Chapter 103: Craving Tenacity Part 1

I don’t really have an instruction manual for this game, and I don’t read all that deep into the wiki pages. However, there are still things that I am able to understand just by looking at my surroundings.

For example, that the AI of the Golden Scorpion was pretty similar to that of the regular Crystal Scorpions.

I don’t know what the developers were thinking, but thanks to that it should be entirely possible to kill this monster just like it brethren.

「Hahahahahaha!!! Soon the alarm should inform me that the sun is rising!」

I race around the crystal cliffs screaming like mad, paying extra attention not to get hit by the big hammer-like claws that were falling onto the ground time after time.

Why was I even running around and screaming like that? It was painfully obvious. If I behave as loudly as humanly possible, so much that other players could even hear me inside of the valley down below, I should be able to draw the attention of the remaining scorpions that should still be lurking somewhere around here.

And when I got the visual confirmation that there were indeed crystal scorpions approaching me at a very fast pace, I made a quick U-turn and started running back towards the Gold Scorpion, avoiding it’s hammer-claws in the process.

「Just like you would do when you try to avoid an oncoming car…… It’s all about the right timing…… Now!」

I jump into the air right before colliding with the Golden Scorpion and traverse the air with the help of my Skywalk.

However, even though its stinger was gone, that doesn’t mean that the Scorpion lost its means to attack with it. It lashed its tail at me and I could feel the hit connect with my right arm.

「Guh, uh…… You think something like that will stop me!?」

My current action, my position, the position of scorpion and its hammer-claws…… Taking all of those factors into consideration, the answer should be nothing but obvious.

I used that moment to separate Yuzuki into two swords again, and placed the “Upper Fang” back in my inventory, since my right arm was numb from that blow and I wouldn’t be able to wield it effectively. Then, when I start seeing the crystal group that was approaching us fast, I grow more and more confident in my strategy.

With the moonlight slowly disappearing behind my back, I pointed towards the scorpion with my finger while I declare:

「Take a good look at me, because I’m the one who is going to crush you to pieces! …… How do you like that?」

The target of the crystal horde was me of course, but what would happen if they were absolutely oblivious when it comes to their surroundings or their own well-being?

It seems that the Scorpion’s AI misunderstood the situation and didn’t register the incoming enemies as one of its own. And so it turned away from me, raised its hammer-claws and rushed straight towards the incoming horde. It chose to intercept them over rushing after me.

If I chose to face them, I would have been swallowed by the crystal tsunami without a shred of doubt. And even if I were to run away, they would eventually catch up to me. But like that, I could avoid being stuck in between the scorpion and the crystal place.

「Ohh, that’s so nice of you~. Now then, please do your best to protect me from these pests.」

The golden scorpion and the crystal wave were just about to clash with one another under the slowly disappearing moonlight. Just then I approached the golden scorpion from behind and gently tapped it on its wounded tail.

「Good luck! Please do your best there!」

No, but honestly, drop dead you asshole!

「Thinking about it logically, that golden asshole should be able to make a paste of the small fries…… But I should take a look just in case I would have to deal a finishing blow to either group.」

Up until now I was laying on the floor inside of “INVENTORY”, just chilling, but then I decided to get up and see how the carnage was unfolding.

「“Transfer: Exit the INVENTORY.”」

There was a momentary flash of white light and in the next moment I exchanged the rough and metal landscape of “INVENTORY” to the all-too familiar Crystal Cliff.

Upon my return I shifted my gaze to look at the Golden Scorpion, and the only thing I could say was……

「…… You’ve gotta be sh*tting me.」

Defying every expectation, the Golden Scorpion was still standing, although it was in a state that could only be described as “half-dead”.

I could see that it did everything it could to crush its adversaries, but at the cost of sustaining heavy injuries itself.

Its whole body was covered in cracks, and the right hammer-claw was missing completely.

Its tail was also almost completely ripped off, with only bits and pieces being left and hanging from its body. It must have given its all to defeat the crystal scorpions, as I could see their corpses literally polluting the whole area. Upon closer inspection, some of the golden scorpion’s legs were also missing.

But, it was still alive.