Erik inhaled deeply before fixing his gaze on Samuel and taking another deep breath. His voice reverberated throughout the laboratory's wreckage as he yelled, "We need to finish this now." He caught a glimpse of the beast out of the corner of his eye as it was momentarily off balance but eventually got back on its feet. "Before it completely regains its strength."
Samuel gave a terse nod, his eyes never leaving the beast. "Agreed. But there's one change in our plan," he replied, facing Erik fully. His stern gaze made Erik straighten up. "It's my turn to tank this thing. You've been too aggressive, despite me having asked you to stop. You did attract too much attention and almost died. For this reason, your task now is to distract it occasionally or when you see it preparing to strike me without any chance of evasion on my part."
His statements were unwavering, and they left no room for debate. Indeed, he was correct. Erik's behavior had been reckless, as he'd charged headfirst into the conflict.
Erik nodded after taking a breath to calm his jittery nerves. Even though adrenaline was surging through his veins, he kept his voice calm as he responded, "Alright, I understand."
The two men exchanged one last nod before turning again to the beast. It was time to put an end to this fight.
After regaining consciousness, the Thaid didn't waste any time. Samuel was in the path of its oncoming charge as it let out a roar. The older man braced himself, his stone gauntlets gleaming in the eerie glow of the Aclaitrium.
The Thaid's charge was like a hurricane, but Samuel stood his ground, every muscle in his body tensed and ready for the impact.
A sonic boom could be heard throughout the area due to their collision, which was heard around the ruins of the laboratory.
The Thaid swiped at Samuel with a clawed hand, a horrifying, brutal swing that would have surely crushed the older man, despite his armor being on, had it connected.
But Samuel was prepared for the assault, so he ducked low and drove a gauntlet-encased fist straight into the Thaid's midsection.
The point of impact was followed by the propagation of a shockwave, which caused dust and debris to become dispersed all around them.
The Thaid staggered backward, a groan of agony resonating in its throat as it did so. However, it quickly regained its composure and launched another attack, aiming for Samuel's head.
Samuel only managed to raise his gauntlet in time, but the Thaid's blow was so powerful that it pushed him back several steps and caused his boots to scrape against the metallic floor.
"Didn't you have to help me when I couldn't dodge?!" Samuel asked Erik.
"Sorry!" The young man replied with an apologetic look.
Samuel, however, responded by countering with a powerful uppercut delivered with his other fist. His stone gauntlet made contact with the Thaid's jaw, and the force of the impact audibly cracked the twisted and gnarled features of the creature.
For a moment, it seemed the Thaid faltered, stumbling back under the force of Samuel's blow.
But the beast was far from defeated and retaliated with a vicious backhand, catching Samuel off guard. The older man grunted in pain as he was thrown to the side, crashing into a pile of rubble.
As the older man was being thrown to the side, he screamed in pain as he collided with a pile of debris.
Erik rushed forward while letting out a rumbling scream, which diverted the beast's attention away from Samuel.
The monstrous eyes of the Thaid, devoid of feelings other than rage, swiveled toward him, and its body followed suit. Erik did not retreat, his energy pulsating inside of him, fueling his brain crystal power.
After noticing Erik's move, Samuel quickly regained his footing and exploited the distraction to gain an advantage.
Erik's intervention was successful, and Thaid's focus shifted entirely toward him. He darted around the lab, trying to keep out of reach of the Thaid's claws.
Even though he was not as strong or fast as he needed to be for this, the urgent nature of the situation required him to fight. As he moved, the pounding of his heart could be felt in his chest, and the adrenaline rush heightened his senses.
Meanwhile, Samuel, having momentarily slipped from the beast's immediate focus, reentered the fray. He used the beast's distraction to sneak behind it and attack from behind.
As Samuel brought his stone-encased fist down in a sweeping arc toward the back of the Thaid, a heavy thud echoed through the lab.
The stone gauntlet connected with the creature's thick, gnarled hide. It was like striking at a wall, a chilling testament to the Thaid's monstrous strength and fortitude. Yet, despite Thaid's resilience, it was apparent that Samuel's blow had its intended effect.
A low grunt issued from Thaid's throat, a guttural sound reverberating off the lab's rusted metal walls.
The massive frame of the Thaid wobbled ever-so-slightly due to the impact, its enormous legs bracing themselves against the uneven ground beneath it to keep its equilibrium.
Even though the blow did not prove to be the decisive one they had hoped for, it was nonetheless a resounding demonstration that the monster was not invulnerable.
Even though it had mutated and became more resistant to damage, the Thaid's skin was not entirely impervious to Samuel's blows.
A small patch of its dark, purplish hide seemed to have darkened further, a blossoming bruise visible even amidst the dim, Aclaitrium light. It was a small victory, but every advantage was precious in dire circumstances.
Samuel took a few steps backward, ready to avoid any attack that might be launched in retaliation, but the Thaid did not immediately turn around and strike at him. The target of its attention remained Erik, and it appeared to be intent on first eliminating the more youthful and possibly less dangerous of the two opponents.
Even after hearing the Thaid roar, which caused the laboratory walls to shake, neither of the two men retreated from their position.
The exchange of blows between Samuel and the thaid continued like a brutal ballet of power and agility. A cacophony of roars and grunts filled the air; their struggle could be heard resonating in the ruins of the old laboratory.
The Thaid was unrelenting, and its monstrous strength was a force to be reckoned with that was extremely frightening.
But Samuel, despite his advanced years, Samuel fought back with equal ferocity, landing powerful blows with his stone gauntlets at every opportunity.
On the other hand, despite Samuel's best efforts in terms of preparation and agility, there were times when the opponent's unrestrained, raw power was simply too much for him to overcome.
One of these moments came crashing down on him as the Thaid, seizing an opportune moment, landed a vicious blow on the older man. He was caught off guard. The massive arm of the Thaid swung around with a speed that seemed impossible for its massive form, and the impact resounded with a bone-jarring crunch as it connected with its target.
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