He Who Fights with Monsters, #1
He Who Fights with Monsters
by Shirtaloon
Contents
13. This is the Part Where We Step Back
Overview
Jason, Rufus, Farrah, and Gary confront the forming sanguine horror while collared and weakened. Jason accidentally poisons himself with mana toxin, briefly flees to fetch salt, then returns to repel the creature. Farrah retrieves the collar key, unleashes devastating lava, and the team eradicates all leeches. The horror’s defeat yields significant coin rewards and an Awakening Stone of the Apocalypse, escalating future stakes.
Summary
Descending into the sweltering chamber, Jason, Rufus, Farrah, and Gary pass High Priest Darryl’s corpse. Jason loots Darryl, acquiring coins and a recovery potion. He immediately drinks it after using spirit coins, negating its effects and inflicting mana toxin, which prevents recovery and punishes mana use.
They assess the churning blood pool. With collars suppressing powers, Farrah insists they must stop the nascent entity before it feeds and grows unstoppable. Spotting Cressida’s body across the narrow ledge, Farrah moves to retrieve the collar key while Rufus and Gary prepare to stall the emerging threat.
The pool stills and disgorges swarms of leeches that bandage themselves into a crude humanoid—a sanguine horror. Gary’s punch sinks harmlessly into the leech mass, covering his arm with biting leeches. Rufus batters the creature with the heavy book, knocking it apart but losing the book to leeches. Bloodied bandages lash out from the pool to drag Farrah in; Rufus throws her the sword.
Jason briefly disappears, then descends aglow in his starlight cloak, driving the horror back by throwing salt. Despite the pain from mana toxin, Jason maintains pressure until Farrah unlocks her collar. Freed, Farrah unleashes streams and geysers of lava that obliterate the main mass and quench the pool’s red light.
Farrah warns that even a single leech can reconstitute the horror. Jason salts scattered leeches while Rufus and Gary stomp them, finishing every remnant. The quest completes, granting coins and confirming the horror’s defeat.
Jason loots the remains, obtaining an Awakening Stone of the Apocalypse and more coins, hinting at ominous developments to come.
Who Appears
- JasonAccidentally inflicts mana toxin, briefly flees to fetch salt, returns to repel the leech horror and loots key rewards.
- FarrahRetrieves collar key, frees herself, and annihilates the sanguine horror with devastating lava; coordinates cleanup of remaining leeches.
- RufusLeads tactics, stalls the horror with the heavy book, throws Farrah the sword, and helps finish scattered leeches.
- GaryAttempts a punch, gets swarmed by leeches, then assists in cleanup by stomping remnants despite injuries.
- Sanguine HorrorLeech swarm bound by bloody bandages; forms humanoid mass, repelled by salt, destroyed by Farrah’s lava.
- CressidaDead cult leader; her body holds the collar key that Farrah retrieves to restore her powers.
- High Priest DarrylDead cult leader; Jason loots his corpse for coins and a recovery potion that triggers mana toxin.