'Is it too late to get a weapon?'
The rock lizard's advantage didn't only lay in its defense. The claws it used to cut and shape solid stone were more than enough to rend apart a human body in seconds. Ackster was once again forced to realize that he might have bitten off more than he could chew.
But it was kind of exciting. As long as Ackster didn't get hit, he at least wouldn't die.
However, that receptionist, who had spent several minutes talking about various details and the supposed ancestry of rock lizards, deserved a stern talking to.
'Why the fuck did he talk about the density of its bones and the taste of its tongue without even mentioning the fact that it has claws like a fucking ostrich?!'
However, before Ackster could think about venting his frustrations on the receptionist any further, he had to dodge to the side to avoid the rock lizard's charge.
Deciding to fight the rock lizard might have been a somewhat foolish decision. But it would be even more foolish if he died because he couldn't keep his thoughts in check.
Ackster darted to the side and continued running.
Even just by looking at the rock lizard, Ackster knew that it wouldn't be an easy fight. So, instead of letting the rock lizard close the distance and giving it an opportunity to maul him until he had the same consistency as Mio, Ackster planned to keep it at a distance until he could come up with a way to fight it.
But it wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
As soon as Ackster darted to the side, the rock lizard's heavy tail whipped to the side, in the process sweeping the ground clean of dirt, and the rock lizard pivoted on the spot with a turning radius slightly larger than a dime. It headed straight for Ackster, its clomping feet belying its apparent mobility.
'Shit. That's not fair.'
The rock lizard's moves just now were proof that the rock lizard surpassed Ackster in basically everything. It was sturdier, stronger, and basically as fast and quick at turning and chasing.
He was beginning to reconsider doing this. There was no need to fight against a rock lizard just now. He could come back later after fighting something more agreeable. After all, what would be the point if he went and died just because he decided to stick with a bad decision?
'No! I can do this. I have to do this.'
But Ackster quickly forced away those thoughts. His fight with the rock lizard at the moment might be a clear consequence of his choices and actions. However, he might end up in similar situations in the future, which would be because of circumstances beyond his control. There might also be similar situations except for one tiny detail.
What would happen if something like this happened, but he wouldn't be able to run? Would he just lie down and die since it wasn't even worth trying to struggle?
No. Ackster wouldn't let himself go down that easily.
Wasn't he going to grab the lizard by the scales? What was he doing now, running away like a coward? He wouldn't be able to run away from The Hero or the inevitable fate Ackster and the world would face at the hands of The Hero.
With his mind set and his resolve firm, Ackster stopped running in circles. The rock lizard was gradually gaining on him, so it was only a matter of time before he had to do something about it, either way. He had just arrived at that conclusion of his own volition instead of being forced to it by the rock lizard's threat.
He turned and faced that the rock lizard, who couldn't care less about what Ackster was doing as long as he stayed still and stopped running. It only wanted to get rid of this trespasser.
Ackster stared at the alligator-like rock-covered rock-lizard, several meters long and up to his waist.
He would have liked a weapon. He didn't have any preferences, just something easy to use. Maybe a sledge or mace or something would be good against the rock lizard's heavy armor. However, all the weapons he knew of, thanks to being a transmigrator, were things pretty far beyond his current level of strength.
The only things close were the beginning swords that The Hero had used up to this point. But they were either in safekeeping somewhere inaccessible for everyone except royals and The Hero or destroyed. Also, Ackster wasn't sure how good a sword would be against such a heavily armored enemy without any offensive skills suitable for armor penetration.
Ackster slowly felt his thoughts weaken as the rock lizard got closer with each step it took. It was less than a breath away, and Ackster's fist, his only weapon available to him, was ready.
Ackster saw the rock lizard's jaws separate and put the jagged maws of stone-crushing death on display. The teeth were a mix of razor-sharp and blocky ones, suitable for both cutting and mashing.
One bite would be all it took for the rock lizard to sever Ackster's arm from the rest of his body. And by the second, Ackster's arm would have already become a bloody paste filled with bone fragments.
However, Ackster had no intentions of letting the rock lizard take even a single nibble on him. So, before the rock lizard could close its mouth on its own after latching onto him, Ackster slammed down with his fist on the rock lizard's snout.
With the rock lizard's height, the way it raised its head, and how wide its jaws could open, he almost gave the rock lizard a little Ackster-appetizer. But he still managed to land a somewhat decent blow on the rock lizard's nose.
The only problem was that it had hurt him more than it had done anything to the rock lizard.
At least it had still been enough to bait the rock lizard into closing its mouth since it thought it would get to bite around Ackster's hand, even if he hadn't forced its jaws shut with force.
Ackster retracted his fist as soon as he had struck the rock lizard, but he wasn't just going to watch as the rock lizard attacked him again, so he lashed out again.
This time, he bent down slightly as he brought his arm back, down, and forward.
Before the rock lizard could open its mouth more than a finger's length, Ackster's fist had already slammed into its lower jaw in an uppercut powered by his entire body straightening and pushing off the ground.
"Motherf…!"