Out in Blizzard Online, some creatures wandered around without anyone really noticing them. These weren't rare spawns or hidden bosses - just part of the noise.
The game hardly reacted when you killed one. They didn't drop much, rarely attacked, and never changed anything about how people played. That was where the Prima fit in - quietly, like dust on a shelf.
Floating into view, the first thing you'd notice about Primas was how pale they looked - like wet glass shaped vaguely like slugs.
They hardly moved, just kind of oozed forward with a shaky rhythm that made them seem clumsy on purpose. Not strong at all, really - their reputation reflected that.
A few odd ones showed up now and then, tinted yellow or faintly green, acting a little stranger than normal. These behaved differently, sure, maybe even surprised someone once or twice.
It still didn't mean much when it came down to survival. Most folks saw them as something temporary - just there until stronger things arrived.
Most times, Primas wouldn't strike back at all. When hit, they often took the damage without reacting, just floating off like empty shells.
People only targeted them to gain XP, though it felt almost meaningless. Beating one gave such little progress that seasoned players ignored them completely.
Killing Primas was a thing beginners did - one of those temporary phases you went through early on, until tougher enemies came along offering more.
That was how Blizzard Online worked.
Ethan had never hunted Primas before.
Right from his first steps into the world, he moved around those weak monsters without slowing. Straight toward tougher foes he aimed, using precision, split-second decisions, upside-down strategies. Being a Beast Tamer also helped.
Those types carried more weight early on compared to Mages or Argumenters, if they found the right creature beside them. Few got that role. Almost nobody did.
He used to belong with that group.
A Prima had never been a threat to him.
Not once.
But now -
This time, it lunged at Ethan without warning.
And he hadn't even attacked first.
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"SQUEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAK!"
A scream ripped from his chest when the hurt hit. Fast. Brutal. Like fire under the skin, the stuff on his fur burned deeper than bone.
Everything went blank because of it. Words stopped working.
Reason fell apart. All that stayed was the burning sensation.
Down among roots and rotting bark, Ethan twisted hard, voice tearing open with each cry. Not just pain - something worse - his front leg burning as if pulled apart inside. It crawled under skin, slow and sharp at once. Screams came out ragged, lost in the trees.
He couldn't think.
Breathing right was something he just couldn't do.
Frozen breaths marked each moment. Sharpness lived deep inside his chest.
Just as he started to steady himself, the Prima trembled once more. From that ripple came another sudden spurt, hitting his left front leg full force.
"SQUEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAK!"
A sound tore through the air, ragged and raw beyond anything before. Pain hit again, then again, stacking up till thought frayed at the edges. Inside his ribs, his heart pounded - wild, uneven, rushing ahead without warning.
Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes, blurring his vision as they soaked into his fur.
It hurts.
He crawled away, pulling through dust and grit, though each inch sapped what little power remained. Shaking took hold of his arms and legs, defiance in every twitch against command. Pain arrived fresh with motion, sharp and unrelenting, like fire rekindled anew.
The ground offered no comfort, only resistance beneath a body losing its fight.
Somewhere nearby, a chiming sound rang out.
[DING!]
[SSS-RANKED SYSTEM]
[HP: 140/200]
This moment, something caught Ethan's eye - just barely. Out near the corner of what he could see, a dim purple light pulsed once. Odd markings appeared there, along with words in bright white, floating like they belonged.
He almost looked directly at them, but then the ache returned, sharp and sudden, pulling his focus back down into his body.
He didn't care.
He couldn't afford to care.
Whatever that was, it didn't matter right now.
Ethan's eyes jumped again toward the goo sitting there. It sat right where he left it, wobbling slightly.
The Prima.
No.
Not just a Prima.
Fog lifting from his mind, he saw it clearly. Not blue like others of its kind, this one oozed slow beneath the light. A thick, glassy haze made up its form - dull grey, almost lifeless. Inside, a solid blue sphere hovered without sound.
Grey Prima.
A rare variant.
Now it came back to him. Inside their bodies, grey Primas made a kind of acid. Still people saw them as feeble creatures. Hunting wasn't something they did on purpose. Attacks never came fast or fierce.
And most importantly -
They weren't supposed to shoot their acid.
Inside, digestion happened through slow absorption of nutrients. Their way of surviving worked like that. Eating meant taking in matter piece by piece. It defined what they were.
So why -
A shiver ran through the Grey Prima's skin, warping without warning. With a quiet squeeze of its form, the inner blue light pushed harder into view.
Ethan's breath caught.
Another attack.
Cold fear hit first, sharper than any ache. A roar of instinct drowned out everything he was thinking. Before thought arrived, his body had already moved.
As the acidic shot launched toward his head, Ethan jerked sideways with all the strength he had.
The liquid missed him by a fur.