“Ki҉ee҉ee҉ee҉ee҉ee҉eek—!!!”A scream—furious and wretched—shook the forest.‘Again…’A damn mess.The creature had already learned the signs of my plasma field deployment.It twisted its body away in a rush.I failed to melt its head.Only one chance remained.Still, the monster wasn’t unharmed either.Its grotesque face—half human, half reptile—was melting away into a hideous sludge.Of course, I had no leisure to stand there and admire it.[Flash Cut LV.6]None.Psssh!I lunged forward.A strike aimed at its neck.The creature reacted in an instant—pure reflex and monstrous sight.KAANG!Its hand struck my wrist.The impact pierced through the reinforced suit, numbing my bones.And then, as if it had been waiting for that very moment, Behemoth opened its maw.I saw its viper-like fangs,and that massive gaping mouth—a dark abyss coming straight for my face.No time even to feel fear before that abyss—[Slash LV.5]“Khhh!!”Ignoring the pain in my wrist, I brought my blade down from above—A straight, desperate cut from its gut to its jaws—Crack!Blocked again.Its three remaining arms and crushed tail lunged like living serpents from all directions.Each blow carried enough power to pulverize me even if I just blocked.“Ghhk—!”Thud!“Ugh!”Crash! KAANG!Only seconds had passed, yet a dozen exchanges had taken place.It was a one-sided defense.Twenty blows traded in under ten seconds, yet not a single opening.The relentless barrage was razor-sharp—while my body grew duller by the moment.‘I can’t take even one hit.’Even a scratch from it meant infection.From the very start, this was an unfair fight.Grrrkk—?How long had it been now?[Status abnormality: Painful][Status abnormality: Slightly fatigued]The status effects were stacking up.My sword’s speed was slowing down.Behemoth let out a low growl, almost amused—Grr…k…k…k…k…k—“Kh!”BOOM!!I couldn’t block this one—I flung myself backward to absorb the impact.But Behemoth was faster.The gap in power was absolute.Grrk?Grrrk?Grk…gk…k—?I caught glimpses of its face.Almost as if it was… asking a question.“Is that all you’ve got?”It smiled—a human expression forced through a melted face.‘F*ck…’Even the smallest gap meant death.And yet, one had already opened.All I could do was block, and block again.A vicious cycle.But—There was still a chance.I could feel it.A subtle imbalance in its movements.A gap left by the arms and tail I’d already severed.I waited—calmly.For that gap to widen.Still…There’s a chance.A single opening made through field deployment.My final strike.I emptied my mind, envisioning only that.‘Minimize impact… Don’t force the block…’Sometimes deflecting,sometimes throwing myself backward,I let it push me further and further into retreat.The creature was clever.If it saw me lunge too soon, it would close that gap immediately.The key was to wait—for one true chance to flip everything.No critical status yet.Let it think this is all I’ve got.Let it relax.The time would come.It was the monster, not me, who was running out of patience.‘Blood loss.’By calculating the blood it had shed, I already knew.Behemoth was still a living organism.A mutant—it wouldn’t die from bleeding,but its movements were inevitably slowing.And it knew that best of all.As expected,it went berserk again.“Ki҉ee҉ee҉eeeeeek—!!!!”A furious howl, frustrated at its own lack of progress.Its attacks grew faster, sharper.“Ghkk—!”BOOM!!Dozens of strikes tore through the air,each one meant to rip me apart.I could only rely on instinct, retreating,unable to counter.A counterattack would only be what it wanted.And then—From its mouth—“Ka҉aaaaak—!”“……!?”‘Danger!’A strange liquid burst out.Acidic venom.Warning signals flashed in my mind.My body reacted like an animal—“Khrrrgh!!”I hit the ground, rolling, twisting away.But that wasn’t the real problem.The forest floor began to hiss.The grass melted,the earth became a slick swamp of corrosive filth.I could no longer roll, no longer dodge.‘He planned this…?’That might’ve been my last chance to roll away.And then—CRRRRASH!The ground erupted—A strike to my thigh.“Khghhh!!!”Slice!In that desperate moment,I managed to cut off its arm.The creature grinned faintly.“Damn it!”My stance to swing—that tiny opening—was exactly what it had been waiting for.The rest I couldn’t even see.Only feel.A crushing pain in my abdomen—as though every organ inside me burst.My body was lifted into the air.“……!!!!”The pain went beyond the reach of screams.My vision blurred, my senses fell away.The next strike aimed straight for my heart.I curled up by instinct—but my arms shattered under the force, and my mind began to fade.[Status abnormality: Extreme Pain][Stress Level (Warning): 83]‘I have to… stay conscious…’“Khrrgh—! Hhhhk—!”I forced my breath, curled up,never letting my gaze leave the beast.Barely returning sight—I saw its fanged mouth, drooling acid, inches away.Grrrk…?The gap between us was undeniable.The worst and strongest of all mutants—[Behemoth].A chill crept down my spine.I might really die here.But alongside that fear—‘Just a little more…’[Stress Level (Warning): 86]A maddening frenzy bloomed in my chest.Grrrk… grrk…‘Just a little… more.’[Stress Level (Warning): 87]I waited for it to come closer.To lower its guard completely.Grrrk?CRRRAACK!‘……!!!!!!’[Stress Level (Warning): 93]It crushed my left shoulder this time.My body could # Nоvеlight # barely react anymore.Inside the helmet—only a silent scream.Maybe that’s why—it came closer,mouth open, tired but greedy.‘Just a bit… closer…’‘Closer.’As its jaws came to swallow my head—I forced my voice out.“Field… Deployment.”WUUUUUUUUUUM—!!!Grrrghkkk!!!!!The plasma field expanded.The creature tried to pull its head back—but my remaining left hand clamped around its throat.“Kiieeeeeeeeeek—!!!”Its face twisted into a demonic mask.The barrier flickered—and I poured out the last of my strength.[Trait ‘Legendary Swordsman’ Activated][State: Extreme][Slash II]Only one arm left.But that didn’t matter.Even if I lost the other—if I could kill it here, it was worth it.This was the moment I’d waited for.A desperate gamble with my life on the line.Now—faster, sharper than ever—‘I’ll cut your throat.’In one stroke—SHHHHRRRAAAAK!!Grrrkkkk!!!The perfect stance.The perfect speed.The perfect chance.And yet—“Daaamn iiiiiiit—!!!”It still wasn’t enough.Behemoth abandoned its last arm and tail,choosing instead to live.“Ki҉ee҉ee҉eeeeeek—!!!”I failed to behead it.The most I managed was to tear open its face—from chin to forehead.Flesh and machine fragments splattered the ground.‘Don’t stop.’This is it.The best moment to end it.With my left arm, I swung wildly, furiously.SHHRAK!SHRAK!Slice!Chunks of its body flew in every direction.“Huuhh—!!”Just a little more.“Khhaaa!!”Just a little more!“Kraaaaaah!!”I tore into it with every auxiliary skill I had.Its body shredded apart—I could see the clear lines of my blade.And then—It opened its mouth again—“Ka҉aaaaak—!”Spewing acid—“Where the hell… do you think… you’re going—!!”I endured it,driven by the single will to kill.Kill it.Before it can even think of running.Kill it here.Before it evolves further.Before it becomes something worse.End it—and bring another singularity into this world.But then—“Grrk. g҉rk. hu҉man… me҉m҉or҉y.”A strange, broken phrase came from its mouth.And a mocking smile.Then its legs twisted grotesquely.‘No—’I knew this.It was preparing to leap,just like when it had chased the Black Wing.Desperate, I rammed my sword into its gut.SHRAAK!And the instant I pressed my body against its torso—it kicked off the ground.‘Don’t let go.’Clinging to Behemoth,we soared into the air.Unlike riding the Black Wing,this was pure, primal terror.But I refused to let go.Annoyed, Behemoth kicked at me midair.CRUNCH!“Khrrrgh!!”Agonizing pain exploded in my shoulder.My mind reeled.‘Don’t let go. This is the only chance.’If I didn’t kill it here—I’d regret it forever.I had to kill it here.Obsession became madness.“Grrrk. g҉rk. hu҉man.”Panicked, Behemoth kicked again and again.When we finally hit the ground,my shoulders and back were ruined.“Where… the hell… do you think you’re going… You die here.”“Grrkk. grkk. grk. grkkk!!”Behemoth stepped back, confused—as if it couldn’t understand this situation.A creature with intelligence.It looked down—and pulled my sword, Zero, from its gut.SHRAAK!As I swung to cut its throat—‘…Damn.’My shoulder wouldn’t move.In that instant,the creature stopped making even its usual cries.It stepped back silently.“…Die…”Was there another way?My shoulder was dead.How could I pierce its neck like this?Not easy.‘Think. Think.’There was only one way.Abandon the shoulder.Even if it ruins one arm forever—I’d swing no matter what.Driven by that thought, I charged again.But—“No—!!!!”The creature, eyes wide with fear—“I’ll kill you!!!”—leapt again.“Daaamn iiiiiiiit!!!!!”Bitter regret.In this cursed moment,I hated my broken shoulder more than anything.And then—BOOOOOOM!!!A thunderous crash.Behemoth’s body shuddered midair—and fell.“…!?”Straight into the river.And then—dozens of armored vehicles and military trucksemerged, crashing through the forest.‘What the…?’“Behemoth’s in the river. Do not let it escape. Kill it!”At the front stood a middle-aged man,commanding the troops.I knew who he was.“Pleasure to meet you. You’ve done something incredible.”“Ludolph Hoffmann.”The Second Child of [Mother].Title: [Bruiser].“So you know of me? How curious.”[Mother] had come here.And at that moment—my consciousness finally slipped away.

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