The dark scorpion monster let out another screech, its armored body shifting with dreadful weight.
It reared back—then slamd one of its massive claws down onto the remains of a building.
CRASH!!!
Wood and stone exploded outward in a storm of debris.
Shards flew like knives through the air—splinters, bricks, tal—
BOOM!
A shockwave followed, flattening whatever was left standing.
People scread, ducking and running in every direction. So were thrown back like ragdolls.
Adventurers who had rushed in were caught in the blast, sent sprawling or buried under rubble.
The air filled with dust, heat, and panic.
Dila stood frozen behind her shimring shield, watching the madness unfold.
Her stomach twisted.
This... this is way beyond .
But she couldn't just stand here.
Not anymore.
"Crap—!" I turned and bolted, boots slamming against the broken pavent.
Running.
Running.
I ducked behind the shattered wall of a crumbled house, heart pounding, lungs burning.
The air was thick with dust—like breathing in chalk and ash.
Cough! Cough!
I doubled over, covering my mouth as the debris floated around like a heavy fog.
"This is madness..." I wheezed, eyes stinging.
Behind , the clash of steel and roaring fire echoed—swords ringing, bows twanging.
The remaining adventurers were still fighting the monster.
Through the cracks in the broken brick, I peeked.
Cascade Shield still glimred faintly around , the barrier's pulse soft but steady.
And out there—those adventurers... they were still going, still coordinating their attacks, even with ruptured eardrums. Their movents were clumsy but determined, bodies screaming in pain, yet they didn't stop.
I clenched my teeth, watching them.
How... how are they still fighting like that?
I curled tighter behind the wall, trying to catch my breath.
Cough! Cough!
I wasn't ready for this.
But maybe hiding wasn't going to be enough either.
The adventurers roared with defiance as they fought.
"Hah! You like that, beast?!" one shouted, sword gleaming as he leapt straight toward the towering scorpion monster.
He brought his blade down—but too slow.
With a sickening twist, the monster's armored claw swung sideways and smashed into him mid-air.
CRACK.
"GAAAHHH—!"
His body twisted unnaturally before being flung like a ragdoll.
He slamd into the pavent with a thud that echoed through the rubble-strewn town.
Dust and silence followed for a heartbeat.
Then another adventurer scread, "No way... this can't be real!"
Panic crept into their voices.
Their confidence—the bravado they had monts ago—was cracking fast.
From behind the broken wall, Dila watched with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling in short, uneven breaths.
Cough! Cough!
This wasn't a ga anymore.
It was death—real and terrifying.
The broken adventurer lay twisted on the shattered pavent, his body contorted unnaturally from the blow.
Blood leaked from his mouth as he weakly raised an arm toward his retreating comrades.
"Help ..." he croaked, voice trembling, eyes glossed with tears.
But the others—those who once fought beside him—looked back only for a mont.
"N-No..." one muttered, fear thick in his throat.
Then they ran.
Boots pounded against stone as they abandoned the town—left him behind.
Dila, still crouched behind the rubble, stared in horror.
No... no...
The scorpion monster reached down with a sickening hiss and pinched the adventurer in its claw, lifting him effortlessly into the air like he weighed nothing.
"NOOO!" Dila scread, panic cracking her voice.
She clutched her chest as if to still her racing heart, her mind whirling in terror.
This isn't right... this isn't a ga... this is a nightmare!
The man dangled limply, his body shaking from blood loss and pain.
Then his eyes flicked toward her—wide, desperate, full of fear.
Through cracked lips and a mouth full of blood, he gasped, "Y-You there... little girl..."
Dila's eyes widened.
"You have a staff... y-you're an adventurer, right?"
Her whole body froze.
That broken voice.
That plea.
The staff in her hand suddenly felt heavier than ever.
I clutched my staff tighter—but my fingers felt numb.
Everything around blurred.
Blood. It was everywhere. Splattered on the stones, dripping from broken beams, soaking into torn cloaks.
My vision swam, my ears rang with a high-pitched scream that wouldn't stop.
"Make it stop..." I whispered.
I looked up.
The adventurer—his body still crushed in the scorpion's claw—was barely holding on. His chest rose weakly, eyes dim.
I shouted, voice cracking, "I can't do anything! I'm useless! I can't— I can't save anyone!"
I dropped to my knees, ducking my head, eyes squeezed shut.
I didn't want to see anymore.
But then, through the ringing in my ears, I heard him speak.
"You know what, girl..." he murmured.
I looked up.
Blood ran down his chin, but... he smiled. Just a little.
"You can go now. Just leave be..."
He winced, pain flickering in his expression, but he closed his eyes with that sa faint smile.
And sothing in cracked.
"No..." I whispered.
"No, this can't be!"
My voice shook, filled with helpless rage.
Dila trembled, her knees still pressed against the cracked stone. Her head was down, hair hanging over her face, breath shallow.
Her eyes were wide—hollowed by fear.
"This isn't a dream... right?" she whispered, voice cracking.
"Or am I still dreaming?"
The tallic scent of blood. The heat of chaos. The adventurer's fading voice echoing in her ears.
It all felt too real.
Too cruel.
Her hands clutched her staff, shaking. Then—without fully realizing—she lifted it, both arms trembling, her knees still grounded.
From sowhere deep within, her voice rose.
"Earthrea!"
The word ca out like a cry for help—broken, instinctive, but powerful.
Suddenly, the system chid in her vision:
> Skill Recognized – EARTHREA Activated
A pulse of magic surged beneath her.
The ground split open—and from the cracked stone rose two towering golems, carved from earth and ancient rock, their eyes glowing blue like focused sentinels.
They stood tall, broad-shouldered, cracks pulsing with faint light.
The dark scorpion turned, its attention caught.
The golems had erged behind it—massive, silent, and ready.
Cough! Cough!
Dila gasped, her breath caught in her throat.
The giant scorpion let out a sharp, tallic screech, then flung the adventurer's broken body across the ruins like a ragdoll. He hit the rubble with a sickening thud.
It laughed—a deep, rattling noise that echoed across the shattered town.
"You think two lumps of dirt can stop , girl?" the monster mocked.
"Hah! Think again."
Dila's knees shook. Dust clung to her skin. Blood was everywhere. But still—she pushed herself up.
Slowly... steadily... she stood.
Her eyes, once clouded with fear, began to glow—a sharp, unnatural gleam shining through her panic. She t the scorpion's gaze, her voice hoarse but steady through the lingering cough.
"Do you really think..." she whispered, chest rising and falling.
"...you can beat my so-called dirt?"
The scorpion turned fully toward her, its armored tail twitching with disdain.
"Poor little thing," it growled, baring rows of jagged mandibles.
"If those weak toys are your best, you may as well die now."
The wind howled through the broken streets, and Dila gripped her staff tighter. Her heart pounded—but her hands no longer trembled.
But Not completely in fear.
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