Reid swung his bat, smashing the head of the first Iron-tier beast he came across.
[Congratulations on killing an Iron-tier Metal Lizard. You've gained an Iron-tier core,] Evo notified.
"How long, Evo?" he asked as he swung his bat again, taking down another Iron-tier beast.
[15 minutes. Hold on until then,] Evo answered.
The first wave of beasts was filled with Iron-tier monsters, which were easy to take down.
Even the twins, Tommy and Timmy, with their Iron-tier forged beasts, were managing to take out some of the creatures from the first wave.
Alex, on the other hand, was having a field day with his Flame Hound, Cerberus, taking out groups of beasts at a time.
'Although he's an a*shole, he's still a valuable defender of the Scrapyard,' Reid thought to himself while taking down another beast with his bat.
[
[Mission Log]
Emergency Mission: Take down as many beasts from the beast siege as possible.
[Beasts slain]:
Iron-tier beasts: 5/??
Bronze-tier beasts: 0/??
Silver-tier beasts: 0/1
Reward: Depends on how many beasts you slay.
]
Evo suddenly generated a mission for him.
"A mission? Sweet," he said before abruptly pausing. "Silver-tier beasts? You're telling me there's a Silver-tier beast in the siege?"
[Yes.]
"The hell? How do you expect me to take down a Silver-tier beast when my ass needed saving against a Bronze-tier one?" he asked in shock.
[It's either that or dying. The choice is yours.]
"Fine," he said, still swinging his bat to take down the beasts around him. "How long before it's complete?"
[5 minutes,] Evo replied.
With a sudden warning from his instincts, Reid jumped back, narrowly avoiding being pierced by a sharp earth spike that shot out from the ground.
"What the hell? I almost got turned into shish kebab," Reid said before dodging another spike.
The culprit finally revealed itself — a mole-like beast with spikes running down its back.
[Beast identified]
[
[Beast Type: Spikeback Mole]
Rank: Bronze-tier
Abilities: Earth Spike, Tunnel
Useful Parts: Earth Core and Spikes
]
Evo provided the information as soon as it appeared.
Reid gripped his bat tighter, his eyes narrowing at the Spikeback Mole as it burrowed partially into the ground.
"Alright, you little bastard," Reid muttered, stepping back cautiously. "Let's see how tough you really are."
The ground trembled, signaling the mole's next attack. Instinct kicked in, and Reid leapt to the side just as another sharp earth spike erupted from where he'd been standing.
The mole surfaced for a brief moment, its beady eyes glaring at him before retreating back underground.
Reid didn't waste a second. He sprinted forward, swinging his bat in an arc at the retreating tail—but the mole burrowed completely, disappearing from view.
"Damn it," Reid cursed, scanning the ground. He could feel the vibrations—the tremors of the beast moving beneath him.
Suddenly, three spikes shot up in rapid succession. Reid sidestepped the first, rolled under the second, and narrowly ducked the third, feeling the rush of air as it passed over his head.
"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, trying to lure the beast into revealing itself.
The Spikeback Mole, as if understanding his words, erupted from the ground behind him, spinning to swipe with its massive claws. Reid pivoted just in time, bringing his bat down hard on the beast's outstretched limb.
A loud crack resounded, and the mole screeched in pain, stumbling back slightly.
Reid took the opportunity to press the attack. He dashed forward, swinging his bat at its head, but the mole recovered quickly. It swiveled, its spiked back facing him, and whipped its body around like a club.
The force of the blow caught Reid off guard, the spikes grazing his side and knocking him back several feet. He hit the ground hard, wincing as pain shot through his ribs.
[Warning: You have sustained injury,] Evo chimed in.
"No kidding," Reid grunted, staggering to his feet. The mole didn't give him any time to recover—it burrowed again.
Reid clenched his teeth, gripping the bat so tightly his knuckles turned white. He sidestepped just in time to avoid another spike.
This time, though, he noticed something—each time the mole prepared an attack, a faint bulge formed in the ground before the spike shot up.
"Gotcha," he muttered, a grin tugging at his lips.
The ground trembled again, and Reid kept his eyes locked on the subtle movements below. The bulge appeared near his left foot, and he reacted instantly.
Instead of dodging, he swung his bat downward with all his strength, striking the ground just as the mole surfaced to attack. The force of the blow caught the beast off guard, smashing its head and sending it skidding back across the dirt.
The Spikeback Mole screeched, disoriented, but it wasn't finished. It slammed its claws into the ground, creating a series of earth spikes that fanned out in all directions.
Reid jumped and rolled, narrowly avoiding being impaled. He landed hard, but he was close now—close enough to end the fight.
Channeling all his strength, he charged at the beast as it prepared to burrow again. With a loud roar, he swung his bat, the weapon colliding with the mole's side. The blow sent the creature flying, its body slamming into a nearby scrap pile.
The mole twitched, its movements sluggish, but it still tried to stand.
"Not this time," Reid said, closing the distance. He raised his bat high and brought it down on the mole's head with a resounding crack.
The beast let out one final screech before collapsing, its body going limp.
[Congratulations on killing a Bronze-tier Spikeback Mole. You've gained a Bronze-tier core,] Evo announced.
Reid, breathing heavily, rested his bat on his shoulder. "Damn thing almost skewered me," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I finally defeated a Bronze-tier beast—and that too by myself." Reid let out a short, triumphant laugh.
[Reid, watch out!] Evo shouted, and at that moment everything slowed down for him.
Around his neck was a pair of massive mandibles, ready to clamp shut—and take his head with them.
"F*ck," was all he could mutter.