Chapter 103: Craving Tenacity Part 2

There were some kind of fumes oozing out of the cracks in the golden crystal. Was it magical power? Or maybe blood that was quickly evaporating? Whatever it was, the more it was losing it the weaker it was becoming.

To be able to take out so many crystal scorpions and survive…… Unbelievable…… The Golden Scorpion managed to crush its opponents not by clever strategy or tactics, but only by brute force.

And what’s that? There, in the distance, there was a group of crystal scorpions that was running away from here! Could it be that they deemed the fight as lost and decided to run away instead of picking up a lost fight?

「Why are you running, huh!? Why the fuck are you running!? Aren’t you the ultimate predators!?」

Hearing that, there was a new wave of fumes coming out of the scorpion’s wounds. I got a feeling that it was something like the declaration of its will to fight. It was so intense that it was distorting the air all around here.

Although its form was greatly damaged, the battle was not over yet. It may be half-dead, but it was still dangerous.

Who would have thought…… a mob that reacted emotionally to a taunt and decided to attack even though it was probably against its patterns.

「This only goes to show just how unique the AI of the rare enemy is.」

Looks like the battle would still continue. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. Quite the opposite. It filled me with a new sense of determination. You’ve done it, ShangriLa Frontier!

「Good, good…… If it’s a fight you want, it is a fight you shall get. No trick and no cheats, just come at me with everything you’ve got!」

I managed to persevere up until now…… I needed to keep my cool right now so that I won’t make a stupid mistake. Stupid mistakes are what kills people. Then I activate all of my available skills and grip my weapon tightly with my left hand.

My right hand was still feeling numb, so I decided to leave it as it is instead of gambling with holding a sword in it. Instead, I wanted to focu as much as possible on the left hand and the weapon I was holding in it.

「Here I come!」

At the same time the Golden Scorpion launched itself right at me, raising its remaining claw and dragging whatever it was that remained out of its body with it.

As the scorpion comes closer, it brings its hammer-claw to the ground, dragging its wounded body at a surprisingly high speed.

Even though I managed to evade the attack and tried to respond with a few attacks of my own, the magical fumes coming out of its wounds prevented me from getting closer.

The scorpion responded by throwing the remnants of its tail at me, which swung in an irregular motion.

I managed to lean backwards to just barely avoid the swing, my back right now almost parallel to the ground.

Then I was forced to immediately roll to the side, as the hammer-claw came crashing down towards where I was just a moment ago.

Shaking off the feeling of crystal shrapnels digging into my back I start a mad dash from place to place, each time just barely dodging the hammer-claw strikes that fall to the ground, creating small craters where it strikes.

In face of that, I could feel overwhelmingly inferior. But all this time I was looking for a solution, a way that would help me ascertain my victory. I have searched meticulously and diligently. Until…..

The time has come.

「You’re mine!」

Finally, the golden crystal reaches its limit and shatters under the pressure from the erupting magical power. There was one last gust of magical fumes and then the body of the golden scorpion shakes before it eventually came to a stop.

Why is it that you can defeat so many enemies by forcing them to inflict harm on themselves? I couldn’t help but wonder about that.

Then I take a stance that I practiced so much during my days in United Rounds and deliver a mighty piercing strike to one of the scorpion’s eyes.

Just to be sure, I repeat that action seven more times until eventually every single eye of the Golden Scorpion was gouged out.

The blade finally reaches deeper into the scorpion’s head, delivering a cracking sound that is different from when you crack a shell or crush something underneath your foot. Then the Golden Scorpion started to glow brightly in what I supposed was a one last death rush of magical energy.

「Now, let’s just get this over with!」

I want to be done with this so that I can finally go to sleep!