115 Rip Your Arm Off

'Shield! Blood shield! Now!'

Drawing the blood from a nearby corpse, I wrap it around my left arm and spread it wide to make a shield. In my other hand, I grip the scythe in case someone approaches from the side. Yet I am a bit too slow as bullets have already begun to fly.

A few of the bullets pass over the blood-shield and strike the mana-shield that covers my body. The bullet's kinetic energy is distributed across the surface of the mana-shield. But, the mana-shield can only spread the kinetic energy so far, and the power behind these bullets is significant enough that it still sends shooting pains into my heart. If I had to compare it to something, it is like being hit in the chest by a prizefighter wearing boxing gloves.

Belatedly, the blood-shield fills in, barring the majority of the bullets or at least reducing their velocity to such an extent that the ones that do pass through merely bounce off the mana-shield.

Reaching the turret, I crash into it with the blood-shield. The tripod legs that it stands on bend under the force I push into it, causing the turret to tip. Once it falls to the ground, it does not immediately cease firing. It only keeps firing for a moment, but it nevertheless manages to pierce the feet of two exo-soldiers, causing them to collapse into the piranha solution. They both shout in shock, but their misery is short-lived as the last few bullets spewed by the turret pierce their scalps.

At the same time, I receive the Essence from the two downed exo-soldiers.

['Lv.1 Human' Slain - 6 Essence Acquired]

['Lv.1 Human' Slain - 7 Essence Acquired]

The turret ceases firing, so I prepare to sprint toward the other, but a nearby exo-soldier abruptly threatens me. I recognize him as the same one who was previously tasked with repairing the turrets. He raises his rifle, but I shoot a chain from the shield, wrapping it around its throat and dragging him into the puddle of piranha solution. Before I can act further, I hear a blast and his head bursts.

['Lv.1 Human' Slain - 40% Contribution - 3 Essence Acquired]

My gaze shifts where I find Aponi with chemical burns across one side of her face exposing some of the red muscle beneath. Large antlers extend from her head, and a few bodies lay in the solution around her, bubbling away vigorously. With grit teeth and red eyes, she seizes one of the bodies dragging it into the room, assumingly to absorb it and repair the damage done by the solution.

'Great. She's going to be annoyingly aggressive after this.'

Disconnecting the chain and recommencing my charge, a noise I had almost forgotten rings in my head.

'A bit delayed! You know you only have one job!'

[Achieved Level 8!]

[+1 Bonus Stat Toward Strength.]

The Cosmic System speaks, altering me that I have finally been able to secure a level off of these weak low-level humans. Still, it is distracting me. 'That's really great! But shut up! I'm busy!'

[+1 Bonus Stat Toward Agil—

It immediately ceases speaking as I approach the second turret, which has been firing bullets into Goliath and Dolt's unshielded torso. Both of them seem to be on the verge of collapse as their hides are only capable of blocking so much. If it were not for the other Brutes distraction and relentless barrage of debris, it's reasonable to believe the two would have already collapsed.

"N-naht... G-guh," Goliath and Dolt mumble together while smashing a researcher and guard into a paste. Glancing at the remaining Brutes, I notice blood splatters there as well, indicating Goliath and Dolt have been tossing some people to them to deal with.

As for me, things are good as the stomping giants have caused most to enter a state of hyperfocus as the obvious threats of the giants take precedence in their chaotic minds. Still, as much as I hate to admit it, Dolt and Goliath dying here would be a considerable waste… and a tad depressing.

So to draw some fire from the exo-soldier away from the two imbeciles, I spin around and pull blood from the split head of the exo-soldier shot by Aponi. I quickly shape two chains, placing harpoon-like protrusions at one side, and send one barreling toward an exo-soldier while the other shoots toward the turret. One of the harpoons instantly pierces the chest of the exo-soldier while the other I wrap around the central section of the turret.

['Lv.1 Human' Slain - 8 Essence Acquired]

This kills the exo-soldier immediately, and just as I am about to pull the turret to the ground, something comes bounding toward me. It looks like a circular ball full of blue liquid similar to the syringes I frequently see in the darts. The ball suddenly splits into four even sections as sparks start to jump from its interior. Recognizing it as a threat, I attempt to wrap it in blood, but although I feel the Mana exit my body, nothing happens.

'What!? Status!'

Name: Eira Callista

Gender: Female

Level: 8 (002/300)

Health: 375/410

Strength: 22 -\u003e 24

Endurance: 23 -\u003e 24

Agility: 27 -\u003e 29

Intellect: 25 -\u003e 26

Constitution: 40 -\u003e 41

Talents: Paranormal

Skills: Intermediate Blood Magic; Novice Scythe; Novice Shadow Magic

Titles: Goddess of Blood (Infant); Human Hunter (Lesser)

Available Points: 5

My eyes immediately pick up on the 'Mana Attractor,' but I cannot speculate on it long as a familiar competent voice shouts, "You! Fire at the girl! Don't let her come up behind us."

Dashing forward, I wack the ball away, sending it toward the exo-soldiers. Yet, I am a bit too slow as a bullet passes through the blood-shield that seems to have lost much of its strength due to the odd device effects. A bullet pierces my forearm, wedging itself against a bone that, luckily, my high Constitution prevents from breaking.

As pain shoots through my body, I bite my tongue and reform the blood-shield. My blood boils as it also literally spews from the wound in my forearm. "For that, I'm actually going to rip your arm off!" I yell.

With my torso covered, the exo-soldier swaps to firing at my feet, but the mana-shield has been restored, not that it is fully absorbing the entire impact.

"Back! Get back!"

The bullets stop, and I notice that the heavily wounded Goliath and Dolt have arrived at the forefront.

'Removing the turrets seems to have helped me immensely!'

Before they can escape, Goliath and Dolt each seize a leg of an exo-soldier and pull. The high-pitched screams and bloody scene that then occurs as they both yank at the man with all their might sends waves of horror through the remaining soldiers.

Then, to their continued terror, gunfire starts to pelt them from the side as well.

"Eira! Careful not to get hit by Aponi!" I hear Sam shout at me.

Glancing in their direction, I can see Aponi with the wendigo-antlers firing heatedly into the group of soldiers. Meanwhile, Sam supports here, but I can see drops of sweat flowing down his cheek as he watches a maniacal grin on Aponi's face grow ever more prominent.

'That's wendigos for you.' I shake my head, watching as the exo-soldiers start to back themselves into a corner. 'I already promised, so can't let you off the hook now.'

The man who shot me passes near a body, and I use the bubbling blood that surrounds it to make a chain rise from a bullet hole near its neck. It latches onto the man's arms, and I melt it similar to the blood collars I frequently place around people's necks. The difference is I instead of feeling the inside with spikes to cut the appendage off, I instead have the points run downwards.

"Fuck!" he yells, "Something! Something is stabbing my arm!"

'Oh, just wait.'

I stiffen the chain making it resistant to bending. The exo-soldier raises his weapon and hits the but of the gun against the pole-like blood pillar. Surprisingly, with the exoskeleton, he seems to actually make a small dent, but it isn't nearly enough. With his arm held firmly, I raise a second pole high up his arm, just before the initial.

He starts to panic, shooting at the poles before a look of realization flickers across his face, and he turns his weapon toward me instead.

"Oh! Sorry, Mister, but I sometimes try to keep my word!" I shout back with a laugh.

The pole still wrapped around his arm and embedded in his flesh shrinks pulling the arm downward without the rest of the body.

"Ahh! Stop!" he screams, as the cartilage and bone in his arm pop, "Gaylen! Stop her! Stop her!"

"Stop! We surrender! Stop!"

My eyes fall upon the contempt ex-soldier who stands with his arms up. There are now only nine of them left, two of which are a researcher and a regular guard.

"Surrender? Well…." I tilt my head as if thinking, "I guess that's okay, but drop your weapon and take off those exoskeletons."

Giving them a big smile, they hesitate, but the screaming of the man as I continue to tear his arm from his body removes their remaining reservations. Tossing their weapons to the ground, I shout, "Aponi, Sam, take their weapons."

Aponi, still in her windigo state, glares at me, but reluctantly does it, while Sam follows them with his tail between his legs.

"Damn traitors," a random exo-soldier says to Aponi.

This proves to be a bad move as Aponi raises a fist and gives one of the best knuckle punches I have ever witnessed. Under the force of the punch, he falls to the ground getting piranha solution along one side of his face.

I nod with a look of approval. 'Nice.'

"We can't betray who we never worked for! It's your fault for not getting to know the guards around here!" she barks at the exo-soldier who is desperately trying to wipe the solution from his face.

"You only have yourself to blame," I add this time out loud.

They begin to strip their clothing, and a moment later, pieces of metal start hitting the floor as they remove parts of the exoskeleton bit by bit. When they are done, the seven remaining exo-soldiers stand with nothing but their underwear. Using the blood from the bodies of their companions, I wrap collars around each of them and then sigh.

"Alright. I can let this guy go, but are you sure that's a good idea?" I motion toward the man's arm, the skin as split, and the damage is obviously tremendous. "It might honestly be easier for me to amputate it now if none of you know how to reattach an arm."

"Just let him go. If that's really necessary, I'll do it myself."

I shrug. "Okay, but I'd rather you asked me to do it since I kind of, y'know, hate him for shooting me and all." A bullet drops from my forearm, bouncing against the ground. "But… I suppose I can extend his suffering."

The blood liquefies as the man I assume is named Gaylen runs to catch him. Gaylen first looks at the man's dangling arm before turning to me. "It was me who ordered him to, so please don't hold it against him."

"Whatever. More importantly…" My eyes fall onto Goliath and Dolt, who have collapsed against some walls. The rest of the Brutes stand around, staring at them worriedly. "Take those two Brutes, give them a bath, and put them to bed somewhere. Don't let anything happen to them."

"...I don't know if we can do that without our exoskeletons."

"Then you can take one with you, and the rest of you can help in your underwear. Now hurry before the piranha solution does any more damage to them. Aponi, go with them! You can hit them or shoot them if they try anything funny." She nods with a smirk while the exo-soldiers stare at me with burning resentment and glaring eyes; I clap my hands happily. "Now, Sam!"

"Y-yeah…?"

I pause for dramatic effect. "Bring. Me. Carl!... If he's still alive." I stare at Sam with a serious look. "I'm serious, don't walk over here with a piranha solution covered corpse. I'll be angry."

"Wait." He stares at me for a long time before finally asking, "Who's Carl?"