I rely on my instincts and dodge, my weakened legs firing to get me out of harm's way. The demon has picked his moment well, striking at the first sign of weakness and this time I'm not able to get away from all three of the spear strikes, the third one slamming into my carapace just in front of my foremost leg on the right side of my body. The force of the impact is stunning, even with my new stats, and my weight is driven backward, though I'm able to keep myself upright.

I can feel that the hardened tip of the tongue has failed to penetrate through my shell, though it has managed to dig in an inch or two, weakening my carapace in that spot significantly. I unleash the two windblades I have prepared and they cut deep into the flesh of the tongue connecting the spear to the main body, but again fail to sever it. Burning bright ichor drips from the wound onto the hot rocks of the third strata, steam rising as it bubbles to a boil in an instant on the ground.

What is this sense of dizziness? Have I been poisoned in some way?

I keep moving, unwilling to remain still, forcing my legs to pump away despite the strange lethargy that has overtaken them. As I circle around the demon, I try to analyse my situation and study the barbed tongue still embedded in my shoulder, hoping to get a glimpse of what ails me. It doesn't take long to realise what the problem is. Though the very point of the tongue is hardened beyond the strength of steel, the area just behind the tip is different, coated in small sacks that contain a virulently green looking goop that is even now leaking out onto my carapace. Some sort of venom or toxin? But I was only scratched! Even now he hasn't managed to get through my shell and into my bloodstream!

[Invidia! I've been poisoned! See what you can do about it!]

With all the practice he's had lately, during the siege and keeping Tiny alive, Invidia has trained the rank of his healing magic at a rapid clip. I know for a fact that with his achievement of the higher ranks he gained knowledge of ways to deal with poisons and afflictions, which will hopefully be enough to alleviate this situation. For now though, I need to get this damn tongue off of me before more of this insidious toxin manages to worm its way into me. Let's see if he wants to test his tongue against this!

DOOM CHOMP!

The dark energy mandibles manifest as an extension of my own and before they slam shut, Anga has rather predictably chosen not to chance it and pulled his tongue back. Although the fight has turned positively in his direction, the demon seems a touch hesitant to approach too closely now that I've revealed the power of the doom chomp. He might be willing to soak up the acid damage, but it seems as though my mandibles might be more of a threat than he's willing to take on. Not that I'm going to give him a choice.

I quietly start to pump gravity mana into my mandibles and they begin to glow with an unearthly purple light, something that my opponent doesn't fail to notice. He pauses his advance for a moment, tongues still hovering threateningly. I can immediately tell what he wants. The poison managed to affect me when I barely had any of it on my body and now he managed to pour it onto my carapace with his last attack. If I can't counteract the effect somehow then the fight is already over, all he has to do is wait.

[How are you doing, Invidia?]

[The demon toxin issss ssstubborn. Not physssical at all. Mana basssed it hasss ssseeped into you. I have done what I can for now.]

Mana based?! A mana toxin!? I switch on my mana sense and direct it inward to reveal that Invidia is totally correct. The disgusting goop that Anga dripped all over me is a medium for delivering the poison rather than the poison itself. A viral form of mana has leaked out of the stuff and drifted into my body, latching onto my own mana and corrupting it, disrupting the flow of energy throughout my body. I didn't even know something like this was possible.

Using his big ol’ brain, Invidia was able to detect the issue and attack the infected energy within my body, breaking it down and dispersing it as best he could. Some traces remain, and given time they will multiply and replicate the problem, but for now I'm not in any immediate danger. Not that the demon knows that. I continue to build the gravity mana in my mandibles and I manoeuvre, only to stumble and fall, crashing into the rock of the ramp with a thud.

As I feign weakness and try to push my body off the ground, I can almost feel the malefic glee rising from Anga as his tongues waggle in the air. He once again starts to approach, his thick chunky legs bringing him slowly closer. I flop and twitch on the ground for a few more seconds until I'm confident that he's close enough before I unleash my prepared surprise. The gravity mana infused in my mandibles flares to life as I reach out and pull.

I don't target Anga, the demon is way too heavy for the gravity to affect him, and I'm honestly not sure it would go super well for me if his whole body started falling at me. No, no. I target something much more specific.

The demon barely has time to react as one of his tongues suddenly feels a pull and is dragged toward me.

DOOM CHOMP!

Focusing on maximal sharpness, I slam shut my most potent biting attack, severing the tongue completely. Anga rips his remaining two tongues back into his body to avoid me getting hold of them too, but I'm not focused on that. Legs firing, I dash as quickly as I can toward the demon, mandibles wide and ready to bite again. Before my opponent can bring his weapons to bear, I slam down another doom chomp, cutting deep into his left arm. Not letting go, I drag the demon forward, putting him off balance before releasing my grip and slamming into his back, sending him toppling to the ground. Quick as a flash, I leap beside him and snap my mandibles forward once again, nearly severing the arm. I maintain the grip and open my mind to his, connecting with a mind bridge once again.

[Hey there, food,] I taunt him, [feel like talking now? Might want to start fast, I'm more than a little hungry.]

The mind of Anga is little changed from what it was before. That same roiling violence beneath a coat of filth is present, but I sense no fear from him.

[Hurr, hurr,] he laughs mentally and out loud at the same time. [A feisty morsel you are. Will you allow Anga to live if he speaks with you? If I am to be food, I would rather be eaten and be done with it.]

He sounds as if he's surrendered, but connected as we are I can sense the thoughts of harming me bubbling away in his mind. He would turn the situation in a second if I let him, and I doubt he would give me a chance to walk away alive.

[Sure, I’ll let you leave my sight alive if you talk,] I tell him, [I just have a few things I want to learn.]