The Shapeshifter 60 Wit's End

They can't be that intelligent.

Well, who knows?

Suddenly, another question popped up inside my head.

"Hey Old Man, you said the fight with the Stick Insect beast would be hard. How come you ended up being unscathed?"

"Just because I wasn't hit, doesn't mean that the battle wasn't hard. Look at your mana reservoir, see that? It's almost drained. And your -."

Then I was suddenly struck by dizziness for a few seconds and was unable to hear what the Old Emperor has to say. After recovering, I ruminated the course of action that I should be taking. The beasts are getting nearer and nearer.And the first thing that appeared inside my head was to - KILL THEM!

Yes, I should just kill them all. They are just a bunch of Fierce Beasts anyways. Even with my body alone and a sword in my hand, I can defeat these insects. I can definitely win!

With my vision narrowing, I looked down at the sword in my hand and without any hesitation, hacked it at the monster in front of me. A warm goo-like thing splashed right at my face.

Wondering what that thing was, I looked at the beast that I just hacked. It was a mini Stag Beetle. And by mini, I mean not the regular sized Stag Beetle that I often see on Earth, but as large as a dog.

I was strucked dumb by what I saw. It was because the sword that I used to attack the 'mini' Stag Beetle was being clenched by its pincers.

"How?" I muttered. There shouldn't have been any fierce beasts that was capable of receiving an attack from me. But then it struck me that it was a Stag Beetle and its pincers should be the strongest part of its body. The Beetle should be a defense type of beast.

I quickly retrieved my sword and it issued the sound of metal scratching against each other.

As I took my sword back, a feeling of weakness took over my whole body. My arms trembled, as my knees has gone soft.

I fell down.

I watched as the beasts flock towards me; threatening me with their weak bodies. I actually think that they are teasing me, thinking I would show them an expression of despair. But I won't.

The urge to use my magic surfaced inside my head. It was but an instinct and mana immediately filled my hands.

From the tiniest bit of mana that was left in my mana reservoir, it was still enough to cast one last tree trunk.

Fortunately, the palm of my hand wasn't directly in contact with the ground. Although it took a bit of time to reach the ground, it was but a second, and my body was immediately flung out of the encirclement.

It was not enough and I was still only behind them. These vicious and mindless beasts only need to turn their bodies and I would surely be surrounded once more.

The spell was cancelled immediately turning into a glitter of yellowish green dust, and I was flung away from the insects.

I ran furiously to try and get away from all of them. But to my horror, everywhere I look were beasts.

'The Emperor shouldn't have been that reckless and chased the Mantis this far, no?'

"Haaaah."

There was nothing I can do about it. I could only swing my sword and try to cut off their necks.

Instead of lamenting at the fact that the Old Emperor screwed me over, I put more effort to cut these insects down.

"Die, die!, die!" With every word spoken, an enemy would fall; staining the earth with their sickening yet colorful blood.

The insects that were being slain, were luckily the normal beasts. If they were of a higher rank, like the Fierce Beasts, then it would only be the death's embrace welcoming me. Not the limbs of these foolish creatures.

'Eh? No fierce beasts? How could there not be any of them? Have I subconsciously ran to the front of the insect tide?'

Hope.
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It gave me an invisible power that strengthened me and gave me the energy to fight my way back towards my allies.

Advancing ever so slowly, I fought and fought to no end. As seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours; the hope that was kindled, was being threatened of being doused.

A shadow fleeted at the end of my sight, followed by a searing pain at my back. I knew that my back turned b.l.o.o.d.y.

"Ahhhh!"

As I turned around, I sent out an attack of my own. But the sword was already caught before it even found its target.

I quickly yanked the sword back and luckily s.n.a.t.c.hed it away due to blood of the insects staining my sword with their filthy blood.

This time, I get to have a good look at what caught my sword. And to my horror, it was the b.l.o.o.d.y Beetle!

I hurriedly turned around and tried to run away, but there was another d.a.m.ned Fierce Beast blocking my way.

'What do I do, what do I do?'

My mind rotated like clockworks in order to survive. I turned and turned looking for a way out, but the pain that was a.s.saulting my back was proving to be rather difficult to cope up with.

It was then that I saw another ray of hope. The poisonous dagger! It gleamed with a poisonous chilling light, like the sun was shining down right at it causing it to radiate with its own light.

'The Old Emperor said that, it was only I, who can use this dagger and told me not to use it unless absolutely necessary.'

'I'm already about to die, so does this count as necessary? Haha.' I smiled an swiftly thrusted it to the Centipede that was blocking my path.

'Ting!'

That wasn't the sound that I was supposed to hear. That was the sound of metal clashing with another metal! The dagger was deflected with absurd precision by not hitting the edges.

"Oh c.r.a.p—!"

It attacked me using its tail. The weight of the attack nearly destroyed my waist.

I gripped the dagger tightly, afraid that it would slip from my hand. I was having a hard time standing up while thinking why it didn't work.

Was I weak enough that it didn't even manage to injure my opponent? But the dagger was supposed to be a weapon capable of even killing the Scorpion Emperor. Or was I supposed to insert my mana into it or something? Then I saw the Centipede and the Beetle charging towards me.

I got into my stance and sheathed the dagger back to my left arm guard. I was aiming for a Quick Draw. It just came to me naturally and thought it was reasonable to use it to end the enemies' lives in but a single swing.

Although I didn't have a skill called Quick Draw, this should be enough to fool these kids that I didn't have anymore weapons.

I could feel the mana within me was way too little to use. I need to be focused enough and be precise when to use it.

The speed of the two wasn't considered to be fast, yet they already arrived almost a few meters in front of me.

"DIE!" I put a lot of strength in that single swing, because I knew that my body was beyond exhausted. I'm already very weak.

I calculated where their faces would be as I swung the dagger and inserted my mana in it.

'SPLUUUURRTTT!'

I felt the warm rain of their blood, drenching me with it.

Collapsing to the blood-filled ground. I had a smile on my face.

"Cough! Cough!" I kept on coughing up blood until my head hurts.

I was able to see the Centipede being sliced in half and the Beetle's body seemed to be wounded.

'Thud!' A loud thud followed by the cry of the Beetle resounded in the battlefield.

"Ooooongg!"

"Oooooonnggg!" Then a much louder and mournful voice echoed.

But I don't really care about it that much. Sooner or later, I would become a feast to the insects.

I don't want to be eaten alive, but I could not end my life, as my body could no longer move.

'THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!'

I could actually hear my heartbeat slowly thumping. As the energy within me slowly slips away.