The tongue shot towards him like a bullet. Blaze didn’t have the time to plan an elaborate move. He just grabbed the nearest skeleton, using it as a shield.
The tongue slammed against the skeleton, shattering it. Only its ribcage was left in Blaze’s hand.
Instead of fighting the frogkin, he noticed something strange. On the scattered bones of the skeleton, a black patch was spreading from the spot where the frogkin’s tongue had touched it.
The spores were eating the bone. It confused Blaze. The skeleton from before wasn’t affected by the spores despite spending ten hours in the room. However, this skeleton was turning into rot the moment it got hit.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get much time to theorize about it as the frogkin jumped at him. Its tongue shot out once again. Blaze ducked and rolled away before erecting walls all around the frogkin and the skeletons.
The other skeletons charged at the frogkin with their bony weapons. Three of them slammed into the frogkin, their blunt weapons raised above their heads.
Despite giving them the order, Blaze had a feeling the skeletons were no match for the frogkin.
Something happened to it, unlike the others.
While the blightspore made other creatures irrational and weaker, it seemed to have turned the frogkin stronger than before.
A part of Blaze didn’t want to kill the thing and research it. However, it was too risky. If he was running away from it, then he couldn’t let it anywhere near Alaric or Voss either.
Thankfully, there was a way to kill it.
"Marrow," he yelled, pointing at the corpse pit. "The valve!"
As she pushed the bony handle, Blaze heard the hiss of gas rushing through the pipes. The fire was getting bigger as it fed on ammonia.
Just then, a loud crash echoed behind Blaze. He looked over his shoulder and saw the frogkin breaking through the chitinous corpse wall.
"You’ve got to be kidding me!"
Blaze wasn’t the only one having a difficult time believing his eyes. Marrow was astounded, much like him. The chitinous wall was Blaze’s best defensive formation to date.
Even the elite in the horde, other than Breaker and Raven, had a tough time breaking through it. Yet the frogkin made it seem too easy.
Two skeletons held onto its hind legs, their fingers clawing at the frogkin. However, the latter’s eyes were fixed on Blaze’s throat.
As it slammed onto the ground, the skeletons holding on to it fell apart. At the moment, Fester emerged from the ground, ready to drag the frogkin inside and kill it along with the ants.
However, Blaze stopped it.
"Fester, no! Retreat!"
Although the blightspore seemed to have a different effect on the host, Blaze didn’t want it infecting anyone from his horde.
If it could turn a simple frogkin into such a beast, then he didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if a horde member got infected. In such an event, his own creation would spell his doom.
While he was focused on Fester, the frogkin came charging behind him.
Blaze ran toward the fire pit, taking off his suit on the way. The suits were getting increasingly difficult to find. Letting one burn in flames would be a waste. Besides, it was his favorite one.
Blaze jumped over the flames in one smooth motion. The greenish-blue flames licked his rotten body, but the flames weren’t strong enough to burn him yet.
As he skidded to a halt next to the pipe, the frogkin also jumped over the flame. It was still in the air when Blaze shoved the pipe into the fire.
Then, lying on his back, he lifted the pipe and directed the fire upwards. The flames roared like a dragon’s breath as they swallowed the frogkin whole.
The spores on its body ignited instantly, each one popping like tiny fireworks. Its croak turned into a high-pitched screech as the fire burned its skin to a crisp.
Blaze wasn’t spared either. The pipe couldn’t hold the heat for long. The skin of his left palm fused with the burning pipe, but he didn’t pull back. Not until the frogkin was turned into a heap of ash.
Blaze let go of the pipe and turned around.
"Cut the supply!" he yelled, but it was too late.
The corpse pit exploded, sending flesh and debris flying everywhere. Marrow was swallowed in the explosion as well. The chances of her survival were negligible.
Blaze got up as the dust settled. It would be a shame if Marrow died, but it didn’t worry him.
I can always create another one of her. All thanks to the encyclopedia.
He was about to leave and grab his suit when he saw a silhouette through the dust cloud.
"The day is full of surprises, isn’t it?" Blaze said as Marrow emerged through the dust.
She was burned and hurt. The explosion hadn’t been kind to her at all. There wasn’t a single part of her body that wasn’t bleeding. Yet, she remained as calm as ever.
A dozen wisps flew around her, repairing what damage she had suffered. Had it been anyone but her, they would have been blown to smithereens.
"Good to see you, Marrow. You had me worried there for a second."
"My... apologies," she replied, her voice sounding as rough as Blaze’s, because of the gaping hole in her neck.
"Heal yourself first," Blaze said, waving his hand. "I can’t bear to hear two sandpapered voices."
Marrow didn’t reply; she just bowed and left. Meanwhile, Blaze went to investigate the frogkin’s remains.
Honestly, he just wanted to make sure that thing was dead-dead. After his fight with the Headless, it had become a sort of habit.
He kicked the husk, and it shattered right away, blowing in the wind.
"I guess that’s enough of a confirmation," he said, turning to leave, but stopped in his tracks when he saw a notification.
[Special traits of the new infector form have been recorded.]