Giraffa, Caucasus, and a Dash of Pepper
"Hrraaagh!"
"Let's go!"
In Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow, Pepper and Aitoile, the human-rabbit duo, were locked in fierce combat with a single beetle.
"This Quad Beetle is tough as nails!" Pepper shouted. "Blunt weapons are doing better than slashes, but still!"
"This guy's no slouch!" Aitoile added.
The Quad Beetle, a colossal insect native to Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow, boasted a five-meter frame encased in a sturdy, resilient carapace. Its majestic horns could topple trees with a single charge, marking it as a heavyweight powerhouse. Pepper had been hammering it with blunt weapons like the Vorpal Sledge and a barrage of blunt-focused skills, backed by Aitoile's support, but despite polygons scattering with each hit, the beast refused to fall.
"This thing's defense is insane!" Pepper said, determination flaring. "Its materials would make killer armor. We're taking it down!"
"Then I'll dig in for one more push!" Aitoile chirped.
Dodging the beetle's swinging horns, Pepper slid beneath it, chaining Heavy Strike, Swing Strike, and Raise Impact into a devastating blow. Aitoile unleashed Wind Slash and Moon Might, targeting the beetle's mandibles. Yet, the Quad Beetle stood firm, retaliating by swinging its horns like a mole-whacking hammer.
"This thing's durability is nuts!" Pepper groaned.
"Fall already!" Aitoile yelled.
Aitoile's Drunk Breeze blasted the beetle, staggering it and halting its horn assault. Seizing the moment, Pepper unleashed Rush, pummeling it with a flurry of strikes. After a grueling twenty minutes, the Quad Beetle finally collapsed, its polygons exploding into fragments.
"Finally!" Pepper cheered, exhausted.
"Whew… that was a workout," Aitoile panted.
Collecting the Quad Beetle's materials, Pepper and Aitoile took a breather. Their item inventory had room to spare, but the battle had left them visibly drained. Craving a pick-me-up, Pepper pulled out the Empire Honey looted from the earlier bee hive.
Empire Honey
A rare honey harvested from an Empire Bee hive, this high-density sweetness is a flavor bomb. Gathered by Empire Bee Workers and infused with the queen's pheromones, it offers a rich yet gentle taste, nourishing the queen, larvae, and hive.
A single lick provides significant fatigue recovery and mana restoration, a crystalline elixir born of Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow.
Pepper dripped some honey onto a nearby leaf and took a taste.
(…Sweet.)
Though milder than typical honey, its sweetness was undeniable, and he felt fatigue melt away with a single lick.
"Hey, Aitoile, try this Empire Honey. It's super sweet," Pepper offered.
"Thanks, Pepper-han. That Quad Beetle wore me out," Aitoile said, scooping some honey with her finger. Her face melted into a blissful, dreamy smile, brimming with happiness.
"Let's explore a bit more, then head back to Thirdrema," Pepper suggested.
"Sounds good," Aitoile agreed. "Oh, and Pepper-han, did you know Empire Honey is even more valuable for alchemy than a Storage Papillon's Honey Sac? Next time, I'll introduce you to an alchemist friend."
"That's something to look forward to," Pepper grinned.
Excited at the prospect of meeting another of Aitoile's siblings, they took a short rest before resuming their exploration of Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow.
Thirty minutes later, Pepper and Aitoile were still trekking through the jungle. The scenery remained unchanged—towering trees, vibrant flowers, Horal Mushrooms, glowing fungi, and the bustling ecosystem. They were nearing the area's edge, with little new to show for it.
"Nothing much out here, huh?" Pepper sighed.
"Yeah…" Aitoile murmured.
They considered turning back to sell or store their loot when Aitoile perked up.
"Pepper-han, something's coming this way…"
Following her gaze, Pepper spotted a firefly drifting between the trees, its faint glow drawing closer. It floated before them, circling once before swaying side to side like a pendulum, as if beckoning them to follow.
"What's that about?" Aitoile wondered.
"Let's find out. It's gotta lead somewhere," Pepper said.
Guided by the firefly's light, they pressed forward, soon arriving at a river of shimmering fireflies—a celestial stream. At its end stood a colossal tree, dwarfing all others in the jungle, piercing the sky. Around it lay an unnaturally cleared circular space, devoid of trees or flowers, like a staged arena. Nestled within the giant tree's roots was a massive "gem" glinting with emerald and gold.
"Could that be… a rare item?" Pepper whispered, eyes wide.
"It's gorgeous. Let's get closer to check it out," Aitoile urged.
Cautiously, they approached the edge of the circular clearing. Pepper hesitated. Stepping inside felt like crossing a threshold into a boss fight, where he'd be branded an intruder. More pressingly, he thought of Aitoile. What if Shangri-La Frontier's NPCs couldn't respawn after death? The risk was too great.
"Sorry, Aitoile, but I need you to stay here," Pepper said.
"Why's that?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Beyond this point, there's probably a tough enemy waiting. Pioneers like me can die and come back, but if you or other NPCs die, it might be permanent. And… letting a girl walk into danger? That's not how a guy rolls. Let me protect you."
He wasn't certain his reasoning was correct, but even a slim chance of losing Aitoile demanded caution. That wariness defined Pepper as a gamer.
"…Alright, Pepper-han. Be careful, okay?" Aitoile said.
"Sorry about this. Stay hidden nearby so other Pioneers don't spot you."
"Sure thing. And, Pepper-han… that was really cool," she said, pulling her conical hat low and slipping into the underbrush.
Pepper steeled himself. "Here goes."
He stepped into the circle. Instantly, a fence of wind and lightning sealed the boundary, trapping him inside. His hunch about a boss fight was spot-on, giving him a fleeting sense of relief—until a voice thundered through the jungle.
"Who dares… intrude here?!"
"Leave… now!"
A crushing gust and crackling lightning shook the air. From the canopy of two towering trees, the voices' owners descended, confronting the Pioneer.
One was Tyranid Giraffa, the world's longest stag beetle, its jade-green carapace shimmering like a jewel, wings conjuring gales, and elongated pincers gleaming with menace.
The other was Kaiserion Caucasus, the world's mightiest beetle, its black-and-gold body crackling with lightning, three majestic horns pulsing with electric fury.
"Wind and thunder gods, huh?" Pepper remarked, his gamer soul igniting at the sight of these regal insect bosses. Drawing on his Quad Beetle fight, he equipped the Marsh Sledge in his left hand for its blunt damage and durability, ideal for critical hits with reduced stamina loss.
A gust caught his Traveler's Cloak, exposing the Lycaon's Curse Mark on his right arm. The insects' eyes locked onto it.
"…! The 'Hero'… has come!" Tyranid Giraffa declared.
"The 'Hero'… acknowledged by the Night Sovereign!" Kaiserion Caucasus roared.
"Hero? You know about Lycaon?" Pepper asked.
The insects offered no reply, but their wind and lightning aura intensified. They bellowed in unison:
"I am Tyranid Giraffa, Child of the Hurricane!"
"I am Kaiserion Caucasus, Child of the Thunderstorm!"
"Hero bearing the curse… prove your strength to us!"
With that, they charged.
(Wait, what? Do I have to fight both at once?!)
What makes a hero? That was Pepper's first question. In games, heroes were chosen by kings to slay demon lords or summoned to other worlds in isekai tales. These insects called him a hero, acknowledged by Night Sovereign Lycaon. He wanted to ask what they meant, but the battle's chaos obliterated any chance for answers.
"Gaaah!" Pepper yelped.
Gales tore through the arena, and lightning rained from above. The beetles, a cut above the Quad Beetle in size and ferocity, forced Pepper to divert all his focus to dodging and countering. Their relentless charges left no room for strategy.
Worst of all, something baffled him.
(Why… aren't their polygons breaking?!)
Every monster he'd fought released polygons or afterglows when damaged—a sign of pain, a biological defense to signal limits. Yet, four minutes into this hit-and-run skirmish, neither Tyranid Giraffa nor Kaiserion Caucasus showed a single polygon despite his strikes.
"Damn it! If I could equip a weapon in my right hand, I could handle this storm!" Pepper cursed.
The Lycaon's Curse Mark limiting him to one-handed combat weighed heavily, slowing his movements for a split second. That hesitation invited a pincer attack from both beetles.
"Crap—!" Pepper braced, envisioning himself crushed.
But then, Tyranid Giraffa and Kaiserion Caucasus soared over him, their bodies glowing blindingly.
"Hero marked by the curse… you are not yet ready!" Giraffa bellowed, its pincers summoning a massive wind vortex.
"Your strength… falls short of us!" Caucasus roared, lightning crackling from its horns.
"Come back… when you wield wind and storm!"
A hurricane and thunderbolt slammed into Pepper, reducing his HP to 1 and ejecting him from the battlefield. Tyranid Giraffa and Kaiserion Caucasus. This clash at Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow: Twin Emperor Trees marked Pepper's third defeat in Shangri-La Frontier, driven by the Lycaon's Curse Mark's one-handed penalty.
Yet, this loss triggered the true start of the special quest: [Embodying the Hurricane, Clad in the Storm].
New Foes: The Twin Emperor Insects
Tyranid Giraffa & Kaiserion Caucasus: These 8-meter-class Giraffa Stag Beetle and Caucasus Beetle appear in the special area Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow: Twin Emperor Trees after accepting the quest [Embodying the Hurricane, Clad in the Storm]. They guard the rare item Emperor Tree Amber at the twin trees' summit.
The beetle you face depends on your weapon type and attribute: Tyranid Giraffa for slashing, magic, or close-range weapons; Kaiserion Caucasus for blunt, bow, or long-range weapons. However, clearing either [The Secret of Rock-Splitting] or [The Roaring Stratagem in the Marsh] with an A+ rank triggers both to fight simultaneously. In this case, their HP remains unaffected by any attacks or skills.
Their attacks, regardless of the player's HP, armor, or skills, always leave the player at 1 HP—a "mercy strike" ensuring no death. Five minutes into the battle, a forced defeat event expels the player from the arena.
In short, the initial encounter is an unwinnable forced-loss event.
Motifs: Tyranid Giraffa embodies the Wind God; Kaiserion Caucasus embodies the Thunder God.
Quest Update: Special Quest: [Embodying the Hurricane, Clad in the Storm] has progressed.
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