The Eighth Encounter with the Demon's Interference
The scorpions numbered over twenty now, as usual. But this time, one pitch-black scorpion was mixed in among them. It was twice the size of the dark-red ones.
"What the hell is that!?" Jinho shouted.
It was a color he'd never seen before. Not dark-red, not sandy beige. Pure black. Its pincers were grotesquely knobby, and its carapace looked like a massive boulder.
"The boss!?" Mansu reflexively raised his shield.
"No! The boss is supposed to be in the deepest part. And it doesn't look quite right!"
"Then what is it?"
"...Looks like a stronger variant. The darker the color, the stronger they get, I think."
An individual not mentioned in the report. This was outside their prior intel. But they had no time to rest. The scorpions were closing in.
The battle erupted. Ruby's flames swept through the sandy scorpions, while Isol and Harin handled the dark-red ones. Mansu and Jinho barely managed to hold off the pitch-black one. Barely.
"That thing hits way heavier than D-rank...? We'd have been screwed without you, Jinho."
Mansu collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Everyone was exhausted. Isol wiped sweat from her brow in silence, Harin panted heavily, and even Ruby was hacking and coughing from spewing too much fire.
Jisu watched them and made the call.
"That's it. We're pulling back."
"...Got it."
No one objected. Something was off. This wasn't a D-rank gate. The monster density and strength were at least C-rank, maybe higher.
"Head back. Dohyeon, lead the route. Harin, take point. Isol and I'll cover the rear."
"Understood."
The formation reversed. That's when Ruby's ears perked up. She shot to her feet, using Seha's shoulder as a perch to peer into the distance beyond the dunes.
"Huh? What's wrong, Ruby?"
"Grrrr...."
Ruby's fur bristled. Everyone froze.
"What's going on?"
"Ruby just suddenly..."
"Wait...!"
Dohyeon spread his arms wide and halted. His face had gone sheet-white.
"Something's coming!"
"What?"
But a scan of the surroundings revealed nothing.
"There's nothing here?"
Dohyeon frantically scanned around, then jolted and looked down at his feet.
"...Below! Underground!"
Thud.
A vibration rumbled through. The sand rippled like waves.
"Everyone, run!!"
Jisu yelled. But it was too late. Right in the middle of the group, the sand began to erupt.
"Uwaaak!"
The sudden slope threw everyone off balance, staggering them. A massive shape burst from the sand mound. A scorpion. One they'd seen countless times. But this one's size was different. One pincer alone was as big as a mid-sized motorcycle. And it had four such pincers. Two tails, both tipped with menacing stingers. Its body was black with red stripes—a brutal, savage hue at first glance.
"...The boss."
Jisu muttered. The appearance and size were slightly off, but instinct told her. The D-rank gate's boss hadn't waited in the depths—it had come to them.
Seha's legs trembled.
This is...!
Intimidation. The abnormal status that struck when facing an overwhelmingly superior foe.
"M-mana..."
Haneul's hand shook on her wand.
"This doesn't feel D-rank...!"
"Kiiiiiiii!!"
The boss let out a cry. The sand vibrated like ocean waves.
"Everyone! Battle positions!"
Jisu shouted, gripping her shaking hand.
***
"What!?"
Noeul's eyes widened. The boss monster had appeared outside its zone. Packing A-rank mana, no less. A clear irregularity.
But...
Something's wrong.
The mana flow felt unnatural. Uneven, like it had been forcibly injected from outside. Noeul shook her head after instinctively analyzing the beast. Regardless, it was still a crisis.
She'd planned to stay hands-off for their growth, but not now. Her hand gripped her staff. Just as she moved to charge forward—
Thwack!
Something seized her nape. Dahong.
"What are you doing? Let go!" Noeul snapped.
"Nah. Just watch."
"Watch now!? An A-rank monster showed up! They're gonna die!"
"They won't."
Dahong stated it flatly, her voice lazy as if nothing had happened.
"Mana's A-rank, sure. But its movements are D-rank. Just bulked up, that's all."
"...What?"
"Four pincers now, but it doesn't know how to use 'em. Same with the tails. Not stronger—just bloated."
Noeul glanced back at the fight. Haneul was getting up from the dust. Seha was pulling her to the rear.
"..."
"Your little bro won't die."
Noeul gritted her teeth.
"How can you be so sure?"
"You'll see."
"Tch."
Noeul yanked Dahong's grip off her collar.
"If anything happens, you're dead."
"Whatever."
Dahong shrugged indifferently.
***
The boss raised a pincer.
"Scatter!"
At Jisu's shout, everyone split apart.
Kwaang!!
Sand sprayed like a fountain. Mansu immediately planted his shield in the boss's path.
"Over here, you bastard!"
Thud!
One pincer slammed down. Mansu's knees buckled deep into the sand.
"Ngh...!"
A second pincer whipped toward him.
"Uncle!"
Jinho rushed in, angling his tower shield. Screeech! Metal ground, sparks flying. Jinho's feet sank into the sand.
"Ugh...!"
The two tanks barely held the front. But there were more pincers. One slipped around the shields' side.
"Coming from behind!" Dohyeon yelled.
"Hup!"
Harin charged and swung her axe. Clanggg— The pincer bounced back hard. Her axe, which crushed tough carapaces effortlessly before, could only deflect it this time.
"Ngh, it's insanely hard...!"
Harin yanked her rebounding axe and swung at the joint. Krunch! It sliced halfway through before jamming in the seam.
"Kiiii!"
The boss shrieked in pain and yanked the pincer back. Harin was dragged along, axe in hand.
"Uwuk!!"
Another pincer bore down as she skidded, carving a long furrow in the sand.
"Danger!"
Seha shouted. Harin was caught.
"Guh...aaak!"
She strained with superhuman strength but couldn't break free. Her armor began to crumple visibly.
Then—
Shing!
A blade flashed. Slash! The already damaged joint severed completely.
Thud!
Fluid sprayed as Harin dropped to the sand. It was Isol.
Isol pried the pincer open and helped her up.
"You okay?"
"...Almost died."
"Kiiiiiiii!!"
The boss raged at losing one pincer. Three left. Two tails. Five attack vectors, but not enough people to handle them.
The remaining pincers lashed endlessly. Venom droplets glistened at the tail tips. Legs churned the sand, trying to shatter their formation. They had it surrounded, but couldn't close in.
"We can't keep this up forever!"
Dohyeon yelled, dodging a flailing leg.
Jisu wiped blood from her forehead and shouted.
"Haneul, how much mana left!?"
"One big shot!"
Haneul's hands shook. Too many monsters had drained her mana near empty. Ruby too. Hack. Hack. She coughed, throat sore from all the fire.
'...'
Seha dodged attacks while hugging Ruby, pondering. Something felt off. Clumsy movements? Like wearing ill-fitting clothes... No, wrong analogy. More like pumping steroids into someone who never exercised—just inflating the muscle.
Why? Why does it feel this way?
Seha's eyes darted, hunting the reason.
"Seha! What are you doing! Danger!"
Jisu yelled.
"Something's weird about it!"
"Weird how?"
"Yes!"
Seha molded a mana orb and fired. Boom! The boss raised a pincer to block. Seha's orb couldn't even scratch the thick carapace. Honestly, negligible.
But...
"Just now...!"
Isol shouted.
"...No way?"
Dohyeon reacted with uncertainty.
"Huh? What?"
Jinho looked baffled.
"What happened?"
Mansu and Haneul hadn't noticed either. Only the sharp-eyed few had caught it.
"Its body stiffens when it uses a pincer! It can't move!"
"...!!"
A split-second freeze, but Seha hadn't missed it. Another mana orb struck. Boom! The boss raised its pincer again. This time, everyone saw: it halted all motion, rear legs locking rigid.
"Lure it into using pincers, then hit from behind!" Seha yelled.
"But how!?"
Harin dodged a stinger and shouted.
Seha glanced at Ruby in her arms.
"Ruby, can you flame on!?"
"Meow."
Ruby blinked. She could.
Jisu issued orders.
"Good. Signal when ready!"
"Yes!"
Everyone charged the boss.
"Kiii!!"
The boss wheeled toward Seha, kicking up sand, scuttling fast with a rattling noise.
Seha hoisted Ruby like a flamethrower.
"Huuup..."
Ruby extended her claws and inhaled deeply.
"Now!"
"Everyone, dodge!"
At Seha's cry, the group split left and right. Fwoooosh!! Blue flames erupted from Ruby's maw.
"!!"
The boss reflexively froze and raised pincers to block. Roarrr—crackle, pop! The stench of searing flesh rose with smoke, but it held.
"Now! Charge! Charge!"
Everyone raised weapons and rushed its flanks.
"Tails first?" Harin asked mid-sprint, thinking ahead.
Jisu shook her head.
"No! All-in on the body! If we don't drop it this chance, we're done!"
"Yes!"
Krunch! Jinho's mace pulverized a thin leg. Dohyeon stabbed its softer underbelly with daggers. Harin's sweeping axe sprayed green fluids.
"Kiiiiiiii!!!"
The boss screamed. But it stayed locked.
Fwoosh— The flames began to weaken. Ruby was running out of breath.
"Guys, almost at limit!"
"Hang in there!"
Crack!
"Haneul-unnie!"
"Huh!?"
Isol called out.
"You said one big shot left!"
"Y-yeah! Barely!"
Isol pointed to the gaping carapace wound.
"Here—into Harin's cut!"
"...! Got it!"
Haneul gathered mana frantically, chanting. Ruby's flame dwindled to a pitiful sputter.
"Hack, hack...!"
Ruby gasped. Seha stroked her swiftly.
"Done!"
"Just a bit more...!"
"Block the pincers!!"
At Jisu's order, everyone swarmed the front. Goal: tie down the boss till Haneul finished! It flailed pincers, oozing green.
Haneul's hair whipped in the mana surge. Her strongest spell. Fireball. Normally useless on the boss, but against exposed innards...
She poured everything into the wand tip. Booom!! Black smoke billowed as she toppled backward. A house-sized fireball rocketed into the boss's side.
Kwoom!
The boss reeled hard, nearly flipping.
"Direct hit!"
"Did it work!?"
"..."
Tension gripped them as they stared at the giant scorpion. Smoke rose from its joints. Sizzle...
"Kiii..."
Tails and pincers thudded limply to the ground.
"...! We did it!"
"Wooo!"
Cheers erupted. Harin ruffled Seha's hair wildly.
"Seha, you did it—you!"
"M-me? I didn't do anything..."
"What're you talking about? You found the weak spot!"
Seha was stunned—first time seeing Harin like this. Jisu and Dohyeon praised him too.
"Damn, academy kid's no joke!"
"How'd you spot that so quick? Summoner thing—good at reading fights?"
"Uh, mostly luck..."
Smack!
Someone clapped his back. Isol, beaming, hand outstretched.
"H-ha..."
Seha awkwardly high-fived. Clap!
Ruby watched, raising a pink paw.
"Meow."
Like claiming credit. Isol chuckled and reached over.
"Yeah, our Ruby's the MVP!"
"Meow."
"Right? Number one hero!"
"Meeoow!"
Hands swarmed Ruby, petting her into mushy oblivion amid her squeals.