Chapter 22: Brink of Defeat.
"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.
'Ishita, what's going on?'
{Orion, it seems this creature tricked us. But as for the reason, I do not know.}
'So our way out is to escape, right?' Orion thought, his body tensing as he prepared to bolt.
{Exactly. However, your chance of escape is only 0.01%.}
Orion sighed, determination flashing in his eyes. He sprinted away without hesitation. 'I have to try no matter what.'
"Activate Quickstep!"
{Quickstep activated. Agility increased by 30% for 35 seconds.}
"Here we go!" Orion muttered, picking up speed as leaves and dirt scattered beneath his feet.
WHOOSH!
But before he could cover much distance, the Metarok appeared directly in front of him in a blur of motion.
BANG!
Orion collided with the creature's hard metallic chest, the impact sending him hurtling backward through the air.
"Fuck, how did you...?"
Before he could finish his question, the Metarok surged forward with frightening speed.
WHOOSH!
It clamped its massive hand around Orion's neck, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
CRACK!
The pressure tightened as Orion gasped for air. The creature hurled him high into the sky with terrifying strength.
WHOOOOSH!
Orion's body spun wildly through the air.
THUD!
The ground shook as the Metarok leaped up with astonishing speed, catching Orion mid-fall.
"No way—"
The Metarok twisted its body and BOOM! slammed Orion down into the earth with devastating force.
KA-BOOM!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the forest floor, dust and debris shooting into the air.
{Damage Warning: 60 HP deducted.}
Ishita alerted.
Groaning, Orion struggled to lift himself, the taste of iron heavy in his mouth.
'Ishita... this thing's insane,' he thought through labored breaths.
{Orion, your survival rate has decreased to 0.001%. Proceed with caution.}
"Hahaha, weak creature! You're no different from the rest," the humanoid Metarok sneered, its voice laced with disdain. "And yet... the energy you're emitting doesn't belong to this planet."
It glared at Orion with a mix of curiosity and disgust.
"There's something inside you, something I can't quite wrap my head around. How is a fragile human like you radiating such energy?"
Before Orion could react, the Metarok vanished and reappeared right in front of him. In a flash, it grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"Human or not, you're still weak. Pathetic beings. I'm surprised, I thought you might actually stand a chance against me," it taunted, its laughter thundering through the forest.
Orion's face twisted with frustration as he struggled to breathe, his air supply dwindling with each second.
The Metarok smirked, savoring the sight of Orion's fading strength. With a sudden motion, it hurled him to the ground like a rag doll.
THUD!
{Damage Warning: 5 HP deducted.}
The Metarok grinned darkly, clearly relishing the suffering of its prey. There was a sadistic joy in watching them struggle, hoping for escape only to fail.
Orion gasped for breath, his chest heaving. Blood dripped from his nose and smeared his face.
He attempted to stand, but his legs gave out, sending him back to the ground with a painful thud.
Blergh!
A surge of blood erupted from his mouth, staining the forest floor.
'I can't give up,' he thought desperately. 'Ishita, do you have any suggestions to defeat this bastard?'
He clawed at the dirt, forcing his trembling body to move.
"I should end your life with a little secret since I'm the chatting type," the Metarok sneered, its metallic voice vibrating through the air.
Orion glared defiantly despite the pain in his limbs as the Metarok lifted him again, this time gripping his shoulder tightly.
CRACK!
Orion winced, a sharp jolt of pain shooting through his body.
"We Metarok's come in different tanks, and let's just say we control the two elements you humans pride yourselves on."
Hahahaha! Its laughter thundered through the forest.
'Activate Quickstep!' Orion commanded mentally, gritting his teeth.
{Quickstep activated. Agility increased by 30% for 35 seconds.}
A faint smirk tugged at Orion's lips as he raised his hand and pressed it against the Metarok's arm.
'Activate Energy Drain.'
{Energy Drain activated. 5 PP expended.}
Hearing Ishita's notification, Orion gripped the Metarok with both arms, attempting to siphon its energy.
But instead,
*BLEGH!*
he vomited a mouthful of thick blood, splattering it onto the ground.
{Orion, you can't use that on him.}
'Why not?' he asked, gasping for breath.
{Have you forgotten what I told you? Since you're still at a lower level, Level 1 (Infested) you cannot use a Level 1 Energy Drain skill to attack a Level 3 system user. The deceased individual you fought earlier was only at Level 1 (Stage: Initiate).}
"Shit!" Orion cursed, realization dawning painfully on him. 'Why didn't you remind me in time? Like a warning?' he mentally snapped, frustration evident on his face.
The Metarok's grin widened in satisfaction as it watched Orion's struggle.
{And unfortunately, you just lost another 5 HP.}
Orion's vision wavered as he fought to stay conscious, the weight of his mistakes pressing down on him.
But still, he couldn't give up, he had to end this and make it back home to his family.
'I just got this system, and I'm about to die, huh?'
'Not at all. I won't.'
Gritting his teeth, Orion clenched his fist and unleashed a flurry of punches at the humanoid's face, moving as fast as he could with the Quickstep skill active.
His blows landed with sharp thuds, but the Metarok barely flinched.
With a guttural growl, the Metarok tightened his grip on Orion and hurled him to the ground with brutal force.
THUD!
Orion's body trembled as he clawed at the dirt, blood staining his lips. The metallic tang filled his mouth, but he refused to surrender.
'Come on, move,' he urged himself, though his body begged for rest.
The Metarok's heavy footsteps thudded closer, its laughter cruel and mocking.
"You struggle for nothing, human," it sneered. "This world doesn't need weaklings like you."
Orion's vision blurred as the Metarok raised its arm, preparing to crush him once and for all.
'Ishita... any last-minute tricks?'
{None available, Host. Survival chances are now 0.00001%.}
Orion's heart sank. Was this the end?
CRACK!
A sudden flash of light split the air, followed by a deafening roar.
The Metarok froze, its golden core flickering wildly. A blinding green energy surged through the clearing, slamming into the metallic giant with unimaginable force.
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BOOM!
The impact sent the Metarok skidding backward, metal screeching against stone as it crashed into a boulder.
Orion squinted through the haze of smoke, barely making out a figure emerging from the trees.