"It is unknown what happened, or at least books don't provide clear answers, but during the twenty-first century, a cataclysmic event ravaged Earth. This phenomenon, still beyond our understanding, caused mutations in both animals , transforming them into evolved monsters. Some had changed in appearance, others in size. Alongside this, humans underwent mutations that granted them the power to fight back. These mutated humans are known as enerions ,who become beast slayers.
For example, there's the E-rank beast, the Black Emperor Scorpion. It's known for its deadly poison, just like any other scorpion."
That was a lot of information to digest and the longest sentence Aniyah had said to me so far.
So, an event turned animals into "Beasts," while humans gained powers. And now we're fighting them... The Black Emperor Scorpion was just resting, but as soon as we arrived, it stirred, staring at us for a long moment. Then, without warning, it leapt off the building with a powerful thud and charged at us, its six legs moving with terrifying speed.
The scorpion was jet black, its carapace thick and ridged. It had two massive pincers, six legs, and a long tail with a stinger that could reach its head. It was about 200 inches long—roughly the size of a truck.
An initial strike came at Aniyah, who was in front. The scorpion swung one of its pincers at her, but she was quick. She leapt into the air to dodge, then—mid-air—she seemed to step on nothing. It was as if she had found another platform to push off from. She launched herself toward the scorpion, and her two-handed sword raised high. The scorpion, sensing the attack, jumped back to avoid it, only to find itself facing Danso. He swung his staff with ferocity, striking through one of the scorpion's legs and severing it completely. Afterwards, he retreated a few steps.
Realizing it was in danger, the scorpion tried to make a run for it.
Then, Neo moved.
Without a weapon, he sprinted forward, and a strange mist flowed from his body. He covered his fists with ice gauntlets.
With a single hop, he struck the scorpion in the face with his fist, sending the beast skidding several meters back.
Zuri, not to be outdone, dashed forward on all fours. Her claws extended, and she spun to strike the scorpion's leg. Her claws cut deep, burning the leg and rendering it immobile.
Meanwhile, I stood there, wide-eyed, watching the brutal display. The sight of my teammates fighting this 200-inch beast was a mix of shock and awe. But beneath that, I felt... excitement. A thought flashed through my mind: 'This is fun.'
I couldn't just stand around. I pulled out my sword, ready to join the fight. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I pushed myself to my limits, running at top speed. It was fast, even by their standards. Before anyone could react, I was already nearing the scorpion.
I did something crazy. As I neared a broken building, I side-stepped and ran up the wall. I took two steps before jumping onto the scorpion's pincers, using it as a platform. The pincers slammed against the wall, but I used the momentum to launch myself toward the scorpion's face. With a swift stab, my sword buried itself in the pincer, and I used it as leverage to slide down the creature's body, slashing my way through its exoskeleton.
As I reached its legs, I kicked off the pincer and tossed one of my daggers into its face. The blade sank deep into one of its eyes. Then, with one final movement, I cut through another leg, severing it completely.
My teammates stared, impressed by my display. They hadn't expected such a direct attack, especially since I hadn't used any special abilities. But before they could react, the scorpion hissed loudly, its stinger splitting in two.
Dark liquid began to spray out of the stinger, creating a wave of poison that splashed over the ground.
"Shit, fall back! We can't let that liquid touch us!" Aniyah shouted.
We immediately retreated 30 meters, the poison spreading in an ever-growing radius around the beast. The ground began to burn and turn dark as the toxic liquid continued to pour from the scorpion's stinger.
"Damn, we can't kill it easily now," Aniyah said, frustration evident in her voice.
The poison would be deadly if it touched us, and it looked like it would linger for a while. Our options were limited—either we would have to fight carefully and wait for the poison to subside, or we could take a calculated risk.
I spoke up, my voice determined. "If I can get to it, I can kill it."
Everyone turned to look at me.
"With that attraction ability I've learned, I can pull myself toward it fast enough to land a killing blow with my sword," I added.
"I can last a minute under the poison with my ice, not sure how long.
Can you kill it during that window?" Neo asked, his tone friendly.
I nodded.
"Alright, don't let that liquid touch you. Let's see if Steve can kill it," Aniyah said, her voice calm but serious.
"Okay, here's the plan," Aniyah continued. "We'll prioritize getting Steve close enough to deliver a killing blow. If that poison touches any of you, retreat immediately. If Steve doesn't finish it off with that attack, we pull back."
With the plan set, we prepared for our first attempt to take down a poisonous beast.