Erend and Eccar stood amidst the wreckage of their battle. The scent of scorched earth and blood still lingered around them. The bodies of the fallen gorillas lay motionless before them. Their massive bodies barely recognizable now after receiving their attack.
Silence filled the clearing right now, broken only by the faint crackling of dying embers and the slow, steady breaths of the two Dragonborns.
For a moment, they simply stared at the corpses.
Eccar wiped the blood from his knuckles and glanced at Erend.
"Phew, that was pretty exciting. What now?" Eccar asked.
"Wait a few seconds. I think it will appear soon," Erend replied.
Just as he finished speaking, Erend's gaze focused on a series of translucent glowing red text that appeared in front of him. Only he could see them, the familiar interface of the System making itself known.
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[You have defeated the Guardian: Black Gorilla (Level 67)]
[You have gained: 50,000 Exp]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 75 → 76]
---
Erend smirked as the flood of notifications appeared. He could feel the surge of energy coursing through his veins, but it wasn't just him.
Beside him, Eccar's eyes widened suddenly, his body tensing as a strange new power washed over him. Though he couldn't see the notifications Erend was reading, Eccar could feel the shif like the undeniable pulse of energy flowing into his core.
"What is this...?" Eccar muttered, his surprise clear.
His hands flexed instinctively as the power grew within him, his muscles tightening. He clenched his fists, feeling his body responding to the surge of energy.
"I can feel it... I just become stronger."
Eccar's eyes gleamed as he grinned. "This suits me just fine," he said confidently. "I'm an Earth Dragon, after all. The sands are my domain."
Erend smirked, nodding. He knew Eccar's affinity with the earth would give him a distinct advantage here. The shifting sands were no challenge for someone who could control the very ground beneath his feet. But Erend wasn't worried about his own strength. He had his own powers, and they were no less formidable.
Before they could take another step the sand beneath them began to shift. A subtle tremor rippled through the ground as if something was stirring below. They both readying themselves for whatever was coming.
Suddenly, the sand erupted in a series of violent bursts. Giant scorpions with their black segmented bodies glistening in the sun emerged from beneath the dunes.
Their claws snapped menacingly in clacking sounds and their tails, each ending in a deadly stinger, arched high above their backs. There were at least a dozen of them, each one towering over Erend and Eccar.
"Well," Erend said, flames flickering faintly around his fists. "Looks like we don't have to wait long for the action."
"Let's see how well they handle our power," Eccar said with smile.
The dozen giant scorpions lunged at them in unison making the ground beneath Erend and Eccar trembled. Their speed, though not particularly terrifying on its own was amplified by their size. With each steps the scorpions closed the distance between them at an alarming rate.
Erend and Eccar exchanged a quick glance, an unspoken agreement passing between them. They would test the scorpions first to see just how strong these creatures were before unleashing their full power.
Without a word, they both sprang into action.
Erend moved first, his wings flaring slightly as he dashed forward with blinding speed. He ducked under a scorpion's snapping claw, twisting his body and landing a solid punch against the creature's exoskeleton.
The impact sent a shockwave through the scorpion but its thick carapace absorbed most of the force. Erend's eyes narrowed as he felt the resistance beneath his fist.
"These things are tougher than they look!" Erend said loudly.
Eccar was in motion as well. A scorpion lunged at him with claws wide and ready to crush him but Eccar was quicker. He dodged to the side then drove his fist into the scorpion's side.
The sound of cracking exoskeleton echoed in the air as the scorpion stumbled slightly, but it quickly recovered, its tail whipping toward Eccar in retaliation.
Eccar leaped back, grinning. "Their armor's strong, but I know they're not invincible!"
The scorpions pressed their attack. They moved in a coordinated assault as if obey a command. Their claws and tails striking in unison as Erend and Eccar weaved through their attacks.
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