Far wider than Stripe expected.
Its jaw flexed unnaturally.
Then it snapped shut around the man’s head.
There was a crack that sounded like thick wood splitting.
The man’s body jerked once. Arms flailed for balance that was already gone.
Then the head was gone.
Not bitten halfway. Not torn in pieces.
Gone in one grotesque bite, as if Oblong’s mouth had been built specifically for that one purpose.
Blood burst out in a sudden hot spray, splashing Stripe’s tunic and cheek.
The body collapsed straight down, twitching briefly on the stone.
Oblong chewed slowly, jaw working with dull patience.
Stripe watched the outline of the swallowed skull shift in Oblong’s throat for a second before it disappeared fully.
Oblong swallowed his throat expanding as the head can be seen traveling down.
Then it leaned forward again, as if considering whether the rest of the body was worth the effort.
Instead, it settled back onto its haunches with the calm satisfaction of an animal that had just eaten.
The cell erupted in sound after the initial shock wore off.
Someone shouted another pointed.
Someone backed away so fast they slipped on blood.
Stripe stood frozen, breathing hard through his nose.
The metallic smell hit him half a second later.
CROWN: Partial kill credit awarded. Experience gained.
Stripe blinked slowly.
“You’re kidding,” he muttered.
The orc exhaled, jaw tight.
ORC: Stay away from him, he bites.
Stripe wiped blood off his cheek with the back of his hand and stared at the corpse.
“Yeah,” he said.
“I got the memo.”
Oblong’s eyes drifted back toward Stripe again.
Unblinking.
Like it was trying to decide if he was a problem or a meal.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Blood pooled slowly across the stone floor.
No one stepped into it.
No one moved closer.
The space near Oblong was empty.
No one dared to sit by him or within arms reach.
Eventually footsteps passed in the corridor.
Someone glanced in through the bars.
No one entered.
Two guards entered and dragged the body out without a word.
Time crawled forward.
The thin man edged closer to Stripe after a while, crouching low near the wall.
THIN MAN: You got lucky again. Luck seems to follow you.
Stripe glanced at him.
“That’s one way to say it.”
THIN MAN: If you had not moved, it would have been you.
Stripe nodded once.
“Yeah unfortunate for the other guy. ”
The thin man’s eyes drifted toward Stripe’s injured hand.
THIN MAN: Does it hurt?
Stripe flexed his fingers slowly.
“It’s annoying if anything. I've had worse.”
The thin man smiled faintly and leaned closer.
THIN MAN: If you die…
He tilted his head slightly.
“…can I have your arm?”
Stripe stared at him.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I still have a ton of youth and vigor in me.”
A pause.
“But I guess I won’t be using it if I kick the bucket.”
Night fell gradually inside the cell.
The torches in the corridor dimmed.
The air grew colder.
One by one prisoners lay down against the walls.
Stripe did not.
He watched Oblong.
The creature did not sleep like humans.
It simply became still.
Breathing slow.
Eyes half-lidded.
Never fully closed.
A whole bench to itself while it slept.
CROWN: Recommendation: eliminate threat during low-activity period.
Stripe shifted slightly.
“You think I didn’t think of that?”
CROWN: Probability of being consumed during sleep remains elevated.
Stripe looked toward the far corner of the cell.
There was a bucket.
Every cell had one.
Everyone has used it.
It was grotesque.
He glanced toward the orc.
The orc’s eyes were open.
Staring at Stripe.
ORC: New guy.
A pause.
“What are you scheming over there.”
Stripe shrugged lightly.
“Fishing without a license.”
The orc did not respond.
Stripe stood slowly and walked toward the bucket.
The thin man watched with interest.
THIN MAN: You going to throw it at him?
Stripe looked back.
“I gotta get my lick back.”
He picked up the bucket and turned his back slightly to the cell.
There was no dignity left to preserve.
A steady stream filled the bottom.
CROWN: Unknown impact of pH alteration on aquatic physiology. Success probability indeterminate.
A pause.
CROWN: Host secretion detected in mixture Toxic Fisherman bonus is applied.
Stripe carried the bucket carefully toward Oblong.
“Fish need balance, right?” he muttered quietly.
“I remember that from somewhere.”
He tipped the bucket.
The liquid poured over Oblong’s scaled body and face, soaking into the ridges along his neck and chest.
For a moment nothing happened.
CROWN: Target poisoned status applied via Toxic Fisherman.
CROWN: Target HP dropping rapidly.
Then Oblong’s body jerked violently.
A low guttural sound escaped it.
Its scales twitched.
Muscles tightened erratically.
It tried to stand.
It lunged forward mouth open arms extended.
Its limbs buckled.
The thin man scrambled backward.
The orc did not move.
But his eyes sharpened.
Oblong convulsed once more, jaws opening and closing without coordination.
Then it collapsed fully onto its side.
The heavy body struck stone with a dull thud.
It twitched twice.
Then stopped moving.
Silence filled the cell.
Stripe stood there holding the empty bucket.
CROWN: Hostile eliminated. Experience awarded.
Stripe exhaled slowly.
“No head this time,” he muttered.
The thin man stared at the body.
THIN MAN: You killed him with that?
Stripe nodded once.
“Environmental hazard,” he said quietly.
The orc studied Stripe for a long moment.
ORC: You killed that giant creature with piss and shit?
Stripe set the bucket down.
“I have a certain set of skill”
He leaned back against the wall.
“I can't believe that worked.”
CROWN: Calculating experience.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ STATUS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Stripe Level: 5
Class: Unassigned
Title: Toxic Fisherman
HP: 134/134 Stamina: 118/118 Mana: 0/0
ATTRIBUTES
SKILLS
Passive
ARTIFACT
Crown of Reflection
SYSTEM EFFECTS
INVENTORY
CURRENCY
Silver: 14
Copper: 6
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