Chapter 8: Frenzy

The gnoblar camp was just the same as he remembered it. Poorly planned,built, and maintained. The gnoblars skulked between their tents and shacks, grumbling and shoving each other. The fire in the center had a different leg from some giant creature, some of the gnoblars making sure it was turning constantly. Kelford could smell the hint of smoke and fire in the air, taking him back to his last death. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he banished the memories from his mind. Things weren’t going to end that way again, not on this floor . He was going to win and move forward. His eyes opened and he picked his way to the floor. Much like last time he approached with caution, stepping over broken tents and debris. None of the gnoblars seemed to be out this way, making his journey into the depths of the camp that much easier. The smell of the active portion of the camp smacked his nostrils and he tightened the grip on his spear. Now was the time to start. Two gnoblars turned a corner and Kelford rushed them. His spear took one in the chest and he crashed into the second. The much smaller creature fell away with a small cry before he swung his spear into it’s temple. With a crack the gnoblar fell still. Ghostly echoes of his movements made sure the two creatures were dead. Kelford sprinted forward looking for more gnoblars to kill. His spear took a third that was gnawing on a bone, then killed two that were fighting over a piece of old meat. The cool down was active but that was alright with Kelford, he didn’t need it for the weaker gnoblars. He cut his way through the camp, catching the creatures in their ones and twos before breaking into the camps center.

The gnoblars didn’t even have a moment to screech as he burst through a tent spear swinging in a horizontal swipe. Three gnoblars went flying,clearing a path towards the fire. He barely stopped as the cooks screeched in terror before fleeing away from their dinner. The rest were roaring in outrage, some sprinting to get others to help.More gnoblars were filling the clearing spitting and roaring. Kelford placed his spear into his inventory, his heart was pumping with excitement. He stood by the roasting leg, the gnoblars growing in number. He was still waiting for one in particular. Some of the gnoblars began to edge closer until Kelford materialized his mace. The bright light and the weapon made them scurry away,but the intimidation wouldn’t last forever. Where was that blasted thing? Just as the thought crossed his mind a roar, deeper than the rest, called the others to silence.

“ Who Dare Interrupt Slumber” The Gnoblar Gorger parted the sea of gnoblars , bone club

dragging behind it. It growled and threatened until it saw the human standing in their midst. Right beside their dinner. It’s rage seemed to reach new heights.

“How Dare Let Creature Thing by Food!?! I Kill Weak Siblings”

For Kelfords part he didn’t know what to do. The shock of a gnoblar actually speaking had caught him off guard even when he had been expecting it. Language of the Mountains automatically translated its speech into the broken utterance that commanded the others. It was now or never, if he waited any longer it would command the others to attack and he would be hard pressed to escape.

“Hey, are you the chief of these scavengers?” Kelford’s voice echoed in the tongue of the gnoblars. Surprisingly some beside the gorger seemed to understand him, mostly the bigger ones. The leader squinted at Kelford pushing aside some that were between it and Kelford.

“ You Speak Our Tongue?”

“ Listen you don’t have to yell” Kelford said, “ I can hear you”

“You No Tell Me What Do” The gorger slammed its club into the ground in anger, “ What You Want?”

Kelford smiled, this was going better than he thought. “ I just want to get to the otherside, you leave me be and I'll make my way out of here.” The gnoblar took a step forward, face stretched in a smile that showed all of its sharp teeth.

“ Or We Eat-Kill You, Add To Stew”

“Listen, I’ve already killed a few of your people,” Kelford raised his mace falling into a ready stance, “ If you don’t want to die leave me be or you’ll go hungry tonight”

The gnoblar roared in rage sending the others into a frenzy, “ We No Listen To You. We Children Of Winter King. You Fill Our Bellies And Strength Add To Strength”

Kelford sighed to himself, he thought there was a chance he could make do this without fighting the horde but such was life. With a smooth motion he reached for the giant leg and tried to pull it into his Inventory. For a heart clenching second he thought it hadn’t worked, but then the entire thing disappeared in a flash of light. The gnoblars gasped in horror which only made the second part all the sweeter. Kelford leaped over the fire, the gorger roaring in rage after him. With a twist Kelford took his mace in both hands and swung at the fire before him.

Hard Smash

Burning wood and ash flew everywhere sending gnoblar screaming. small flames caught on the shacks closest to the fire. Kelford was already running. He leaped over the line of distraught gnoblars, smashing the few with the awareness to attack him. Bloody lines and bruises still racked his skin as he broke free, disappearing into the winding pathways.

“Get Him Get Him!!!”

As expected the gnoblars weren't even concerned with saving their homes.The monsters raged into the streets, flowing into side streets and through tents. Kelford's heart hammered as he lost himself in the maze of tents moving as far away from the blue rune in the distance. The gnoblars needed ample time to break apart which meant getting some more distance.With a flash of light the mace vanished and Kelford put his all into sprinting down the labyrinthian streets. Left, right, left, then a gnoblar burst from dirty blankets. Kelford swerved, burning lines cutting through his leg. Surprise morphed to satisfaction as Kelford caught himself. This gnoblar would do perfectly. He grabbed the gnoblar by the throat, its nails dug into his arm but it didn’t stop him as with every fiber of Enhanced Strength he threw the gnoblar. Its screams faded into the distance ending in a faint crash. Diving into a gnoblar tent Kelford huddled in silence as the chasing gnoblars tore down the street. A deep roar echoed through the cavern sending them scurrying away. For long moments Keldford stayed silent, peeking out through the holes of the fabric.He took a deep breath, they’d gone. Small groups were starting to form as they had no idea where he had gone.

“ Plans working perfectly” , drops of blood reflected the light of Kelford’s spear as it materialized from the inventory, “ Now comes the hard part”.

The fire was still smoldering in the distance, he’d need to get it to spread if he was going to maximize the chaos. If the gnoblar gorger was still at the improvised camp square then Kelford was going to be in for a tough fight. Still there was no risk without reward and Kelford started moving towards the fire. He kept low, hurrying down the same ways he’d come from. Gnoblars appeared in they’re ones and twos, Quickly dispatched by the enchanted spear. Most of the gnoblars seemed to have gone to the edge of the cave to try to keep him from escaping. Kelford smiled as he found the burning square burning, with few gnoblars in sight. They screamed as they saw him but it was too late, he’d already made it over the hurdle of his plan. A gnoblar hurler began twirling its sling, as five more gnoblars picked their way through burning wreckage. Kelford dashed forward spear whirling as he crashed into the five monsters. Echoes of wood and steel finished the gnoblars as Kelford brutalized those in front of him. The hurler screamed as it threw, leaving a welt on Kelford’s arm. With a roar the human burst forward, spear leading until he ran the hurler through. He threw the body into the fire checking to see that the timer for the spear had started. Pain radiated his left but it was faint compared to the pounding of his heart. He grabbed a few burning pieces of wood. Now was where the fun part began. Kelford ran towards the tunnels, torching every tent on his way.

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A hunting group appeared, they came screaming for his blood. The burning sticks flew into their midst torching their worn clothes as Kelford followed. Stabbing one he charged through until broke through their group before throwing the body into a burning house. Whirling spear butt took another life as Kelford followed smoothly into a downward bash through another's head. It was so easy. He hadn’t even considered the brutality of his actions as the gnoblars tried to scatter but chased them down. He smashed two through burning tents and shacks before he was satisfied. Picking up a burning blanket he sprinted on, trailing fire and destruction. More gnoblars came only to be met with burning wool. Hurlers tried to dodge but Kelford was already driving past their defenders, murder in his eyes. They screamed and begged but his spear found them anyway. He stabbed one and kicked another into a smoldering shack before narrowly dodging a knife. His fist met the offender's skull before he noticed the rest already fleeing. Murderous rage lent his feet speed through smoldering tents as the fire began to take life of its own. Kelford helped it along. Smoke followed him as pieces of burning wood and cloth birthed nascent flames. The air was a putride mix of smoke and blood as Kelford raged across the camp. The original gnoblars he chased were quickly forgotten as he matched blades with more and more gnoblars. Hurlers threw stones and debris leaving jagged cuts and bruises. The pain only stimulated the anger as Kelford cut his way to them. They roared in defiance and died anyway. Echoes of spear thrusts returned but Kelford didn’t care. Couldn’t care. Those that escaped he hunted down which led to more groups.

He accumulated wounds but he wasn’t seeing the gnoblars, not completely. The previous deaths mixed with the reality of his situation. The feeling of their knives on his skin as they laughed replaced cuts from screaming victims. The heat of his blood flowing down his skin replaced the fires that surged on dry shacks and tents. He threw himself into the frenzy as soon smoke began to blind him. Gnoblars hunted him and then began to run from him. Each group losing their nerve quicker than the last. To Kelford their faces of terror were sneers of derision. They’d killed him before. Why not again.

“ Not this time” He’d trained before attempting the Tower this round. He’d planned around the previous rooms leaving him rested. His plan was going off without a hitch, he wasn't going to die this time. There was a roar filling his ears but he didn’t know it’s source. Kelford’s spear bloomed ghostly after images as more gnoblars fell to the cave floor. The five remaining gnoblars fled as their brethren laid dead on the ground. Kelford heaved what oxygen he could as went to give chase. They wouldn’t get away so easily. A blue light flickered through the smoke and he hesitated. A looming tunnel, with a blue rune staired in judgment at the destruction before it.

“It’s… the entrance to the next floor” , Kelford had made it, “ How’d I miss it”. The better question was how he had gotten so far. He had been close to the center only a minute ago. There were dozens of gnoblars between him and the entrance. Only then did the heat of the blaze register and the acrid smell of smoke gag him. He gazed down to see the ruin that was his body. Bruises and cuts did mar it’s surface leaving him drenched in blood . Though he was fairly sure that the grand majority wasn’t his.

“I need to get out of here” He’d overstayed his welcome and his plan had worked. The gnoblars were terrified of him and in their smaller numbers had been easier to pick off. Leaning against his spear he walked towards the cave. Aches and pains were beginning to make themselves known but he continued to studiously march forward. His legs trembled as he began to lose the adrenaline that pushed through battles. It was then that he saw the gorger. It had no allies left, no gnoblars to watch they’re duel. It merely stood in front of the tunnel, eyes narrowed. Kelford came to a stop and merely gazed back into it’s beady eyes. The two stared each other down as the camp behind Kelford burnt to ash.

“You Burn Village” it still spoke in a yell but their was a definite sadness in it’s gaze, “Kill Siblings”

“Yea…” Kelford was too tired to deal with the guilt those words brought. The gorger had ignored his warnings and T.U.I had said these things were merely obstacles for the rooms.

“ I warned you to let me leave or I’d kill you”

“You Did ,Now Tribe Need Me To Be Strong” the gorger held up it’s club, pointing right at Kelford. “I Hunger For Challenge Outsider May The One Blessed With Strength Win Our Duel”

It was exactly like the last time except now Kelford knew the words. Declining never entered his mind as he met the gnoblars eyes falling into a ready stance. Kelford’s arms and legs trembled as he held the Spear of Spirit Strikes in a ready position. The two adversaries stared each other down as the gnoblar grasped his club in two hands.

“ I accept”

They charged each other without a word. The gnoblar was a whirlwind of motion roaring its challenge smashing aside Kelford’s thrusts. Kelford gave ground as he narrowly dodged swing after swing. He whirled the staff trying to force space but the gnoblar ‘s club smashed everything aside. Kelford was too slow, his attacks too weak from the amount of fights he’d already fought. He tripped, barely rolling away from death, time and time again. The gnoblar was deep into its frenzy, laughing as it came closer and closer to killing it’s prey. Rolling to his knees Kelford slammed it’s ankle taking it to the ground as an echo hit the same spot. Kelford went onto the attack, focus honed to a point as the gnoblar desperately held him at bay.The trembling in his limbs were noticeably getting worse. The gnoblar smashed his spear, almost sending it flying out of his hands. It crooned as it finally found it’s feet licking the blood off its lips. Kelford could barely keep his stance, chest heaving as if he was fighting for air. The gnoblar pounced again smelling weakness and the world shrunk again to their clashing blows. It could see the human stumbled from every blow he was forced to block, how his strikes began to slow. The climax was almost here. The gnoblar surged forward, swinging its club with everything it had. Shallow wounds marred its pale skin but it ignored them all. Kelford dodged and parried until finally one leg gave out. He blocked a club strike only for his left leg to buckle. A roar filled the gorgers maw as the moment had arrived, it let go of its club and struck the humans falling face. Kelford cried out as nails scratched across his face whipping him around. The gorger pounced maw open as it went to rip the humans throat out. A flash of light blinded it before it was smacked aside. The gorger’s breath left its body as delicious juices trickled down it’s face.

“What!” its eyes found the culprit, the dinner so cruelly stolen earlier. It laid in the dirt mere inches from the gnoblars face. The gorger looked up only to see the human standing above it, spear held in both hands.

Hard Stab

The spear blurred as it punched through skin and flesh. The gorger choked on blood before a faint after image struck the same spot. It froze, eyes locked with the human’s , before going limp. Kelford yanked his spear from the gorger's dead body. He whirled it before gazing across the hellish landscape. Gnoblars screamed in the distance, whether in anger or fear he couldn’t tell. He made to move back towards the cave before he heard a ripping sound. A gnoblar had found the leg and was tearing giant pieces off. It stuffed them into it’s mouth, completely ignoring Kelford. He considered killing it before he saw the change. The gnoblar was swiftly gaining in size and weight, each piece of meat swallowed turning into pure mass. Its skin was healthier and thicker, while it seemed to be gaining in height. Kelford stared mesmerized by the transformation. With a one last bite the bone was picked clean and a new gnoblar gorger stood strong and angry. It stared at Kelford, eyes now filled with an intelligence it didn’t have even a second ago. Kelford realized what was about to happen and stepped back, spear raised. The freshly born gorger watched him go, never blinking. Kelford crossed the threshold before he dared turn his back. As he disappeared into the dark, a roar broke into the air. The cavern filled with the cries of the others.

Floor 2 Complete!