Killing the Varmint

Hendrix arrived, entered, and headed down the citadel's staircase. Once he entered the eerie swamp, he threw a rock at the water and waited patiently for a varmint to lunge out.

The Axolotl Varmint leaped out of the water, but Hendrix dodged it as he walked backward and tried to lure the Varmint away from the water.

The varmint followed Hendrix with hunger in its eyes as it awkwardly waddled toward him. It salivated as it walked and stared at him.

Hendrix eventually lured the varmint thirty meters from the water before suddenly rushing away. The varmint also tried following him but was left behind.

'Let's see if my plan works.' Hendrix thought as he took off his backpack and grabbed some needles and his tiny bow. He then drew out one of the wooden poles as well.

Hendrix then put his backpack back on as he walked back to where he had left the Axolotl varmint. Once he arrived, he looked around, and once spotted, he got close to the ground. As he did, he grabbed a needle and pulled back his tiny bow with it.

Once he fully pulled it back, he aimed at the varmints eyes before releasing it, as the needle went off course by a wide margin and hit a bush instead.

The needle startled the varmint as it looked around in trying to find the noise's origin. Though it quickly gave up and began to waddle awkwardly toward the water.

Hendrix decided he should practice his aim here instead of rushing it, as he planned to continue his Tribulation instead of ending it once he killed the varmint.

He also planned to try to practice his custom melee fighting style, as he felt he should learn.

Hendrix then again aimed and shot a needle at the Axolotl Varmints' eyes. He still failed at hitting any part of it as the needle landed in the grass.

The Axolotl Varmint thought it was the wind as it waddled to the water. Its steps leave mud-filled footprints.

'I guess I'm going to be spending weeks to months on this, huh.' Hendrix thought as he knew practice made perfect. He ran up to the Axolotl varmint as he felt he should try to block its attack.

As he approached, he yelled loudly to get the varmint's attention. However, he attracted more attention than required as two more waddled out of the water and towards him.

'I shouldn't yell anymore.' Hendrix thought as he approached the first Axolotl. As he did, it leaped at him, trying to scratch him with its clawed and webbed feet.

He lifted his wooden rod and held it horizontally. It blocked the varmints attack though Hendrix was pushed a foot back due to his small stature and its power as his feet left trails on the ground.

He gritted his teeth as he had trouble keeping the wooden pole in his grip. Hendrix then waited for the Varmint to attack him again.

The Varmint attacked Hendrix again with hunger in its eyes though this time. It lunged at him with its mouth wide open and ready to bite.

Hendrix barely dodged the attack as he again got into a defensive stance. He waited again for the Axolotl varmint to attack. He only planned to block its claws, but not its bites.

He practiced and swapped between blocking and shooting at that Varmint's eyes, simultaneously avoiding the other two varmints. He did this for two hours, rested, and did so again.

Hendrix eventually realized he had forgotten food and water, so he headed out of the citadel and back to his residence. And after he got all the supplies he needed in his residence. He arrived back at the Citadel.

He set up a camp outside the Citadel, and after, he spent a year practicing blocking and shooting needles at the Varmint's eyes.

During the duration, his accuracy and skills at blocking grew. He finally reached an acceptable proficiency, as he could fire at its body if he and it were stationary. This feat was complicated since he fired needles which were much thinner and smaller than his finger, and not arrows. However, its water shield always blocked them.

He could also block every claw attack one Axolotl varmint could throw at him. Sometimes from the sides, some from the bottom or the top, or even diagonally.

Hendrix then smiled a bit as he felt his progress was good. Though he knew he had a long way to go.

'I'm glad that my fighting skills are somewhat passable.' Hendrix thought as he again threw a rock at the water.

The Axolotl Varmint leaped out of the water, but it quickly realized that Hendrix was not next to it. The varmint began waddling towards him slowly but steadily.

Hendrix again lured it away, and once he did, he repeated the other steps until he shot at the Axolotl Varmint again. Though this time, the needle headed toward its eyes.

The varmint summoned its water shield and blocked the attack in time. It then started to waddle towards Hendrix.

Hendrix sighed as he felt he needed to spend more time practicing, but he pushed on. He knew he had two things to focus on this time, fire at the varmints eyes from an obscure angle and while running.

Hendrix spent ten years practicing this with purpose and hope. He again aimed his tiny bow at the Varmint's eyes from an obscure angle as he ran in the distance.

'I hope this works.' Hendrix thought as he shot the needle at the varmints eyes from an obscure angle.

The varmint didn't block the needle in time as it pierced right into its left eye, blinding it. As it screeched in agony, a second needle shot at its other eye as it writhed. Blood spilled as the second wooden needle pierced its other eye.

It started to claw at its face while screeching as it tried to get the needles out of its eyes though this only made it worse as the needles went further into them.

As it continued to claw at its face, blood spilled from its blind eyes and fresh claw marks on it. It began to roll on the ground as it desperately tried to get them out since its passive skill didn't heal wounds while objects were inside.

[You have dealt critical damage to the Axolotl varmint]

'Finally, I'm able to attempt to kill it!' Hendrix thought as he ran at the Axolotl Varmint. He first put away his tiny bow, and he wielded his wooden rod. As he did, he quickly swung at the varmint from the side towards its ribs.

The Axolotl Varmint couldn't block the attack as it crashed into its ribs. It caused massive internal bleeding within the varmint. However, the wound healed exceptionally quickly.

'That ability is very annoying.' Hendrix thought as he once again swung at the varmint. Though this time, he swung at its head as he wanted to kill it as soon as possible.

The Axolotl Varmint heard the wooden pole and barely blocked it with its claw. Thwarting this attempt, Hendrix made.

Hendrix didn't stop as he swung at the varmint's head with the wooden pole. At the same time, he surveyed Varmint's movements, as he didn't want it to dodge his attacks.

The varmint got hit hard as it didn't react quickly and caused it to be stunned. However, Hendrix began to bash its head repeatedly, trying to crush its skull.

He brutally beat down the varmint's head as it couldn't fight back. Once Hendrix finished swinging at its head. He walked away a bit.

'Guide, why didn't I get the notification that I completed the quest?' Hendrix thought as he was confused as to why this was.

[Because the Axolotl varmint is not dead]

"What?! Don't tell me it can heal from that!?" Hendrix couldn't help but yell out loud as he was shocked and terrified.

The varmint stood back up as its skull and brain. It began to heal back to normal except for its eyes, as the wooden needles prevented them from healing.

Hendrix looked at the Axolotl Varmint in despair as he wondered how he could kill this thing.

'Guide, please tell me how I can kill this thing.' Hendrix thought as he felt his main Tribulation quest was arduous.

[Find out yourself]

Hendrix nodded as he had a crazy idea he wanted to try. So he began to run at the Axolotl Varmint with determination in his eyes. As he approached, he again swung towards its head, though this time, he only wanted to stun it.

The Axolotl varmint was calmer now with its brush with death. It carefully blocked Hendrix's swing despite it being blind at the moment.

Hendrix didn't give up as he swung at the Axolotl Varmint from different angles while also throwing rocks to distract it or confuse it.

The varmint eventually had trouble standing, and Hendrix took this opportunity to hit its head hard. The attack caused the varmint to be stunned as it lay on the ground.

Hendrix carefully pulled out his tiny bow and a few needles and shot them into the varmint's neck. Once he finished this, he hit it on the head again to stun it again.

Afterward, he swung at the embedded needles in its neck, causing it to cry in agony, but Hendrix didn't stop. He hit it over and over on the needles until it was decapitated.

[You have completed the minimum requirement to finish the Explorer and Killer Main Tribulation quest.]

[Do you wish to end the Tribulation?]

[Y/N]

'No, I wish to stay.' Hendrix thought as he declined.

[Noted]

[You have created a save point. Do you wish to save?]

[Y/N]

'Hold on, if I decline, will the save point still be available?' Hendrix thought as the answer he received could cause his decision to change.

[Yes, though, you will have to die and kill the varmint again.]

'Alright, then, I don't want to save.'

[Noted]

Hendrix then jumped into the water and died as he began to set up his next grand plan.