was sure to make him slightly stronger.
He could feel the changes, subtle but real.
His bones were denser now. His muscles more efficient. His vision sharper in the cave's dim light.
The transformation was slow, but it was happening.
Nero struggled to his feet and examined the Blackspine Lizard's corpse. The creature's armored hide was indeed thick, but he had found its weakness. The soft tissues inside its mouth and throat were vulnerable.
Every Abomination had weaknesses. He just had to be smart enough to find them.And desperate enough to exploit them.
He looked toward the cave entrance. Two creatures had found this place in less than a day. More would come, drawn by the scent of blood or simply seeking shelter.
Wounded predators looking for a safe place to recover.
They would find him instead. Nero sighed grimly and settled back. For now, he would be focused on treating his wounds and recovering before another battle broke out. Although the Soul Amalgam's hunting strategy was indeed brilliant, it had the strength to back up and defeat most of the prey it lured.
He on the other hand, was rather weak.
But that would only be true for a moment.
The look of grim determination appeared in his eyes once again.
'Let them come.' he thought to himself.
He had a thousand seals that weren't going to collect themselves after all...