The impact was brutal.
Hope's body was hurled through the air, a ragged blur against the ruined landscape.
He barely had time to register the blow before he came crashing down—his back slamming into the rubble of a collapsed structure.
Dust and debris exploded around him as his vision blurred from the shock.
For a few moments, all he could hear was the distant ringing in his ears.
Then—
Pain.
A dull, throbbing ache spread through his ribs.
His right shoulder burned where jagged rocks had torn through his jacket, leaving shallow but painful cuts.
Hope coughed, spitting dust from his mouth.
Damn it.
He had underestimated the damn thing.
Maybe it was because he killed the Scavenger Crab so easily.
Maybe it was arrogance.
"Stupid."
Hope grit his teeth, forcing himself to his feet.
The Ant Fiend didn't hesitate.
The moment Hope moved, it charged again—a monstrous blur of armored chitin and deadly mandibles.
It didn't give him a second to breathe.
It was fast. Too fast.
Hope barely managed to dodge to the side, the creature's mandibles snapping shut just inches from his chest.
The shockwave of the attack sent loose debris flying as Hope rolled across the cracked pavement, trying to regain his footing.
But the Ant Fiend was already coming for him again.
Hope twisted his body just in time to parry with his dagger—
But the momentum was too much.
The Ant Fiend's sheer strength sent him skidding back, his boots digging into the ground.
The dagger in his hand vibrated from the impact, the force almost numbing his fingers.
Before he could recover, the fiend lunged again.
Hope ducked, but not fast enough.
A sudden sting flared across his left arm as the fiend's razor-sharp leg clipped him, slicing through fabric and flesh alike.
Blood welled from the fresh wound, staining his sleeve.
Hope hissed through clenched teeth.
"Tch. That was close."
The Ant Fiend recoiled, its mandibles clashing together like steel blades sharpening against one another.
Hope took a step back, his mind racing.
This thing wasn't just strong—
It was relentless.
And it wasn't giving him a single second to recover.
Hope's breathing was heavy, his body already aching from the rapid exchange.
It wasn't looking good.
His daggers were close-range weapons.
He had to get in close to do any real damage.
But every time he tried, the fiend was faster.
And stronger.
Hope clicked his tongue.
"I need to change tactics."
But the Ant Fiend didn't care about his plans.
It attacked again.
Hope's instincts screamed.
Move.
He barely had time to react as the creature leaped, its entire massive frame casting a shadow over him.
Hope rolled—
But the fiend's clawed forelegs slammed down, the impact sending shocks through the earth.
Hope was too slow this time.
One of the creature's legs scraped against his right thigh, tearing through flesh and sending a sharp burst of pain up his leg.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving, even as the injury throbbed.
If he stopped—he was dead.
But this was bad.
His movements were slowing.
And the Ant Fiend was still at full strength.
Hope exhaled shakily, his grip tightening around his dagger.
"This bastard..."
For the first time in this fight—
He realized he was losing.