(Samuel's POV)
"Wait, how do I activate my skills?" I asked aloud as the Terror Bird lunged at me
I stepped to the side and immediately jumped as it reached me with blinding speed, swinging its head at me like a club. I was able to avoid the blow since I jumped right on time and I landed on the ground, immediately rolling to the side and getting back to my knees as I raised the revolver.
The Terror Bird clattered its beak as it straightened up, its eyes scanning me carefully.
As I looked at it, a bit of anxiety filled my body, and a small rectangular screen appeared next to me, relaying a message.
So there's a smaller screen that The System can display for tips and messages? Got it.
As for the Activation of a Skill....I just need to think it....? Or create a Mental Command? It's a bit confusing but it's best to lock in the skills with a certain command. I don't want to think of the Skill and accidentally activate it.
Maybe I'll just think of "Activate: Skill Name".
"Yes...." I said, "That could be it..."
If I just do that enough times, it will come naturally to me.
The Terror Bird then lunged at me again and I panicked,
"Activate: Red's Mark!"
There was nothing and I was suddenly hit in the chest by the Terror Bird using the side of its head. I felt the wind being knocked out of me as I flew several meters away.
"A-Argghh!!" I said as I felt my entire body aching in pain, "Holy shit...."
I got back up as I gasped for air, seeing that the beast was slowly walking towards me, its beak clattering.
I suppose I need to lunge at it and swipe my hand to activate the Skill. This is a bit weird. In video games, upon activating the skill, it does the movement automatically. Is it not the same here?
Of course not, this isn't a fucking game.
The Terror Bird raised its head up and then thrust is entire face at me, meaning to pierce me with its sharp beak. But the moment it did that, I lunged at it and swiped my hand at it, striking its left side.
"Red's Mark"
I slid several feet past it and turned around, seeing a faint red cross-hair mark appear on its body.
"It activated...." I said as I panted, still feeling my chest throbbing, "Good...."
The Terror Bird then turned around and lunged at me, letting out a shriek as I jumped away and aimed the revolver at it, shooting at it once.
I watched as the bullet was about to miss, but it curved inwards towards its body, striking it in the neck.
"Oh shit..." I said, "Aim-Assist....."
The Terror Bird was taken aback by the sudden strike of a projectile and simply stood there, looking at me while it tilted its head, a bit of smoke coming out of its neck. Its hide must be too thick for small-caliber rounds to pierce it. Lenny was shooting at a grown Terror Bird but did almost no damage, it simply pissed it off.
I saw a small blue bar appear in my field of vision.
[MP: 80/100]
Red's Mark costs 20mp to activate? I wonder how long till I fully regenerate. And how long does it stay activated? Is it indefinite until the Critical Damage procs? Or is there a time limit? I do wonder.....
The Terror Bird then lunged at me again, its speed taking me off guard, and swiped its claws at me. I stepped back without thinking and felt its claw narrowly miss my body as I aimed the revolver and fired two more shots at it.
The bullets hit its neck again, and suddenly, the Cross-Hair mark grew large in a split-second, and a bright red light flashed, causing a small shockwave as the Terror Bird staggered while letting out a pained shriek.
I stepped back a couple of steps. "Critical Damage?"
The System notification screen appeared once again:
Three small-caliber rounds did Critical Damage. Is it only three in general or specific to the small-caliber ones? I still have Red's Revolver on reserve, just in case I need to pull out the Runepowder Rounds. Which I am very sure I will have to.
The Terror Bird clattered its beak again and lunged at me again, this time it sidestepped right as it reached me and lifted its long legs up in the air, slamming them straight down as I immediately rushed past it.
"Red's Mark"
As I had marked it, I saw that it had struck the ground with its claws, causing a slight shockwave and a large cloud of dust had appeared.
Without wasting time, I raised the revolver and fired the three rounds at it, aiming at its neck again. The bullets struck it, and I saw the Critical Damage proc activate, causing another shockwave that staggered it.
I then shook its head, and I noticed that its neck was now bleeding, a small gash appeared on it.
"Okay...." I said as I sweated a bit, opening the chamber of the revolver and emptying it, "I can do this...."
I quickly loaded the remaining six bullets I had as the Terror Bird let out a shriek. As I closed the chamber, the best immediately lunged at me, thrusting its beak at me. I stepped to the side and was about to activate Red's Mark when I saw that it twisted its body to the side and its leg suddenly struck me in the stomach, sending me flying several meters.
This was the second time it had physically hit me, and I felt like all of my bones would shatter if it hit me for the third time.
I hit the ground, "Arrghh!!!" I let out a pained groan as I immediately got to my knees, stumbling forwards as I saw that it was rushing at me, "Fuck!!"
I activated Red's Mark again and struck it, placing the Mark on it once again. The moment this happened, it immediately turned around and swung its head at me. I was able to dodge that but it swiped its claws at me in a very awkward position and I felt it graze my shoulder as I immediately reeled back.
"Fuck...!" I said as I aimed and fired three times, hitting it again and seeing the Critical Damage proc, "Shit...."
I felt the blood trickle down my shoulder as the stinging pain was very prominent.
"Okay....." I said as I looked at it, "Another...."
The Terror Bird immediately composed itself and, in a sudden movement, it rushed me and rammed its head against my side, sending me flying to the ground.
"F-Fuckk!!" I said as I dropped the revolver, "Dammit!"
I saw Lenny's Revolver fall on the ground several meters away as I was trying to sit up, but the Terror Bird was atop me, about to pierce me with its beak.
I rolled to the side and saw that the Bird was thrusting its beak repeatedly at the ground where I was.
"Shit..." I reached for Red's Revolver, which was in the back of my pants, "Alright...."
I drew it, feeling its superior weight, and aimed the Terror Bird. I then pulled the trigger and felt an even more powerful kick to it, which nearly stumbled me. The gunshot was significantly louder, which caused my ears to ring.
The bullet was aimed at its eye, and with the right timing, it pierced it, causing the Terror Bird to shriek in pain as it stumbled to the side.
"Good...." I said with a serious look, "Gotcha...."
I then noticed that my MP bar was already regenerated.
I rushed the Bird and activated Red's Mark, striking it again and placing yet another mark.
I then took aim at it as it stumbled and opened fire three times, each time causing a serious kick but I kept my feet planted and ignored the recoil.
The bullets struck it, and I saw the Critical Damage proc, which caused a shockwave that caused blood to splatter out. The Terror Bird shrieked yet again, but it didn't seem that seriously hurt, the gash getting bigger, but it didn't stop it from rushing me yet again.
I dodged to the side and fired two more times, hitting it in its body, watching as the bullets caused a bit of blood to come out. The Terror Bird seemed unfazed by this, and it simply jumped at me and swung its leg right at my face.
I ducked down and was going to aim at its face when it suddenly planted its feet down and swiped its other leg at me, its claws cutting my chest and sending me flying back.
"Gahh!!" I cried out in pain as I felt a burning sensation in my chest, "Shiit!!!"
I still didn't lose the grip on my revolver and watched as the Terror Bird ran up to me, clattering its beak. I aimed my revolver at it and opened fire twice, the bullets hitting it in its open gash and causing it to flinch and stop as it let out a pained shriek.
"Shit..." I said, "That was it, no?"
Those were the last of my Runepowder Rounds...
I looked to the side and saw that Lenny's Revolver was still in the ground a good distance away. Fighting against the pain of my open gash, blood pouring out of the wound, I got up to my feet and panted heavily.
"Shit...." I said again
The Bird was between the Revolver and me.
I had to do something.
Fortunately, I had MP for Red's Mark, I could rush at it and place another mark on it without worry. The only issue is that my body feels like shit. This thing...
It's a juvenile, which means that an Adult Terror Bird is significantly more dangerous than this thing. And here I am...nearly dying to it.
"Fuck...." I said
It shook its head and began to clatter its beak, taking a single step forwards. Blood was pouring down from one of its eyes, courtesy of my bullet.
Okay.....
I mark it and grab the revolver. I know for a fact that I weakened it with my Runepowder bullets. The only issue is that I didn't have many. I have to proc Critical Damage to deal a bit more damage. But after that, what is left? I am out of bullets.
Or am I?
I gritted my teeth, "Alright, ugly...." I said as I holstered Red's Revolver on the back of my pants, "Come on!"
It lunged at me with a shriek, and I rushed at it.
"Red's Mark!"
I ended up behind it, having left a Mark on it, and I jumped towards the revolver. I grabbed it and turned around, aiming right at the Bird, which had already shifted its course and rushed at me.
I shot twice, and I saw that the Aim-Assist made the bullets hit their mark; my arm was wobbly due to the pain.
But before I could fire the third bullet, it swung its head at me, striking me dead on the chest and sending me flying back.
"Ahh!" I said as I hit the ground hard
I rolled to the side and got to my knees, seeing that the Terror Bird had stopped, its beak slowly clattering as its right leg was slightly raised. It looked like it was taking a breather. I noticed the cross-hair mark was a bit enlarged, pulsating with red light. Was this the cue for Critical Damage?
Doesn't matter if it is. One thing is for sure.
It had taken significant damage.
But so have I.
The cut on my chest was too much; I was losing so much blood. I had to do something. And I had to do it now.
"Shit....." I said as I tossed the revolver to the side and pulled out Red's Revolver, "Here goes nothing...."
The Terror Bird took a step forward as it scanned me. It is as if it knew that I was wounded; it could definitely smell the blood soaking through my shirt, and it could tell that my skin was paler.
"Gesture..." I said as I grabbed the tag on my necklace, "How's this for a gesture?"
For whatever reason, I kissed the tag as I had Red's Revolver raised in front of my face, activating it's skill.
"High Noon"
Red's Revolver was engulfed in a fiery blue light as it emitted a loud sound cue, which was reminiscent of a powerful spark.
This was the magic bullet that the skill bestowed upon the Revolver I was wielding.
This better work.
The Terror Bird began to rush at me as I took aim at it, seeing the mark pulsating.
"Die, ugly." I said as I pulled the trigger
I felt the kick of the shot, seeing a bright blue projectile firing right at the Bird, striking it right on the body. In an instant, I saw a massive flash of both blue and red lights as a shockwave was emitted, and the disturbing sound of flesh being exploded was heard.
Then, I saw the Terror Bird's body collapse to the ground, its neck and head missing as blood and guts were spilled.
"What....." I said
Suddenly, the neck and head fell to the ground a few feet away from me.
The Screen then appeared.
[Juvenile Terror Bird: Defeated]
- 2 Points Awarded
- Bandit's Gun Belt Available (Drop From Corpse)
I blinked, "Damn...." I said,
"Is it done?"