The Chameleon Loop

Jamal and Jesus’ body tore apart one of the labyrinth’s walls with the help of a glowing hammer and their Homo Venatorus strength. As warriors, mana converted into bodily reinforcement, augmenting their already superhuman strength to turn the marble into little more than mud. They broke chunks and stacked the blocks of marble in a corridor’s corner, building a pillbox for Mary-sue (in Jon’s body) to load and fire the 50 BMG Barrett. Onyxium crystals lined her pillbox, a prophylactic measure to avoid the radiation poisoning she was about to discharge.

Marble clinked against marble as Jamal placed the last stone. Then retrieved his steel shod spears. Just in time for Nox to return, casting a shadow as he stood in front of the sunshine.

“Let’s go home.” Said Nox, reminding them why they were fighting.

“Ready!” Shouted Nora, beginning the sound off, the call moving from highest ranked hunter to lowest.

“Ready!” Answered Jamal,

“Ready!” Answered Mary-sue in Jon’s body,

“Ready!” Answered Jon in Mary-sue’s body,

“Ready!” Answered Nora in Jesus’ body,

“Ready!” Answered Taylor in Nox’s body,

“Ready!” Answered Nox in Taylor’s body. “Ash and Ruby are ready at the south corridor.” Said Nox, pointing in their direction, which probably wasn’t south at all.

Author’s note. I will refer to each body by the personality contained within for the remaining duration of this ‘loop’.

Jon and Taylor took off running, parkouring their way across the labrinth’s crown to the “north” corridor. They would act as a second demolition’s team and trigger the C4 at the other entrances. Ping-ponging the minotaur ball between explosive paddles. Once they were certain that Jamal used his talent. When their silhouettes vanished from sight it was Nox’s turn to act. As the weakest fighter, it was his job to act as bait.

“Three, Two, One, Cowabunga!” Shouted Nox.

With a homicidal smile, he leapt from the wall, landing on the tripwire and rolling across the sawgrass. It clawed at his exposed skin, collecting a blood tax that Nox was happy to pay. A trivial agony for him to carry his momentum into a sprint. Behind him the sound barrier shattered into a tutu of cloud as Jamal’s spear found the minotaur’s left thigh. Sharpened steel encountered a femur and exploded. Meat, formerly minotaur, burst rearward, hungrily devoured by the vampiric sawgrass.

BOOM

BOOM BOOM

Without waiting for the minotaur to fully materialize, Mary-sue started blasting, sending round after round of the artisanal cancer into the wounded femur.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

The minotaur’s shape hardened into color. Golden hair graced the minotaur’s gorgeous figure, and Nox realized the minotaur was a foot shorter than it had been before. With less scars and more muscle. It staggered forward, hopping on one leg towards the waiting hunters. Placing itself exactly where Jesus wished. A whistle shrieked through the labyrinth, followed by the last two BOOM BOOM of Mary-sue’s 10 round magazine.

Liam spun, success was already approaching. This was going to be easy–

The minotaur’s leg began to regrow, bone and muscle wiggling down the leg like ten thousand meaty worms.

‘Ahahahahahaha! You should see the look on your face right now!’ Cackled Loki, this time howling with laughter from the ziggurat’s apex as well as within his mind.

Despite the shift, Nora dropped behind the minotaur, Taylor’s blue mana sword in hand. A quickstep later and the sword sank into his opposite leg. The blade intercepted the minotaur’s downward hop, sweeping the leg and sending him –facefirst– into the marble wall.

BOOOOOOMMM echoed through the dungeon, and the minotaur vanished.

“Reloaded.” Shouted Mary-sue.

While Jamal retrieved another spear and Nox placed a charge of C4, effectively resetting their ambush.

“We’ve got thirty seconds left!” Shouted Jesus. “We’ll hit it again! Me cago en todo! Nox, why didn’t you tell us it could heal?”

“It couldn’t heal last time! And it only had one eye! This minotaur is different!” Shouted Nox, placing the bunny of C4 near the tripwire’s hole.

“Fifteen seconds! Aim at the chest this rotation!” Shouted Jesus, laying prone against the wall top with a loaded shotgun.

His intention was clear, test the minotaur’s regeneration. Most creatures required mana to regenerate, meaning they could overcome his regeneration through firepower… If they had any. But eyes and brains were always extra difficult to regenerate, meaning Jesus was aiming to make every ball of buckshot count.

Liam skittered up the wall with ease. It had taken a few deaths before he realized the finger claws could be reduced to three and enlarged, creating a hand vaguely resembling wolverine’s. Of course, that resemblance was only superficial since you would need to make the claws shorter, thicker, reinforced all bones in the wrist and forearm, and then made the claws curved. Regardless of his dozen attempts, the claws never came out straight. Still, they dug into the marble like it was ice cream.

“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” Shouted Jesus.

On que, Nox detonated the charge, once more summoning the the minotaur. But this time with a few surprises.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Jamal lobbed the fattest rod of onyxium at the minotaur, grabbing his spear as the mana absorbing mineral collided with marble tiles and shattered into a dozen chunks.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Red laser beams impacted the minotaur’s chest, burning holes in his teleporting form and burying themselves deep within his ribcage. Yet he seemed unaffected, already hoofing his way towards the kill team.

BOOM BOOM BOOM click

That click was the sound of a hammer falling on an empty chamber, and the signal that kicked all hunters into action. Jesus’ shotgun spoke next, blasting fifteen .33 caliber projectiles into the minotaur’s face with each pump. Its eye exploded under the barrage of lead-dissolved mana crystals. It bellowed in rage, raising its axe to dismember the prone Jesus, when Nox reached the minotaur.

Sprinting down the corridor he put all his weight behind the steel shafted and dove forward. Spear point first, into the minotaur’s unsuspecting right kneecap. With his axe raised on his right side the minotaur tumbled backwards, sac tapping Nox’s forehead on his way down.

Oh, what the FUCK! EW! Thought Nox, as he was clotheslined by huevos. His momentum drove his body forward, while the clothesline sent him into a reverse sumersault. Hooves kicked around him, trying to score another shot on Nox, and the third kick connected with his pelvis, launching him fifty yards into a labyrinth wall. Bones shattered and cracked by the dozens, turning each breathe into a gasp of liquid lava. Yet, Nox had experienced this pain before, and inhaled deeply, consciously regulating his breathing.

[mana -5%] shapeshift

[mana -15%] healing

[mana -5%] regeneration

Rack Bang, rack Bang, rack Bang. Screamed Jesus’ shotgun, emptying itself into the minotaur’s face. Now dry, he tossed aside the shotgun to draw his sword then hurled himself on the minotaur’s throat, sword raised for the killing blow. But this minotaur was faster.

Wounded leg or not, he did a reverse crunch, bringing his hooved legs to his pecks. With Jesus’ sword raised above his head there was no option to dodge or turn aside. He could do nothing as one hooved foot rocketed forward, breaking every rib in his body and skyrocketing him into the dungeon’s ceiling. Jesus’ sword and Nox’s spear clattered to the floor a second later, fading into the floor as the minotaur regained it’s feet. Eyeballs squelched back into being, and the many wounds from Mary-sue’s 50BMG and Jesus’ mana crystal buckshot closed as the minotaur found his axe.

We’re dead. This is impossible… I can’t even guess at where his weak points would be, and I have no idea what to try! We’re out of bullets, halfway through our C4, our weapons don’t work… But even if they did, he still has that full heal rune! Ah! This is hopeless!

‘FINALLY! You’re seeing reason!’ Whispered Loki, as the minotaur’s gaze fell across Nox’s clawed hands and glowing sword.

An explosion echoed in the distance, and the minotaur faded from reality. His bovine jaw opened wide and Nox heard the same chuffing laughter that haunted each and every one of his death cycles.

No, the last minotaur was tougher. We can and WILL find a way to kill this one–

Wind whistled, a warning of something plummeting to earth. The kill team looked up, just in time to see Nora’s body plummet to the ground, reaching terminal velocity and splattering against the smooth marble floor. Her pulverized juices splashed against their boots. Making a sound that would haunt Nox’s dreams for the rest of eternity.

[Venator soul +1]

“Jesus fucking christ.” Muttered Mary-sue, closing her eyes and wiping her scope clean.

Taylor unlocked the soul faster than Nox could blink. Notably increasing his health and stamina bars.

Nora snapped her fingers, “Hey! Don’t bring God into this. He has no place in this hell.”

“Damn straight.” Said Jamal.

A muffled “Sorry” came from Mary-sue’s pillbox.

“You didn’t use your talent Jamal, will you be ready this time?” Asked Nox.

“The bigger the dick the longer it takes to recharge.” Said Jamal.

Liam nodded, already inserting a detonator into a fist sized wad of C4. Shortly thereafter the wad arced over the ziggurat and exploded in a relatively tranquil pop. Their way of signaling for the distraction teams to buy more time.

“May, hit the minotaur in the gut and pelvis, then bug out. Link up with Ash. Jesus, Jamal… I can’t see a future where we win–” Crap! Why did I say that?

“I mean- Where we win without more casualties.” Corrected Nox, not convincing anyone.

If everyone dies, Taylor will unlock their souls and we’ll get stronger… Am I prepared for that? Thought Nox, conscious of the fact that each death iteration would cost him a little more of his compassion. Already he was beginning to think of the hunter’s souls as mere level ups. Trivial increases in his health, mana, or stamina bars. Even now, he harboured no ill feelings for Taylor unlocking their fallen ally’s soul. In fact, his expenditure of mana was appreciated.

“Do we pull back to the cave?” Asked Nora.

“We’ve used most of our bullets. We can fight the boss now or run out of food in a few days and die then.” Said Mary-sue.

Liam shrugged. “Do whatever you want. I’m fighting the minotaur now.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, instead he jogged towards the tripwire, finding the last remaining shred of spider silk and tugging on it.

Once more the minotaur began to materialize, and once more Marry-sue emptied her magazine into it.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Radiation seared the forming minotaur, causing it’s fur to combust, yet it was fully within reality now.

BOOM BOOM

Two rounds connected with the minotaur, and it reached for the pouch on its side, only for everyone present to realize the pouch was gone. Which is when all hope faded for the hunters. For when the minotaur saw it’s pouch was gone, it vanished. Like a stalker from Starcraft 2, the minotaur performed a short range teleportation. The blink removed half the distance between the minotaur and May,

BOOM BOOM SCCCCCRREEEEE–BOOM–EEEEEEEE–BOOM

Shots mingled with the echoing screech of the minotaur’s axehead grinding along marble walls. Right up until the axe smashed through Mary-sue’s pillbox. She scrambled sideways, but the radiation poisoning already taking hold. Shaking hands slipped and when the axe fell for a second time it cleaved her in half.

[Venator MILF soul +1]

A spear thrust into the minotaur’s ribs from his 9 o’clock angle, deflecting off reinforced ribs. In response the minotaur backhanded Jamal, breaking dozens of bones in his chest and turning one of his arms into paste.

How is it this strong? Jesus parried it’s attack before! Thought Nox.

‘Are you asking me?’ Said Loki, speaking directly to Nox’s mind. ‘Hehehe, don’t you remember our deal?’

Liam sprinted towards Jamal, hoping to distract the minotaur and create an opening for Jamal’s evacuation. But the minotaur’s hand struck first, enormous fingers slapped the solid marble, crushing Jamal’s body with a single blow.

[Hoplite soul +1]

Of course I'll kill your minotaur! No matter how many attempts it takes! Thought Nox.

‘Good boy. But you forgot one detail.’ Began Loki.

With Jamal and May dead, there was no reason for Nox to be fighting, but still he ran on. Until his boots slipped in Nora’s remains, sending him sliding down the corridor to the –laughing– minotaur. Who ignored him in favor of winding up a nife punch to Nora’s face, popping her borrowed body like a grape in a hydraulic press.

[Venator soul +1]

It’s too strong. Thought Nox.

‘Yeah, no shit. I couldn’t give you one tenth of the minotaur’s power, so I took ninety percent of his power away. What idiot bellows every hour, Good luck little Nox.’ Said Loki.