Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 563: Even Tetsuzanko Isn't Enough Anymore
The battle—one with an overwhelming gap in both species and size—officially began.
On one side stood a ferocious dragon incapable of speech. On the other, a young man who, for once, chose not to rely on any special abilities, but instead intended to conquer his opponent with his own strength.
This seemingly unfair fight opened with a signature move from Nergigante—
A brief retreat, followed by a ferocious forward lunge.
Despite its massive size—far larger than in the game—it moved with shocking speed and agility. In the blink of an eye, the airborne dragon was already upon Steven. Its raised foreclaw came crashing down, the force behind it tearing through the air like a sonic boom.
With its sheer size alone, Nergigante had effectively sealed off any escape route.
For most, the only outcome would be simple—
Being smashed into paste like a mosquito.
And yet, standing below, the Minecrafter showed no trace of panic.
The dragon's speed had exceeded his expectations. Unlike the game, where movements were deliberately slowed to give players time to react, this was reality—where such a monster's speed was far beyond what ordinary humans could even perceive.
Unfortunately for the dragon, a Minecrafter was anything but ordinary.
Faced with what seemed like an unavoidable attack, Steven didn't even need to think. In that instant, more than a dozen ways to safely handle the situation flashed through his mind.
But in the end, he chose the simplest one.
He turned his body slightly to the side. One arm extended toward the descending giant beast, while the other grabbed his own elbow, locking his posture into place.
Then he drove his entire body forward.
Tetsuzanko.
A tremendous force erupted from his shoulder as he slammed into the incoming claw.
Compared to the dragon, Steven's body was insignificant—smaller even than the spikes covering its form.
Yet, to Nergigante's shock, this tiny "insect" unleashed a power far beyond its imagination.
The force transmitted through its forelimb was overwhelming—surpassing even that of the legendary Furious Rajang. The impact didn't just stop its attack—It completely nullified the momentum from its aerial descent.
It was like a loaf of bread crashing into a titanium spike embedded in the ground—the spike remained unmoved. The bread, however… came to a dead stop.
The violent recoil shattered the crystalline spikes on Nergigante's foreclaw. As those gleaming structures broke apart like fragile glass, the once-dominant dragon suddenly looked almost comical.
It's like a human who had just stubbed their toe on a corner.
With a pained motion, it toppled to the side, rolling and writhing on the ground.
Amidst the dust cloud kicked up by the clash, Steven remained in his Tetsuzanko stance for a moment longer. Then, casually brushing the dust off his shoulder, he looked toward the fallen dragon and let out a light chuckle.
"Breaking spikes and knocking it down, huh… No matter how cool you look, you're still the same little porcupine that I remember."
Honestly, you couldn't blame people for poking fun at it.
Whether it was the so-called Arch-Tempered version or the even stronger Ruiner Nergigante, there was one thing it could never escape—
Once its spikes were broken, it would always enter that vulnerable, staggered state.
For a creature that relied so heavily on its physical body, that was an undeniable flaw.
Of course, Steven conveniently ignored one small detail—the fact that he had just shattered spikes tougher than ore with a single shoulder strike.
If this were a game, his performance would undoubtedly get him labeled as some kind of cheat user.
While Steven was busy mocking Nergigante's rather infamous weakness, the dragon's regenerative ability kicked in. The shattered crystalline spikes on its foreclaw regrew rapidly, restoring it to its former state.
At the same time, the Nergigante finally stopped its almost cat-like rolling on the ground and rose back to its feet. This time, however, the way it looked at Steven had completely changed—
There was clear caution in its gaze.
With its level of intelligence, it couldn't comprehend how Steven had achieved that earlier feat. But that didn't stop it from recognizing him as a terrifying opponent. In fact, if not for the pride inherent to an Elder Dragon, it might have already chosen to avoid confronting this bizarre "tiny insect" altogether.
The force Steven had just displayed far exceeded anything Nergigante had ever encountered.
And yet, as long as Steven maintained that openly provocative stance, retreat was no longer an option.
After steadying itself, the Nergigante shifted its massive body backward once more. Steven narrowed his eyes slightly, half-expecting another "Tathagata Palm" slam.
But this time, the dragon didn't take to the air.
Instead, it raised its horned head—those massive, bull-like horns catching the light—and slammed it straight down toward the ground.
"Huh?"
Steven raised an eyebrow.
That backward movement had already taken it out of effective striking range. There was no way this headbutt would hit him.
Unless… was it trying to bow and admit defeat?
Or… was this thing actually near-sighted?
But his confusion was quickly answered.
The moment Nergigante's head struck the ground, the spikes growing along its head and neck launched forward like a volley of loaded shells.
They shot toward Steven.
Massive, razor-sharp crystalline spikes—like oversized spears—rained down in a concentrated barrage, covering not only him but the surrounding area as well.
There was no escape route.
Clearly, the dragon had no intention of giving him room to dodge.
If it couldn't win in raw strength, then it would fight at range.
And in truth, these spikes were even more troublesome than its physical blows. Their piercing power was terrifying, and even if they shattered mid-flight, the fragments could still deal devastating damage.
For Steven… This was, admittedly, a bit of a hassle.
After all, everyone knew that while Tetsuzanko came with super armor, it wasn't exactly designed to handle multi-hit attacks.
Sure, getting hit by these spikes wouldn't be fatal for him. But being blasted away? That would seriously hurt his image.
And even if there was no audience here, showing off was, first and foremost, about satisfying yourself.
Chaining together Tetsuzankos wasn't exactly an option, so instead of repeating the same move, Steven decided that he'd deal with this in a more… stylish way.
Facing the incoming barrage of spear-like spikes, he simply lowered his body slightly into a half-crouch.
Then, slowly, he raised his right arm in front of him—adopting a stance that looked oddly like the opening form of some martial art.
The first spike arrived.
Just as it was about to pierce through him—
Clang!
A crisp, metallic sound rang out.
Steven didn't budge.
Not only was he not blown away by the impact—he stood firm, unmoving, like an unshakable boulder.
And the spike? It was deflected. Sent flying off to the side.
Not only that, Steven's body even shifted forward slightly, step by step.
And all he actually did… was switch arms, raising the other one in front of him in the same stance.
In this completely physics-defying manner, he advanced straight through the continuous barrage of spikes. In the blink of an eye, he had already crossed the distance and arrived right in front of the Nergigante—whose head was still embedded in the ground from its attack.
Perfect Guard.
A core mechanic in nearly every action game—pressing the guard button at the exact moment an attack lands allows you to block it without taking any damage. In some cases, it even opens up opportunities for powerful counterattacks.
That feeling of dancing on the edge of a blade—It had always been what Steven pursued.
And so, a long time ago, he had already installed a certain mod from a… rather "family-dispute-themed" action game.
The Royal Guard style.
Normally, the monsters he faced didn't require something like this.
But now, against a creature like Nergigante, which relied purely on brute physical attacks—It was the perfect matchup.
Guard. Counter. Advance.
Step by step, Steven closed the gap, until he stood right before the dragon, which was still slightly dazed from exerting itself in launching its spikes.
When he saw the disbelief flicker in those golden, widened eyes—
Steven smiled.
A friendly, almost casual smile.
Then, as if he were teasing a neighbor's kid… He simply curled his index finger and lightly flicked it against Nergigante's massive forehead.
And the next moment, as if a miniature nuclear explosion had detonated, an invisible shockwave erupted from the dragon's body, spreading outward across the entire island at terrifying speed.
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TN:
Tetsuzanko looks like this:
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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