This is some advanced AI. Arka thought. It was remarkable how the monster their fighting could predict their path.

Arka looked to Mikrim. She saw that her hands were shaking, while she switched the baubles, as she held her bow. She's still getting used to the feeling of battle with the Dive Console.

However, her expression remained unchanged. She made a look of resolution.

"We've got no choice," Mikrim told Arka.

"You're right," Arka said.

Arka turned to the beast and readied her sword once more. Mikrim readied her bow in correspondence with her.

The beast prepared to pursue them once again while looking at them from its location as if estimating the distance between the two.

It wants to make sure that its next move will be the last... it's setting us up? Arka thought.

That's when Arka understood.

This isn't just any of the regular monsters... Arka thought.

This creature possesses some intelligence.

"Mikrim," Arka called her. "This enemy knows how to read our moves," She said. "Be careful that it doesn't catch you off-guard."

"Gotcha," She said as she readied her finger on the bowstring.

And then—

The beast ran forward. It headed straight for Arka. And then, it swung the back of its arm at her. Arka jumped back, evading the devastating blow. At the same time, Mikrim also backed away and shot a single, spread of magic arrows aimed at the beast's upper body.

The beast ignored the multiple spread of arrows as it continued swinging its arms at Arka, trying to land a hit. However, try as it might, Arka could read its simplistic movements, making her evade the beast's carefully planned attacks. Although, there was no way for her to counterattack. Her moves were limited, and she knew she can't keep it up for long, as a stream of nervousness slowly crept up on her that her legs might give in.

And then, it decided to change targets as it headed next for Mikrim. Again, another swing of its arms... but Mikrim hopped back, staying consistent with the same strategy of keeping her distance from the gigantic beast.

While the beast set its eyes on Mikrim, a window of opportunity became present for Arka. She immediately stabbed the creature's legs with her sword repeatedly... plunging it down with both of her hands. She drew blood from it, but it wasn’t enough to neutralize the creature.

As the beast saw what was happening below, it tried to stomp Arka. She was able to get away, at a moment’s notice she saw that the gigantic creature reacted.

Both of the adventurers don't know if they're even chipping damage on it, or if their attacks are effective at all. Yet, they persist in fighting the creature.

For each roar the beast elicits, and for each swing of its gigantic arms, their fear slowly becomes apparent digging into the back of their minds, being; the death of their avatar. All it will take was one hit.

Half a minute elapsed, and still, they thrived at survival. They're adapting to the beast's attacks, staying consistent with their current stratagem. They understood each other's intentions non-verbally, with the same hit-and-run tactic. Although, both of them know that they can't keep this up forever.

Arka thought that whatever she was doing is just stupid. She still maintained a cool composure though. She knows that there wasn’t a clear way of winning against such an unknown creature, nor does she know of any apparent weaknesses on it. She never fought something like this before.

She couldn't help but feel that despair was about to overcome her.

Yet, her legs don't give in, and her body continues to move, like a pendulum— steady, and on the move.

Suddenly, the creature stopped its attacks, and it stood between them.

Arka and Mikrim became weary of the beast's sudden backing away. Something big was about to happen.

And then, the beast slammed its arms three times on the ground in a rhythmic pattern. Arka and Mikrim felt the earth vibrate, almost losing their posture.

Suddenly, a sharp boulder fell in front of them, smashing the ground in a violent boom.

"What?!" Mikrim yelped.

Not soon, multiple boulders fell on them in the cavern. For every boulder, it smashed the cavern's ground that they both stood on.

"Move!" Arka yelled to Mikrim.

Arka clenched her teeth, running and evading the boulders. Mikrim did the same, both evading and hoping that they won’t get squashed. The only visual cues they could see in avoiding the boulders were its shadows from where they stood.

The creature kept slamming the ground with its hands while boulders also fell on its body; unfazed by it, revealing this creature's toughness.

It stopped its attack soon after. Arka and Mikrim stood from the ground.

So this is...! Arka thought, as she stared at the cavern, wide-eyed.

As the dust settled, multiple craters are now present in the cavern, further limiting their movements.

Arka prepared for the worse to come. She prepared her sword stance. Mikrim prepared to aim again with her bow.

Arka took a quick glance at Mikrim.

She saw that her hands stopped shaking.

Arka and Mikrim felt the mental exhaustion about to overcome them. Running wasn’t an option anymore. It would be too difficult now that the ground was broken in front of them.

Arka observed the beast one more time thanks to the space between her and the creature.

Just then—

The creature wobbled. As Arka noticed this, she looked at its legs... the wound she gave earlier.

A weakness became apparent in the seemingly invincible opponent. She came up with a battle plan.

"Mikrim," Arka called her. Mikrim turned to her. "Look at its legs," She said.

As Mikrim saw the bloodied legs of the creature, she immediately understood what Arka's intentions were. "That's it... so we're winning."

"Yeah... we'll need to execute this correctly," She said. "These craters weren't made so we wouldn't escape... it made these to keep us at bay," She said. Mikrim nodded in agreement knowing the situation.

"I've got a plan," Arka continued. "Aim for its legs, until it drops on its knees. Meanwhile, I'll charge in, and deal the final blow,"

Mikrim— baffled at Arka's idea, thought that it was too reckless. But it seemed like it's the best, strategy they have in securing the kill. They can't stall much longer, even.

She tried holding back any complaints about it. She trusted Arka. "I think I can only fire five shots left. I'll try my best to hit it at a good spot," Mikrim said.

"That'll have to do," She said. "Well then, get ready..." Arka said.

Arka immediately charged forward, with her sword in hand. She made a beeline avoiding the craters, towards the enormous opponent.

As she did, Mikrim aimed her bow at the beast's legs. She concentrated on her next shot. A bluish-light appeared as it shimmered on the whole magic arrow. After a short delay, she released it.

However, as the creature saw this, it dug its hand into the ground. It immediately lifted the earth, as the earth blocked Mikrim's magic arrow.

Arka and Mikrim made an expression of disbelief as they saw this, with widened eyes.

Mikrim attempted to find a different position to fire. Just one hit to the creature's leg was all she needed. She couldn't waste another magic arrow. She strafed, trying to find the perfect sniping position to subdue the beast.

The creature dug another hand into the ground. As it did, it threw the gigantic slab of rock at Arka.

Arka saw that there was no other way to evade due to the craters surrounding her.

She had no choice but to fall flat to the ground.

As she dived stomach-first, the rock missed her by inches and only grazing some of her armor. The beast uttered a stupefied cry, surprised at what just happened.

As the beast shrieked, Mikrim saw an opportunity, for the beast let its guard down. Once again, she sniped at one of the creature's wounded legs.

And then—

A successful hit.

The beast collapsed to the ground, kneeling with a thunderous echo in the cavern. During this short window, Arka was a foot away from the creature, about to maim the muscles of the creature's legs to stop it from standing.

However—

The beast covered itself with the gigantic slab of rock on its legs, blocking Arka's attack opportunity.

But Arka kept rushing forward.

She stepped on the slab of rock, and went straight up, toward the creature's head. The creature attempted to bite her.

The beast bit one of Arka's legs, dismembering her. Blood splattered on the giant slab of rock the beast held. Arka lost her balance.

However, the momentum still allowed her to thrust her sword forward to one of the creature's gigantic eyes.

The creature shook its head in agony, trying to shake off Arka. It roared. She kept a grip on her sword, as her hands clawed on the beast's thick hide. Thanks to the Kampilan's unusual, uneven, split-tip, she kept latched onto the creature's eyes, preventing her, and her sword from slipping away from it.

This time, the beast used both of its arms to get Arka off its face... but the creature's arms were immediately pushed away by two projectiles.

At the distance, it was Mikrim. She shot magical, twin arrows at the beast's hands, preventing it from grabbing Arka.

She can still fire an arrow one more time.

As Arka saw this, she quickly dug her sword even deeper, along with her whole arm. This went through the creature's skull, and then, to its brain. The beast's blood splashed on her armor, and helmet, as flowing traces of it went through the gaps. She felt the warm blood of the creature, hit her face.

And then, the beast fell forward, slumping, and twitching its final breaths on the ground. Arka kept a hold on her sword in the creature's eyes until it stopped moving.

Then, the monster's name was revealed to her as her monster index update. The monster was called, Lord Fraizo of the Southern Mountains.

28% of her HP remained after the battle.

And then, she let go of her sword, dropping down on her back and laying on the floor with a severed leg. Mikrim quickly rushed towards Arka.

"Arakar—!" She exclaimed. But Arka didn't respond.

Mikrim then walked over, avoiding the cavern's craters. "Hey, what happened?!" Mikrim shook her. "H—"

"I'm fine...” Arka held onto Mikrim’s arm as she said this. “Let me just sleep... for a bit," Arka told her. And then, the strength in her grip is gone.

Arka drifted to sleep, as Mikrim held on to her on the bloodied, devastated cavern floor.