The tunnel went silent. The only sound was the whirrr of the gang leader's cybernetic eye zooming in and out, focusing on the dark figure standing before him.
Thalos stood ten paces away, his silhouette broken by the ragged canvas cloak. Under the hood, his amber eyes burned with a steady, unnatural light.
"You're making a mistake, miner," the leader spat, trying to regain his composure. He motioned to his two enforcers with a jerk of his head. "Break his arms. But leave the loot bag intact. I want those plates."
The two thugs grinned. They were typical tunnel rats, muscles built from hauling scrap, teeth stained yellow from chewing stimulant roots. They stepped forward, swinging their heavy iron pipes to test the weight.
"Nighty night, little rock-eater," the thug on the left sneered.
He lunged.
It was a clumsy attack, a wide, vicious overhead swing aimed at Thalos's skull. Against a normal miner, it would have been lethal.
But to Thalos, it looked like it was moving underwater.
[Perception Check: Passed.]
[Enemy Attack Speed: Slow.]
[Trajectory Analysis: Vertical Strike.]
In the past, Thalos would have flinched. He would have curled up, covered his head, and prayed for it to end quickly.
But today, his body moved before his fear could catch up.
He didn't dodge backward. He stepped in.
He raised his left forearm, catching the iron pipe dead-on with his [Dermal Plating].
CLANG.
The sound was like a sledgehammer hitting an anvil. Sparks flew from the point of impact. The thug's eyes went wide as the pipe vibrated violently in his hands, bouncing off Thalos's arm as if he were hitting a solid steel beam.
Thalos felt a dull throb in his bone, but nothing broke. The grey scales on his arm didn't even crack.
"My turn," Thalos whispered.
He thrust the Bone Blade forward. He didn't aim for the chest, killing a human in the tunnels brought too much heat from the Guards. He aimed for the thigh.
SHHK.
The serrated white blade punched through the thug's leather pants and sank deep into the quadriceps muscle. Thalos twisted the handle.
"ARGH!" The thug screamed, dropping the pipe and clutching his leg as he collapsed into the muck.
Thalos didn't stop. He spun around, using the momentum to kick the wounded man into the second attacker. They tangled together, limbs flailing in the wet sludge of the tunnel floor.
[Combat Style: Brutal.]
[Intimidation Check: Success.]
The leader wasn't laughing anymore. The smirk had vanished from his face. He scrambled backward, pulling a serrated switchblade from his belt. His mechanical eye was spinning frantically, trying to analyze the threat level.
"You... you're a mutant!" the leader yelled, his voice cracking. "The Guards will kill you! You can't be here! You belong in the Pit!"
Thalos ignored him. He walked forward, his boots crunching heavily on the gravel. He looked like a nightmare rising from the deep—hooded, covered in green beetle blood, with a glowing gaze that promised violence.
"You wanted a toll," Thalos said, his voice low and raspy, vibrating in his chest. "I'm paying it."
He closed the distance in two long strides.
The leader slashed at him with the knife, a desperate, frantic swipe. Thalos didn't even need the System to see it coming. He caught the man's wrist mid-air.
His grip strength, boosted to 14 by the consumption of the beetle, clamped down like a hydraulic press.
CRACK.
The sound of the wrist bones grinding together was sickeningly loud.
The switchblade clattered to the floor. The leader let out a high-pitched whimper, his knees buckling.
Thalos slammed the leader against the tunnel wall. He pressed his forearm against the man's throat, the rough, rock-like scales digging into the soft skin of his neck, pinning him in place.
"Please!" the leader gagged, clawing uselessly at Thalos's arm with his good hand. "Take it! Take whatever you want! Just don't eat me!"
Thalos leaned in close. The smell of the man's fear—sweat and urine—was overwhelming to his heightened senses.
"I don't eat trash," Thalos growled.
He reached into the leader's jacket pocket with his free hand. He pulled out a small, heavy pouch that jingled with the sound of metal credits.
[Item Acquired: Credit Pouch (Small)]
[Contents: 150 Credits.]
Thalos stared into the man's terrified human eye, then shifted his gaze to the whirring cybernetic one.
"This is the toll for the last three years," Thalos said coldly. "Consider us even."
He released the leader, letting him slide to the floor, gasping for air and clutching his broken wrist. The other two thugs were still on the ground, groaning, too terrified to stand up.
Thalos picked up his sack of Chitin Plates. He looked at the three men one last time.
"If I see you near the mines again," Thalos said, letting his amber eyes flare brighter, "I won't use the flat of the blade."
He turned and walked away.
He didn't run. He didn't look back. He walked with a steady, rhythmic pace.
As he reached the end of the tunnel and stepped into the bustling noise of the Marrow Market, the adrenaline finally began to fade. His heart was pounding, but not from fear. It was pounding with a strange, cold satisfaction.
[Combat Encounter Ended.]
[XP Gained: 60.]
[Reputation Update: "Copperhead Gang" is now Terrified of you.]
Thalos merged into the crowd, pulling his hood tight. He had 150 credits in his pocket, enough for a week of real food. But he had something more valuable in the sack on his back.
He headed toward the back alleys of Sector 4, avoiding the main patrol routes. He was looking for a specific neon sign, one he had heard the older miners whisper about but had never dared to visit.
A sign that pictured a cracked skull and a medical cross.
"Doc Silas - Cybernetics & Organ Dealer."
Thalos gripped the sack tighter. It was time to find out how much a monster was worth.