When I headed towards Jigoro and the others, they were showing a more stable performance in battle than I had anticipated. Eiji was easily deflecting the tail attacks, while Jigoro and Usaji were dealing damage. Oh, all three of them have incredible adaptability. They are truly reliable.
“Hmph!”
“Tch, this is kinda boring…”
“It’s easy, isn’t it?”
Oh, what’s this? They seemed quite at ease with it all… Had they gotten used to the fight? No, that wasn’t it. Jigoro seemed somewhat displeased. There must definitely be something going on.
“You seem dissatisfied, Jigoro?”
“Brother, huh? Obviously! It might look impressive, but this thing is just a big lump of wood!”
“…Could you explain a bit more clearly?”
“Hmm! Well, let’s see… how should I put it…”
“Seeing is better than a hundred words. Just watch.”
Usaji said this and directed her sword toward the monster’s tail. The monster’s tail tensed up for about two seconds as if winding up, then suddenly thrust with the tip at a high speed.
“Here!”
Eiji accurately deflected the tail with his shield. Wow! He had completely anticipated the timing of the attack!
“Next will be a sweep from the right. Jump and dodge.”
“Eh? How do you know that…?”
Even though I had doubts, I followed Usaji’s instructions and leaped into the air. Just as she had said, a sweeping attack from the tail came! Furthermore, all three of them were attacking the tail as it went by. Were they able to anticipate the distance as well? Could it be that Eiji and Usaji also possessed player skills on Jigoro’s level…!?
“I understand. The attack frequency is low, and there are only three patterns: a thrust, a sweep, and a poison spray.”
“Plus, the trajectory is fixed. The preparatory movements are exaggerated, making it easy to time our counters like we just did. The poison is dangerous if it hits, but it always lands in the same spot… There’s no feint or delay, so we’ve gotten used to it already!”
While saying this, Eiji deflected the tail with his shield. Was he implying that the monotony of the attack made it too easy to handle? Nevertheless, it was unusual for a modern game to have such fixed attack patterns.
Recent games, not just FSW, could be said to be artificial parallel worlds, and NPCs could be said to be the residents of these worlds. Therefore, not only normal characters were capable of human-like interaction, but even minor characters like goblin grunts reportedly have quite intricate thought routines. As a result, the attack patterns in these games have naturally become more varied.
Indeed, while the difficulty level had increased, players, in turn, were able to control their avatars as if they were their own bodies, not just through controllers. So, one could say that the relative difficulty hadn’t really changed.
Given these circumstances, it was quite rare and more difficult to encounter an enemy with only three types of attack patterns that didn’t deviate from a set routine. This situation might have been due to being surrounded by Bigdareio’s army and the monster’s focus on the skilled warriors like King Salman. However, it was strange that a race called the Highlord, supposedly of great status, presented little challenge. Perhaps the monster wasn’t accustomed to fighting multiple opponents at the same time? This was convenient for us nonetheless.
“In that case, can I take Jigoro with me, just for a bit?”
“Sure. But why?”
“I’ve found what seems to be the monster’s weak spot, possibly inside the exoskeleton…”
“Take me, brother,” Jigoro eagerly interjected.
Neither I nor Iris had the power to break through the hard exoskeleton. Karl’s “Dragon Breath” might have been able to do it, but there was a risk of inflicting a fatal wound on the monster, which we didn’t want due to Zahar’s quest. Therefore, to expose the weak point without killing it, Jigoro’s fists were just the right choice.
However, Jigoro’s enthusiasm wasn’t for the sake of victory itself. He likely hoped that as the monster’s health decreased, its action patterns would increase and the fight would become more challenging. It was easy for me to see through what he was thinking.
“If that’s the case, just go ahead.”
“There are times when attacking weak points is essential to victory.”
Tojiro and Eiji, due to their composure, sent us off in a rather casual manner. Perhaps this was a reflection of their confidence? Given this situation, I decided to take Jigoro with me without any reservations.
“Let’s go then!”
“Yes!”
“Alright!”
The three of us soared into the sky, aiming to destroy the monster’s weak point.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
While clutching onto Iris’s tentacles, Jigoro joined us as we flew over the expanse above the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord. In the meantime, I continued to intermittently inflict various status ailments on the monster using my [Curse] and [Witchcraft] spells.
Somehow, I felt that illusionary pain and hallucinations caused by the [Witchcraft] skill were more effective than the [Curse] spells. However, it was quite difficult for the same spell to work repeatedly, so I was forced to vary my methods. At times like this, I appreciated the variety of spells I had at my disposal.
“So, where’s this weak spot, brother?” Jigoro asked.
“Can you see that small lump near where the scorpion’s head and chest meet its abdomen?”
“Ah…that thing?”
I looked at what Jigoro was pointing at and nodded my head in agreement. It was a small lump on the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord’s head. The creature was extremely fearful of being hit there. Though the lump itself looked small, that was only because the creature’s size dwarfed it. It was quite large, about the size of a basketball.
“So, my job is to smash that thing, right? Leave it to me!”
“I’m counting on you, brother! Karl!”
We charged down from the sky with great enthusiasm. Realizing its weak point was being targeted, the creature attacked us with both tails it had been using against the Bigdareio army. The intensity with which it defended this lump only went to show the importance of crushing it. “I’ll definitely destroy it!” Jigoro exclaimed.
“Star Magic Circle, Holy Shield!”
In this battle, I relied heavily on the Holy Shield spell which has proved to be very helpful since the scouting phase. While the shield would shatter with a single strike, it manages to block the attack nonetheless. Eiji and the others had said so, but honestly, predicting the tail attacks’ preparatory movements was too difficult for me. Moreover, with two tails to contend with, dodging them all wasn’t realistic.
Furthermore, we were in the air. I couldn’t imagine the tails’ attack would follow the same pattern as when we were on the ground. Without observing its anti-air motion, it was impossible to fend off the tail attacks, which were extraordinarily fast for a first encounter.
Therefore, I aimed for a forceful breakthrough with the Holy Shield spell. My magic power was rapidly depleting as barriers were created in our path, but that couldn’t be helped; the situation called for desperate measures. Although Karl was trying to evade, avoiding the attacks was difficult, and the Holy Shields kept breaking. Damn it, this is going to be tight…
“Gigyaah!?”
“How dare you let your guard down before me?”
Just when I had this thought, the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord let out a loud scream. Looking down, I saw that King Salman had deeply slashed near its mouth. I guess the monster was so focused on keeping us away that it forgot about the other warriors.
Even so, it was clear how desperately it didn’t want its lump targeted as it neglected even the King, who had been the greatest threat to it until just moments ago. We had no choice but to destroy it!
“Now! All warriors, concentrate your attacks on its legs!”
“””Ooooooh!!!”””
“Charge in! Isam and the rest!”
Below us, it wasn’t just King Salman engaged in battle. The Bigdareio army concentrated their attacks on the monster’s legs, immobilizing the creature. Freed from the threat of its tail attacks, their offensive was tremendous. They vented their pent-up frustrations on the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord’s legs and rapidly reduced them to shreds.
Prince Zahar also cheered us on while he was fighting. With everything set up to this point, failure was not an option! We quickly approached and dropped Jigoro onto the scene.
“I’ll be going then~”
Jigoro descended without any sign of strain and landed atop the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord. He landed softly, using his knees with a movement that would surprise even a gymnast.
“Star magic circle, Spell Adjustment, Paralysis! Iris!”
“Yes!”
I used my [Curse] spells while Iris threw all her paralysis-inducing items in her inventory repeatedly, intending to use them up. Since I anticipated a rampage similar to what happened with Prince Zahar from the monster, it was only logical to immobilize the beast, making it easier for Jigoro to strike!
“[Divine Beast Transformation], [Incarnation of Flame and Thunder], [Armor Breaking Fist], [Demon God’s Sturdy Body]!”
During this, Jigoro spared no effort in enhancing himself and he even employed his “Ultimate Technique” for that. [Divine Beast Transformation] made a golden light burst from the tattoo-like patterns all over his body, while [Incarnation of Flame and Thunder] wrapped him in golden flames and lightning. [Armor-Breaking Fist] ensured his gauntlets would break through the scorpion’s exoskeleton, and [Demon God’s Sturdy Body] granted him strength akin to that of a demon god. His next punch would undoubtedly be the most powerful one he could deliver.
“Shatter to pieces! Rock Smashing Strong Fist!”
Jigoro then resorted to a martial technique he usually preferred not to use, forcefully driving his fist into the target. While it’s true that he could perform logically sound movements without the aid of the system, employing a martial technique certainly enhanced the force of the attack. Moreover, he chose one that delivered an exceptionally heavy blow.
“”GIGYYYYYIIIIIIIIIIIII!?””
The moment the blow struck, the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord’s health sharply decreased. Indeed, that lump must have been its weak point, as the creature began to thrash wildly, emitting the loudest scream of the day that it almost felt like a double cry.
However, something felt odd. Yes, damage was certainly inflicted, but it wasn’t as much as I had expected. Was the beast’s health greater than I had anticipated? Or perhaps the critical spot wasn’t there after all…
“Huh? What’s this?”
Jigoro, with his arm plunged up to his elbow, muttered to himself while fumbling around. It seemed he had discovered something.
“Gii!? Gigigigigigi!!!”
In response to his actions, the Thornshell Scorpion Highlord exhibited its most violent behavior of the day. It thrashed its entire body violently up and down as if the wounds inflicted by King Salman and the Bigdareio army were nonexistent, desperately trying to shake off Jigoro.
The frenzy during Prince Zahar’s time was intense, but this felt slightly different. There was a sense of desperation, far greater than before. If the reaction it did with Prince Zahar was like swatting away a mosquito or a fly on one’s face, the current situation with Jigoro felt like being bitten by a snake or sensing a life-threatening danger.
“Giiiiiiiiiiii!”
“Damn it…. Ahh!?”
Jigoro, overwhelmed by the beast’s violent thrashing, was eventually thrown off. Since he was helpless in mid-air, he was struck sideways by the tail, slammed into the ground, and bounced several times like a rubber ball. Hey, is he still alive!?
“Tch, damn! Got kicked off, didn’t I?”
…. His health had dwindled to a mere 10%, yet there he was, looking as lively as ever. I was worried for nothing. I later learned that at the moment of impact, he had struck the monster’s tail, offsetting the damage, and had taken a fall in such a way as to survive. He’s still as much of a monster as ever, isn’t he?
Apparently, Jigoro had already deactivated [Demon God’s Sturdy Body], which was a skill that continuously drained his health. It made sense; had he not, he would have died within about ten seconds. I immediately applied [Soul Magic] to start his recovery, while Jigoro also drank a healing potion and retreated backward.
“Isam! Look over there!”
“Hmm?”
Iris gestured with one of her tentacles towards the area Jigoro had just shattered. There, amidst the fragments of the exoskeleton of its head and thorax… no, wait! Something slender and long was protruding from there. Could it be…?
“A sandworm…?”
I found myself involuntarily muttering the name of a familiar monster that came to my mind.
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