As expected, the monsters were distressed when the High Red Goblin was killed. And we had an easier job of taking down the High Goblins after that. Though, that was only true for the third floor. The others were still fighting on the lower floors.
“Alright, let’s go and help them.”
I turned my ice swords into mist and then turned to Adlus and Daniela. They really hadn’t been wasting any time. As I had been struggling against the High Red, they had cleaned up the room… I needed more experience against large groups of enemies as well.
“The number of High Goblins beneath us should be quite low. It will probably end very soon.”
“Yes, the Jades were quite excited to finally get some action. It may be better not to interfere.”
Daniela and Adlus suggested, but I didn’t think this was time to let our guards down. And in any case, the other Jades who scattered around the city would probably be gathering near the tower by now. So we had to go down and meet them.
“Well, we should return anyway.”
“Indeed… Hm?!”
“What is it? Daniela?”
“Presence Detection! Something incredible…!”
At this, I frantically spread the range of Presence Detection. And then I detected something ridiculously large within the abandoned city. It wasn’t something that was just hiding up until now. It had appeared out of nowhere. Besides, I had infiltrated this place before, and there hadn’t been any monster like this.
“…This is bad. It is heading towards us.”
“But why…? Is there a reason for it to head to the center of the city?”
“I do not know. But we must escape. We will all die if this tower collapses!”
They moved quickly. Adlus and Daniela dashed down the steps to inform the other Adventurers and order them to escape. As for me, I used Eyes of the God Wolf to get a better idea of what the thing was.
“…Woah… What the hell…!”
I couldn’t help but mutter, but there was no one to hear me.
The thing that I was able to see now. It was an unbelievable monster.
Its color was a pale green, much like a goblin. However, its physique was completely different. To put it simply, it was a giant centipede. Its bulging muscles were connected like beads, and from each mass, were thick arms…no, legs. And the head of this rediculous body was a fleshy mass with multiple eyes and mouths.
This monstrous creature was thrashing about, causing buildings to fall, as it made its way towards the tower.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
I needed to get out of here. That wasn’t an enemy we could fight.
Frantically, I switched the eyes off and slid down the stairs with Legs of the God Wolf. They were already retreating on the second floor, and I saw Daniela’s back, just as I reached it. And so I turned Legs of the God Wolf off so I could run next to her as we went down the stairs.
“Daniela, we’re dead.”
“Not me.”
“That’s not what…well, maybe. That’s not the point!”
“Asagi. Stop panicking. It is in these moments that you must remain calm.”
How could I be calm! I held back the urge to shout this and took in a deep breath. Of course, that made things worse, since we were dashing down some steps.
“A monster I’ve never seen before is headed towards this tower. It’s huge.”
“Is it really a monster?”
“I think so. Well, I’m not an expert.”
If anything, it might be better to call it some kind of ancient, living weapon.
“Well, if it is alive, then it can be killed.”
“I didn’t think there were people in this world who actually say such things.”
I could not understand where her confidence was coming from. I had been so overwhelmed by its sheer size. However, once I started to calm down a little, it seemed less impossible. Indeed. If it was alive, then it could be killed. Of course, that didn’t mean we were fit for the job…
“It is now visible from the tower. It might actually be more dangerous to leave.”
“But Daniela, it can’t possibly be safer in here. There’s no way that it won’t collapse. We’ll be crushed.”
“Well, perhaps we can wait in a spot that will allow us to escape right as that happens.”
Hmm. Maybe… There was a monster outside. The tower collapsing might give us cover to escape.
That’s when it happened. A scream rose from the stairs up ahead. I paused and used Eyes of the God Wolf to see what was happening. Some of the Jades were looking out of a window and pointing with looks of horror. They must be looking at the monster. Its appearance had been worthy of such a reaction…
“Damn it. Fear is contagious.”
Daniela was quick to see the danger in this development.
“I better go and make them calm down.”
“Aye. You go on ahead.”
I would have to and tell Adlus. Though, I’m sure he would understand without me saying anything.
“Be careful.”
“Yeah.”
I activated Legs of the God Wolf and jumped over the heads of the Adventurers and landed on the second floor. People looked up to see what was happening, but I ignored them and continued to slide down.
Adlus was shaking the shoulders of one of the Jades. He was quick to see what was happening…
“Adlus.”
“We saw it. But was it?”
“As if I’d know. The point is that it’ll be dangerous outside as well.”
“I intend to wait for it to stop after hitting the tower. That’s when we’ll let the Jades escape. As for the rest of us, we stay here and fight it.”
“Of course.”
The frightened Jades watched this conversation with disbelief.
“Yo-you can’t seriously mean to fight that thing… There is no way you can kill it!”
“If it’s alive, then it can die. We just need to take it from…”
“That thing is bigger than a wyvern! It’s impossible! Ah, it’s no use. Even if we run now, it will be too late!”
The monster was surprisingly fast, and it was only a matter of time before it reached us. The Adventurers saw this and fell to their knees.
“We’ll beat it. Just you watch.”
I pulled out my greatsword from the hollow bag and pointed it at the monster. And then I sent dark blue magic energy into it, causing the blade to turn into water and extend out and break through the wall. The monster had been about to smash against it, but instead, it was pierced by the water blade. It let out a shrill scream.
“See, it can be hurt. We just need to continue until it’s dead. We can win!”
The Jades looked up at me as I shouted. Perhaps they had heard that I struggled against the Queen’s Knight Goblin. And yet, here I was, doing damage to this great monster.
“Look at how many of us were in the Imperial Sword Tournament. This is no trial that we cannot overcome.”
Adlus continued. Daniela chuckled at this. That seemed to calm them a little.
“It’s coming again!”
Manager shouted. And we all tensed up again. But they were all determined now. I was sure that they would live up to our expectations.
There was now a big gap in the wall made by the water blade. The monster was curled back, with its back arched. It was probably going to spring back and ram its head into the tower.
“…Prepare ready for impact!”
Adlus stabbed his sword into the ground and crouched. I did the same and put my arm around his shoulder. That would help keep us stable. Adlus noticed this and put his arm on me as well.
A few seconds passed, and the charging monster’s head rammed heavily into the tower. There was a thunderous boom and the ground and building shook.
“W-wha!”
“Ahhh!”
I could hear people screaming, but it was so faint. The sounds of the tower shaking were much too loud. I gritted my teeth and quickly pulled my hood over my head to protect it from the dust and debris that was falling from the ceiling.
It hadn’t even been ten seconds, but it seemed like it had lasted for much longer. When it ended, everything became dead silent. I used Eyes of the God Wolf to check on the monster. Apparently, it had been ramming its head on the third floor. It now had its head inside. It appeared to have stopped now.
Well, this was our chance. We could not let it go to waste.
“Now! Run!!”
I shouted. The Jades quickly got to their feet and dashed out. Thankfully, the shaking had not scared them so much that they couldn’t move. They ran straight, down the steps and out through the exit on the first floor. While it would be intimidating to be so close to the monster, once they were past it, they were free to run through the abandoned city.
We retreated as well. Once the tower was empty, we could hear the sound of it creaking as cracks began to appear. They grew larger, and more sand and dust filled the air. Soon rocks started to fall.
“It’ll all come down soon.”
I nodded at Adlus’s words. It would probably fall as soon as it pulled its head out. However, if we feared that and ran from the scene, we would lose our best chance.
“Attack its legs!”
First, it was mobility. This thing was faster than it looked. And that was likely affected by the number of legs it had.
We couldn’t do anything unless we could keep it in one place. Its movement would allow it to escape the water blade. It might even chase after the other Adventurers. And so we targeted the legs. Pin them down or slice them off. Everyone would use their own methods.
“Hyaah!!”
I shouted as I swung my blade. As they were so thick, I wasn’t able to cut the leg off in one hit. However, a giant tear appeared in its flesh. As blood sprayed from the wound, I hit again and again. Finally, the rest of the leg gave way, and I succeeded in removing it entirely.
“The muscles are just like a goblin! It’s not too hard!”
I shouted and pulled back for another swing. But then the monster went wild. Still, there seemed to be a bit of a lag when it came to feeling pain. For a second, I had wondered if it didn’t feel any at all.
“Fall back!”
Adlus shouted as he unleashed his water magic. We all immediately backed away. Some people tripped, but quickly got up and escaped.
The monster was screeching as it thrashed around and its legs stomped the ground. It was like an earthquake. However, its head remained firmly inside of the tower. Was it stuck?
While this seemed like a perfect opportunity, it was moving too much, and we could not get any closer.
“Leave it to me! Haa!”
Adlus used his favorite little trick, auto guard, in order to protect the Adventurers. This magic had been a pain in the ass for me, but it was a huge comfort for us now. It meant we could fight without worrying.
And I was starting to feel very hopeful. If its head really was stuck up there, maybe I could attack the head and…
“It’s worth trying…!”
I held the greatsword on my shoulder and then activated Legs of the God Wolf.
“Asagi!?”
“This is my chance! I’m going to kill it.”
“No. It is too dangerous!”
Daniela tried to stop me, but I felt that killing it here would surely be the way to minimize casualties.
And so I ignored her protest and shot up to the roof. Then I imbued the sword with dark blue energy, turning the blade to water, as I approached the monster’s head.
“Eat this! Kamiyashiro… Huh!?”
Just as I raised the blade into the air, the cluster of eyes moved in my direction.
In an instant, its centipede-like body came shooting towards me from behind. I had been about to unleash ‘Swiftest Wind Flash’ onto its head but quickly changed its course to the body instead.
“Damn…!!”
I twisted awkwardly as the water blade shot forward and cut diagonally into the body. The surface of the monster fell away easily to the water blade, and blood gushed out like a fountain. The monster wailed madly.
“GGGGGGUUUUUIIIEEEEEEEEGHH!!!”
It sounded like the screams of many people were layered into one. It made your skin crawl and your ears shake. Perhaps it had taken so much damage now, that it was reacting faster to attacks than earlier. It thrashed wildly. Eventually, its head was freed from the tower. We had cut nearly half of its legs off at that point, but somehow, it was even crazier and more dangerous than before.
“Shit..!!”
I landed near the others, as they moved away from the monster. My greatsword dragged on the ground as I ran.
“I would have had it if the attack landed. I was so close.”
“How very disappointing…”
It was the perfect opportunity, and I had messed up. It hurt. It was a lack of experience. With so many eyes, I should have expected it to be able to see me coming. Especially since I was also someone who had the ability to use other ‘eyes.’
“Still, you did deal a lot of damage. If you can attack it like that again, you may be able to kill it.”
“Sorry…”
“You can be sorry later. Right now, we have to kill that thing. Isn’t that right?”
Adlus said. I nodded. Yes… Right. Killing that thing would be one way to make up for my mistake!
“Alright, I’ll do it! We’ll all do it together!”
“That’s the spirit!”
Daniela and the other Adventurers raised their voices in answer. My grip tightened around my sword. Regardless of the result, it was still damaged. We could kill it. As long as we could regain the advantage.
It had to be done. I wasn’t about to die down here to such a monster. It was time we taught it to fear humans.
As expected, the monsters were distressed when the High Red Goblin was killed. And we had an easier job of taking down the High Goblins after that. Though, that was only true for the third floor. The others were still fighting on the lower floors.
“Alright, let’s go and help them.”
I turned my ice swords into mist and then turned to Adlus and Daniela. They really hadn’t been wasting any time. As I had been struggling against the High Red, they had cleaned up the room… I needed more experience against large groups of enemies as well.
“The number of High Goblins beneath us should be quite low. It will probably end very soon.”
“Yes, the Jades were quite excited to finally get some action. It may be better not to interfere.”
Daniela and Adlus suggested, but I didn’t think this was time to let our guards down. And in any case, the other Jades who scattered around the city would probably be gathering near the tower by now. So we had to go down and meet them.
“Well, we should return anyway.”
“Indeed… Hm?!”
“What is it? Daniela?”
“Presence Detection! Something incredible…!”
At this, I frantically spread the range of Presence Detection. And then I detected something ridiculously large within the abandoned city. It wasn’t something that was just hiding up until now. It had appeared out of nowhere. Besides, I had infiltrated this place before, and there hadn’t been any monster like this.
“…This is bad. It is heading towards us.”
“But why…? Is there a reason for it to head to the center of the city?”
“I do not know. But we must escape. We will all die if this tower collapses!”
They moved quickly. Adlus and Daniela dashed down the steps to inform the other Adventurers and order them to escape. As for me, I used Eyes of the God Wolf to get a better idea of what the thing was.
“…Woah… What the hell…!”
I couldn’t help but mutter, but there was no one to hear me.
The thing that I was able to see now. It was an unbelievable monster.
Its color was a pale green, much like a goblin. However, its physique was completely different. To put it simply, it was a giant centipede. Its bulging muscles were connected like beads, and from each mass, were thick arms…no, legs. And the head of this rediculous body was a fleshy mass with multiple eyes and mouths.
This monstrous creature was thrashing about, causing buildings to fall, as it made its way towards the tower.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
I needed to get out of here. That wasn’t an enemy we could fight.
Frantically, I switched the eyes off and slid down the stairs with Legs of the God Wolf. They were already retreating on the second floor, and I saw Daniela’s back, just as I reached it. And so I turned Legs of the God Wolf off so I could run next to her as we went down the stairs.
“Daniela, we’re dead.”
“Not me.”
“That’s not what…well, maybe. That’s not the point!”
“Asagi. Stop panicking. It is in these moments that you must remain calm.”
How could I be calm! I held back the urge to shout this and took in a deep breath. Of course, that made things worse, since we were dashing down some steps.
“A monster I’ve never seen before is headed towards this tower. It’s huge.”
“Is it really a monster?”
“I think so. Well, I’m not an expert.”
If anything, it might be better to call it some kind of ancient, living weapon.
“Well, if it is alive, then it can be killed.”
“I didn’t think there were people in this world who actually say such things.”
I could not understand where her confidence was coming from. I had been so overwhelmed by its sheer size. However, once I started to calm down a little, it seemed less impossible. Indeed. If it was alive, then it could be killed. Of course, that didn’t mean we were fit for the job…
“It is now visible from the tower. It might actually be more dangerous to leave.”
“But Daniela, it can’t possibly be safer in here. There’s no way that it won’t collapse. We’ll be crushed.”
“Well, perhaps we can wait in a spot that will allow us to escape right as that happens.”
Hmm. Maybe… There was a monster outside. The tower collapsing might give us cover to escape.
That’s when it happened. A scream rose from the stairs up ahead. I paused and used Eyes of the God Wolf to see what was happening. Some of the Jades were looking out of a window and pointing with looks of horror. They must be looking at the monster. Its appearance had been worthy of such a reaction…
“Damn it. Fear is contagious.”
Daniela was quick to see the danger in this development.
“I better go and make them calm down.”
“Aye. You go on ahead.”
I would have to and tell Adlus. Though, I’m sure he would understand without me saying anything.
“Be careful.”
“Yeah.”
I activated Legs of the God Wolf and jumped over the heads of the Adventurers and landed on the second floor. People looked up to see what was happening, but I ignored them and continued to slide down.
Adlus was shaking the shoulders of one of the Jades. He was quick to see what was happening…
“Adlus.”
“We saw it. But was it?”
“As if I’d know. The point is that it’ll be dangerous outside as well.”
“I intend to wait for it to stop after hitting the tower. That’s when we’ll let the Jades escape. As for the rest of us, we stay here and fight it.”
“Of course.”
The frightened Jades watched this conversation with disbelief.
“Yo-you can’t seriously mean to fight that thing… There is no way you can kill it!”
“If it’s alive, then it can die. We just need to take it from…”
“That thing is bigger than a wyvern! It’s impossible! Ah, it’s no use. Even if we run now, it will be too late!”
The monster was surprisingly fast, and it was only a matter of time before it reached us. The Adventurers saw this and fell to their knees.
“We’ll beat it. Just you watch.”
I pulled out my greatsword from the hollow bag and pointed it at the monster. And then I sent dark blue magic energy into it, causing the blade to turn into water and extend out and break through the wall. The monster had been about to smash against it, but instead, it was pierced by the water blade. It let out a shrill scream.
“See, it can be hurt. We just need to continue until it’s dead. We can win!”
The Jades looked up at me as I shouted. Perhaps they had heard that I struggled against the Queen’s Knight Goblin. And yet, here I was, doing damage to this great monster.
“Look at how many of us were in the Imperial Sword Tournament. This is no trial that we cannot overcome.”
Adlus continued. Daniela chuckled at this. That seemed to calm them a little.
“It’s coming again!”
Manager shouted. And we all tensed up again. But they were all determined now. I was sure that they would live up to our expectations.
There was now a big gap in the wall made by the water blade. The monster was curled back, with its back arched. It was probably going to spring back and ram its head into the tower.
“…Prepare ready for impact!”
Adlus stabbed his sword into the ground and crouched. I did the same and put my arm around his shoulder. That would help keep us stable. Adlus noticed this and put his arm on me as well.
A few seconds passed, and the charging monster’s head rammed heavily into the tower. There was a thunderous boom and the ground and building shook.
“W-wha!”
“Ahhh!”
I could hear people screaming, but it was so faint. The sounds of the tower shaking were much too loud. I gritted my teeth and quickly pulled my hood over my head to protect it from the dust and debris that was falling from the ceiling.
It hadn’t even been ten seconds, but it seemed like it had lasted for much longer. When it ended, everything became dead silent. I used Eyes of the God Wolf to check on the monster. Apparently, it had been ramming its head on the third floor. It now had its head inside. It appeared to have stopped now.
Well, this was our chance. We could not let it go to waste.
“Now! Run!!”
I shouted. The Jades quickly got to their feet and dashed out. Thankfully, the shaking had not scared them so much that they couldn’t move. They ran straight, down the steps and out through the exit on the first floor. While it would be intimidating to be so close to the monster, once they were past it, they were free to run through the abandoned city.
We retreated as well. Once the tower was empty, we could hear the sound of it creaking as cracks began to appear. They grew larger, and more sand and dust filled the air. Soon rocks started to fall.
“It’ll all come down soon.”
I nodded at Adlus’s words. It would probably fall as soon as it pulled its head out. However, if we feared that and ran from the scene, we would lose our best chance.
“Attack its legs!”
First, it was mobility. This thing was faster than it looked. And that was likely affected by the number of legs it had.
We couldn’t do anything unless we could keep it in one place. Its movement would allow it to escape the water blade. It might even chase after the other Adventurers. And so we targeted the legs. Pin them down or slice them off. Everyone would use their own methods.
“Hyaah!!”
I shouted as I swung my blade. As they were so thick, I wasn’t able to cut the leg off in one hit. However, a giant tear appeared in its flesh. As blood sprayed from the wound, I hit again and again. Finally, the rest of the leg gave way, and I succeeded in removing it entirely.
“The muscles are just like a goblin! It’s not too hard!”
I shouted and pulled back for another swing. But then the monster went wild. Still, there seemed to be a bit of a lag when it came to feeling pain. For a second, I had wondered if it didn’t feel any at all.
“Fall back!”
Adlus shouted as he unleashed his water magic. We all immediately backed away. Some people tripped, but quickly got up and escaped.
The monster was screeching as it thrashed around and its legs stomped the ground. It was like an earthquake. However, its head remained firmly inside of the tower. Was it stuck?
While this seemed like a perfect opportunity, it was moving too much, and we could not get any closer.
“Leave it to me! Haa!”
Adlus used his favorite little trick, auto guard, in order to protect the Adventurers. This magic had been a pain in the ass for me, but it was a huge comfort for us now. It meant we could fight without worrying.
And I was starting to feel very hopeful. If its head really was stuck up there, maybe I could attack the head and…
“It’s worth trying…!”
I held the greatsword on my shoulder and then activated Legs of the God Wolf.
“Asagi!?”
“This is my chance! I’m going to kill it.”
“No. It is too dangerous!”
Daniela tried to stop me, but I felt that killing it here would surely be the way to minimize casualties.
And so I ignored her protest and shot up to the roof. Then I imbued the sword with dark blue energy, turning the blade to water, as I approached the monster’s head.
“Eat this! Kamiyashiro… Huh!?”
Just as I raised the blade into the air, the cluster of eyes moved in my direction.
In an instant, its centipede-like body came shooting towards me from behind. I had been about to unleash ‘Swiftest Wind Flash’ onto its head but quickly changed its course to the body instead.
“Damn…!!”
I twisted awkwardly as the water blade shot forward and cut diagonally into the body. The surface of the monster fell away easily to the water blade, and blood gushed out like a fountain. The monster wailed madly.
“GGGGGGUUUUUIIIEEEEEEEEGHH!!!”
It sounded like the screams of many people were layered into one. It made your skin crawl and your ears shake. Perhaps it had taken so much damage now, that it was reacting faster to attacks than earlier. It thrashed wildly. Eventually, its head was freed from the tower. We had cut nearly half of its legs off at that point, but somehow, it was even crazier and more dangerous than before.
“Shit..!!”
I landed near the others, as they moved away from the monster. My greatsword dragged on the ground as I ran.
“I would have had it if the attack landed. I was so close.”
“How very disappointing…”
It was the perfect opportunity, and I had messed up. It hurt. It was a lack of experience. With so many eyes, I should have expected it to be able to see me coming. Especially since I was also someone who had the ability to use other ‘eyes.’
“Still, you did deal a lot of damage. If you can attack it like that again, you may be able to kill it.”
“Sorry…”
“You can be sorry later. Right now, we have to kill that thing. Isn’t that right?”
Adlus said. I nodded. Yes… Right. Killing that thing would be one way to make up for my mistake!
“Alright, I’ll do it! We’ll all do it together!”
“That’s the spirit!”
Daniela and the other Adventurers raised their voices in answer. My grip tightened around my sword. Regardless of the result, it was still damaged. We could kill it. As long as we could regain the advantage.
It had to be done. I wasn’t about to die down here to such a monster. It was time we taught it to fear humans.
