Chapter 62: Horde of Scorpions

The sun beat down relentlessly, casting wavering heat lines over the endless dunes. Ash, Pyre, and the wolf trudged through the desert, their footprints trailing behind them in the loose sand. The air was heavy, almost oppressive, and Ash could feel the grit of sand in his teeth despite the scarf he'd wrapped around his face.

"How much further?" Ash asked, his voice muffled but tinged with annoyance.

"Does it matter?" Pyre replied, his tone nonchalant as always.

Ash grumbled but kept walking, his wolf padding along beside him. The animal didn't seem to mind the heat, though its dark fur glistened with sweat.

As they crested a large dune, Pyre suddenly halted, his crimson eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon.

Ash followed his gaze and felt his stomach twist. In the distance, the sand seemed to ripple unnaturally, a shifting, undulating wave that moved toward them at an alarming speed.

"What is that?" Ash asked, his heart pounding.

"Scorpions," Pyre said flatly. "A lot of them."

Before Ash could respond, the wave resolved into individual forms—massive, blackened scorpions, each the size of a small horse. Their segmented tails curled menacingly, tipped with stingers that glistened with venom.

Pyre turned to Ash, his expression calm but commanding. "Kill them all."

The horde descended upon them with a deafening cacophony of clicking mandibles and scuttling legs. Ash barely had time to brace himself before the first scorpion lunged at him, its stinger whipping through the air like a spear.

He dodged to the side, the stinger embedding itself in the sand where he'd been standing. With a growl, Ash grabbed the scorpion's tail mid-swing, planting his feet and yanking with all his strength. The tail tore free with a sickening crack, green venom spraying from the wound.

The scorpion screeched, its mandibles snapping wildly, but Ash didn't give it a chance to recover. He leapt onto its back, claws sinking into its hard exoskeleton, and ripped off one of its eyes. The creature convulsed violently, but Ash was relentless. He grabbed its head and twisted, the sharp crack of its neck echoing across the dunes as it collapsed lifelessly beneath him.

The next wave was on him before he could catch his breath. Three scorpions lunged simultaneously, their tails striking with deadly precision. Ash rolled to avoid the first, then ducked under the second, catching the third's stinger inches from his face.

"Not this time," he snarled, snapping the tail off with his bare hands.

The scorpion shrieked, flailing in pain, and Ash used its tail as a makeshift weapon, whipping it around to slice through the legs of another. The severed legs hit the sand with dull thuds, and the scorpion toppled over, struggling to right itself.

Ash didn't wait. He jumped, slamming his fists into the creature's exposed underbelly, crushing it with a sickening crunch.

The horde seemed endless. Every time Ash killed one, two more took its place. But instead of wearing him down, the battle seemed to ignite something primal within him.

One scorpion, larger than the others, lunged at him with its pincers wide. Ash dodged the first strike but caught the second in his grip. The pincer was massive, its sharp edges capable of snapping bone, but Ash held it steady, muscles straining as he forced it open wider.

With a roar, he slammed his other hand into its joint, shattering the pincer completely. The scorpion recoiled, but Ash grabbed its tail and swung it like a club, smashing it into another scorpion with enough force to send both creatures flying.

His wolf joined the fray, darting between the creatures with deadly precision. It leapt onto one's back, sinking its crimson claws into the hard shell, and tore through the exoskeleton like paper. The scorpion collapsed, and the wolf let out a triumphant howl before pouncing on another.

Ash paused for a moment, catching his breath as the battlefield grew eerily quiet. The remaining scorpions scuttled back, forming a circle around him and his wolf.

"What's going on?" Ash muttered, wiping venom from his face.

The sand began to quake beneath his feet, and he realized with dawning horror that something much larger was approaching.

The colossal scorpion emerged from the dunes, towering over the rest of the horde. Its carapace was jet black, gleaming like obsidian in the sunlight. Its tail was thicker than a tree trunk, tipped with a stinger the size of a spear.

Pyre, standing atop a nearby dune, smirked. "Let's see what you've got, Ash."

The colossal scorpion lunged, its pincers snapping with terrifying speed. Ash dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed. The force of the attack sent a shockwave through the sand, nearly knocking him off his feet.

He scrambled up a nearby boulder, trying to gain the high ground, but the scorpion's tail whipped around, shattering the rock and sending Ash tumbling to the ground.

"Alright," Ash growled, standing and cracking his knuckles. "Let's do this."

The colossal scorpion charged again, its massive legs shaking the ground with each step. Ash sprinted forward, leaping onto its back and grabbing hold of its tail. The creature thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge him, but Ash held on, claws digging into its shell.

With a roar, he ripped the stinger off its tail, venom spraying across the sand. The scorpion let out an ear-piercing screech, but Ash wasn't done. He climbed up its body, dodging its snapping pincers, and drove the stinger into its head with all his strength.

The creature convulsed violently, its legs collapsing beneath it as it let out one final, guttural screech. Ash jumped clear as the colossal scorpion crashed to the ground, its massive body lying still in the sand.

The remaining scorpions scattered, retreating into the dunes. Ash stood over the corpse of the colossal scorpion, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. His wolf padded over, blood splattered across its fur, and let out a low growl of satisfaction.

"Not bad," Pyre said, strolling down from the dune with his usual casual air.

Ash wiped his face, glaring at his mentor. "Not bad? That thing was huge!"

Pyre smirked. "And you killed it, didn't you? Keep this up, and you might actually impress me someday."

Ash rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.

"Come on," Pyre said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's find some shade before you pass out."

The group continued their journey, leaving the blood-soaked sands behind as the sun dipped lower in the sky. For the first time, Ash felt a spark of pride in his growing strength.