Chapter 2: Now, I Have To Fight The Final Boss?

Az stood beside Lumi, still reeling from the abrupt appearance of the colossal object that had fallen in front of them. As the dust cleared, his eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the sight before him.

"What the hell is that?" Az exclaimed, his voice a mixture of astonishment and apprehension. He looked at Lumi for some answers, but she was already on the move, dashing behind a nearby tree.

Lumi's voice rang out from her hiding spot, barely visible behind the foliage. "That's the other thing I wanted to tell you, Az! Good luck!" She gave him an absent-minded thumbs up before disappearing from view.

Az's emotions were a whirlwind of surprise, confusion, and a tinge of annoyance. He found himself alone and exposed, facing an enormous and terrifying figure that had emerged from the debris.

The dust began to clear, and Az's eyes locked onto the creature before him. It was a towering, grotesque alien with menacing features. Its skin was a sickly shade of green, covered in jagged, armored plates that glinted ominously in the dappled light of the forest. Its eyes glowed with an eerie, malevolent light, and its elongated limbs ended in sharp, claw-like appendages. It emitted a low, rumbling growl that sent shivers down Az's spine.

Az took a deep breath, attempting to steady his racing heart. With a mixture of surprise and disbelief, he muttered to himself, "Final boss right at the start, huh?" A smug smile crossed his face, and his expression shifted from his usual humorous and somewhat egotistical demeanor to a more serious one.

He knew he had no choice but to confront this intimidating foe. Az stepped forward, ready to face the Colossal Alien that stood before him.

Az gathered his resolve and charged towards the Colossal Alien. His determination was unwavering, but as he closed the distance, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. He didn't have any weapons to begin with.

With a screeching halt right in the middle of his mad dash, Az came to an abrupt stop. He spun around to look at Lumi, his face a comical mix of panic and frustration. "Lumi! I don't have any weapon!"

The Colossal Alien, however, had no such hesitation. It continued its relentless advance toward him, each heavy step shaking the ground beneath. Az's eyes widened in alarm as he quickly reversed course, stumbling backward in a comedic fashion, his voice rising in a comical scream.

Lumi called out, her voice filled with urgency. "Az, stop! Don't come here!"

But Az's fear-fueled momentum carried him forward, and he dashed past Lumi, ignoring her warning. Desperation flickered in his eyes as he glanced around for any possible weapon.

In a moment of swift thinking, Lumi reached for a knife tucked into her vest. She drew it out and, with a trembling hand, pointed it at the Colossal Alien. "Stay back!" she warned.

Az, still in motion, snatched the knife from Lumi's hand with surprising agility and determination. He stumbled to a halt, brandishing the weapon with an air of newfound seriousness.

Az examined the knife's profile, his eyes scanning the information:

Name: USMC Ka-Bar Knife

Description: Basic knife used by soldiers on Earth to fight the alien invasion.

STR | Strength: F

DEX | Dexterity: E

INT | Intelligence: -

ARC | Arcane: -

Passive: -

With a newfound sense of determination, Az tightened his grip on the knife. He muttered, "Well, this could work," while staring at the knife with a newfound seriousness.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran toward the Colossal Alien. As he approached, he noticed the alien's massive appendage swinging in his direction. The Colossal Alien was attempting to crush him with one colossal swipe.

Az didn't falter. Instead, a confident smile crossed his face. He sprinted directly toward the swinging appendage, timing his movements perfectly. Just as the appendage drew near, he dropped to the ground and rolled through the space between the ground and the Colossal Alien's swinging limb.

Az emerged on the other side, right beside the Colossal Alien's leg. He wasted no time and began to slash at the leg with the knife. The first slash made contact with the hard, armored skin, but Az's keen eye quickly searched for a vulnerable spot amidst the toughness. He kept slashing at the same spot, relentlessly, until the Colossal Alien finally turned its attention toward him.

As the Colossal Alien shifted its focus, Az wisely backed away, a triumphant grin on his face. The battle had just begun, and he had made his first strike against the formidable foe.

Az was quick on his feet, and as he retreated from the Colossal Alien, he had a cunning plan forming in his mind. He needed to outmaneuver this formidable foe. He dashed towards the opposite side of the Colossal Alien, luring it to turn its massive form in his direction.

With a confident and challenging demeanor, Az led the Colossal Alien to pivot. But his real target was the same leg he had been attacking before. As he circled around the Colossal Alien, his movements were agile and calculated, always keeping the alien's attention on him.

He executed the same maneuver as before, rolling beneath the Colossal Alien appendage's attack and slashing at the vulnerable spot on the leg. He repeated this tactic several times, each slashing precise and deliberate strike against the Colossal Alien's leg.

Az soon noticed a change in the Colossal Alien's behavior. Its movements began to speed up, following his every step, as if it had caught on to his strategy. Az muttered to himself, "It's about time."

As Az continued his dance around the Colossal Alien, his eyes widened with astonishment. The creature's armored skin, once impenetrable and intimidating, began to crack and peel away. Large chunks of the rigid carapace fell to the forest floor, revealing the vulnerable, fleshy interior beneath.

It was as though the Colossal Alien was shedding its hard-skin battle-worn armor in exchange for greater speed and agility. The transformation was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The alien's raw, exposed flesh glistened with a moist, almost otherworldly sheen, and its movements grew faster and more fluid as if unburdened by the heavy armor.

Az watched in a mix of wonder and trepidation as the Colossal Alien adapted, trading defense for swiftness. It was a turning point in their battle, and Az knew he needed to be even more agile and resourceful to stand a chance against this evolving foe.

As the Colossal Alien shed its armored exterior, its newfound agility was on full display. The creature's movements were faster and more fluid than before. It launched itself into a frenzied assault, slashing with both of its deadly appendages, creating a gust of wind with each ferocious attack. Az realized that if even one of these attacks connected, it would be fatal.

In a desperate bid for survival, Az began to step back, narrowly avoiding the devastating strikes. His agility was being put to the test as he dodged the relentless onslaught. With every near-miss, he could feel the tangible threat and the exhaustion settling in.

Reality was closing in on him, even in this simulation. He knew that if one of those colossal appendages struck him, the pain would be all too real. Exhaustion started to creep in, and he had to grasp the reality that he was in a battle for his life, even within the confines of the simulation.

He shifted tactics, hoping to find a chance to counterattack. Az started circling the Colossal Alien, searching for an opening. But to his dismay, the creature followed his every step, as if predicting his movements.

Then, in a shocking turn of events, the Colossal Alien abruptly changed its tactics. With startling speed, it rushed toward Az, its approach so unexpected that Az found himself caught off guard.

A ferocious slash from the Colossal Alien nearly struck Az, leaving a deep scar on his cheek as a mark of the danger he faced. But Az's reflexes served him well; he slid narrowly to the side, dodging the impending blow. With the grace of a seasoned warrior, he maneuvered to the Colossal Alien's side and thrust the knife into the very same vulnerable spot he had targeted earlier.

The knife's strike disrupted the colossal alien's momentum, causing it to stagger for a brief moment. Az, with his heart pounding, spun around to face the alien. But as he turned, another savage slash from the colossal creature came dangerously close, just one inch from his face. With no other choice, he quickly used the remnants of the knife as a makeshift shield to defend himself.

In the blink of an eye, he felt himself launched into the air. The world spun around him, and his surroundings blurred. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to find himself suspended in mid-air, the ground far below. He had been launched into the sky.

As he descended back to the earth, Az glanced at the battered knife, which had shattered from the force of the Colossal Alien's attack. It had served him well in this battle, but now it lay in pieces, a symbol of the fierce struggle he had endured.

From Lumi's point of view, she watched the events unfold from afar. She saw Az falling directly toward the Colossal Alien's head, his voice raised in a scream. Then, in a stunning turn of events, the Colossal Alien itself fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lumi raced toward the scene, arriving just in time to see Az emerge from the settling dust, his triumphant cry of victory echoing in the air. However, he was weakened and staggering. He leaned on Lumi's shoulder for support, his breathing heavy and labored.

After the dust finally settled, Lumi's gaze fell upon the Colossal Alien's head, impaled by its own shed skin. Az had used the alien's discarded armor to strike the final blow, ending the battle in a spectacular and unexpected fashion.