Unlike the Silver Apes, Deathstalker Scorpions were not necessarily pack animals.
They preferred to move individually, but the Scorched Forest was not a place where individuals thrived. Moving alone simply made you an easier target, and since there were not many places to hide, easier to take down.
Which was why Lukas wasn't particularly surprised to see two more Deathstalker Scorpions scurrying around the one he'd caught sight of.
The creatures sat low to the ground at a height of two feet, but their tail hung in the air, extending high up to six feet as it curled over their back.
The scorpions kept a bit of distance between each other, far enough to not get in each other's way, but close enough to interfere if anything went wrong.
"Same as always?" Melody asked, not taking her eyes off the scorpions.
"Same as always." Lukas nodded.
He'll attack on his own, and if anything went wrong, Melody would join him. But for now, she'd watch on the sidelines.
"Be careful of their pincers." Melody said. "The tail might look like their main weapon, but those pincers can tear you to shreds the moment they close around you, okay?"
"Okay." Lukas nodded. Of course, he knew all this, but taking attention off the tail was the more dangerous option.
The scorpion wasn't called Deathstalker for nothing. The poison in its stinger was enough to kill an Awakener within minutes. Only the presence of a healer could save the person. He'd even heard that the poison was strong enough to knock out Adepts.
Since he had no effective ranged methods of fighting, his first order of action would be to take care of the tail. Then he could fight the scorpion comfortably without fear of its venom.
He began walking towards the beasts, his sword in his hand. Dark mist wafted off the blade, making it look ethereal.
The scorpion in the middle of their formation noticed him first, rubbing its tail against its exoskeleton to create a rattling sound in warning. It skittered forward on eight legs, eager for new food.
Ding!
A blue box appeared in Lukas' vision.
[Quest: You're A Genius, Aren't You?]
[Time limit: 8 hours]
[Kill three D-rank Deathstalker Scorpions in one shot.]
[Reward: +300 Gacha Points]
[Penalty: Lose all your mana for three days.]
Lukas almost stopped, surprised. This was the first quest he'd gotten with a time limit, and the reward was also the highest he'd seen so far.
The only problem was the quest itself. How was he supposed to kill the three scorpions with one attack?
His only offensive skill was [Cursed Blade], and that worked by draining the health of his opponent. To kill the three with one attack, then the sword would have to pierce all three at the same time. How was he supposed to do that?
And from what he knew of the term one shot? That meant he had to attack only once in the fight, and that attack had to kill the three scorpions.
'What the hell?! How am I supposed to do that?'
"Everything alright?" Melody asked from where she stood, having noticed him slowing his pace.
"I have to kill all three in one shot." He called back.
"What?!"
"I have to kill all three in o—"
"No, I heard you. I mean why? Can't you just kill them one after the other?"
"It's a quest." He replied as the scorpion got closer, the other two skittering after it in anticipation. "Talk to you later."
His most important problem right now was to figure out an attack that could wipe out the three scorpions in one hit.
The moment the scorpion got within attacking distance, its tail sliced through the air, heading for Lukas' torso.
Instead of blocking, he simply sidestepped the attack, his sword automatically blurring forward.
Before the attack could land, he stopped himself, eyes wide. He'd almost attacked and failed the quest!
Right now, he couldn't afford to lose his entire mana for three days. Those were three precious days he could use to advance to D-rank.
As all these were going through his mind, the scorpion's tail retracted for another pass at him, its pincers moving towards his legs.
Fortunately, Lukas hadn't dropped his awareness during the battle. He sensed the pincers and leapt to the side, blocking the tail with his sword. As it was a defensive action, it didn't count as an attack.
However, he had no time to rest or think as the other scorpion attacked from behind, having circled around to cut off his retreat.
Lukas threw up a [Hex Shield] in response. The scorpion's tail collided with the shield and bounced off, and for the first time since he got it, Lukas saw it successfully repel an attack.
He smiled at the sight, then vaulted over the scorpion. If he kept staying where he was, the three of them would box him in, and he didn't want to grow too arrogant because of his stats. What if they had some hidden move that could keep him trapped as they stung him to death?
The three scorpions skittered towards him, pincers flashing. He retreated, searching for an opening.
Then, as if they'd planned it, the scorpions surged forward, displaying speed that he hadn't previously seen. Before he could do anything about it, their tails speared towards him, one from above, and two from the sides. There was no escape.
Lukas moved fast, dropping to the floor to evade the tail descending from above. Then he threw himself to the left, completely ignoring the one that came from the right.
As for the tail on his left, he caught the stinger on his sword and angled it to the right, giving him space to dive away.
Even if he was still E-rank, his agility was a whooping one thousand, two hundred and sixty seven points.
He rolled to his feet, just in time to see the scorpions charging an attack on the tip of their tails.
"What the...?"
Before he could even finish his sentence, they released the attack, three columns of fire roaring towards him.
'Oh, shit!'