I wish I did some nifty maneuver to dodge the incoming crushing, but there is so much I can do.

A fifty-story building is falling on me. What can I do about it? Jump really hard?

Trying to hide in the pockets I carved out of the Land-Tyrant's flesh could've been the play, but it wouldn't have done much. I'd still be crushed but even more drenched in blood.

I could've [Bolstered Resistance], but I won't get the increase in resistances - if I get any - until the ten-minute duration is finished. That, paired with the instinctual feeling that this wouldn't kill me, no matter how jarring or threatening my position is, let me restrain myself.

Plus, what are 1998 points instead of 999 points going to do? Massive one-off attacks are the bane of these stats anyway.

My vision went dark, and the impact was enough to cause me to reevaluate my decision to be frugal with my skills. I can feel the earth below me crack and crumble.

I'm smothered by the thing until it rolls off of me. I can distinctly feel every bone in my body is either broken or fractured. That my organs are gushing blood. And my skin burst in some places.

The surrounding rocky terrain turned to rubble as an imprint of the creature laid waste to the area. Rocks fall and sprinkle against my broken body.

I exhale, but blood foams out instead. I use my back and ass muscles to sit me straight up. My spine is broken in many places, and so is my neck. The sound of the shattered bones scraping against each other is sickening but not unfamiliar.

My head sits limp, so I use my only hand to grip my hair and hold it straight. I see the bone sticking out of my forearm.

I blink away the dots floating in my eyes and look at the notifications the system prompted me sometime during the crushing.

[Resistance: Blunt 999 > 1000 (1468)]

[Resistance: Blunt 1000 > 1250 (2718)]

[Resistance: Blunt 1250 > 1290 (2758)]

[Path of the Broken Body B Lv4 > LV5]

Unarmed Damage: +80% ⬆

Maximum Health: +80% ⬆

Two things to note. With my martial arts at level 5, I can meet two requirements for my newest Title, and I believe I went to zero health with that crush.

Welp. My hearts didn't pop, so I straightened out my bones, popping them back into my flesh if needed. I stand on broken legs as I check the Title in question.

[Resilience Incarnate U 0/3 > 1/3]

To get to a point where even trolls envy your engorged vitality, you must become [Resilience Incarnate]. This Title will be taken away if there is someone better suited for this Title.

Regeneration🔒(Recover from 0% to 100% in less than a minute using nothing but your regeneration)

Health🔓: When your health is at or above 50%, your health bonus is doubled.

Resistance🔒(Unlock every resistance type)]

I'll leave my commentary/reaction for later.

I am looking for the Land-Tyrant, which isn't a difficult task. It is rampaging near the elves. They are agile enough to dodge its massive attacks, but not for long. I limp my way over there.

I contemplate quickening my regeneration by supplementing with my healing... but I might be able to get another effect from the Title unlocked... However, it would be annoying if it gets reset because I took additional damage.

The Land-Tyrant's tail scrapes against the ground, creating a miniature ravine as it swipes toward the elves. Rocks fly like bullets. Car-sized bullets. Elves scramble for cover as a shower of stones interrupts their barrage.

I hop over the ravine and limp faster. The hunting party hasn't stopped trying to kill it. Why should I stop? Well, at least half of them haven't stopped. Half of them are shooting at it while the other half is trying not to die as they have gained the Land-Tyrant's attention.

Its hide is full of arrows and has visible damage in multiple spots. The cascading blood caused by the wounds I gave it stopped... Gods dammit. This thing has built-in regeneration or something. Fuck.

I do a few moves from a light aerobics exercise and stretch. I use my muscles to keep my broken bones in place. It's a technique of Master Wang's martial art, but it isn't really worth using unless everything is fucked up and broken.

I don't do significant damage when this injured since my sword scales based on my current health. Thirty seconds passed since I crawled out of the rubble, and my health practically doubled from 17k-ish to 30k-ish.

I'm half health and almost at what I used to be a minute ago. I started running at the Land-Tyrant.

My feet hit the ground as I prepared my sword. I slash at the massive tendon in its foot, not caring if I get trampled. I have to jump to reach it, but it's manageable.

-4,370

The damage isn't enough to sever the tendon, but I got its attention. It tries to stomp me out, but I use the momentum from landing from my jump to roll into a sprint and run away.

It whips at me with its humongous tail. The sound of the air splitting is ear-splitting. I use a quarter of my mana to [Bolster Resistance] and use [Cross-Counter].

-24,484

-45,907

I can use my sword for [Cross-Counter], so I'm forced to use my fist... my stump.

I did a 180, using my momentum to use my half-arm and stab at the tail like my arm was a weapon instead of a disability. The exchange of blows causes the Land-Tyrant's tail to deflect off my body and snap backward.

I instantly took the 24k damage, almost negating all the health regenerated and physically exploding my half-regenerated arm off my body. It hit my funny bone. The pain is manageable.

The impact launched my body far away. I smash into a few things, but they barely slow my momentum. If anything, I lost more arm than I gained.

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Up to the shoulder and even a part of my pectoral and back muscles were exploded clean off my body. Viscera drips from my open wound like a burst water main. Hey. My nipple is missing.

I ragdoll against the landscape until I eventually stop.

I pull myself up and immediately run back, which takes a few dozen seconds. I see the Land-Tyrant on the verge of death, half of its massive tail shredded beyond belief, and more arrows than before crowding its face.

One of the elves rapidly approaches me and attempts to give me a potion, but I push it away. Somehow, I'm in a better condition than the elf.

After looking around and spotting Cloverheart, I approach him as he readies another massive arrow. He looks at me with a mix of emotions.

"It's almost over."

I lived, which made him happy, but many of his hunting party died during this battle. Also, an air of determination, frustration, and something else I can't pin down is present.

I'm about to speak, but the overwhelming amount of blood I vomit silences me.

"Damn! Are you okay?"

I wordlessly point at his bow and then at myself. He tilts his head and then nods.

He holds his bow horizontally rather than vertically, removes the arrow he placed in there, and gestures for me to get closer.

He fires arrows bigger than people... might as well fire a person. He 'loads' and launches me at the beast, activating a skill or two.

I lost my blade at some point, so I summoned it with a spray of hot blood. It trails behind me as a fly. I fly so fast it's hard to breathe... not that it was easy with my wounds.

There was a reason why we didn't get me up to the beast like this before. I'm flying right at the Land-Tyrant, and it managed to see me coming from its one working eye.

I can see it beginning to snatch me out of the air with its massive teeth, so I do something humorous.

In a split second after it initiated the bite, I threw my sword a hundred feet right into its other eye. The travel time almost screwed me over, but my sword met its mark before the Land-Tyrant met its.

[Hurl D Lv5 > Fling C Lv1

Thrown attacks are better. It takes less effort to throw things.

Damage: +50%

Velocity: +50%]

Critical Hit!

-11,480!

The other eye bursts, blinding the creature completely. It struggles and thrashes in pain as I smack against the side of its head, near the eye socket.

I grip on and scream through the blood coating my throat, "HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD YET!"

I'm missing an arm, the other is grabbing on for dear life, and my legs are scrambling for a foothold.

I bite down on the Land-Tyrant. My teeth sink into its flesh, but the skin is so thick that I don't reach any blood. I hold myself in place using my teeth and summon my blade into my now-free hand.

I stab it in the side of the face repeatedly as it swings its head around in full force, trying to get me off of it.

It slams its head against the ground to smash me again, but it is weaker in its attempt.

The flesh I sunk my teeth into rips away from the rest of the body, so I swallow and bite down deeper. My sword carves the flesh and exposes glistening bone. A chunk of face is missing from this creature.

Eventually, it's moving slowly enough that I can move around safely, so I reposition myself on its reptilian snout and split open its forehead until I see bone.

Then I crack the skull. Then I kick the pieces of bone out of the way. Then, before I could scramble its brain, I realized it was on the ground, unmoving. And that I got a few system notifications.

[Congratulations, User! You gained a new Title!]

[King Slayer A

Committing regicide has a cascading effect, causing unseen dominoes to topple. Will the subjects weep or rejoice? Mourn or celebrate?

You deal +56% damage to Kings or other relevant creatures.

People, creatures, and entities are conscious of this Title within your presence. They may respect, fear, or be indifferent to the Title.

After killing a "King," you will know if they have any direct descendants/remaining bloodline.]

[Colossus Slayer B > Colossus Slayer A

Sure, a single ant taking down an elephant is possible, but an ant taking down a whale? What's next, the moon?

The user deals more damage to creatures grander than themselves. To be considered a colossus, the target must quadruple the user's height or sexdecupled their weight (16x).

Additional Damage: +45% > +75%]

[Level up!x32]

Fuck. It's over. I collapse and regain my composure. How much damage did that thing eat up with no issue? What the absolute fuck was its damage? It wasn't even a solo kill.

I don't have the numbers regarding the elves' contributions... but they are all A rank, level 500's last time I checked, and that's fucking insane that nineteen rank-As had this much trouble with a single S rank...

I want to see my tamed beasts... share a meal with my family... not be stuck somewhere that doesn't have access to basic hygiene facilities...

~~~

The elves don't like burying their dead in a foreign land. They have spiritual beliefs that require them to be buried in the place of their birth... if there's enough of them left to bury.

Eighteen elves went into that fight. Six of them are dead beyond repair. Eight required life-saving healing after the battle, administered by other elves or my healing. The rest managed to get out with only minor cuts, bruises, and fractures.

Better than I thought.

We split the party. Half of the team will hide the bodies and protect the Land-Tyrant's carcass. It might be crucial in creating a way into the volcano.

The rest of us, including myself, are tasked to escort the rest of the village.

Which we do. If the elves had been less injured or dead, I would've left them to their own devices, but ditching them now feels weird.

It took a few days, and the only encounters were a few stupid dragons that were either scared off or became our diner.

I've been contemplating for a while, and when we finally meet up with the rest of the elves, the elder approaches me once we arrive.

"Ellis."

"Huh. Yeah?"

"You have done a great thing for our people. I have to thank you. The other hunters have informed me of your exploits during your short stint within their ranks."

"Yeah. I did a few things. I wanted to speak to you about a few things. As you can see, or about to see, 'we' found the exit."

"Indeed. In our first meeting, you told me that you have the right to rule what I later learned was the nation belonging to your race? Was that truthful?"

"Yes."

"And we will appear in that land."

"We should."

"Then I would like to offer the Atunum's people support in claiming the 'throne' if you need it."

"I understand. But how will you support me if you leave for your homeland after exiting this fracture?"

"...I'm aware that we view time differently. A human decade roughly translates to an elven year. We can use that time to aid you... as we spent around 20 'years' stuck here. In addition, acclimating to the new world may be arduous if I understand correctly."

"If the world deems you a native of the fracture, your leaving it will be extremely taxing and possibly lethal."

"Yes. Also, finding appropriate transportation to wherever our people need to go will be challenging if we are unfamiliar with... everything."

"Sure, sure. I'll take care of you and your people during your stay in my soon-to-be mine country. We can talk more later, but I have urgent, burning business to attend to."

"It would be unkind and imprudent to hold you here on our behalf."

I nod and head to the volcano's mouth. The elves come up and talk to me as I pass by. I make small talk and say my farewells. Cloverheart waves at me, and I return it.

I jump into the volcano, and the heat sears my flesh before I fall into the exit.