Chapter 104: At the End of the Fierce Battle, Despair

In conclusion, you can consider the threat level of the Golden Scorpion, having lost its sight and unable to target me, as almost zero.

The indiscriminately unleashed attacks are someone else's problem if I keep my distance, and if I poke it chiku-chiku between attacks, the Golden Scorpion will sink eventually.

"But, that's not right, is it?"

Opening and closing my right hand to confirm the numbness is gone, I down the HP recovery potion I bought as a token gesture in one go and ready Togetsu.

It's not that playing it safe is bad; when high-risk farming is required, playing it safe to stabilize probability is more important than anything. I think RNG should die for now, but that's not important right now.

"Until fusion... yeah, two minutes remaining should be enough."

Whatever the motivation, all players play games to do things they can't do in reality. In that case, when conquering a strong enemy for the first time, what should be prioritized is not a safe victory.

A more dramatic process and uncertain Gambling... ironically, the accursed RNG is the most important element for a game after all.

Ultimately, if you don't enjoy it, what's the point of playing a game? Now, let's settle this with fun.

Running toward it, the attacks swung so wildly it seems even the Golden Scorpion itself can't control them. Since the loss of parts is severe, there are always holes in the storm-like attacks.

Closing the distance from the direction of the unswung right sword-pincer, one thrust and three slashes. The moment the Golden Scorpion identifies my position from the damage, I use [Water Mirror Moon] to shift hate behind it. The moment the Golden Scorpion turns around, I throw the Haniwa... I mean Clay Idol of Explosive Earth taken from my inventory high straight up. Uwah, that Haniwa really is dancing gune-gune.

Stealthy steps count 3, 2, 1... Now.

The Clay Idol slammed into the ground expands to the point where I hallucinate its original form became a sphere for a moment, and the next instant, an explosion seemingly more powerful than imagined bursts on the buttocks of the Golden Scorpion that turned around.

The blast blows away crystal shards and shakes the field biri-biri. And using the vibration as cover, I reposition.

"It's getting in the way, so I'll cut it off cleanly."

The tail, nearly torn off from the middle by the Crystal Scorpions and barely connected by a single layer of skin due to the Clay Idol's explosion, is pierced by [Waxing] clad in the effect of Growing Pierce.

Landing all hits on an opponent who can barely direct its hate is no big deal, and the Golden Scorpion's tail, whittled down by five spiral strikes, finally tears off completely from the main body.

Togetsu shouldn't have Destruction Attribute imbued, but did I fulfill some condition?

"Well whatever, curtain call, Golden Scorpion!"

The Golden Scorpion's attack methods are now limited to charging and the left sword-pincer. Even so, to deliver a Finishing Blow (Sure Kill) as a farewell gift to the Golden Scorpion whose fighting spirit hasn't waned, I execute the union of the paired blades for the umpteenth time.

"You were a strong enemy comparable even to Wethermon."

At least, the Golden Scorpion, rivaling Wethermon—who forces systemic disadvantages—with basic specs alone, was undoubtedly a strong enemy.

Always, in any game, there is no moment more fun and lonely than defeating a boss and "ending" it.

Activating the skill "Vorpal Crescent (Crescent Moon)," I slam a slash cutting from top-right to bottom-left into the Golden Scorpion's oral cavity.

However, it doesn't sink. Against the Golden Scorpion raising its left sword-pincer despite receiving a fatal slash, I reverse the blade of [Twin Moon].

"It's morning already; sink with the moon!"

Straight Sword skill "Vorpal Sword Arts [Half-Moon Slash]." Unleashing an upward slash from bottom-left to top-right, the skill purchased in Rabituza draws a half-moon in the morning sun.

The Golden Scorpion, slashed again as if tracing the wound cut by Vorpal Crescent with [Half-Moon Slash], convulses violently.

The movement of the raised sword-pincer stops, but it doesn't lose strength and fall. Senses scrambled by the explosion, vision crushed, yet the raised blow was certainly aiming accurately at me.

Still, everything comes to an end.

As if a string snapped putsuri, the Golden Scorpion collapses with its left sword-pincer raised, scattering polygons magnificently along with the kicked-up crystal fragments.

"Nnnnnnn............ ALLLLLLRIIIIIIIGHT!!!"

Bathed in the rain of shattered polygons and glittering crystal fragments, I raise a cry of joy. Crystal Scorpions becoming active or whatever doesn't matter anymore; the joy of this moment is irreplaceable. To the point where I brush away a window displayed without reading the contents due to joy.

However, it was an endurance battle in a different sense from the Wethermon fight. That was high difficulty in the sense that constant nerve-wracking attention and maximum performance were required for thirty minutes, but this time it's high difficulty where I have to continue fighting for a long time without breaking the minimum quota.

"Haa—tired! Was fun! Sleepy!"

With a bright smile rivaling the morning sun, I lie down on my back on the spot. Even if a Crystal Scorpion suddenly appears and crushes me into a respawn right now, I'm confident I can keep smiling.

However, there are still things left to do. The two Marsh Daggers that were stuck in the Golden Scorpion fell to the ground as it vanished. Picking up the cracked daggers, I gaze at them deeply.

Come to think of it, Togetsu... along with its predecessor Vorpal Choppers, they are weapons I've been with for a long time since the early days of play. I suppose I can strengthen them a bit more.

Stowing the daggers that fulfilled their role sufficiently into my inventory, finally the main prize.

"Nnnn... A sight I want to screenshot and make my wallpaper..."

Perhaps because the encounter rate is rare, the drop rate and quantity are high; over a dozen drop items from the Golden Scorpion are scattered before my eyes.

I pick them up carefully so as not to miss a single one. And finally, storing the basketball-sized golden glowing crystal into Inventoria... I finally feel that the battle spanning overnight has ended.

"Haa... truly, a God Game..."

How should I put it? A truly healthy sense of accomplishment. A feeling much more refreshing than the sense of accomplishment in a Trash Game where you trample and triumph over a target that forced unreasonableness on you fills my whole body.

That said, the sensation where all anger during Trash Game play is converted into energy is also hard to discard. Creating stress, destroying stress... Was Trash Game a creation myth?

"Now then... what to do."

Honestly, returning to Eighthold from here is difficult... no, I correct myself, Tedious. Simply doing a bungee jump without a cord off the cliff and Death Returning would be the easiest, but returning like that immediately after fighting the Golden Scorpion who struggled to live that much feels awkward.

"Even if it's a game, the heart gets moved sometimes... Alright, let's try struggling to live for a bit!"

Crystal Nest Cliff shaking with earth tremors. Ahead of my gaze, I see a scorpion tail, likely ten times the size of the swaying Golden Scorpion's, approaching me.

If the tail is that size, how big is that mountain staring at me?

"Deploying the Big Boss, huh... Bring it on. I'll escape out of sheer stubbornness."

Declaring so to the Gigantic Crystal Scorpion leading a massive number of Crystal Scorpions ahead, I whip my body, heavy due to the expiration of Overheat, and start running...!

Back alley of Eighthold. In the early morning hours when the late-night group has mostly logged out and the early-morning group is starting to log in, the number of players is low. Without getting caught in trouble after escaping trouble, I arrived at the promised place.

Good grief, remaining in one piece is a miracle. That gigantic scorpion bastard, carrying Crystal Scorpions on its body... is it an aircraft carrier or something?

"Emul—, are you there—?"

"Yes sir! Here desu wa!"

Gatogoto, a wooden crate casually discarded in the back alley shakes, and Emul jumps out from inside.

Emul, replying to me, stares at me with a smile, then widens her eyes in surprise.

"S-Somehow Sunraku-san has become amazingly amazing desu wa!? I feel the Vorpal Soul burning desu wa!!"

"Hahaha, told you, right? I'd do something Vorpal. Here, a souvenir."

"Sparkling and beautiful desu wa... What is this desu wa?"

"Excrement of a Crystal Scorpion."

"Fubyaaaaaa!?"

Just so you know, it seems to be a pretty rare item, so don't throw it away.

Teasing Emul while returning to Rabituza, I head straight to Bilac's workshop.

"What, Bird Guy huh. Just in time, the thing ya gave me finished repairin'..."

Koton. I place the Golden Scorpion... "Gleaming Arbalest Crystal Stinger of the Goldy Scorpion" on the anvil.

Bilac, who probably repaired the reactor all night just like me, widens her eyes with dark circles under them like plates and stares at the stinger.

"Not just the Gleaming Arbalest Crystal Stinger... Massacre Crystal Halberd Pincer, Sealing Moon Crystal Shell, Rough Whip Crystal Tail, and the masterpiece is this: 'Life Crystal Core of the Goldy Scorpion'...!"

The rugged anvil is colored golden. Did triple-digit Luck pull god RNG, or is it the luxury of solo subjugation? Anyway, a massive amount of materials, too much for a single monster, are lined up with a flashy glitter absent in crystals.

Especially the beauty of the Life Crystal Core; the sight of a galaxy-like swirl inside the basketball-sized crystal looks like it would enrich life just by displaying it.

"Sorry to change plans, but for the Bilac-made Legacy Weapon using Crystal Scorpion materials, use these materials too... Bilac?"

Bilac, frozen with her eyes wide open and mouth agape. Feeling suspicious, I wave my hand in front of her eyes, check her pulse...

"Sh-She's dead...!"

"She's alive desu wa!?"

Apparently, she fainted with a shocked expression. After spending some time waking Bilac up with Emul and showing off (explaining the situation) to the panicking Bilac, I receive the reactor with a heart filled with satisfaction and head to my assigned room.

Usually, Emul would be clinging to my head, but since Bilac went crazy from the gorgeous aura emitted by the ultra-rare materials, she's busy nursing her.

Therefore, arriving at my room alone, suppressing the urge to lose consciousness as the tension fully releases, I move to the storage space to do the last thing I want to do before logging out.

"Fufufufufu... The first one to use a Powered Suit is me."

Proceeding through the storage space, I arrive in front of the Powered Suit... Non-Standard Special Reinforced Armor floating in the air as if supported by an armor stand.

Feeling lazy, I examine a randomly chosen one and find out that to activate the Powered Suit, I just need to set the reactor into the corresponding Tactical Machine Beast.

"Fuhahahaha... Now, awaken, [Azure Dragon]............!!"

Skipping the details, the conclusion is: I lost the motivation to log into ShanFro for about two days.

Author's Afterword
Q1. What was that huge scorpion?
A. Elder Crystal Scorpion. Another Rare Monster appearing in Crystal Nest Cliff. A so-called elder individual, boasting a gigantic body about ten times that of normal or unbalanced eater individuals. Appears when the entire community takes heavy damage.
I'm thinking of various settings, but no matter how you slice it, it has heinous Raid Boss performance, so solo subjugation is practically impossible. By the way, normally it stays completely buried in the ground, feeding the crystals growing on its body to Crystal Scorpion larvae to raise them. Nursery-type Raid Boss?

Q2. Isn't Goldy Scorpion dropping too many items?
A. Some monsters have conditions for drop items; there are items that become harder to drop & drop in smaller quantities the more people participate in the subjugation. Therefore, if you can solo such a monster, you get a massive return.
Ganging up is safe but item drop rates are stingy; elite few is dangerous but item drop rates are high.

Q3. How did the protagonist escape the Elder Crystal Scorpion?
A. Ran, hid, sprinted, jumped, warped, and returned from Crystal Nest Cliff taking about an hour. Since I already used three chapters for just the Goldy Scorpion, describing the escape drama from the Elder Crystal Scorpion would drag it out further, so cut.