Zami analyzed the dark, monstrous scorpion as it scuttled across the walls, its jagged claws clicking menacingly. Its massive, tanky exoskeleton glinted faintly in the dim light, each segment fortified like iron. The creature darted with unnatural speed, defying its bulky appearance, and Zami's normal attacks barely left a scratch on its armored body.
Taking a deep breath, Zami calmed his nerves. He narrowed his silver eyes and focused on the scorpion's erratic movements.
"It's fast, but speed means little when balance is lost," he muttered to himself, gripping his katana.
As the scorpion lunged forward, Zami's body shifted into motion. Using *Wild Cat Flow*, he twisted his body, sidestepping with calculated precision and allowing the momentum of the creature's massive bulk to betray it. Its many legs stumbled slightly as Zami disrupted its balance, creating a brief opening.
Wasting no time, Zami executed *Pierce*, driving the tip of his blade toward the vulnerable underbelly of the beast. The attack was swift and powerful, aimed at one of the few places the exoskeleton couldn't shield.
*CLANG!*
The scorpion reacted faster than Zami anticipated, intercepting the strike with its stinger. Sparks flew as the katana and stinger collided, the sheer force damaging the scorpion's natural weapon. The creature screeched in pain, venom dripping from the cracked tip of its stinger.
Zami dashed backward, his mind racing. This wasn't going to be a straightforward battle. He adjusted his grip on the katana and observed the scorpion's movements, his brain processing every twitch and lunge.
The beast's dual stingers lashed out with deadly precision, seeking to impale him. Zami sidestepped one and ducked under the other, his movements fluid and deliberate. With a sharp twist of his blade, he executed *Blade Bind*, locking one stinger between the edge of his katana and his forearm. He wrenched it aside, using the scorpion's own momentum against it.
With the stinger immobilized, Zami struck at the creature's face, slashing at its segmented eyes. Black ichor sprayed as the scorpion screeched in agony, thrashing violently.
Zami leapt back again, steadying his breath. He had weakened it, but it wasn't enough.
"This thing is stronger than the bone-headed beasts," Zami muttered, glancing at Kiyo to ensure she was still safe. He couldn't afford to drag the fight out any longer.
Activating *Adrenaline Surge*, Zami felt his blood pump faster, his enhanced muscles surging with raw strength. In one fluid motion, he rushed forward, gripping the creature by its armored tail and lifting it off the ground with inhuman power. The scorpion writhed and flailed, but Zami held firm, flipping it over and exposing its vulnerable underbelly.
"Time to end this," Zami growled, his eyes narrowing.
He focused on a small opening in the creature's exoskeleton, a sliver of weakness exposed between the plates. Channeling his strength and precision, he drove his katana into the gap with *Precision Strike*, the blade plunging deep into the soft flesh.
The scorpion let out one final, piercing screech before falling limp, its massive body collapsing under its own weight. Black ichor pooled beneath it as Zami pulled his blade free, breathing heavily.
Zami climbed atop the motionless beast, planting his katana into its head for stability. He glanced around the temple ruins, his instincts still heightened.
"Karesh," Zami called out, his voice steady but cold. "What on earth was this thing? An offspring of the entities? A failed fragment? It's strong, but it doesn't feel significant enough to be part of them."
Karesh's voice echoed in Zami's mind, calm yet cryptic as always. "This creature… It's neither a vessel nor an offspring of the entities. It's something else. Something from the colony—an ancient remnant of this land's corruption, shaped over time by the influence of the meteorites."
Zami frowned, his thoughts racing. The scorpion had been formidable, but not unbeatable. If this was just a remnant of the colony's corruption, then what stronger threats awaited him as he ventured closer to the entities themselves?
"Nothing is ever simple in this world," Zami muttered, stepping off the scorpion and wiping the ichor from his blade. "Let's move. There's no time to waste."
Kiyo emerged cautiously from her hiding spot, her small frame trembling slightly as she clung to the hem of Zami's cloak. She glanced nervously at the dead scorpion, then back at Zami, who towered over her with an air of calm confidence.
"Stay close," Zami said, his tone gentler. "We need to find out what else is lurking in this place."
As the two ventured deeper into the forgotten temple, the clicking echoes of the scorpion faded into silence, leaving only the oppressive weight of the unknown ahead.