Ch.59The Forest of Beasts? The Forest of Insects! (1)

# Entering the Forest of Demonic Beasts

As we approached what could be called the center of the Forest of Demonic Beasts, we deliberately made our footsteps louder as we advanced, ready to face the fighting spirit and killing intent emanating from the forest’s master.

Mary had long since concealed herself with invisibility magic, and I continued to announce my presence in this territory… but the master of this domain showed no intention of appearing.

If someone had already defeated the master, whoever now claimed this territory would have rushed at me, but no one came. Only the echo of my footsteps resonated through the forest.

Thinking this territory was probably a bust, I turned right to move in a circle rather than continuing straight ahead. There was no point in staying if the territory’s master had disappeared somewhere.

“Are we going somewhere else?”

“Mmmmm— (Yeah. It seems like this territory is empty.)”

“I see! Then we should go elsewhere. I hope the next territory has a master!”

Nodding at her words, I headed right, but the next territory was also without a master. Finding two empty territories, not just one, struck me as strange.

There were so many creatures near the entrance, but as we got closer to the center, they all disappeared?

Stopping briefly at this anomaly, I called out to Mary.

“What is it~? Should we rest for today?”

“Mmmm mmm mmmm (No, that’s not it… Something feels off. There are too many empty territories here. Even though we can sense the master’s fighting spirit and killing intent… It’s strangely empty.)”

Hearing this, Mary seemed to sense something was wrong too and tilted her head. Come to think of it, it was also strange that the Titanium Mantis was near the entrance.

Considering its aggression and attack power, it could have easily sliced through even the Saber Tiger, which was the strongest creature near the entrance.

But… why did it come looking for me at the entrance?

Did it come to hunt the Saber Tiger? It’s possible, since even the male could have killed a Saber Tiger in one strike.

The male might have arrived late and come looking for the female out of concern.

But… from the bee attack when we first entered this forest to the mantis attack last night.

Just as I was about to warn Mary that something was happening in this forest—

Kuuuung—

Something was approaching us from within the forest.

Kuuuung——

It seemed to be knocking down everything in its path, as I could see massive trees falling wherever it went.

“Mmm (Mary, hide.)”

“Okay! Good luck!”

As she instantly concealed herself and disappeared into the distance, I prepared to face whatever was rushing toward me.

Kuuuung——

The sound of falling trees grew closer. I made myself smaller and climbed up a tree to see what was approaching.

At 6 meters tall, down from 9 meters, I had no trouble climbing the tree thanks to my reduced size…

From the direction of the falling trees, I could see something black approaching me.

Kwaaang———!!!

Even the trees not far from me were toppled, and now I could clearly see its form.

It was covered in shiny black exoskeleton and moved quickly on six legs. It had a mace-like appendage on its massive tail and huge pincers that looked capable of crushing anything they caught.

Kwaaang———!!!!

It was swinging its pincers to knock down trees, shattering the massive trees of the Forest of Demonic Beasts with a single blow as it charged toward me.

The scorpion finally reached where I had been moments before. As if confused by the absence of its target, it turned its body left and right, seemingly searching for me…

I jumped from the tree and increased my size. Instantly growing from 6 meters to 12 meters, I swung my axe, which had grown to 6 meters to match my size, down at the scorpion.

Buuuung——!!!

My 12-meter body created a sonic boom as I flew toward the scorpion, and just before my axe made contact with its armor, I channeled lightning through it to increase its cutting power, intending to sever its tail in one strike.

I’d heard scorpions were sensitive about their tails, and cutting it off would prevent it from properly responding to attacks from above.

But…

Beoeoeoek——!!!

Kung— Kuuung— Kwaang——!!!

The tail was even more sensitive than I thought, as it swung its mace-tipped tail before my axe could even touch it, sending my body flying.

The mace on its tail was fiercer than expected, and I flew through several trees before finally coming to a stop.

The scorpion had found me. Whether its tail had a mind of its own or was automatically counterattacking, it seemed to have swung without the scorpion itself knowing.

Making threatening clacking sounds with its pincers, the scorpion approached me through the forest. It wasn’t particularly fast, but I instinctively knew getting caught in those pincers would be disastrous.

Probably on par with the Titanium Mantis, but with the added defense of an insect’s exoskeleton. Facing such an opponent, I felt my fighting spirit ignite.

As my fighting spirit blazed, my monster instincts seemed to awaken slightly, lending me strength. Feeling more powerful than usual, I checked my body by cracking each finger joint one by one.

Definitely feeling more energized, as if my body was producing more endorphins, I grinned, baring my teeth. I picked up a nearby stone, charged it with lightning, and hurled it at the creature.

Tukwaaang——!!!

The stone, leaving a white trail like a railgun from an animation, reached the scorpion instantly but was blocked by its tail and shattered.

But when the tail that blocked the stone trembled and momentarily stopped moving…

I continued throwing stones. Unlike the mantis, this creature wore armor, making close combat difficult, and I saw no need to enter its territory when I had to be wary of that tail.

The scorpion’s tail could block one or two stones, but when 5, 10 stones came flying at once, it gradually became overwhelmed.

The scorpion tried to shield its head with its front legs and charge forward… but the flying stones made it difficult to charge properly, and whenever it tried, I retreated to maintain distance.

Between one trying to get close and one trying to keep distance, the outcome was obvious to anyone watching.

When I ran out of stones, I stomped the ground to break it up for more ammunition and continued throwing, while the scorpion minimized damage with its defensive pincers and automatic tail defense…

But the scorpion’s exoskeleton had already begun to dent. Even its pincers, known to be the hardest part of a scorpion’s armor, were now dented in many places with visible cracks.

The scorpion, aware of this fact, finally chose to flee. It knew it had no chance of victory if it couldn’t get close.

Using its six legs to escape as quickly as possible… But I was determined to shatter its legs so it couldn’t escape.

I called down lightning from the sky to strike the scorpion while throwing countless stones as I began to run.

The sudden lightning temporarily paralyzed the scorpion’s body, and the stones accurately hit its legs, blocking its movement.

Kiiiit——!!!

It screamed in pain, but half the joints in four of its legs were already crushed, leaking green fluid. With only two front legs remaining, it wouldn’t be able to walk, and it had no chance of escaping me alive.

The scorpion, aware of its condition, swung its tail to deflect the stones, then turned to face me using only its front legs.

Kishiiiii——!!!!

The scorpion’s ready stance, raising its pincers and threatening with its tail. That posture, signaling it was ready to attack at any moment and prepared for my attacks, would certainly have been intimidating.

If it had taken that stance when it first appeared, I might have found it threatening. But with four legs already shattered, unable to run properly, and pincers dented by stones, how could it be a threat?

Muhh—!!

I snorted dismissively and picked up another stone. The scorpion flinched. Its legs had been shattered by those stones, and its pincers had suffered the same fate.

Seeing the scorpion cower as I picked up a stone, I casually tossed it to the ground.

As if to give it a proper final confrontation, I picked up my axe, and the scorpion seemed pleased, raising its pincers and making clacking sounds, when—

Kwarrrung——!!!

I betrayed its hope.

Surrounding my legs with lightning, I approached instantly, then called down a bolt from the sky that electrocuted the scorpion, and in that very brief moment when it was paralyzed—

Seogek——

With its pincers raised, the joints were clearly exposed, and I precisely cut through those joints, severing the scorpion’s pincers.

Shiiiiik——!!!

In that brief moment, less than a second, the scorpion, enraged at having its pincers cut off, swung its tail, its last weapon, but…

Teoup——!

I caught the spiky tail with both hands and pressed my foot on the scorpion’s body to prevent it from moving.

Ppudeudeuk——!!

And then I… gripped the scorpion’s tail and applied force. With ominous cracking sounds, as I gradually increased the pressure…

The scorpion’s tail was torn off.

Shiiiiik!!!!!

Mueoeoeo!!!!

I grabbed the detached mace and swung it at the scorpion. Again and again, until its body was pulverized.

The scorpion, battered beyond recognition, had already died, making no sound except for occasional tremors.

Mueoeoeoeoeo——!!!

And I… placed my foot on the corpse and roared, announcing to the Forest of Demonic Beasts who the victor was, heralding the arrival of a new dominant force.