Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 562: I Prefer Close Combat
The saying "a distant mountain can wear out a horse" was no joke.
At the very least, for Steven, the time it took to climb this volcano was noticeably longer than he had expected.
The number of sea creature corpses scattered around had gradually decreased. However, in contrast, any corpse that did appear at this altitude was far from ordinary. Creatures like the "The First To Talk" Steven had encountered earlier—he had already spotted no fewer than three of them here.
All kinds of bizarre and grotesque sea creatures lay strewn along the path. It was clear that whatever lurked in the ocean took this "island" very seriously.
As Steven leisurely made his way up to the mountainside, he suddenly heard the unmistakable sounds of battle from a platform ahead.
The kind that felt like two titans clashing, like something straight out of an Ultraman fight.
Naturally, there was no way he'd miss a chance to watch a show like this.
In a flash, Steven teleported over with a bucket of popcorn already in his arms, ready for the spectacle.
What greeted him… was more than worth the price of admission.
High in the sky, a massive, spike-covered gigantic beast soared with overwhelming presence. Its body radiated sheer power and dominance, perfectly embodying the word formidable. The crystal-like white spikes covering its body shimmered brilliantly, exuding a brutal yet strangely beautiful aesthetic.
And facing it was something utterly grotesque.
A creature resembling a fusion of a sea anemone and an octopus. Its "head" consisted of multiple blooming, flower-like maws that twisted incessantly, while countless tentacle-like appendages extended from its lower body, writhing in all directions.
If the flying beast represented strength and power, then this thing was the very definition of uncanny.
Crimson energy gathered at the anemone-like creature's head, condensing rapidly before erupting outward in a torrent toward the airborne dragon—beyond the reach of its tentacles.
A beam of red energy tore through the sky.
Yet the dragon showed no intention of dodging.
Instead, it adjusted its posture midair and dove straight down like a falling meteor.
The massive blast of energy struck its body head-on. The crystalline spikes shattered partially under the impact, but the attack failed to penetrate its defenses. The dragon's overwhelming physical resilience absorbed the rest without faltering.
If anything, it only seemed to enrage it further.
Its descent accelerated.
And then—
BOOM!
—The entire volcano trembled violently.
In the next instant, the colossal anemone creature—still flailing its tentacles—was pinned to the ground beneath the dragon.
Like a human grappler, the dragon seized its opponent's head with its forelimbs. Power surged through its body, and with a brutal motion—
It slammed the creature flat.
Then, with another surge of force, it tore.
The three head-like structures atop the anemone were ripped off as if they were nothing more than lumps of clay.
The writhing tentacles fell limp.
And just like that, the battle between the two titans ended in an instant.
Having essentially watched a live-action Kaiju fight at point-blank range, Steven eagerly dumped all of the popcorn in his bucket into his mouth and broke into enthusiastic applause.
He had even recorded the entire fight.
Once he got back, selling this footage to Nian would definitely fetch him a handsome price.
As for the outcome?
In Steven's eyes, it had been decided from the very beginning.
That anemone-like sea creature was undoubtedly far stronger than any of its kind he had seen before, but compared to this Nergigante, whose size had expanded several times beyond its original version… It still fell short.
And to make matters worse, it had chosen to engage in direct, close-quarters combat with a creature that specialized in exactly that.
At that point, it never stood a chance.
Ruiner Nergigante.
A monstrous being capable of bringing down even creatures powerful enough to trigger tectonic shifts through sheer brute force alone. A hunter among Elder Dragons, a predator that specialized in close-quarters combat against living embodiments of natural disasters.
Against something like that, the defeat of the sea creature was only natural.
The victorious Nergigante lowered its head and bit down on the anemone-like creature's neck, violently tearing its head free before devouring it whole. As it fed, the spikes that had been shattered by the earlier energy blast began to regrow at a visible speed—sharper and sturdier than before.
That was simply how it was built.
Overwhelming melee prowess paired with terrifying regenerative ability.
No flashy tricks, no unnecessary skills—just pure, unrelenting physical dominance. A textbook embodiment of raw power.
And honestly, that was one of the reasons Steven liked it so much.
Why bother with fancy techniques when you could just throw fists?
A real man fights head-on.
What was the point of hiding in the back and firing off sneak attacks?
Rubbing his chin, Steven watched with satisfaction as the dragon—like a victorious beast—savored its prey. At the same time, he finally understood how this creature had managed to survive for so long on the surface of Zorah Magdaros, a place that seemed to lack any real source of sustenance aside from those mineral deposits.
The endless waves of sea creatures charging at it had become its food supply.
Steven stretched slightly.
The first match was over.
Which meant it was about time for the second challenger to step onto the stage.
If he wanted to tame this beast and turn it into his mount, then he'd first have to capture it—
No.
Conquer it.
And the best way to make a creature like this submit… was to defeat it head-on.
Nothing conveyed dominance more clearly to a beast of the wild than overwhelming it in direct combat.
Loosening his body with a few casual movements, Steven began walking toward the Nergigante at an unhurried pace.
The feeling was eerily familiar.
It's just like the moment, back in Monster Hunter, when he would step forward to challenge a powerful foe.
As he approached, he casually removed the accessories that concealed his aura.
With each step he took, the pressure radiating from him grew stronger.
Heavier.
More oppressive.
By the time he stood before the victorious beast, the aura surrounding the Minecrafter had already become visible to the naked eye—like a blazing energy field, reminiscent of a Super Saiyan.
Despite his body being no more than an ant compared to the colossal dragon before him, the aura he exuded was in no way inferior.
If anything, it faintly suppressed the Nergigante.
The dragon, which had just finished its battle, stopped feeding.
Raising its ferocious, domineering head, it let out a thunderous roar that shook the air itself.
Its golden, slit pupils locked directly onto Steven.
Instinct screamed at it that the tiny creature before it was dangerous.
It couldn't understand how something so small could possess such an overwhelming presence.
But It knew for certain that it, this tiny being action was nothing short of a challenge.
As an Elder Dragon, there was no way it would refuse a battle it could not avoid. Since the other party had chosen to provoke it first, then regardless of size or strength, it had no reason to back down.
The spikes already bristling across Nergigante's body sharpened even further as it let out a deafening roar. Its powerful, barbed wings gave a single beat—and its massive body took to the air once more.
The contrast between the enormous dragon and Steven—who looked no bigger than an insect beneath it—was almost absurd.
Yet Steven himself seemed completely unaffected by the overwhelming pressure looming above him.
Instead, the corners of his lips curled upward into a confident, almost eager smile.
"Good. Then let's fight."
"I want to see for myself—whether the pinnacle of brute-force Elder Dragons can give me a proper surprise."
He stretched his body lightly. For a moment, he even considered doing something flashy—like flexing hard enough to rip his shirt apart in a dramatic show of strength.
Unfortunately, he didn't quite have the muscles to pull that off.
In the end, he simply shrugged and took off his outer jacket, leaving himself in a tight-fitting white T-shirt.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628