Levi stared, stunned by the sudden echoing retorts that pierced the air in an unbelievably quick rhythm.

Despite his misgivings, Gordon’s plan… seemed to be working.

The rapid fire slowed the kalvex’s momentum and its health dropped steadily, percent by percent.

Gordon kept firing, slowly backing away. Whenever he ran out he’d switch magazines in a quick but clearly only somewhat practiced gesture and continue firing. Once, he fumbled the reload and dropped the magazine with a splash, but immediately grabbed another from his storage belt; he’d clearly brought more than enough.

Each bullet’s impact slowed the kalvex just a little, and Gordon emptied his gun into it three times by the time it reached them.

Level 1++

(Spined Kalvex)

Health 72%

Levi may consider reliance on physical weaponry to be a dangerous precedent to set, not worth the risk in the long run, but he couldn’t deny its effectiveness in this moment. In half a minute Gordon had its health down by over a quarter. If they weren’t in such an enclosed space, he may well have been able to make good on his boast.

But this wasn’t an open arena. There was only so much space in the narrow tunnel, and the kalvex had been slowed but not stopped.

The moment Gordon stopped firing and jumped aside, a bare moment before the kalvex reached him, Levi charged in with his team. Becca teleported above it to dig her claws into its back and Maggie surged forward to wrap her fiery coils around its neck and forelegs. This kalvex was much stronger than an ogre, though, and Maggie's coils weren't enough to restrict its movements. It tore her off with a quick jerk of its legs and snap of its jaws, flinging the snake against the wall.

Shadevine dropped from the ceiling and onto the back of the kalvex's head, clamping his split tendrils around its neck and head gently enough that he should go unnoticed in the chaos. If Plus was around, Levi didn't see him, but Crackle buzzed over and ducked under the kalvex’s defences, burrowing into its chest fur to deliver his slowing bite.

Gremlin Three - er, ‘Elmire’ - ran up and started stabbing with his spear. In all the chaos, the kalvex forgot its initial target, focusing on the minions swarming it instead of goring Gordon. It swiped Elmire twice with blunt claws, then bit his head clean off and spat it to the side as his now-lifeless body toppled to the ground.

Gordon winced, and Levi silently concurred. Assuming they could even find Frosty's body, that left them with at least two minions needing revival already. At this rate, they wouldn’t make it.

The chaotic fight filled the front section of their little alcove completely. There was maybe twenty feet between the kalvex and the trap at the end of the dead-end corridor. No way past it, nowhere to retreat to safely.

Gordon reloaded and sighted from where he stood by the wall, firing more slowly and carefully so as not to hit the minions swarming the kalvex, but that proved to be a mistake. The moment the first shot rang out, the kalvex abandoned its efforts to dislodge Becca and charged at Gordon.

There was nowhere to hide, no way to escape. He didn’t have enough room to slow it down, even firing the rest of his magazine into it, and when he ran out the kalvex redoubled its speed with a burst of stamina and slammed its left horn right into Gordon’s gut.

Gordon gasped wetly and crumpled, the gun clattering to the floor. The kalvex tossed him to the ground, trampled over him in a series of squishy thuds, and kept going, unable to stop its forward momentum.

Level 1++

(Spined Kalvex)

Health 69%

"Off!" Levi shouted as the kalvex skidded toward the spike trap at the end of the alcove. Becca and Maggie understood at once. Becca teleported back to stand beside Levi, and Maggie dropped off and slithered out of the danger zone. Shadevine stubbornly held on, twisting his body slightly.

The trap slammed out, barely hurting the kalvex, but Shadevine split at just the right moment for the spears to slice harmlessly through without touching him. Levi would have applauded if he hadn't been about to charge.

Level 1++

(Spined Kalvex)

Health 67%

“Becca, find Frosty if you can, and get to the exit. We’re right behind you.” Levi grabbed Gordon and Gremlin Three, ignoring Gordon’s weak protests. “We’re getting out of here. No arguing. I’m not letting you get yourself killed.”

Gordon was breathing in unsteady gasps, but he still fumbled another magazine into the gun and fired another round even as Levi dragged him away, dropping the kalvex almost to 50% for the first time. “We can still do this. We’ve almost got him.”

Then their brief respite was over. It smashed the trap apart and spun on them, orange eyes gleaming with hatred. Levi took one look at the charging kalvex, then down to the friend in his arms.

Level 1++

(Spined Kalvex)

Health 51%

Gordon McKaine: Level 7

(Tamer)

Health 11%

Even as he watched, Gordon's health dropped to 10%.

It wasn't a hard decision.

“We’re leaving. We can come back another time, better armed and better prepared.”

Gordon tried to reload, but fumbled and dropped the magazine which clattered across the floor.

Levi reached the steps down to the main tunnel, but the kalvex was already closing in, much faster than them.

“Maggie! Slow it down.”

She hissed and nodded, slithering forward fast and interposing herself in the way, rearing up in a coil to trip the kalvex. It seemed to recognize the danger and slowed, but that gave Levi enough time to drag Gordon down the steps.

Gordon managed to reload and fired again, enraging the already angry kalvex further. Its mouth was open in a bloody snarl, its eyes bright orange slits gleaming with deadly intent as it thundered toward them. Levi tugged Gordon into the crossroads and out into the initial tunnel just in time. The kalvex thundered past, splashing corrosive everywhere as it ran, but it was unable to make the tight corner at speed and instead charged past them back toward its lair.

Levi pulled out one of the two health restoratives he kept on his person for emergencies and passed it to Gordon now that they were out of immediate danger. They had probably fifteen, maybe twenty seconds before the kalvex managed to get its bearings and come after them here.

“We’re so close, we can do it.”

“No. We are getting you out of here.” Though he had no idea how. The exit had to be beyond the kalvex’s lair, but it was now between them and it. He glanced up at the ceiling. Could Greg and Drok get him a rope or something, and pull them back up through the trapdoor? He didn’t carry a rope with him, dungeons always had a straightforward escape route. In this case, it was just blocked by a big angry death dog the size of an ox.

They did have something close, though.

“Maggie?” Levi called, and a moment later the magma snake slithered forward, leaving the usual stench of chemical smoke as corrosive boiled away against her sides. “Wanna play rope ladder?”

She was long enough and then some.

Drok shifted and reached down through the hole, and Maggie stretched up to meet him. It took less than half her length, leaving plenty of room to wrap around the injured Gordon to tug him up to safety.

Before the weakly protesting Gordon had been raised halfway up, the kalvex appeared at the curve of the tunnel, already charging.

There was no room to evade and no one left to throw between them. Levi could only draw his swords and brace for impact.