Rock Lizard

When it comes to breaking through a level wall, cowardly methods aren’t allowed. But using your wits is. This rule is basically a convenient excuse created by the ruling class so they can do power-leveling.

Aren’t traps and poison also forms of ingenuity? That’s what I think, but if the Church says no, then I guess it’s no. In that case, just how far is using your wits considered acceptable?

Since I’ve only just begun to experience this world’s civilization, I can’t make that judgment. That’s why the plan Al came up with must include subtle nuances that only a native would understand.

A muscle-brained idiot shouldn’t try to overthink things. I’ll just focus on doing the job I’ve been given, and doing it well.

Al’s strategy was simple. Given the many limitations, it seems he had no choice but to keep it simple.

Gonz would hide behind a large rock and wait, masking his scent. I would then lure the Rock Lizard toward the rock where Gonz was hiding.

Afterward, I would hold the Rock Lizard in place, and Gonz would deliver a single blow to finish it off. Unlike monsters in games, monsters in this world will run away if they’re wounded.

If we were just hunting, we could easily surround it with a large number of people and ensure it couldn’t escape. But since we’re trying to break through the level wall, we’re forced to fight with just four people.

If we deal damage halfway, it will simply run away.

With past enemies, Gonz could have finished them off in one blow. But this time, it’s a superior monster. Even Gonz would have a hard time taking it down with a single strike.

So, the plan was to keep Gonz’s presence undetected and strike when an opening appeared to deliver a single blow.

Because I would be fighting a superior monster without Gonz’ help, the risk for me was significant.

Even so, it was a better plan than what other adventurers had.

Other adventurers were up against wolf-shaped monsters with high attack power but weak armor, and they were taking extreme risks, fighting in a suicidal manner.

“I’m not hiding like a coward!” Gonz said, eager for the battle.

“Wait for the signal. Don’t move, not even if someone dies,” Al said firmly to Gonz.

Al, who usually spoke kindly to Gonz, now spoke to him in a stern voice. Seeing Al’s serious expression, Gonz nodded, making a decision.

Since there were no strongly scented plants on the rocks, I mixed dirt and water with the Rock Lizard’s waste and rubbed it on Gonz’s body.

Normally, Gonz would have complained, but this time he silently accepted it.

Gonz was ready. Now, I just had to lure the Rock Lizard to the rock where Gonz was hiding and manage to hold it in place.

There were no detailed steps in the plan. The strength of a superior monster can’t be understood without actually fighting it.

Even if we had made every little move meticulously planned, it would have fallen apart. What we needed was flexibility and adaptability.

Luring the Rock Lizard was my job. My mouth was dry, and my body was shaking from tension. This wasn’t good. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“Haahhh…”

I closed my eyes and slowly opened them. My racing heart slowed, and the world in front of me returned to normal. Everything was as usual. There was no problem.

I threw a stone at the Rock Lizard from afar. It was primitive way of doing it, but it worked perfectly. The stone flew at great speed, striking the Rock Lizard, but with a loud clang, it bounced off.

The Rock Lizard, having recognized me as its enemy, chased me at a speed that was hard to believe for such a heavy creature.

I desperately ran, leading the Rock Lizard toward the rock where Gonz was hiding. Could I guide it to crash into the rock?

I suddenly made a sharp turn in front of the rock to try and make it crash, but the creature wasn’t stupid enough to fall for that. It stopped just before the rock.

I had succeeded in leading it. Now, I just had to make it stop in front of the rock. Of course, that was the hardest part.

Although its body was covered in hard rock, its joints were weaker, and it was easier to attack there. I had to find a way to target its joints and create an opening for Gonz to strike.

I pulled out my black steel knife from my waist and lunged at the Rock Lizard. As I jumped, Al and Kimon emerged from behind the rock at the same time.

Al and Kimon intentionally didn’t mask their scent, and by coming out from the same spot as Gonz, they made it seem like there was no one left behind the rock.

The Rock Lizard’s attack methods were biting, tail strikes, and body slams. It only used its front legs to hold prey down.

When I had observed it hunting, the monster hadn’t used any clawing attacks.

I stood in front, acting as bait while dodging its bites at close range. In the meantime, Al and Kimon would stab their swords into its hind leg joints.

There was no need to stab deeply. Even shallow stabs, just enough to lodge into the joints and hinder its movement, would be sufficient.

I just needed to keep dodging its attacks. Covered in rock, it seemed its joints were hard to move, and its biting attacks only followed straight-line motions.

I treated the bites like massive punches and frantically dodged them. Even though its movements were slow for a tier-4 monster, it was still faster than the average adventurer.

As I continued frantically dodging, Kimon slipped past the tail attack and stabbed a knife into the monster’s joint. The Rock Lizard let out a distinct cry.

Its movements noticeably slowed. I found myself able to dodge with more ease. I tried counterattacking with my knife. I heard a clink as the blade struck something hard.

Even though the knife was made of black steel, it couldn’t penetrate the rock.

I didn’t have enough time to aim for its eyes, but with the added ease, I started trying other things. Once again, the Rock Lizard cried out.

It seemed that Al’s sword had also pierced its joint. It was easier than I expected, I thought, but then…

The Rock Lizard’s joint suddenly extended. To be precise, a rubber-like tendon hidden deep within the joint had unfolded.

Normally, it would be stored inside the body, but when there was trouble with the joint, it would extend outward to allow for more flexible movements.

Caught completely off guard, both Al and Kimon were slow to react. The Rock Lizard twisted its body and swung its tail around.

Al and Kimon were sent flying, yelling. I could sense that Gonz was about to spring into action, but he was still gripping his fists, somehow holding back.

While sending Al and Kimon flying with its tail, the Rock Lizard deftly turned its attention back to me, aiming to bite me.

Despite its bulky appearance, it moved with terrifying agility.

Then, the Rock Lizard did something I hadn’t seen before. It moved its body sideways and prepared itself for something.

Could it stretch its neck too?! I immediately jumped backward and braced myself. As the Rock Lizard swung its body, its neck extended like that of a turtle.

The momentum from its body and the flex of its neck caused the head to accelerate toward me in a unique trajectory.

I felt the strain in my arms as I blocked, but I was still blasted away. I crashed into the rock behind me, and all the air was knocked out of my lungs.

The impact was so strong it nearly made me lose consciousness, but somehow I managed to regain my composure. If I hadn’t jumped back, that hit would have killed me.

When I looked back at the Rock Lizard, I saw Al trying to prevent it from delivering a follow-up strike to the downed Kimon.

I hurried to rush toward the Rock Lizard, but my breathing was still ragged. My body felt heavy, as though oxygen wasn’t circulating properly.

Suppressing my impatience, I took a deep breath to steady myself.

During this time, Al was sent flying along with his shield. The Rock Lizard, about to move toward Al for a follow-up attack, turned.

Damn it! I’m not going to make it! I swung my right arm back, bending my wrist to grab the hidden stick shuriken from my sleeve.

With one step forward with my left foot, I twisted the shuriken in midair and pinched it with my thumb and index finger, the sharp end facing upwards.

In a pitching motion like a baseball pitcher, I raised my hand behind my ear. The target was its eyes, though the chances of hitting were near zero.

In that moment, I was at the peak of concentration. The world seemed to slow down as I entered a zone, feeling two things: intense focus, and another sensation.

It was as if the trajectory of my throw was visible, like a game’s targeting system showing the path of the shuriken. Was this a skill?

I trusted my skill to throw the shuriken and focused on predicting the point where the shuriken’s trajectory would intersect with the Rock Lizard’s movement.

Just as the Rock Lizard was about to bite down on the fallen Al, the shuriken I released hit the Rock Lizard’s eye and pierced deep into its eyeball.