I Dance to NIGHTMARE (Part 1)
"Eho, eho!" Pepper sprints through Secondil's barren outskirts, glancing at the map, eating rations to keep the Hunger parameter above half, racing toward the town.
"Almost there… so close!" Reaching Secondil means updating the respawn point, enabling night exploration and nocturnal monster fights. In Shangri-La Frontier, death triggers a respawn without save data loss if rules are followed.
Pepper recalls a retro open-world game where players, as a crow, roamed a meticulously crafted night. Shangri-La's night mirrors it: April's chill-warm breeze, moonlight's faint glow—a hyper-real sensory experience. "The detail—darkness, light gradients—it screams the devs' passion," Pepper marvels, crediting the creators' efforts for making Shangri-La a masterpiece.
Then, a chill—like a reaper's scythe at their neck.
"!?!?" Instinct screams danger. Reflexes kick in, and an explosion erupts where Pepper stood, the blast shoving them forward. They crash, face-planting, HP dropping to 5. Scrambling, Pepper eats herbs to recover, equipping Lock-on Breaker and adopting the same vigilance as their first Rock-Eating Worm encounter.
Dust parts like a theater curtain, revealing a beast—blacker than midnight, a bottomless darkness. A four-legged creature treads the cracked earth under the ochre crescent moon, its pointed ears, flame-like fur, and razor-sharp claws poised to tear prey apart.
Pepper has met Shangri-La Frontier's true face: the Nightstrike Lycaon, a Unique Monster—darkness incarnate in wolf form.
"Unique Monster: Nightstrike Lycaon Encountered"
"Unique… Monster…" The beast growls, eyeing Pepper as prey. "This is bad."
Years of RPG and retro gaming honed Pepper's ability to gauge power gaps. They recall blind runs of games with scripted loss events, fighting with every skill, item, and tactic to defy fate. Though defeat was inevitable, they carved satisfying outcomes by giving their all. This taught them to embrace even unwinnable battles as part of the fun.
But now, they understand—no, they know. "No matter what I do, I can't see a path to victory against this thing!" Every weapon, skill, and item is useless against Lycaon. Instinct and experience scream this is a fight they can't win. Escape? Lycaon would crush it, treating Pepper like an appetizer.
"Haha, too insane to cry about!" Pepper laughs—not from despair, powerlessness, or hatred for Shangri-La. No, they've embraced it. If defeat is certain, they'll etch their existence into Lycaon before falling, burning every resource without regret.
Lycaon charges, its right forepaw striking faster than any action game foe Pepper's faced. The ground craters, shockwaves roaring. "Take this!" Pepper smashes Lock-on Breaker into its claw, the clang of iron revealing Lycaon's unnatural hardness. "Tough! What is this?!"
A diagonal swipe targets Pepper's head; they dodge by a hair with Accel's agility boost, retreating to analyze. "One mistake, and I'm dead—direct hit or shockwave!" Opting for their Hit & Run tactic—used against stronger foes in action games—Pepper strikes after Lycaon's attacks, exploiting post-move delays. They memorize patterns, skill durations, and cooldowns, wielding Lock-on Breaker to face the beast, undeterred by inevitable defeat.
Ten minutes into the Hit & Run, Pepper pants, "Damn… this is brutal!" Despite Lock-on Breaker's damage boost, Lycaon's HP barely budges. Worse, the hammer's durability warning flashes. But I've learned something. Its fur's too tough for damage, but blunt impacts get through. It's not invincible!
If they could restore Lock-on Breaker's durability, victory might be possible. But Lycaon's relentless, rapid attacks leave no room for recovery, forcing Pepper to burn resources on evasion. A diagonal strike is parried, but the recoil sends them flying. Lock-on Breaker's durability nears its limit, alarms blaring.
"Time to switch!" Refusing to let the Fasteia smith's gift die, Pepper swaps to the Fatal Hammer. Dodging a forepaw stomp and sweep, they strike Lycaon's ankle joint, retreating instantly. Joints take cumulative impact—animals aren't exempt. Shock should impair it.
Pepper endures, outlasting Lycaon's ferocity. The battle's a scale, offense and defense balanced—until now. Dodging an attack, Pepper steps forward to counter, but the ground crumbles, throwing off their balance. The Fatal Hammer misses the ankle, hitting the paw.
The scales tip.
"Crap—" Leaping sideways with One-Leap Jump, Pepper faces Lycaon's fangs, poised to strike. Switching to a reverse grip, they swing Swing Strike at Lycaon's face. But its head morphs, slime-like, dodging the blow.
"…Huh?" Pepper's bewildered cry echoes as Lycaon's fangs sink into their right arm, tearing it from the shoulder.
A Fated Doom or a God's Prank?
Nightstrike Lycaon: A notorious wolf from the source material, the most infamous Unique Monster. Lycaon and its kin are designed to crush even the strongest players with unrelenting unfairness, ensuring beginners face certain defeat.