The club cracked down hard.
BAM.
CRACK.
SCREEECH!!
The cave erupted with noise. Suddenly pulled out of its sleep-like state of rest, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion flailed, its massive body jerking wildly, and its razor-sharp tails snapped forward instinctively, cutting the air right above the Orc's head.
'I managed to duck in time!'
He dove backward, rolling as loose stones scattered beneath him.
[Twin-Tailed Scorpion - HP: 60%]
The Orc's eyelids wavered as the message appeared in front of him. It was certainly helpful. A perk from accepting the Special Quest.
Two other goods hit will… No, three of them. The first hit was perfect since it wasn't moving and was unaware of my presence. I hit it while it was completely relaxed, just like that time when I knocked out Dummy. It's tense now. My hits won't hurt as much!'
The Orc's hands tightened around the handle of his club. The weapon was perfect for this, he thought. To fight against those with higher strength, bodies covered with flesh, and wrapped in soft skin, it certainly wasn't the best. The skin and flesh need to be torn. Against a creature with a body covered with armor, however,
'Blunt works best in this case.' The Orc thought with a nervous smile. It was a simple conclusion, but an extremely important one.
The scorpion hissed, its eight legs unfolding with great speed as it raised itself to appear bigger and more menacing.
The Orc gulped as he stared at the nightmarish creature. The exoskeleton covering its head had been cracked beautifully. Leaking from those cracks was a strange and thick, clear liquid that dripped on the ground.
He took a step back, eyes focused on those sharp tails.
'Its tails are such that they need to be swung to cut. They aren't made for piercing. They're swung either horizontally or vertically to cut things in two. That gives me time.'
Indeed, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's blade-like tails had dull ends but sharp sides. They couldn't be thrust forward. In other words, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion cannot use the shortest route to reach its enemy. Swing the tails means increasing the distance that they need to cross. Additionally, for proper momentum and power, the tails need to be pulled back before being swung.
'The Time Limit isn't close yet. I could run away and come back once it has dropped its guard. Even if it follows me, I have the map. Its Endurance is surely lower than mine.'
The Orc suddenly clenched his teeth.
'No, no more running away! I'm killing it now! The creature that has already killed me once!' He stepped forward, ready to react, dodge, and attack. 'This cave is the best place to fight it anyways.'
The Orc smiled nervously as it took another step.
"Can't swing them freely here, can you?" He whispered.
Indeed, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion had its back to the end of the cave, and the ceiling wasn't high enough for its tails to be extended upwards.
"You can only swing them horizontally."
Feeling threatened by the sounds made by its attacker, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion screeched again, raising its body further.
The Orc's gaze instantly studied the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's body. The tails that could be swing horizontally, and the massive pincers that were being raised up.
'Does it have teeth to bite with? I don't know. In any case,' He held the club tightly. 'I don't plan on getting close enough for its mouth to be useable.'
The Orc stared carefully.
It was obvious that the Twin-Tailed Scorpion was waiting for him to enter its range.
"At least I'm not the prey now." The Orc muttered with a dry chuckle.
Indeed, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion wasn't attacking. In fact, if the Orc decided to walk away now, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion would probably decide to cut its losses and remain in the cave, not following him out.
The Orc took one more step.
As soon as his foot touched the ground, he knew he was in the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's range.
The latter knew it as well, attacking right away.
Both tails were pulled back slightly, but only one was shot at him.
It whipped forward in a blur.
The Orc swiftly stepped to the side. The sharp tail passed inches away from his shoulder, striking the tough ground below with a clang. The second tail came from the opposite side.
With one tail to his right and the other coming from his left, the Orc decided to raise his club defensively.
CLANG!
The stinger struck the shaft of his weapon, vibrating the wood violently in his grip. His arms shook. The impact had almost disarmed him.
'One more of these and it'll break!'
The Orc gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
He leaped towards the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's injured head.
The blow connected, but it bounced off the thick pincers with a dull thud.
'It thought about protecting itself!'
The Orc's eyes darted along its body, scanning for weakness. He was close enough to attack, but where to aim? The large and thick pincers were used to cover the injured head. Another hit connecting with those pincers… The Orc did not know where the pincer or the weapon would crack first.
The tails moved again. This time, they didn't move towards his head.
Because of its limited flexibility, the Twin-Tailed Scorpion was forced to pull its tails back while keeping their tips against the ground.
The earth screeched as they were pulled, allowing him to notice in time.
With the attack coming from behind him, the Orc felt he had no choice.
Weight pushed against the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's pincers, but it wasn't the weapon's weight.
Screech! Crack!
The monster hissed in pain and stumbled to the side, crashing into the cave's wall.
'If I can get behind it, it'll have more trouble using those tails!' The Orc thought to himself as he landed on the ground.
He had stepped on the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's pincers, leapt up and forward, then swung his weapon down with all his strength. Aided by gravity, the blunt, heavy rock smashed against the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's body, causing more cracks to appear, and more liquid to leak.
The way its tails are curved, they can only be used to attack what's standing in front of it or to the side. They can only be slightly pulled back!'
The Orc knew that now was the time to press forward, while the Twin-Tailed Scorpion had its side stuck to the wall, while the pain was still there.
'I see.' The Orc smiled as he ran forward. 'That's why it was sleeping like this, with its back to the end of the cave! If something gets behind it, then it's unable to do anything!'
[Twin-Tailed Scorpion - HP: 23%]
'Heh. So there are those for whom the head isn't the weak point, huh?'
The Twin-Tailed Scorpion's legs shuffled.
The Orc licked his lips.
'It's trying to run away.'
He smiled.
"I won't let you!"