''What a hard shell you have,'' Raydon said, examining the spot where his dagger had struck the Region Boss's shoulder.
He did not put all of his strength behind this blow; however, with the 110 strength he had, he still anticipated that at least some damage would be visible as a result of it. On the other hand, the creature's dark shell, which had a metallic sheen covering its entire shoulder, showed no signs of damage other than a minute fissure.
It was obvious that the Boss's defense was just as impressive as its speed, and it was also obvious that Raydon would not be able to pierce that solid shell unless he made an attack that was significantly more powerful.
However, the weapons that Raydon held in his hands were not bound to him, and if he attempted to fortify the weapons by utilizing the burning effect that his body possessed, the flames would most likely cause the weapons to suffer damage as well. Simply letting go of the daggers was not an option, either, because his attack skill, Rusty Chain, did not correspond to his current fighting style.
''Anyway, If one strike won't break it, then I'll strike again and again until it shatters.'' He declared.
With this being his first challenge in an E-Rank match, it was clear from the look on his face that he was quite excited about it.
After that, he moved quickly into an offensive stance, shifting from the defensive stance he had been in earlier. As he did so, the once-excited smile on his face faded rapidly, giving way to an emotionless expression. The light in his gray eyes gradually dimmed, and the swirling mist within his pupils, reminiscent of a fierce dragon, now appeared tranquil and subdued.
''His presence has changed,'' Nysora whispered, observing the swift transition as Raydon assumed his attack stance.
The carefree demeanor he had adopted only a few short moments ago was suddenly replaced by an air of absolute concentration and self-control.
Another thing that shocked the battle maids was how they felt when they looked into Raydon's eyes. It appeared as though those eyes, which contained a placid sea of gray at the center, were divulging all of the information that was being kept hidden deep within them.
Even though none of them were the primary target of those eyes, the mere fact that they were in the field of vision was enough to cause unease in all of them. They all almost stopped breathing at once, feeling as if they would be the next target of those eyes if they showed even the slightest movement.
Naturally, the Region Boss, who was the primary target of those enigmatic eyes, was not exempt from the influence of this effect.
The monster, which up until this point had been looking for an appropriate opportunity to strike, experienced a sense of unease when it observed the rapid change in Raydon. It moved one step forward while simultaneously raising its scythe-like arms in order to get ready for its next move.
With a heightened sense of seriousness, it clearly understood that Raydon was about to unleash an assault and had already set its mind on attacking before him.
The three-toed, black, metal-armored feet of the Region Boss cracked the dried earth beneath them, sending fragments flying as it lunged towards Raydon with even greater speed and force, with the intention of ending the fight as quickly as possible before Raydon could launch a counterattack.
As before, Region Boss targeted Raydon's chest with its sword-sharp arm, initiating its chain attack.
But the exact same thing has just happened again, and Raydon was able to avoid the first attack by making a very slight adjustment to his body position.
*Clang*
But unlike before, rather than evading Region Boss' second attack, Raydon swiftly struck his dagger against the creature's shoulder, creating another small crack. In just two moves, he completely neutralized Region Boss's chain attack.
The creature, whose chain attack was stopped before it had even begun, took a step back to correct its lost stance and quickly regained its stance, and then it attacked Raydon's neck with its left arm this time.
But it encountered the same outcome. Raydon effortlessly evaded the first attack, delivering another dagger blow to Region Boss's shoulder before the second attack could even commence, once again shattering its stance.
*Skitter*
*Skitter*
The humanoid cockroach took a step back to readjust its posture, visibly annoyed. It moved its mouth in an angry manner, emitting noises of frustration.
And then, after the attempt of its second chain attack did not go as planned, it prepared itself to jump back towards Raydon, even more enraged, and try to launch its attack once more, which did not go as planned either.
Raydon swiftly struck with his dagger, denying it the opportunity to retaliate.
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in dynamics, the cockroach momentarily froze before instinctively assuming a defensive stance, using all four of its arms to shield its chest and head.
However, Raydon's true objective was not the vitals of this thing from the beginning; rather, it was the shell-covered shoulder, whose cracks had now grown to their full extent.
*Clang*
The cracks got even worse as a result of the vicious blow that his dagger delivered to the defenseless shoulder of the creature. Raydon, unfazed, continued his assault, this time launching another strike with his own chain attack.
After being knocked off-balance by the force of the hit and taking a step back, the Region Boss noticed another blow to its shoulder and tried as quickly as it could to avoid it, but it was too late.
*Crack*
The shell on the creature's shoulder shattered completely, and Raydon's dagger became embedded in its flesh.
*Skreeek*
The humanoid cockroach let out a cry of pain as it felt sensations it had long forgotten. But the dagger's stab was just the beginning of its torment.
Instead of immediately retracting the weapon, Raydon took advantage of its sharpness by sliding it down and tearing the tender flesh connecting the arm to the body.
*Skreeaaah*
This time, the creature started to wave its other arms helplessly at Raydon and hit him with the pain it felt from the feeling of its arm being severed.
Raydon quickly jumped backwards, putting some distance between himself and the creature as he evaded the erratic blade attacks that were being launched at him.
After putting a sufficient amount of space between himself and the humanoid cockroach, he came to a halt, pausing with his attention fixed on one of the creature's arms. A thin piece of flesh held the limb tenuously to its body, which was on the verge of separating and falling to the ground.
"Tch, I couldn't sever it completely," he muttered, a subtle furrow forming on his otherwise impassive face.
Originally, Raydon's intention was to land another blow and completely sever the arm before retreating. However, the humanoid cockroach's desperate attacks in agony proved to be too swift and forceful for him to defend against at that moment, forcing him to instead avoid being caught in their path.
"Alright, this time I'm going to tear off all your arms at once," Raydon declared, wasting no time as he swiftly returned to his attacking stance. Observing the noticeable regeneration and the emergence of a fresh shell on the Region Boss' injured arm, he understood the urgency of his next move.
When the Region Boss saw that Raydon was getting ready to attack again, it quickly regained its posture, and instead of defending itself this time, it leaped at him with one of its good arms in order to respond with an attack of its own.
*Cling*
In perfect synchronization with the Region Boss' movements and speed, Raydon deftly altered the trajectory of the blade aimed at him, using the dagger in his left hand. He effortlessly plunged the dagger from his right hand into the creature's other shoulder.
*Clang*
The resounding clash of metal meeting metal reverberated once more, shattering the Region Boss' stance yet again. However, without hesitating, the monster swung the blade on its other arm towards Raydon, disregarding the need to correct its stance.
But Raydon, ever prepared, anticipated the attack and quickly delivered another dagger blow to the shoulder of the assaulting arm, effectively pushing it back and thwarting the attack before it even began.
Undeterred, the Region Boss, forsaking any attempt to adjust its stance, continued to attack Raydon with its free arm after its last failed attempt, driven by frustration and rage.
*Clang*
The blow that Raydon's dagger delivered to the shoulder ensured that this attack was also unsuccessful.
After each unsuccessful attack, the region boss continued to attack him with more power. It stopped caring at all about its stance or balance and carried on without retreating, hoping that at least one of its attacks would be successful.
The humanoid cockroach swung its blades at Raydon with all its might and speed, launching consecutive attacks in a haphazard and aimless manner. However, each time its assault was met with his expertly timed dagger blows to its vulnerable shoulders,
Undeterred by the increasing anger and desperation fueling its attacks, the Region Boss intensified its strikes, pouring all its strength into each swing. But with every passing moment, Raydon's speed and agility also surged to new heights.
*Clang*
*Clang*
*Clang*
After a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of Raydon's daggers striking the shell-covered shoulders of the Region Boss.
"What in the world am I witnessing?" Verda murmured in disbelief as she observed the relentless exchange of blows between these two monsters. The intensity of the conflict had reached a level where it was impossible for them to keep up with it, and it appeared to be nothing more than a constant back-and-forth of swinging weapons between the two sides.
Soon enough, the Region Boss started to lose its composure and balance, gradually retreating step by step.
And then, as expected, a distinct sound reverberated through the surroundings.
Crack
The shell on one of the Region Boss' shoulders shattered completely.
Crack
Another one collapsed.
Crack
And before long, the last remaining black metallic shell protecting its final shoulder disintegrated, falling to the ground.
Now that their armor had been removed, the shoulders of the Region Boss stood defenseless, devoid of any kind of covering. Despite this, Raydon did not pause for even a second before continuing his chain attack. The only thing that was different this time was that instead of stabbing with his daggers, he sliced at his target with them.
"What a gruesome sight. He carves away its limbs like a butcher," remarked Nysora, her gaze fixed upon each deep cut inflicted by Raydon's slashing motions on the Region Boss' exposed shoulders.
The humanoid cockroach was rendered defenseless as a result of the deep cuts that it sustained on its shoulders, which deprived it of its muscles. It was no longer able to raise its arms to retaliate, and it was forced to take small, careful steps backward in order to attempt to free itself from Raydon's relentless chain attacks.
*Thud*
With a final dagger slash, the arm that Raydon had previously severed was completely separated from the creature's torso, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.
"One down, three to go," Raydon remarked, his once emotionless expression slowly returning to its original state. A triumphant smile crept across his face.
Raydon pressed on, his relentless assault continuing. He stared into the Region Boss's brownish eyes, now filled with fear and despair, while his own gray eyes smoldered like smoke within his pupils, resembling the relentless movement of dragons.
Merely a minute had passed since Raydon started using his supreme technique, and the battle had already reached its conclusion, with the Region Boss now devoid of its arms.
"All right, should I begin by cutting off your legs, or should I just go straight for the head?" Raydon mocked, his laughter filling the air as he watched the terrified Region Boss take hesitant steps backward.
"Well, I guess I do not have any more time to waste with you. That is why I decided to cut your head off. '' After a period of time during which Raydon displayed the appearance of deep thought, he then stated with a determined expression.
Raydon, who did not know for certain whether or not this humanoid cockroach could survive without its head like other cockroaches, decided that this would be the easiest way to ensure that it would perish and therefore proceeded with his plan.
He resumed his ruthless assault, but this time he directed his blows at the creature's neck in an effort to dismember it by separating its head from the rest of its body.
And after only slashing its neck four times with his dagger, which was obviously softer than the other parts of its body, the creature's head finally separated from its body and fell to the ground.
*DING*
And soon, with the system message ringing in his ears, he came to the fortunate realization that this humanoid cockroach did not have as advanced a capacity for survival as regular cockroaches.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢