When we reach 100 Power Stones, there will be a bonus chapter!
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After an intense 1v1 battle between the powerful miniboss and the weak me, I realized that things were not going as planned.
First of all, the chain sword's blade wasn't sharp enough to cut through the miniboss's exoskeleton. It felt like I was trying to cut through a damn rock with a butter knife.
If that was all it was, it wouldn't be a headache, because I could use the same strategy I used against regular killer ants: "Ignore the exoskeleton and focus on its weakness."
And that's where the second point came in. This monster had no visible weak point. In other words, its exoskeleton was very glued together, which made it less agile, but at the same time gave it impenetrable armor.
So, clearly, the time had come to do something stupid. And when I say stupid, I mean really stupid.
I jumped.
I was a few feet off the ground, right in front of the giant ant's face. I can bet that if this monster could talk, it would be laughing at me right now. Even if there were any adventurers around to see me. Because from a different perspective, my body was completely at the mercy of its claws.
"Go on, do it."
And it did. The giant claws moved towards me, ready to rip me in two. But just as they were about to connect, I put the chain sword into inventory and grabbed one of its claws with my bare hands.
I twisted my body in the air, using the momentum to spin upward like a top. I went over its head and finally stepped on its back.
"Oh, don't look at me like that, dude." I let out a laugh as I tightened my grip on one of the protrusions on its exoskeleton that attached it to its head. "This will be quick. It won't hurt too much, I think..."
The miniboss was not happy about that. It struggled violently, trying to pull me off its back, but I held on tighter.
I reached under its exoskeleton, between the hard plates protecting its body, and dug my fingers into one of its joints. The monster let out a growl and in its fury smashed its own body against the wall. I staggered from side to side, my fingers almost coming loose.
"Does that hurt? Well, sorry."
Grasping with both hands, I pulled one side up and the other down. The exoskeleton began to give. It was actually quite resistant, and I had to exert all my strength. With a crunch, I managed to open a small gap, exposing the soft flesh hidden underneath. And let me tell you, it wasn't a pretty sight.
Now for the fun part.
"Let's put an end to this."
As I muttered that, the chain sword materialized in my hands once again.
Without thinking, I plunged the blade straight into that opening. The sword sank to the hilt. But my sword had a short blade to begin with, so it wasn't enough to kill it.
The monster continued to growl, sometimes deliberately crashing into walls to get rid of me. If my dexterity and agility weren't enough, it would have face-planted me to the ground by now.
At that moment, I was surprised to see the miniboss suddenly crouch down on its hind legs before flexing them. Its body tensed, and I, still mounted on its back, braced myself for what was to come. In one magnificent leap, the monster propelled itself toward the ceiling. I felt the blood leave my cheeks, and fearing that I would be crushed between its body and the ceiling, I made a quick decision: I jumped off its back and grabbed onto its hind legs.
With a deafening roar, its back hit the ceiling, and in a matter of seconds, gravity pulled us back to the ground. We barely touched the ground, and before the monster could move its legs, I hurried to climb back onto its back.
Then I did the only thing I could think of.
"Come on!" I kicked hard at the hilt of the sword. I felt the blade sink deeper, but it wasn't enough. "More!" I pushed with everything I had left. So much that my entire leg, up to my knee, sank into the wound along with the sword.
"This has to end it..."
I was so close to its huge head that when the miniboss let out a perforating scream, the sound emitted pierced my eardrum. Damned monster! But my frustration vanished as soon as I saw its body writhing in agony.
"I can do it. I'm stopping it."
Then more! More! More! More! And more!
Without giving up, I sank my leg in deeper and deeper.
It was then that I noticed the detail I'd overlooked in the midst of my struggle for survival. Its blood was corrosive. I could feel the burning in my leg.
[-10 HP]
My HP kept decreasing with every second. -10 HP. -10 HP. -10 HP. If my health bar was full, I wouldn't worry, but with how little I had left, I couldn't risk it. I couldn't go on like this. I quickly pulled my leg away from the wound.
It was like pulling the plug on a broken pipe: immediately, a stream of purple blood began to gush uncontrollably.
"Hey, don't splash in my face!"
The system penalized me with another -50 HP, leaving me with only 100 HP. Damn... I barely had any left.
If my body was like anyone else's, flesh and blood, and not that of an avatar, my leg and face would have melted like wax under fire by now. All that would be left would be my bare bones.
How fortunate that this is not the case... These ants have become truly dangerous.
Beneath my feet, I felt the giant ant's body tremble violently. In an instant, it lost its balance and finally collapsed face first, its abdomen crushing the ground.
With the help of my leg, the sword had plunged deep into its neck, piercing it almost completely. The blade had gone so far that it barely managed to come out the other side. It was this effort that ended its life.
―Enemy defeated: Mini Boss - Lethal Ant
―Experience gained: +500 Exp
[The Title "Insect Killer" shines brightly! Double Experience effect is activated]
―Experience gained: +500 Exp → 1000 Exp.
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―Congratulations, you have reached level 10!―
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[Level Bonus]
― HP: +100
― MP: +50
― Stats Increase: +5 to all Stats
― Stat Points gained: +5
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[Progress to next level]
―Exp: 720 / 2000
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