Monster Factory Novels & Stories

Chapter 22: Solo Boss Fight The big black monster smashed into the concrete path with a loud crash that shook the whole wall beneath my feet. The concrete broke under its weight sending small gray rocks bouncing over the edge. Up Close, the monster was really scary. It was over nine feet tall with muscles that looked like wet leather in the dim morning light. It smelled like metal and rotting wood. It did not have hands; its long arms ended in thick curved bones that looked sharp enough to cut through a car engine. Its chest moved as it breathed, blowing a bad smell right into my face.

Nicholas I drive for a while. Something isn't right, but I can't put my finger on it. Cielo not seeming upset about Sly's death, I can understand. It's shitty, but I get it. Sly was not a warm, loving father. For outward appearances, he was exactly as he should be, of course, but behind closed doors, he was a fucking monster. If it was just towards me, maybe that would have made sense in some bizarre universe, in some backwards logic, but he also beat his acknowledged son. I saw that firsthand, and he was merciless when he did it, as merciless as when he beat me.

Her grip on his arm tightened, her nails digging into his skin. Bima couldn't move. His injured leg throbbed with pain, and the absolute darkness paralyzed all his senses except for his hearing and smell. The monster was moving in front of them, and he knew it. [Warning! Unknown Biological Entity (BOSS Level – 'Slime Lurker') approaching!] [Slime Lurker Objective: Detect heat sources and unknown odors. Attack Power: High. Defense: Medium. Weakness: Light and High-Frequency Vibrations.]

“You killed both of them. You’re a monster.” Adriano stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away. “Your father destroyed my family first,” he said quietly. “Tonight is justice.” Max shook his head again, furious and trembling. “You don’t know anything! You don’t understand—” Before he could finish, the front door opened. Nora walked in, exhausted from her shift at the hospital. She dropped her keys on the table and called out, “Mom? Dad? I’m home—” Her words stopped abruptly.

"Victor was a monster, but he was a human monster. He wanted money, power, and his father’s approval. But these 'Architects of the Void'... their code is different. It’s cold. It doesn't have a signature. It doesn't have an ego." Julian sat on the edge of the desk, his presence grounding me. "That’s because they aren't a family, Elara. They’re a conglomerate. The logs show that Victor was just their 'Biological Lead.' Now that he’s in a Swiss cell, they’ve moved on to the next phase: Sequence 9."

"Zergs have corrosive blood! Their shells are hard! They are immune to bullets! Normal people can't kill them!" "Can or can't, we'll see after I try," I say, eyeing the joint between the monster's head and body. I kick off the wall, launching myself into the air. "And who said I was normal?" The Zerg opens its mandibles. I catch its antennae mid-air and swing myself onto its back. I flip the axe in my hand. Thwack. I drive the blade precisely into the gap in its neck armor. I hold onto the handle for dear life as the monster thrashes. I twist the blade. Green slime sprays out. I dodge to the side, avoiding the corrosive splash. Below me, I can feel the axe handle melting from the acid.

The monster was required to tell its victim its core rules. And those rules came in three parts. Being killed by the monster triggers a loop. The loop has a limit on the number of cycles. The monster can take human form. Three rules, neat and precise. As for the "extra" rule it had told me—that it could alter memories—that was nothing but a lie. The logic was simple. If every loop erased my memory, the monster had absolutely no need to tell me about the loop at all.

Their eyes met, and finally the silence broke between them. "What is it you want to say?" Mark asked gently, his gaze sincere, making Julie swallow hard as she remembered her current situation—single, with her partner in prison. If Liam truly was the perpetrator, then there was no hope for her future with him. The look that Mark had, which was directed at Julie, immediately made the girl forget that she promised Liam to fix everything. "Elizah keeps screaming hysterically whenever she hears or mentions the word 'monsters.' I take it that 'monsters' is plural, meaning more than one person committed this crime against her," Julie said, her voice calmer than before.

I hate the look of my muscles all tense and stitched tight on my back. A lifetime of blows and bouncing back collects scars. I've had a lot of scalding showers, and bruises have become stretched and angry on me, causing pitted scars. There are no tears, but the groans come in multitude. As a monster, you learn never to accept pain. Pain only affects you if you let it. Black slacks. Black socks. Charcoal shoes are polished until they look like a crisp new apple skin. The shirt is deep forest green, which brings out the natural multiple hues of green in my eyes. Intentional. Gold flecks are juxtaposed in my iris.

“If there’s a single scratch on my body, the entire Chicago would know what kind of monsters you all are.” “When the time comes, you will meet our monsters first,” I snarled. “Keep your empty threats to yourself, Dominic.” She narrowed her eyes. “They don’t scare me anymore; in fact, it’s boring and repetitive.” “If there’s anything worth remembering about you, Sophia, that is, you are an attention-seeking whore. We know the video is fake, and you are desperate. Get to the fucking point. NOW!”