Zeph's hand moved faster than the summoner expected—AGI 91 versus whatever diminished speed the wounded man retained. His fingers closed around the blade six inches from his chest.
The crystalline edge cut into his palm, drawing blood.
[ADAPTIVE RESILIENCE ACTIVATED]
[Damage Type: Crystalline Pierce + Soul Erosion]
[Resistance: 0% → 20%]
Pain flared, but somehow manageable. His VIT 161 kept the wound shallow.
The summoner's compound eyes widened. "How—"
Zeph yanked the blade forward, pulling the gaunt man off-balance, and drove his knee into the summoner's solar plexus with STR 101 behind it.
Bang!
The impact folded the man in half. Ribs cracked audibly. He stumbled backward, the blade dissolving as his concentration shattered.
The chitinous summoner unleashed his swarm—thousands of black beetles flooding across the floor in a living tide.
They swarmed up Zeph's legs, mandibles tearing at his pants and skin.
[ADAPTIVE RESILIENCE ACTIVATED]
