Chapter 16: Taunt
Nox figured the simple approach was worth a shot. It had worked on everything else so far, so why not this thing too? He tightened his grip on the pipe and just charged straight at the boss monster.
'Just hit it really hard,' he thought. 'Can't be that complicated.'
The creature watched him come, that same amused look on its face. When he swung the pipe at its head, the monster just snatched the pipe out of the air with one hand like it was a toothpick. Then, it casually backhanded him across the face.
The force of it snapped his head to the side, and the world tilted crazily for a moment before his back slammed into the concrete wall. The impact sent a jolt through his entire body, and he crumpled to the floor, the pipe clattering away from him.
"Damn," he muttered, pushing himself up. His jaw throbbed already, a dull ache spreading across the side of his face where the thing had clocked him.
'Okay, so it's actually strong,' he conceded internally. 'Good to know.'
The boss monster let out a low chuckle. "Is that all, little insect? I expected more from someone who could resist my command."
He wiped a smear of blood from his lip with the back of his hand and picked up the pipe again. "Yeah, well, I'm just getting started."
This time he went low, trying to slide under the creature's guard, and swung the pipe hard at its knee. The metal connected with a solid, meaty thud, and the monster actually stumbled back a couple of steps.
"There we go," he said, quickly rolling away as the creature swiped at the air where he'd just been, its claws making whooshing sounds.
It looked down at its leg, then back at him. The amusement in its expression was gone, replaced by something that looked a lot more like actual interest.