The anomaly wasn't exactly trying to be sneaky. Walls were caved in pretty much everywhere, which made following its trail dead simple.
They bumped into more of those gobdogs as they went, sometimes a couple, sometimes just one. Nox mostly let the girls take care of them. He'd only step in if it looked like one of them was about to get seriously injured, but they were holding their own.
Their levels kept going up. Kendra and Vasa both hit level 5. Even Yeda, who was still just whacking things with her pipe and didn't have any real powers yet, made it to level 3 from the shared experience points. Nox himself was level 10 now. He didn't feel a massive change each time, just a little bit stronger, a little quicker.
All the trashed hallways eventually led them right to the main gymnasium. The big double doors were just gone, completely ripped from their hinges.
'The gym, huh?' He thought. He wondered for a quick second if Ava and that jock, Jax, were still kicking around in there, or if they'd managed to bail. 'Probably left' he figured. 'They have no reason to stay here at all.'
"Whoa," Kendra said, stopping a ways from the entrance. "Whatever's in there, it feels… heavy. Like, seriously bad."
Vasa nodded, her face unreadable. "The air around here is different. Something powerful is inside."
Yeda just clutched her metal pipe tighter, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.
They weren't wrong. Nox felt it too, a kind of pressure in the air that hadn't been there before. But he wasn't about to let some other thing, or some other person, take out his main objective. This anomaly, this boss, was his.
"Yeda," he said, turning to her. "Let me borrow that pipe."
She looked a bit thrown but handed it over. "Why? What are you gonna do?"
"You're staying out here," he told her flatly. "Kendra, Vasa, you're with me. Stay close, and try not to get yourselves killed. This is going to be a real fight."
Kendra didn't look thrilled. "Are you sure about this? If it feels this bad out here..."
"It's the best way for you to get stronger," he cut her off. "You want to survive? You fight. Simple as that."
Vasa just gave a short nod. "He's right. We need the experience."
Yeda looked like she wanted to argue, like she wanted to say she could help, but she kept her mouth shut. She probably knew he was right. Against something really dangerous, she'd just be in the way.
Nox took the pipe, gave it a quick test swing. It wasn't great, but it was better than nothing. He then led Kendra and Vasa through the ruined entrance into the gym.
The inside was a complete disaster zone, way worse than the last time he'd seen it. And right in the center, sitting on a big pile of bodies – students, teachers, even some gobdogs – was something new.
It was sort of human-shaped, stood on two legs, but it was covered in dark fur, had a dog-like snout and pointed ears. Its hands ended in nasty-looking claws, and it was big, easily seven feet tall. It was just sitting there, almost like it was waiting for them.
"Holy shit," Kendra breathed out. "What the hell is that thing?"
Before Nox could answer, the dog-creature turned its head towards them. Then it spoke, its voice a low, rough rumble.
"More little insects have wandered into my nest, I see."
The girls just stared, their mouths hanging open a bit. The fact that this monster could actually talk seemed to freak them out more than what it looked like.
The creature stood up slowly from its pile of bodies, brushing some dust off its dark fur like it didn't have a care in the world. Standing, it was even bigger than Nox had first thought, towering over all of them.
"How brave of you little insects to come all this way," it said, its voice easily carrying across the destroyed gymnasium. "I am impressed by your courage."
Then its expression, if you could call it that, shifted, became more intense. "Kneel."
The word hit them like a punch. Kendra and Vasa immediately dropped to their knees, their faces suddenly blank, totally compliant. Nox felt his own legs start to give, a weird numbness creeping up from his boots. He fought against it, his muscles screaming in protest, but even he couldn't fully resist. He ended up on one knee, his teeth clenched as he struggled against whatever power this thing was using.
'What the hell?' he thought, trying to force himself back up. The floor felt like it was miles away. 'This might actually be a challenge.'
It noticed him trying to stand and let out a sound that might have been an amused laugh. "Oh, interesting. You have some resistance. Good, good. I was getting bored sitting here. I think I will play with you a little longer before I kill you."
Nox finally managed to shove himself back to his feet, though it took way more effort than it should have. He could still feel the creature's power pressing down on him, like a heavy weight, but it wasn't enough to keep him pinned.
That was when he noticed something else in the gym. Behind the main boss, partially hidden by a pile of wrecked bleachers, was another creature. It was bigger than the regular gobdogs they'd been fighting, with more scars and a generally meaner vibe. An alpha version, kind of like the one Jax had fought.
"Hey," he said to Kendra and Vasa. They were still on their knees but seemed to be shaking off whatever that command-spell was. "Once you can move, you guys deal with that thing." He pointed at the alpha gobdog.
Kendra looked where he was pointing, her expression shifting. "Are you serious? That thing looks like it could eat the other dogs for breakfast."
"Yeah, and you need the experience," he said, still keeping his eyes on the boss. "Plus, I'm going to be busy with furry over there."
Vasa was already getting to her feet, ice starting to form around her hands. "He's right. We can handle it."
The boss monster was watching this whole exchange with what looked like total amusement. "You think your little friends can defeat my pet? How amusing. Very well, let us see what happens."
It gestured with one clawed hand, and the alpha gobdog lifted its head, a low growl starting in its chest as it spotted Kendra and Vasa.
"This should be fun," Kendra said, her skin already starting to turn that familiar gray color. "I've been wanting to punch something bigger."
The alpha gobdog was definitely bigger than anything they had fought so far, but Nox had a feeling they could handle it. They were level 5 now, and their powers had definitely gotten stronger.
The boss monster cracked its knuckles, a sharp, unpleasant sound, and grinned at Nox, showing rows of pointed teeth. "Now then, shall we begin our dance, little insect?"
Nox adjusted his grip on the pipe and rolled his shoulders.
"Sure."