As he sat cross-legged on the soft grass, Fenix kept his eyes fixed on a group of birds, observing them as they pecked at the ground nearby. He had just finished sharing his location with ChibiSlacker and was now eagerly waiting for the boy’s arrival so they could hunt these birds together.
But as he waited, frustration and anger began to churn inside Fenix. He had underestimated these birds, thinking they would be an easy target. After what they had put him through, he could no longer associate them with the word "easy." Yet he still needed to find a way to bring them down.
He racked his brain, searching for a plan to defeat the skittish birds. Unfortunately, it seemed almost impossible with his current fighting style. If only he had some ranged attacks, these birds would be easy pickings. As he continued to watch the birds hop around on their thin, delicate legs, an idea suddenly struck him like lightning.
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he muttered under his breath, "I've got you now, birdies. Soon enough, you'll all be turned into my dinner."
But before he could put his plan into action, ChibiSlacker burst into the clearing, causing Fenix to jump in surprise. ChibiSlacker jogged over to him, waving his hands for attention.
"Why are you just sitting there? Have you given up already?" the boy asked with a puzzled expression.
"No, I haven't given up just yet," Fenix replied, giving the birds a death stare.
ChibiSlacker raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you have from where I'm standing. But don't worry, I'll handle them for you," the boy boasted.
"I already came up with a plan to deal with them," Fenix replied, standing up.
ChibiSlacker rolled his eyes and dismissed Fenix's words. "I don't need a plan for these birds. Just watch.”
The boy charged towards one of the Bellyborgs, swords drawn, only for the creature to quickly dart away before he could get close. This was repeated several times until ChibiSlacker realized he needed a different approach. Activating his race talent, he tried again, his determination palpable.
Fenix watched as ChibiSlacker used his tracking skills to sneak up on the Bellyborg. It seemed effective at first, but the monster always managed to escape at the last moment. This continued until ChibiSlacker let out a frustrated roar and attempted to throw his sword at the Bellyborg.
Fenix's lips twitched as he suppressed his urge to laugh. It was quite amusing when it wasn't happening to him. Well, he did try to warn him.
“Are you ready to hear my plan now?!” Fenix asked ChibiSlacker loudly.
Throwing a fierce glare at the birds, ChibiSlacker stomped over to him. “What do we have to do to kill those things?”
“How precise is your aim?” Fenix asked, chuckling slightly.
~
After some time, a large pile of rocks had formed at their feet. ChibiSlacker wasn't entirely sure about Fenix's plan, but he followed his instructions nonetheless. Once they had gathered enough rocks, Fenix revealed his strategy.
"Instead of chasing after those Bellyborgs like madmen, we'll use these rocks to take them down," Fenix explained.
"How exactly are we going to do that?" ChibiSlacker inquired.
"Take a closer look at the Bellyborgs' legs," Fenix said with a sly grin. "Don't they seem fragile?"
ChibiSlacker grinned back as he picked up a rock. "Now I see where you're going with this."
With a devilish smirk, ChibiSlacker tossed the rock up and down in his hand before hurling it with all his might at one of the Bellyborg's legs. There was a satisfying crack, a loud squawk, and the sound of wings frantically flapping before the nearest Bellyborg fell to the ground in pain.
Fenix was by its side in seconds, brandishing his giant cutlery and stabbing at the struggling creature. It died without much of a fight, and some of the anger Fenix felt toward the bird disappeared with its remains.
"It worked!" ChibiSlacker exclaimed with excitement, bounding over to examine what loot the Bellyborg had dropped. But upon closer inspection, he let out a disappointed sigh. "All that effort for just some meat and feathers."
"Well, I need the bird meat for a quest, and you can sell the feathers. People use them to make arrows, you know?" Fenix pointed out.
"Ah, right. Okay, let's split the feathers then," ChibiSlacker agreed, though his voice held a hint of disappointment.
"You do realize this is only the first monster we've taken down, right? Who knows what kind of loot the Bellyborgs might drop as we continue?" Fenix reassured him.
ChibiSlacker nodded, his excitement rekindling. "You're right. Maybe something interesting will drop from these eggs."
"Here's an idea: whoever needs the loot the most gets first pick, and then we divide up the rest based on who wants what," Fenix suggested.
"Sounds fair enough. Let's go with that," ChibiSlacker agreed with a smile.
With that settled, ChibiSlacker marched over to the pile of rocks and grabbed a few more, while Fenix stood at the ready with his weapons. They exchanged a nod, a silent agreement before launching their attack. The Bellyborgs fell under their hands as easily as swatting flies.
As they collected their spoils, Fenix made sure to share any coins or feathers with ChibiSlacker, but there was nothing particularly interesting among the loot. A few sharp claws here and there, but that was it.
So they agreed that after dispatching just five more of these creatures, they would call it quits for the day. But just as they were about to strike, a piercing squawk echoed across the clearing.
The sound seemed to come from all directions, causing them both to freeze in shock and confusion.
[System Warning: Your brutal annihilation of its kin has awakened the King Bellyborg!]
Startled by the warning, Fenix and ChibiSlacker exchanged glances before turning towards the source of the sound.
In the distance, a massive King Bellyborg loomed over them, its metallic armor exterior shining in the bright sunlight.
ChibiSlacker's face lit up with excitement as he turned to Fenix. "Looks like things are about to get interesting again! And this time, I'll capture it all on film."
Fenix gave ChibiSlacker a weary look before turning to face their giant foe approaching them. He couldn't help but resist the urge to facepalm at the situation they found themselves in once again.