The biome rumbled like a living engine.
Chains swayed overhead, dripping red liquid.
Metallic humanoids hissed from the shadows.
And in the center, the colossal Flesh-Metal beast roared, its piston limbs pumping molten blood through glowing tubes.
Lin stood at the edge of the field, rolling his shoulders. His system UI flickered with a new message:
> [Objective: Disable Blood Conduits – 4 Remaining]
Tip: Weakness increases with each severed conduit.
He grinned. "Alright, Blenderzilla. This time I'm the plumber prepare for your end."
Crystal's voice, clearer now: "Host, proceed with caution. Respawns are limited per biome segment."
Lin's grin faltered. "Wait, limited respawns? That was not in the brochure!"
---
Round One – The Bold Approach
Lin sprinted straight at the beast, Wind Stepping between swinging chains and humanoid claws.
He vaulted off a spire, landed on the beast's back, and grabbed the nearest glowing tube.
"Gotcha—!"
The beast spun, shaking like a wet dog. Lin flew off, smashing into an iron wall.
[Respawn]
He reappeared on his knees, coughing. "Note to self: it has the world's worst rodeo saddle."
---
Round Two – The Sneaky Approach
He crouched low, weaving through humanoids, whispering, "Solid Snake. Solid Snake…"
He reached a conduit near the beast's rear leg. He drew a jagged metal shard from the ground. "Stabby stabby."
He swung the shard—
A humanoid screamed "FLESH!" and slammed into him from the side, knocking him under the beast's foot.
[Respawn]
He popped back, hair frazzled. "I was this close! THIS CLOSE!"
Crystal: "Analysis: Humanoids detect movement near conduits. Recommend distraction."
Lin: "Distraction. Right. Who's volunteering? Oh wait, just me."
---
Round Three – The Creative Approach
Lin grabbed two loose chains from above, tying them together. He hurled them at a cluster of humanoids, making noise on the far side of the arena.
The humanoids hissed and lunged toward the sound.
Lin darted in from the opposite side. "Ha! Big brain plays!"
He leapt onto a conduit, stabbing with his metal shard. Sparks flew, red liquid gushed out.
The beast screamed, stumbling. Its armor plates cracked, revealing glowing tissue beneath.
Crystal's voice: "Success. Conduit One disabled. Armor integrity reduced by 25%."
Lin whooped. "Who's your plumber now?!"
The beast roared and slammed its tail down. Lin tried to Wind Step—
A stray chain swung and clotheslined him midair. He flipped three times before landing headfirst in a blood puddle.
[Respawn]
He sat up, dripping red, muttering, "I hate physics. I hate everything about physics."
---
Round Four – A Real Hit
He respawned, breathing hard but grinning. "Alright. Round four. I know the dance now."
He dashed between spires, using chains as swings, dodging humanoids. He reached the beast's second conduit and sliced it cleanly. Another burst of red fluid sprayed, and the beast stumbled again, shrieking.
Its armor plates cracked further, exposing a glowing core deep in its chest.
Crystal's tone: "Two conduits remaining. Core vulnerability increasing."
Lin wiped his face, grinning wildly. "Ohhh yeah. Who's the blender now?"
The beast roared, its chest glowing like a furnace. Metallic humanoids began converging from all sides, claws extended.
---
Lin's UI flickered.
> [Warning: Biome Stability Critical. Boss entering Overdrive Mode.]
The beast's piston limbs locked. Chains above snapped and fell, dripping molten blood onto the field. The ground shook as new conduits burst from the floor like serpents, writhing toward Lin.
He stared at the glowing core, then at the writhing conduits. "Yeah, this feels safe. Totally safe."
The beast's mouth opened, revealing a rotating grinder glowing white-hot. A deep, grinding voice echoed:
> "FUEL ME…"
Lin raised his shard like a sword. "Come fuel this, you overgrown garbage disposal."
To be continued…