A lone Monster stood.
Wounded and fatigued.
Around it, a circle made up of 12 others.
And around that circle, a larger one.
Made up of an unknown number of Corrupted Dark Elves, hidden and ready to shoot their deadly arrows.
Most of the encircled Monster's endurance had been used up.
And the Monster knew that.
It could feel it.
Its breathing had become heavy.
Uncontrolled.
The slight irritation that the dryness of its throat provoked had to be suppressed.
No false moves could be made.
Not here.
Not now.
The circles made by its enemies had turned into a rope.
And the Monster couldn't afford any false moves.
Not with the deadly rope loosely tied around its neck.
'Should I call out Levi? Did he recover enough by now? Calling him out could at least confuse-'
A Corrupted Dark Elf moved.
The Monster attacked.
STUCH-
The Corrupted Dark Elf stepped back.
The Monster had been wounded.
'I don't get it...'
An arrow had pierced its fists once more.
'They have the advantage in numbers...'
Confused, the Monster struggled to find a way out.
'If they attacked at once, I wouldn't be able to do a thing...'
All it could do, for now, was limit the injuries inflicted.
'When I attack with my fists, they aim for my fists...'
A different Corrupted Dark Elf moved.
The Monster didn't attack.
STUCH-
After the short exchange, the Corrupted Dark Elf stepped back.
'When I don't attack, they aim for my body...'
The arrow had been dodged, but a wound had been drawn on the Monster's left leg.
'Surrounded... Surrounded... When I attack... When I don't attack... Outnumbered... Surrounded...'
The Monster's thoughts were racing.
But its enemies did not seem keen on it arriving at a conclusion.
STUCH-
Another short exchange took place, not much different from the previous.
'They can't all shoot at once. Otherwise, they would hit the ones surrounding me...'
STUCH-
The Monster clenched its fist once more.
Breaking, once more, the arrow that had pierced its fist.
'If I fly away, they'll shoot me down...'
STUCH-
'I need to run...'
STUCH-
'How...'
STUCH-
The loose rope around its neck was slowly tightening.
STUCH-
'It hurts...'
Unable to find a way out of the situation, the Monster opened its mouth wide.
It showed its fangs and roared.
The Monster roared and growled.
An attempt at intimidation.
'I'm tired...'
A desperate attempt that proved unfruitful.
As, once again, a Corrupted Dark Elf had moved.
'I'm sick of this...'
The Monster's blood was slowly but surely being drained.
'I don't... Care... Anymore...'
The Monster roared with all its might as the Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
As fast as it could, the Monster ran towards the attacker.
Another arrow let out a piercing cry as it was released.
Without a care in the world for either, the Monster lowered its body and ran.
Escaping the deadly circle it was trapped in was all that mattered.
Taking advantage of the gap left by the attacker, the Monster left the circle.
Hope.
A bit of energy seemed to have come back.
The Monster's feet hit the ground a bit faster.
Despite the arrow that had just pierced its shoulder.
Despite the dagger that had just slashed its right leg.
The Monster ran.
Those things didn't matter.
For the Monster had left the circle.
It had escaped.
Suddenly,
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
The Monster's rush had been cut short.
It stopped, as three arrows pierced the ground in front of it.
But the Monster's muscles contracted once more.
'I can still-'
The short lapse of time that had been gained was more than enough.
Dread loomed over the Monster, as the circle it had so desperately escaped reappeared.
'Why...?'
It seemed like the Corrupted Dark Elves had a strategy.
A strategy that they would stick to no matter what.
'Surrounded... Surrounded... They can't all shoot...'
The Monster's wounds stung.
'Outnumbered... What can I...'
A Corrupted Dark Elf moved forward, once more.
What the Monster had, at first, considered a fight, wasn't one.
No.
Each had a distinct role to play.
A predetermined course of action had been forced on every party.
No matter what, the situation would be brought back to this exact scenario.
A short exchange took place, once more.
'Outnumbered... They shot to keep me in here... Keep me in... Keep me...'
It wasn't a fight.
'Oh. I get it now...'
STUCH-
'I thought they were scared at first. But it's the opposite...'
STUCH-
'They're keeping me here, because they're confident...'
STUCH-
'Confident they can finish me...'
It was an execution.
'Without suffering any casualties...'
Rage.
An arrow hit.
'It hurts...'
Disgrace.
A dagger slashed.
'It hurts...'
Humiliation.
Smiles appeared on the Corrupted Dark Elves' faces, who seemed to be savoring every moment.
'Is this...'
A Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
The Monster's limbs trembled.
Without even meaning to do so, it took a step back.
'Death?'
STUCH-
Dagger.
'It hurts...'
STUCH-
Arrow.
'It hurts...'
STUCH-
Dagger.
'But I won't... I can't... I can't...!'
Once again, the Monster opened its mouth.
Once again, it roared with all its might.
And once again, a Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
That's when the Monster decided something.
To hell with these Corrupted Dark Elves.
To hell with fighting.
To hell with this.
The dizziness induced by the blood loss couldn't be ignored anymore.
The Monster wanted to run.
The Monster wanted to fly away.
Even if it meant risking being shot down.
Even if it meant risking certain death.
And why wouldn't it?
After all, a quick death might be gentler than this?
The Monster spread its wings.
The attacker stopped its approach.
The Corrupted Dark Elves' pupils dilated.
What they had been waiting for was finally approaching.
A chance to execute the target quickly, efficiently, and with minimal risk.
But just as the Monster was about to flap its wings, it froze in place.
The Corrupted Dark Elves growled, urging it to take off.
The Monster didn't quite understand why, but it opened its mouth and roared.
Even though it wanted nothing more than to fly away, it folded its wings.
Why was that?
Well, it seemed like Monster's pride couldn't allow it to take the easy way out.
Its pride couldn't allow it to go along with the enemies' plan.
If it had to die, it would die fighting.
It would die bleeding.
It would die standing.
Despite being angered by its target's stubbornness, the Corrupted Dark Elf mechanically continued the approach it had previously halted, as was its role.
But the Monster didn't move.
An arrow was shot.
But the Monster didn't move.
Perhaps the Monster had accepted its fate.
A coward's death wasn't tolerable.
A painful one, on the other hand...
The next instant, the world around the Monster started moving at a slower pace.
Painful.
Its muscles ached.
Painful.
Its wounds stung.
Painful.
It hurts.
It hurts.
Gazing upon the approaching sharp dagger and arrow, a horrified expression appeared on the Monster's face.
pαпdα Йᴏνê1,сòМ Fear.
Not of death.
But of the incoming pain.
It had been hurt many times already.
And it had borne the pain.
But this, was too much.
One too many.
'No...!'
Using the little Mana he had recovered, Mark hid.
Clink-
Clink-
Into darkness, he hid.
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Golem Hold[B+]".]
Both attacks had been deflected.
Around Mark, had appeared what acted as a barrier.
The Corrupted Dark Elves struck again and again, but little damage was done to the protective structure.
Two large hands had come together to hold his body.
The hands of Golems.
'...'
Mark, who had been suddenly plunged into darkness, froze in both mind and body.
A second later, he let out a terrible scream.
His hands slowly rose. Mark crossed his arms.
'I can't die here...'
As if embracing his own body.
'I can't die here...'
He tightened his grip.
'Not yet... Not here...'
So much so, that his claws slightly pierced his own scales.
'I can't die here...'
Mark brought his hands to his head.
'I can't...'
Without meaning to do so, his body started rocking back and forth.
'I can't die here. I'm supposed to...'
Clank-
The sound of weapons trying to tear down the protective structure resonated.
'I'm supposed to...'
Clank-
'I can't die here...'
Mark's body froze.
'I'M SUPPOSED TO...'
He let out a loud growl, as if responding to the sounds emitted by the attackers.
'BECOME KING, RIGHT?'
Mark's eyes burned violently.
'THEN...!'
...
Hundreds of miles away, inside a castle worn by time and war,
"Don't think we'll help you."
A certain woman stood in front of what seemed like a digital screen.
"Don't think we'll come save you."
Long red hair fell over her shoulders.
"When the fear makes you tremble... When the pain becomes unbearable..."
The woman watched over a certain Monster.
"When you think that you have no chance of winning..."
Her golden eyes dilated, revealing the intensity of the interest she held in the unfolding scene.
"When you think that you have no chance of surviving..."
Curled up lips.
"Do not die just yet. Instead, show us..."
A sadistic smile.
"That you're worthy."
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