"Everett?"
Orion's shocked voice rang out as he continued to watch the masked woman battling the massive metallic rock giant.
"Watch out! Behind you!" she yelled, snapping him out of his trance. Orion quickly moved to the right, exhaling heavily.
"Man, I didn't sign up for this. What the hell are these creatures, lady?" Orion asked, now facing a humanoid that stood at eye level with him.
"Ishita, you know we're in this together," he thought, steeling himself. He shifted into a ready stance, hoping the moves he'd learned in school when he was six would still come in handy.
What are these creatures called? Orion wondered, dodging an attack from the humanoid made of metal and rock.
{They are called the Metaroks.}
'Huh?' Orion's brow furrowed as he stared at the Metarok before him. Something about it sent a chill down his spine.
'What's that glowing red stone on its head, Ishita? Is there a way to defeat this thing?'
{Host, you've identified its weakness. However, destroying it won't be easy.}
Orion sighed. The Metarok hadn't attacked yet. It seemed to be observing him, just as he was observing it.
'Now, would you look at that. Ishita, is there any way we can defeat this? Because I'm pretty sure this thing isn't going to let me live.'
{You already have the means, dear Orion.}
Orion exhaled sharply, deep in thought.
'Wait… you mean the glowing red stone?'
{Exactly. That's known as the red core. Sometimes it's located at the center of their chest or the middle of their forehead. Some hide it entirely. It's their primary power source. Destroying or destabilizing the core disrupts their functionality, rendering them lifeless.}
'Nice. That makes it easier to kill, Orion thought, smirking. Activate Quickstep.'
{Quickstep activated. Remember, not everyone should know the skills you possess—it's best to keep them as a surprise.}
Got it. Let's do this.
Orion charged toward the Metarok. As he closed the distance, the creature absorbed nearby metal, forming a massive ball, which it hurled at him with incredible speed.
"Damn it!" he cursed, narrowly dodging the attack, thanks to Quickstep.
He skidded to a halt a few paces away, but the Metarok seized the opportunity and pursued him relentlessly.
{Quickstep deactivated. Cooldown: 30 seconds.}
"Not now," Orion muttered angrily through clenched teeth.
'What the hell, Ishita? A second ago, I thought this thing was easy to handle. Now I see it can manipulate metal. How am I supposed to get to that core?'
{I forgot to mention—at your current level and strength, your chances of defeating this Metarok are 23%.}
"Hmm," Orion hummed grimly, narrowing his eyes. As his eyes twitch repeatedly.
'You said the Red core is its weakness?'
{Yes host, it is. Why did you ask?}
'I want to activate Quickstep, use my speed to distract it and also attack its legs, throwing it off-balance. Causing its movement to falter and leaving it vulnerable and then bang I'll absorb its Red core with my energy drain.'
{Beautiful, excellent. You are wise dear Orion.}
Ishita's voice came seductively proud but also giggly. Which surprised Orion a bit, before he shook his head. He knew he can't afford to be distracted, he needs to end this creature in front of him right now.
But at the same time here it's too open, and this will lead to him exposing his power. He won't risk it now.
'Level up Quickstep twice.'
{Quickstep has been leveled up, 300Pp expanded. Agility increased by 30% for 35 seconds}
Ishita alerted Orion, which brought a smile to his face. Feeling the surge of new energy he grinned, everything looked slow and he raced away from the humanoid Metarok.
And it chased Orion matching up with his speed.
'I see, this creature is really catching up to me.'
{Indeed it is.}
'How long left on Quickstep?'
{Duration: 22 seconds remaining}
"Yes, I have a few more seconds before this wears off."
Then he sprinted through the dense greenery, the towering trees providing just enough cover as the Metarok humanoid pursued him relentlessly.
Its heavy footsteps crushed the undergrowth, and the occasional metallic groan of its joints echoed through the forest.
"Perfect," Orion muttered under his breath, glancing at the uneven terrain ahead.
The forest floor was littered with roots, moss-covered rocks, and small streams cutting through the land.
It was a stark contrast to the barren battlefield, now this will be the perfect place to defeat this creature.
Behind him, the Metarok slowed, seemingly cautious. It paused, scanning its surroundings.
The glowing red core on the humanoid Metarok forehead pulsed faintly, as though it were trying to adapt to the unfamiliar terrain.
"Didn't expect a walking rock to have doubts," Orion taunted, stopping slowly near a large mossy boulder.
The Metarok let out a low, metallic rumble. It raised one arm, absorbing metal shards from the forest debris around it. With a sudden motion, it hurled a jagged metallic spear at Orion.
"Too slow!" Orion said, narrowly dodging the attack. The spear embedded itself in a nearby tree, splitting it in half.
{Quickstep deactivated. Cooldown: 25 seconds.}
"Damn it," Orion hissed. He ducked behind the boulder, catching his breath. Ishita, any chance you've got a strategy for me?
{Host, the forest environment offers significant advantages. Use it.}
"Yeah, thanks for the pep talk," he muttered, wiping off the sweat from his brow, keeping a wary eye on the Metarok.
'Luckily Quickstep is enjoyable when it's leveled up.' Orion mentally said as he tried breathing in slowly.
{Indeed.}
'How much time is left for Quickstep cooldown?'
{Cooldown: 6 seconds remaining.}
Orion peeked around the boulder to see the Metarok cautiously approaching, its glowing core illuminating the shaded undergrowth. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Alright, let's see how you handle this. Come on, big guy. You wanted me, here I am."
Orion shouted and dashed deeper into the forest, leading the Metarok to an area where sunlight streamed through the dense canopy. The ground here was soft and damp, dotted with small sinkholes filled with water.
"Ishita, Activate Quickstep!" He screamed and he ran as fast as he could.
The Metarok stomped forward, its feet sinking slightly into the muddy ground. Orion grinned.
'Time to slow you down.'
He grabbed a thick vine hanging from a tree and yanked it hard, pulling it loose.
Wrapping it around his wrist, he made a wide arc around the Metarok, tying the vine to a sturdy tree trunk.
The Metarok roared, its core pulsing angrily as it turned to face him. Orion quickly looped another vine around its legs, securing it to a nearby tree.
{Host, your chances of success have increased. The Metarok is immobile in this environment.}
"Not yet," Orion muttered. "It's still too strong."
The Metarok struggled against the vines, the tension causing the trees to creak ominously. Orion needed to act fast.
He grabbed a sharp rock from the ground and hurled it at the glowing red core. The rock hit, but the core remained intact, only flickering slightly.
"Figures," Orion sighed. He backed up to where a stream ran through the forest. "Hey, rockface! Come get me!"
The Metarok let out a metallic screech and broke free of the vines with a violent jerk. As it moved toward Orion, its heavy feet splashed into the shallow water.
Orion smirked. "Gotcha."
The stream had eroded the ground beneath it, creating a hidden sinkhole.
The Metarok stepped forward, and the unstable earth collapsed under its weight.
With a deafening crash, the creature fell into the sinkhole, its legs sinking into the muddy water.
Now immobilized, the Metarok thrashed, its core exposed and glowing brighter as it attempted to absorb nearby metals.
'Now's my chance,' He grabbed a sturdy branch and leapt onto the creature's back.
Using all his strength, he drove the sharp end of the branch directly into the glowing core and touched it with his left hand.
The Metarok let out a piercing screech as the core shattered. Its entire body convulsed before collapsing into a lifeless heap of metal and rock.
Breathing heavily, Orion rolled off the creature and lay on the ground, staring up at the sunlight filtering through the canopy, but again shouldn't he be feeling some sort of energy? He thought.
"Never thought I'd say this," he muttered, "but I owe this win to Mother Nature."
'Ishita, shouldn't you be congratulating me?'
{Chance of survival: 0.01%}
"Fuck, what do you mean by 0.01%?" Orion questioned.
A laugh interrupted him, and Orion stood up right away.
"Humans, you are all pathetic fools. Hahahaha," the humanoid Metarok sneered.
"Enough with the cat chase, it's time to play my game," it said, and suddenly, the once red core on its forehead disappeared.
Now, a shining gold core glowed on its chest. Orion's mouth dropped, confused and terrified.